Summit Hill Borough Council has begun the process of hiring a new chief of police, agreeing to advertise for applicants for the position.

The council said longtime police chief Joseph Fittos Jr. retired in September. He had been off-duty for a number of months before that.

The police committee of the council will meet and put together a process for obtaining applications for the position, including advertising in specific publications.

The chief of police matter was one of four topics that were discussed during the special meeting of the council on Monday.

Other items were:

• Agreed to purchase a new pickup truck with a utility body for the borough’s work force.

• Agreed to hire a firm to repair the air conditioning system in the Community Center.

• Explained to the board of directors of the Heritage Center that although a $100,000 state grant has been approved, that the work to be done with the grant must be defined and done through a bidding process.

Regarding the truck, it was agreed to purchase a 2021 Ford F-250 SD Super Cab with an 8-foot box. The truck is being purchased with a steel utility body and a spray-in bed liner cargo area. The base price is $34,269 with the options, bringing the price to $42,194.

Borough worker John Poko said the last time the borough purchased a new pickup for the work force was in 1988.

In 2017, the borough obtained a 1999 model from the borough’s Water Authority.

The truck is being purchased from New Holland Auto Group through the state COSTARS Program.

Council member Michael Alabovitz, who owns an electric firm, said the price of the truck was excellent and that he favored buying it because such trucks are hard to get at the present time. He said his firm paid $40,900 for a new regular pickup without an extended cab.

The vote to buy the truck was unanimous, with financing to be arranged. Kira Steber, borough secretary, said the borough has the financial ability to pay for the vehicle through the capital improvement fund and liquid fuels fund.

The air conditioning unit in the community center has been having problems for a number of years.

The borough hired H.T. Lyons Inc. to replace the compressor, high pressure control, low pressure control and crankcase heater at a cost of $8,350.

Much of the meeting was spent discussing the grant for the Heritage Center, which was approved by the state about three years ago.

The Heritage Center was hoping the needed work, including new wiring and installation of a new floor, could be done through the COSTARS program.

Alabovitz said the borough’s solicitor has said that the work must be put out on bids, so bid specifications will have to be drawn up.

The borough obtained the grant on behalf of the Community Center.

He said failure to comply with state regulations could result in forfeiture of the grant and possibly financial penalties.