Rush Township Interim Chief of Police Gerard Gallagher offered his first police report at the supervisors meeting on Thursday.

“I am happy to be here,” Gallagher said.

“You have a good department; a really good group of young men and women. I also would like to thank Chief Ken Zipovsky for his service to Rush Township. He left me a very well-organized and ordered department, which has made my life that much easier. It’s not always like that coming into a chief’s position.”

Zipovsky resigned last month.

On Thursday, Gallagher reported that with several resignations and other shift-availability issues with some of the officers, the department has lost 34 shifts per month.

With the approval of the supervisors, he will begin the process of hiring some more officers.

Trainees start out at $16 per hour. Once they become certified, it goes to $21 an hour.

He is hoping to pick up some experienced officers so they would just go through a shorter field training.

Gallagher reported that there were 170 incidents and complaints for the month, which included 1 adult criminal arrest, 10 traffic citations and parking tickets, $50 payment in parking tickets, and a 2020 theft case that was resolved.

In other business

A motion was passed to grant Midland Asphalt an extension for completion of the 2021 Bituminous Seal Coat Project from Aug. 27 to Sept. 14, including a waiver of liquidated damages for the period.

The 2021 Road Project includes work on Frankford Avenue, Stoney Road, Church Road, Zellner Road, Jones Street and Wertman Road. Crews will be putting tar and chip on the roads. On Frankford Avenue, a mist of tar will be added to suppress dust.

• Rush Township Administrative offices will be closed on Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day. Monday’s trash collection will be done on Tuesday, Sept. 7; and trash collection for Friday, Sept. 10, will move to Saturday.

• Rush Township regularly accepts recycling of electronic items, including televisions, from Rush Township residents only (proof of residency is required).

For televisions and computer monitors there is a fee of $25 each.

Items can be taken Monday through Friday to the Rush Township Municipal Building, 104 Mahanoy Ave., Tamaqua.