Nesquehoning officials plan to reach out to other municipalities that are looking into creating a police testing consortium as a way to cut down on costs while filling vacancies.

During borough council’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, Joe Guardiani, who serves as secretary on the borough’s civil service commission, brought up the recommendation on the matter.

“This is something we have discussed as a civil service commission,” Guardiani said, holding up a copy of a Times News article about Palmerton, Lehighton and Jim Thorpe beginning to look into this consortium. “We highly recommend that we do some investigating and become part of those information sessions going forward.” He told council that the consortium aims to create a plan to make police testing more affordable. Municipalities must have police candidates complete a screenings and tests before they can be hired. These all cost the towns and then these candidates may or may not stay.

“I think we can still maintain control over what we’re doing, but at the same time, sharing some of those costs that are so very high when it comes to screening and testing,” Guardiani said.

Mayor Tom Kattner, who oversees the police department, said that the borough’s police chief is doing a great job with vetting people, but this may help.

Council said that they there had been meetings between Palmerton, Lehighton and Jim Thorpe regarding this idea and they had not been asked to attend; however, they believe it is a good idea to look into being involved.

Guardiani volunteered to begin the process of reaching out to the three municipalities to ask about joining the meetings in the future.

The idea of the consortium came up in January when the Carbon County Police Chief’s Association reorganized its format.

Earlier this month, Palmerton and Jim Thorpe police chiefs attended Lehighton Borough Council to discuss the proposal of a countywide consortium.

At that meeting, Tim Kromer of Palmerton and Joe Schatz of Jim Thorpe told council that the consortium would allow municipalities to share the cost in written and physical agility police testing, which would be administered by the Carbon County Police Chief Association, but would maintain their right to conduct their own oral interviews.

Schatz said in September that Lehigh and Northampton counties already do consortium testing and has been providing their municipalities with a larger pool of applicants.

On Oct. 11, Lansford Borough Council also moved to all its public safety committee to reach out to obtain information on joining a consortium.