City promotes police officers; dispute continues over fees

Two police officers promoted; disputes over city codes and fee continue

By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times

With his family around him, Coatesville Police Officer Shawn Dowds is sworn in as Corporal. City Police Chief Jack Laufer praised Dowds’s dedication and experience.

COATESVILLE – Coatesville Police Officer Shawn Dowds was promoted from patrol officer to corporal at Monday night’s City Council meeting. Officer Joseph F. Thompson will take Dowds’s place as patrol officer, going from part time to full time officer.

Dowds was originally offered the position last spring, but decided he did not want to leave his ongoing cases—many of which involved working with children—and therefore declined.

“Detective Dowds, last spring, felt so committed to his assignment that he wasn’t willing to walk away from it,” said city Police Chief Jack Laufer. “We hate to lose such an outstanding investigator from his assignment, but I know the patrol function is going to benefit greatly from his return to patrol in a supervisory capacity.”

Laufer said that Dowds will bring experience to the patrol, which will set an example for the younger officers.

Much of the rest of the meeting centered around fees being charged to businesses and landlords.

Tony Martin, owner of Norco Auto Salvage, said that he feels the city has unfairly targeted him in enforcing codes.

Martin said that he has been told to remove banners outside of his garage, even though surrounding businesses have been allowed to display banners in worse shape than his.

He said that between meeting various city codes and fighting some in court, he has spent $60,000. He believes the city’s enforcement of codes—particularly what he referred to as “harassment from [Codes Department Director] Mr. Molina”—has driven business out and prevented new businesses from coming into the city.

“If locals supported locals, we could get a lot further,” said Martin. “I’m sure there are a lot of business owners in here that had the same feeling I did.”

Martin said that while he did have a meaningful discussion with City Manager Kirby Hudson, he felt that he was not making progress with Molina, who continued to harass him.

Landlord Paul Evans voiced many of the same concerns, calling for more flexibility and transparency from the codes department.

“I think if there was less interference, there would be more business in the city,” he said.

He also questioned Molina’s motivations for sending out license rental fees a month early.

Molina said that a month ahead of time, he sent out around 15 letters to landlords requesting payment of rental fees. The letters were meant to serve as a test run for the mailing system, but because of an error, nothing in the letters indicated that the landlords did not have to pay the fees a month early.

He said that some of the letters have come back, but the landlords who paid their fees upon receiving the letter will still be credited for payment.

The landlords will meet with the city again later this month to discuss various fees.

“We’re going to be looking at the fees we’ve been charging. I think the most important thing is that we’re going to get a dialogue started and the definitions for everything in order to come up with a reasonable agreement,” said City Council President Joseph Hamrick.

He said that he wants to show the landlords how closely the fees being charged reflect city expenses, as generating revenue from those fees would be illegal.

“I think there’s promise on both parties, and that’s the most important part,” he said.

He went on to say that there are various fees that he is unhappy about, as his family has had to pay them as homeowners.

He also said that he would have to talk to Molina about codes affecting business owners.

With the new year came new appointments to city boards. Stephen Crane was appointed to the Zoning Hearing Board, Joseph DiScillo to the Redevelopment Authority, and Michael Zurratt to the Civil Service Commission. Robert Smith was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

During his City Manager’s report, Hudson called for citizens to consider filling open positions on the trust fund, police pension, fire pension, and non-uniform pension commissions.

Residents will see a change coming into the city in coming months.

For his Eagle Scout project, Steven Audette will oversee construction of a veterans’ memorial near Lincoln Highway and First Ave.

He intends to replace a crumbling brick wall near the intersection. Engraved on the new wall will be the names of Coatesville military veterans who have died in war. Funds and labor will be provided by Audette and his Boy Scout troop, while the names are being put together by the Purple Heart Foundation. Hamrick signed off on the project, which will be examined by the city’s planning commission.