The search is on for a new Youngsville Borough Manager.

After spending eight years as manager, Lisa Hagberg started a new position with Warren County in April.

Borough council has received some good applications — and they had better, if they want to fill Hagberg’s shoes — according to Mayor Scott Nelson

“We’ve gone through all the resumes that we’ve received,” Council Member Rick Brewster said at Monday’s council meeting. “We received a total of 13.”

“We got some very good candidates,” Council Member Todd Lake said. “A wide variety.”

The personnel committed whittled that number to just under half.

“We selected six folks,” Brewster said.

There will be first interviews, second interviews if necessary, and time for the staff to meet with the applicants.

“It’s in the works,” Brewster said.

“There are some big shoes to fill,” Nelson said.

Hagberg attended Monday’s meeting and chimed in regularly with details about the current agenda items.

EMS LETTER

The borough recognized that letters from the City of Warren represent a “shot across the bow” at county municipalities, but did not take offense.

Early this month, the city sent two letters to municipalities in the county, threatening to seek state permission to no longer be required to respond to EMS calls outside city limits. According to the letter, the city spends city tax dollars providing ambulance services to municipalities that are not helping pay for those services.

There are times when the city has responded to a call in the borough, but they are very rare, according to officials.

“We are working with Emergycare and we do have it covered,” Youngsville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Vern Edmisten said. “I didn’t want you guys to be concerned that we’re not doing our jobs. That’s not what’s going on here.”

Brewster said he asked City Fire Chief Rodney Wren how many times a Warren ambulance had come to the borough in the past year — four or five.

Edmisten said five or six.

Many calls are to Brokenstraw Township — the home of the Rouse Home, Council Member Troy Clawson said. “I don’t think it’s going to affect us one way or the other.”

“I understand it to a point,” Lake said. “They’re paying that gentleman to be sitting in that station covering the City of Warren with City of Warren tax dollars.”

“When you start doing all of that (coverage outside the city), all of a sudden, that ambulance isn’t in the City of Warren,” he said. “I can see their point. I think they’re pushing a little harder than they need to be.”

Edmisten said his department responds to ambulance calls outside the borough all the time.

And, his department responds into the city.

“It’s no different from us taking our trucks out to Warren to fight a fire,” he said. “We go out of town too.”

Solicitor Tim Bevevino said he didn’t think the borough, or other municipalities, had much to worry about as far as the city seeking permission to not have to respond to outside calls.

“I think it’s extremely unlikely this exception will be granted,” Bevevino said. “Warren’s not unique. There would be a stampede of municipalities seeking a similar exception.”

“There’s no way the state’s going to open that can of worms in Warren County, when every county has the same issues,” Lake said.

“Everybody should work a little harder … watch what they put in the paper,” Edmisten said.