Mars, Callery looking to strike emergency collaboration agreement
CALLERY — Two boroughs in the southwestern part of the county are working toward an ordinance which would dictate how the two would cooperate in the event of a major emergency.
Callery Borough Council President Rose Wirtz said at a meeting Monday, March 2, an ordinance is expected to go out for advertisement next month and be voted on in May.
Mars had the ordinance on its agenda for Monday as well, but tabled the issue until after the required advertisement period was complete.
Discussions between the two municipalities were first made public at a Mars Borough Council meeting Feb. 17 by Mars secretary/treasurer Christine Clutter, who also serves as emergency management coordinator for both boroughs.
According to Clutter, the creation of the ordinance is being urged by Butler County Emergency Management — specifically by Amy Marree, the county’s Emergency Management Specialist.
“Butler County wants an ordinance now for cooperation between the municipalities if there’s a disaster,” Clutter said on Feb. 17. “They want a cooperation agreement between the two if anything should happen. We would take care of our bills and Callery would take care of theirs.”
Harmony and Zelienople have a similar cooperation agreement in place, which has been in force since 2017. The two boroughs jointly form the Zelienople-Harmony Emergency Management Agency, or ZHEMA.
