The Salisbury Township Municipal Building needs a good housecleaning literally.

However, it may have to wait until spring housecleaning because of a debate among township commissioners as to who should do the cleaning.

The seemingly simple matter of regular cleaning of the municipal building is complicated because of the inclusion of offices in the Salisbury Township Public Works Department Building and the Salisbury Township Police Department Public Safety Building.

Anyone seeking to be hired to clean the township police headquarters would need to undergo a rigorous hiring process because of the sensitive nature of the building's contents.

Commissioners discussed the buildings' custodian position, which has been spun off from a public works department position, during the Oct. 9 meeting workshop.

The choices facing commissioners include making the custodian position a full-time position, with benefits, making the custodian position a part-time position, or two part-time positions, each with no benefits, or outsourcing the custodial work.

Salisbury Police Chief Allen W. Stiles said anyone applying for a custodian position would have to undergo a background check and be fingerprinted.

"We have to make sure we don't hire anybody who can get into any files," Stiles told commissioners during the approximate 30-minute discussion.

"That makes it a little bit more difficult if we hire an outside firm," Stiles emphasized.

"We'd like to hire someone we trust," Stiles added.

Stiles estimated a custodian for the police department would need to work four hours per day.

"Our officers are doing a lot of this [custodial work in the public safety building] ourselves now," Stiles said .

Stiles also noted the building has two holding cells where prisoners are housed temporarily for processing before being transported to Lehigh County Prison, Allentown.

Stiles said a clean condition of the holding cells is paramount. "It also makes it easier for us to handle somebody if they're happy," said Stiles.

Commissioner Joanne Ackerman asked if a part-time custodian for the police department could also handle custodial work for the public works and municipal building.

"It's too much for one person," Stiles replied.

"Is it too much for work [for a part-timer] for the municipal building and public works?" Commissioner Vice President Debra Brinton asked.

Salisbury Township Department of Public Works Director John Andreas said custodial work there would be "primarily" the office area and not the garage bays.

Salisbury Township Assistant Manager-Director of Finance Cathy Bonaskiewich, who chaired the Oct. 9 meeting and workshop in the absence of Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano, asked if custodial duties for the municipal building at 2900 South Pike Avenue would include snow shoveling.

Andreas said public works employees shovel snow at the public works and police departments.

"They [public works employees] get so busy that the police department has been doing it [snow shoveling]," Stiles said.

"You know what the weather has been like. They [public works employees] just get too busy," Stiles said, adding, "I have to worry about the court as well."

District Court Judge Michael Pochron has offices in the Public Safety Building, 3000 S. Pike Avenue.

"Prior to this time, 40 hours was not enough to do the two buildings?" Brinton asked.

"But you had a person who was not in good health," Ackerman said.

The previous township buildings custodian, whose position was then part of the public works department, was ill and died.

"I have no problem with a full-time position," Brinton said.

"You have to keep that well under 30 hours to avoid paying health care," Bonaskiewich said

"Right now [I see] one full-time person for everything," Brinton said.

"I don't think it's going to work," Stiles said, adding, "I believe we can get it done with one part-time [for the police building]."

"It sounds like a part-time person for police and a full-time for public works and the municipal building," Commissioner James Seagreaves said.

Brinton asked if there was a job description for the custodian position when it was in the public works department.

"There was a general job description," Andreas said, adding, "The biggest challenge is deciding what level of services you want to provide."

"We need a job description," Seagreaves said.

"I'd rather see everyone have some input who works in this building and in public works," Brinton said, adding "This is giving us an opportunity to revamp things."