After voting two weeks ago not to apply for a Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) grant unless there was no financial obligation on the part of the borough, Bellevue Council reversed itself at Tuesday's work session and voted to allow the police chief to update and revise a COPS grant application.

Bellevue previously was denied a request for funding that would cover the salaries and benefits of two officers for three years. The officers would have to be new hires, and would have to remain employed by the borough for one full budget cycle after the three-year period.

Police Chief Matt Sentner said that the borough's application is automatically being reviewed for future funding, but needs to be updated. He recommended reducing the number of officers requested to one, and said that the borough's chances of getting the grant are much better this year because there was a homicide in Bellevue in the past year.

"We're pretty high on the list," he told council.

Safety committee chairman David Gillingham Jr. said that the cost of an officer for one year's salary and benefits is about $95,000. Depending on when the officer is hired, Bellevue's post-grant financial liability could be nearly double that amount. Council member Susan Viscusi noted that no one has determined if contract or civil service rules would prevent the borough from terminating the new officer after the terms of the grant are met.

A motion to update the COPS application was approved in a 4-3 vote, with Lisa Blaney-Stewart, Gillingham, Mark Panichella and Kathy Coder in favor. Opposed were Jane Braunlich and James and Susan Viscusi. Mark Helbling and Linda Woshner were absent. "We're going to have to do some serious budget looking-at," said Mayor George Doscher.