Hellertown Borough Council held its regularly scheduled meeting Monday night, with council members attending to several matters of importance to the community.
Among them was a vote to fill a vacancy on the Hellertown Borough Authority Board caused by the death in May of former board treasurer and Saucon Source contributor Chris Christian.
Chris Snyder and Ken Bloss had both written letters of interest following the vacancy’s announcement. Both men spoke to council about their qualifications Monday in hopes of securing the appointment, which ultimately went to Snyder following a 4-2 roll call vote.
“As a business owner with multiple properties in the borough of Hellertown, I asked to be considered for the vacant board member position,” said Snyder, who is owner of Quest Termite & Pest and a former chief of the former Steel City Volunteer Fire Co. in Lower Saucon Township. “I take great pride in helping to further the Hellertown Borough Authority into a sustainable future.”
Police Department’s Community Outreach Program Set to Begin
Officer in Charge Det. Michael Dattilio announced the inception of the Hellertown Police Department’s LEAP (Law Enforcement Assistance Program) initiative. The goal of the program is to open lines of communication with Hellertown citizens to assist the police, he said. At a meeting in June, officials said the program will be similar in nature to the former Hellertown Block Watch group.
“We all desire a crime-free community, but also a high quality of life… Communication is the first crucial step at attaining this goal,” Dattilio said.
The first LEAP meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at borough hall. More information will be available on the Hellertown Police Facebook page. Anyone interested in signing up to be part of the group, or who wants more information, should email js********@he**********.org.
Other Business
Fire Company Needs Help
Dewey Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Rick Delmore said his organization is in desperate need of volunteers.
“We are looking at every option possible to recruit people and obtain the people we have,” said Delmore. “We can have all of the equipment in the world, but without anyone to use it, it doesn’t mean anything.”
The fire company currently has 18 senior members, five support members and three junior members, he said. Among the senior members, 16 work during the daytime.
Fore more information about becoming a volunteer, contact the fire company at 610-838-0161 or visit DeweyFireCo.org.
Parking Ordinance Adjusted
Council has made some minor changes to its borough parking regulations (Ordinance 848) and approved a motion to advertise it. The ordinance in its entirety can be viewed here.
Forest Festival a Go
Council approved plans for this year’s Save the Forest Festival, which will be held Sunday, July 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Heller-Wagner Grist Mill on W. Walnut Street. Resident Jayne Shinko was present at the meeting on behalf of the Citizens for Responsible Development-LST organization, which is holding the event as a fundraiser for its efforts to stop a proposed landfill expansion in Lower Saucon Township.
Fireworks Message
Council urged residents to be courteous and careful if using fireworks over the upcoming Independence Day weekend, which begins Thursday.
“Be courteous. We’ll get a lot of complaints leading up to the latter half of this week,” council president Tom Rieger predicted. “We just want to reiterate in years past, we’ve had a lot of problems with (the public) not being kind to officers who are just trying to respond. At certain times if there are a lot of fireworks going off–just be respectful of your neighbor’s property and neighbors in general, and enjoy the long holiday weekend.”
The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 15 at 7 p.m. at Hellertown Borough Hall. Meetings are held in person and livestreamed online and via the borough’s Facebook page.
