ALLENTOWN – An incumbent councilwoman and a resident beginning his first term as a public official have taken their seats on the Allentown Borough Council.
The borough’s governing body held its reorganization meeting on Jan. 2 in the municipal building.
Democrat Angela Anthony took the oath of office and began serving her third three-year term. Anthony has lived in Allentown for 19 years and joined the council in 2012. She was re-elected in 2014 and 2017. Her new term will run through Dec. 31, 2020.
During the 2017 campaign, Anthony said there are many issues to address during the next three years, including infrastructure issues related to parking, traffic problems, controlling taxes and continually updating the borough’s technology.
John A. Elder III, who won election as an independent candidate, took the oath of office and began serving his first three-year term. Elder and his family have lived in Allentown for 42 years. His term will run through Dec. 31, 2020.
During the 2017 campaign, Elder said he will seek to preserve the remaining open space on Allentown’s borders; assure the borough is affordable for all its residents; improve pedestrian/traffic safety; expand parking availability in the business district; and restore fiscal responsibility.
Anthony and Elder join Thomas Fritts, Robert Strovinsky, Rob Schmitt and Johnna Stinemire on the governing body. Mayor Greg Westfall participates in municipal meetings, but does not vote on council action items.
The first order of business after Anthony and Elder had been seated was the election of a council president. Schmitt nominated Fritts for the position. Anthony seconded the motion and the council members voted unanimously to elect Fritts to his first one-year term as the president of the governing body.
Westfall appointed Fritts, John Fabiano, Ronald Kuzma and Thomas Monahan Sr. to the Planning Board, and Robert Mayer to the Shade Tree Commission.
The council members tackled a lengthy agenda that included the appointment of the professionals and firms that will represent the borough during 2018.
On a resolution appointing Westfall as the emergency management official and Monahan as the deputy emergency management coordinator, Schmitt voted no and Anthony, Elder, Fritts, Strovinsky and Stinemire voted yes, approving the appointments.
With one vote on numerous resolutions making various appointments, establishing temporary budgets, instituting certain fees and approving other municipal actions, Strovinsky voted no and Anthony, Elder, Fritts, Schmitt and Stinemire voted yes, approving those actions.
On the 5-1 vote, the council hired Whisper Acres (Jan E. Bilyk) to provide animal control services; reappointed the firm of Sobel and Han as borough attorney; reappointed Roberts Engineering Group as borough engineer; appointed Rhonda Eiger as borough prosecutor; and appointed Raymond Raya as public defender.
The council members unanimously appointed Nancy Tindall to serve as chairwoman of the Allentown Environmental Commission. Finally, Steve Gomba, the chief of the Hope Fire Company, was presented with a volunteer leadership award.
During public comment, Wil Borkowski, who completed a three-year term on the council on Dec. 31, congratulated the newly sworn in members of the governing body and then said, “the Allentown First Committee appears to be running these meetings. The meetings are supposed to run for the benefit of taxpayers and not for the benefit of a political committee.”
During the 2017 campaign, Elder and Monahan were the candidates of the Allentown First Committee and their opponents were Borkowski and Anthony. Their election brochure included a photograph of the candidates with Westfall.
“We have to work together,” Borkowski continued. “We can’t run meetings in disarray as we have for two years. The meetings are not to be run as a political activity, Mr. Mayor.”
Borkowski urged Westfall to maintain order among residents and elected officials during municipal meetings.
Resident Linda Cotte asked what credentials a resident must possess in order to be appointed to the Planning Board.
“Be friends with the mayor,” Schmitt told her.
Westfall said members of the Planning Board “come from all walks of life. This year the appointees are replacing people with similar backgrounds.”
Fritts suggested that going forward, a deadline should be established so that residents who are interested in applying for appointment to a municipal board or commission may submit their qualifications for consideration.
Borkowski objected to the appointment of Fabiano and Monahan to the Planning Board.
Fabiano said that among his qualifications, he is the executive director of the Monmouth County Historical Commission.