ALLENTOWN – The Borough Council will hire an independent counsel to investigate a series of employee complaints and resignations.
During a recent meeting, members of Allentown’s governing body passed a resolution stating their intention to employ an outside attorney for that purpose.
The resolution states the employee complaints and multiple resignations have been filed with the Communications and Personnel Standing Committee and that the committee recommended the hiring of independent counsel to investigate the complaints and resignations so as to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the investigations.
Borough Attorney Greg Cannon will assist the committee with the hiring of independent counsel. The person hired will eventually provide a report and recommendation to the committee for follow-up and appropriate action for remedy if needed, according to the resolution.
In explaining the move, council President Thomas Fritts said, “We have been dealing with employee complaints, some more severe than others, and also with employee resignations.”
In other business, the council hired Alan Roth to serve as independent counsel in an employee disciplinary item that is before the Communications and Personnel Standing Committee. A court reporter is also needed. A resolution passed by the council states that Cannon recommended the hiring of Roth. The cost to hire Roth and the court reporter is not to exceed $7,500.
In addition, Councilman Robert Strovinsky reported that Allentown was not selected by the state Department of Transportation to receive a Municipal Aid grant for 2018. Borough officials were seeking state funding to repair sinkholes and cracks on Pondview Drive.
Strovinsky said the DOT received more than 650 applications for funding and he said the requests for funding exceeded the money the department had available for projects throughout the state. Officials said they will reapply for funding in Fiscal Year 2019.
In other action, the council authorized the hiring of Nancy Buckalew as the part-time (21 hours per week) deputy municipal clerk, sewer and water utilities rent collector, and water utilities billing clerk. Buckalew is the former full-time deputy borough clerk, water billing/rent collector, sewer billing/rent collector, and office clerk. Her new part-time position will pay $23 per hour with no paid time off or health benefits, according to the council.
The council also authorized the advertisement of a request for proposal for a landscape architect for Sgt. George Ashby Memorial Park. The borough received a Monmouth County Municipal Open Space Grant for the purchase of the property that is now the park.
The council referred the project to the Board of Recreation Commissioners for input on the design and layout of the park. The recreation commissioners put together a request for proposals for a landscape architect to assist with the design and layout of the park. The mayor and council reviewed the request for proposals for a landscape architect before authorizing the advertisement for the job.
Finally, Terry Brown, who chairs the Shade Tree Commission, reported that the commission applied for and received the Tree City USA designation for Allentown.
According to the Tree City USA website, the program “has been greening up cities and towns across America since 1976. It is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.
“More than 3,400 communities have made the commitment to becoming a Tree City USA. They have achieved Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day,” according to the website.
Brown thanked Mayor Greg Westfall and the members of the council for their support of the Shade Tree Commission and its efforts in the borough.