By a 8-0 vote, Hellertown resident Kevin Lott was appointed by Northampton County Council Oct. 18 to serve the remainder of Ken Kraft’s term as the District One representative. District One includes Bethlehem, Freemansburg, Hellertown and Hanover Township. Kraft, who was serving as council’s president, abruptly resigned Oct. 4 to take a new position with the county as the public safety deputy director of corrections.

The only concern about Lott is that he is a member of Hellertown Borough Council. Council member Bob Werner asked Lott if that presents a possible conflict of interest.

If it does, it doesn’t anymore. Lott produced a letter containing his resignation from Hellertown Borough Council.

Lott was the sole applicant.

He is the business agent of the Lehigh Valley Carpenters Union. He also also serves on Pennsylvania’s Uniform Commercial Code Review and Advisory Council, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

Lott was instrumental in the 2015 prosecution of Bethlehem construction firm Salukas and White for defrauding workers of decent wages and the government of taxes by deliberately misclassifying employees as subcontractors. Lott accused the firm of “exploiting people” who will end up on welfare when they turn 65 because they will be unable to collect Social Security. “It’s a shame on every level.”

He sued over the P3 bridge project, but withdrew his challenge.

A lifelong resident of Hellertown, Lott had an older brother who died when Kevin was a teen. The following year, his father died suddenly. The next year, his mother developed cancer, and the family fell on hard times. Lott said people in Hellertown would deliver groceries and provide odd jobs and kind words. Lott got his big break when Hellertown resident John Savitske introduced him to the Carpenters Union.