After an executive meeting concerning advertisement for an upcoming public meeting between the council and Silberline, Lansford’s Borough Council meeting on Wednesday was underway.

The audience had a lot of input, particularly about the ongoing sewer repairs in Lansford. Council President Jared Soto explained that there was a “collapsed sewer on the northeast side of town.”

That sewer runs through the recently purchased property of Ellen and Daniel Sargent, who were disgruntled by the slow pace and lack of transparency regarding the repairs to the sewer. Ellen spoke at the meeting, referencing a letter she had written to the council, asking not only for a coherent timeline and procedure for the work to be done, but also for “insurance that the lawn is put back and there is no environmental impact on my property.”

She later added that the stakes are particularly high because of this property’s handicap accessibility, a feature that her old house was lacking. Solicitor Michael Greek explained that the first step of this process would be to pass a resolution that allows a “temporary condemnation,” a status that would permit the borough to access the property in order to evaluate the needed repairs.

Council member William Chuma added that the council has already been in contact with an engineer, and a meeting has been arranged for early next week.

President Jared Soto noted that a concrete timeline for the project would be difficult, because any timeline would be based on the findings of the engineer. The council moved forward with this issue by passing the resolution.

Another major issue of the night was the newly vacant health inspector position. After a lengthy debate about whether to hire another Lansford-sponsored health inspector or allowing a representative from the state to perform health inspections, a motion was eventually passed to begin the process of acquiring a state health inspector. Former council member Rose Mary Cannon, gave a brief yet fiery dissenting opinion regarding the move, stating that the events leading to the former health inspector’s departure “should have never happened.”

The rest of the meeting proceeded with little discussion. An opportunity to work with a representative from the governor’s office on a “comprehensive plan” for the borough that encompasses “finances, planning and zoning, and codification” was briefly mentioned by Soto, with more details coming in September.

A request by zoning officer Jim Dean for an office in the police department building was rejected, with council member John Turcmanovich citing space and privacy issues. New street paving projects were announced. A new fence will be constructed around the former Elks lot. And the borough is moving forward with a grant application for new streetscape lighting.