Might Lehighton become the next local municipality to support an ordinance concerning council members meeting attendance?

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky addressed the topic at Monday’s borough council meeting, saying other municipalities have done so.

Abelovsky asked borough solicitor Jim Nanovic if he could draft an ordinance pertaining to council members meeting attendance.

She said that in addition to being a council member, she is at the borough building three to four days a week “doing probably 20 hours of borough stuff.”

“It’s for people who are repeatedly missing meetings,” said Abelovsky as to why she believes an ordinance should be in place. “I’m just trying to hold people accountable for the job they signed up for.”

Council didn’t take any action on the matter.

Six of council’s seven members were in attendance. Councilman Darryl Arner was absent.

Council members are paid $200 a month.

In April, neighboring Bowmanstown borough council on a 4-1 vote adopted a council pay ordinance in which members who fail to appear at regular meetings will be docked for their absenteeism.

The ordinance states that no compensation should be paid in any month to a member of council who has failed to attend any regular meeting unless the member’s absence is due to an illness, an immediate family member’s illness, or the death of an immediate family member.

Bowmanstown council members are paid $100 a month.