A new truck will be bought for Lehighton’s Light and Power Department.

Borough council on Monday agreed to spend $369,377 for a new freightliner for the department. Councilwoman Rebecca Worthy was absent.

Lonnie Armbruster, department superintendent, said it would replace the department’s oldest truck.

“These numbers are just astounding,” Armbruster said.

Armbruster said the earliest the new freightliner would be delivered is in 2024, but added it may not be until 2025.

At a council meeting earlier this year, former borough Manager Steve Travers said there was $279,241 in the budget for the truck.

Travers said the borough would likely pay 50% of it this year, and next year put the other half of that in.

Travers said that the new poles that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation put in as part of the Route 443 project are taller poles, and that the department workers were unable to reach the correct height.

With the new truck, Travers previously said the borough will be able to fix the power lines.

Street sweeper repairs

Also on Monday, council revisited discussion on street sweeper repairs.

Borough secretary Brenda Kreitz said she’s checked with a local municipality as well as PennDOT to see if either of them would have equipment for the borough to borrow.

“The bypass definitely needs to be done,” Kreitz said. “I think (renting) until the end of the year is our only decision.”

Kris Kunkle, supervisor of the borough’s Public Works Department, said the borough’s street sweeper needs to be looked at.

“It doesn’t have the capability right now that it needs to pick up sufficiently,” Kunkle said.

It was stated that it would cost roughly $30,000 to repair the borough’s streetsweeper.

Councilman Donnie Rehrig said streetsweeping should be done.

“I think it’s something we need to continue to do,” Rehrig said.

Kunkle said at May’s council meeting that he was in a quandary, as the street sweeper needs a new body-topper, and added the hydraulics are basically shot.

He said it has 10 to 12 feet capability, but that only 3 feet of it is operational.

Council President Grant Hunsicker said at that time he believed it was important that the situation be addressed.

But, Councilwoman Lisa Perry said at that time the borough doesn’t have it in the budget.

The street sweeper is around 30 years old.

Shared use of vehicle

Also on Monday, council discussed the possibility of Public Works use of the administration vehicle.

It was noted that the police department uses the vehicle occasionally.

Borough police Chief Joe Sparich said he would be fine with Public Works utilizing it.

“It wasn’t our vehicle to begin with,” Sparich said.

Kunkle said the way it’s gone is that the police department uses the vehicle when it needs it, just as Public Works does.