A Lehighton borough official is frustrated with the outcome of a recent meeting to discuss traffic patterns.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky informed borough council this week of a meeting with Jim Thorpe Borough officials, Carbon County commissioners, and the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau.

Abelovsky said there was a lot of talk about what Lehighton can do better and change, however there was no compromise the other way around.

“It was very disappointing,” Abelovsky said.

Carbon County Commissioners Chairman Wayne Nothstein, who was not in attendance, said that from what he understood, the meeting went well and was fairly well attended.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Nothstein said. “I understand both sides.”

Nothstein added, “Lehighton’s property owners have to get their acts together. The appearance of people driving through town is not good.

“People have to take better care of their properties, make it presentable,” he said. “It’s the slumlords or absentee owners that don’t care.”

Last month, several business owners expressed their displeasure to council over a new traffic pattern they say has negatively impacted their day-to-day operations.

Several of them, including Bob Schaeffer, who owns Jokers Are Wild Game Cafe on First Street, said businesses along First Street have struggled since Jim Thorpe created a new traffic pattern coming out of the county parking lot.

Schaeffer said that several businesses plan to come on board to form the Lehighton Area Merchants Associated.

He then specifically thanked Abelovsky, whom he said joined them in June in addressing their issue with the county commissioners.

Schaeffer asked council what they have done to help alleviate the situation, as well as its plans to deal with the blight issue.

Tina Henninger, owner of Wine & More on 1st, told council the goal was to increase the quality of life of the residents of the downtown, have the downtown look more cared for, and to aid law enforcement in dealing with low-level nuisance issues, as well as documenting obvious exterior zoning issues which would then be handed off to the proper office.

Henninger then suggested that a part-time position be created that would pay for itself and potentially bring in revenue, as the only upfront costs would be street signage.

She said the person would have the ability to write tickets, and that it would only require two to three days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or about 18 hours a week.

Abelovsky, Henninger, Schaeffer, and business owner David Miller, asked commissioners in June to help find a resolution that wouldn’t negatively impact the borough’s revitalization.

The problem, according to the group, stems from barriers that are set up each weekend by Jim Thorpe police that moves traffic out of the county parking lot and away from Lehighton, making vehicles turn right toward the Route 903 bridge instead of being allowed to turn left toward Lehighton.