Lehighton’s emergency management coordinator has asked to conduct his duties from out of the borough’s mayoral office.

Joe Flickinger, emergency management coordinator, requested at Monday night’s borough council meeting to occupy what he termed the vacant office of Mayor Clark Ritter.

Flickinger said he reached out to Ritter about his request.

“I spoke with Mayor Ritter,” Flickinger said. “He said ‘it’s yours.’”

Ritter was not in attendance at Monday’s meeting.

Flickinger told council he would be asking for use of the mayor’s office in 2025.

After the meeting, borough Manager Dane DeWire said the borough plans to provide Flickinger with whatever he needs to conduct his emergency management operations, but haven’t met with him to discuss it.

DeWire added that borough chambers is always open for reservations for appointed officers and commissions on a first-come, first-serve basis during the days and evenings.

He added there have been no formal discussions as to whether the use of the mayor’s office will change.

In February 2023, Ritter told council he’d like to move his office up to the police station, and that he would look to utilize the multipurpose room as his office.

Then Councilman Donnie Rehrig asked Ritter about how many times he’d actually used the space in the borough’s administration office, to which Ritter estimated between 15 to 20 times.

Rehrig said at that time he would first like to see a cost analysis done before he would approve Ritter’s request.

Saunders said at that time he would have no problem with Ritter moving his office.

Rehrig said he would first need to see an estimate, as well as where the money would come from.

Ritter began using his office next to the borough manager’s office in April 2022.

Previously, Ritter had been meeting with visitors in the borough’s police station.