Lehighton borough officials have been taken to task by the borough’s emergency management coordinator after his request to conduct his duties from out of the borough’s mayoral office were rebuffed.

Joe Flickinger, emergency management coordinator, told borough council last week he was back to discuss his previous request to utilize the vacant office of late Mayor Clark Ritter.

Flickinger said he received a letter from borough Manager Dane DeWire that council had refused his request.

He then asked council how many of them met with him regarding emergency management.

“It is unfortunate that borough council still hasn’t provided essential facilities for effective preparedness, planning, mitigation, response, and recovery actions in accordance with the boroughs legal obligation under the state health and safety code,” Flickinger said.

Flickinger said emergency management is a recognized position within the municipality.

“It is also concerning that in the almost two weeks since the space was requested until the date I was notified of council’s rejection that none of our borough council members have met with me to learn what all functions emergency management entails.”

Flickinger said other appointed positions have their own office space, and that while as emergency management coordinator, he’s supposed to request usage of the space.

“It makes me question how important emergency preparedness, public safety, and the resilience of our community really are to our borough elected officials,” he said.

Flickinger told council last month that he previously reached out to Ritter about his request, and that Ritter was on board.

Ritter died on Oct. 23 and Ryan Saunders has been sworn in as mayor.

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

After that meeting, DeWire said the borough planned to provide Flickinger with whatever he needs to conduct his emergency management operations, but hadn’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.

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, who served on council before being sworn in as mayor, 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.