Bowmanstown should have a full slate of councilors after tonight’s vacancy board hearing.

The hearing will is at 7 p.m. with the purpose to fill an open seat on borough council.

Tonya Smale, vacancy board chairperson, will call the meeting to order, at which time council will have the chance to nominate the candidates.

Kristy Spairana, Norman Engle Jr., Robert Sikorsky, Ronald Gantz, and Rachel Melendez have applied.

Last week, council met with the candidates, four of whom were on hand. Spairana was unable to attend because of a work commitment.

Afterward, council, which only had four members present, took nominations to fill the open seat.

Councilman Rob Moyer supported Sikorsky, while Councilman Darren Thomas backed Spairana.

Voting in favor of Sikorsky were Moyer and Councilwoman Kara Scott.

In support of Spairana were Thomas and council President Pam Leiby.

Council members William Ravert and Candace Rodrigues were absent.

Borough solicitor Lisa Pereira said that since Mayor Zach Snyder wasn’t in attendance, that meant council couldn’t break the tie.

As a result, Pereira said council would have to postpone the appointment of a new council member, and would need to call a special meeting.

Pereira said that Smale, vacancy board chairperson, must be in attendance.

The seat opened up when Councilwoman Donna Winter resigned last month.

Winter stated in her resignation letter, “My priorities have changed in the past six months, and I cannot devote the time necessary to serve.”

Winter, who had been routinely absent from council meetings for the past several months, was appointed to an empty seat in November 2020.

She replaced Rodrigues, who initially resigned in October 2020.

Rodrigues was then appointed by council in December 2020 to fill the vacant seat of former Councilwoman Barbara Eastland.

BARC letter of support

Also on this evening’s docket is a request from Bowmanstown Area Residents Connected for a letter of support for a proposed multiuse park along Railroad Street near the post office.

Rodney Reeser, vice president of Bowmanstown Area Residents Connected, told council last week that BARC would like to use the borough’s letterhead to get a RecTap grant to get a site plan to form a park.

Reeser said that once that takes place, the group can present a professional site plan to council.

Councilman Darren Thomas asked Reeser why the group specifically wants the property near the post office as the site.

Reeser said one of the reasons why BARC likes the Railroad Street site is because the borough is a D&L trail town.

Pereira said that council couldn’t amend its meeting agenda to vote on the matter.

Further, Pereira said the matter would have to be listed on the meeting agenda in the event there would be any expenditure associated with it.