The topic of rats resurfaced during a meeting of Summit Hill Borough Council. This time, it wasn’t because of a resident’s complaint.

Council member Lacey Gonzalez recommended the appointment of a vector control officer.

The council was informed that an employee of a garbage collection firm for the borough encountered rats at a borough residence during routine pickup.

As a result, Tara Strauss, a police officer who doubles as the zoning enforcement officer, was given an additional title of vector control officer.

The location of the property where the incident occurred wasn’t identified.

This is the third position Strauss has given. She was hired as the zoning officer and police officer a year ago.

Last year, the council heard complaints from several residents about a rodent problem in the unit block of East Ludlow Street: specifically at a vacant building on the block.

The council said that the new position allows Strauss to mandate vector control remediation on the property owner if such issues occur.

In other business, the council tabled action on several regulatory issues they hope to have in effect in the new year.

They are:

• Changes to the appeals board of the Property Maintenance/Quality of Life ordinance.

• A Sewer Transmission Fee Ordinance will impose an annual fee to residents for the purpose of creating a fund to eventually improve the sewer lines in the borough. The borough is part of the Coaldale-Lansford-Summit Hill Sewer Authority but maintains its own transmission system. The three communities are presently restricted by the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection on new sewer connections, because the treatment plant, located in Coaldale, is deemed to be exceeding treatment capacity.

“We have major (water) infiltration on many of the mains,” said council President David Wargo. He said a proposal is to eventually line the system with a material to prevent infiltration.

He said if the borough doesn’t take steps to alleviate the problem, the DEP might take action, which could be costly for the residents.

• A rental property ordinance will require borough inspections of all rental properties on a periodic basis. Besides mandating inspections, the ordinance requires all properties owned by limited liability corporations to identify the principals in the firm. All principal partners in an LLC will be required to be in good financial standing in the borough with such things as trash collection fees and taxes.

• A special purpose parking ordinance increases the fees for special business parking signs and handicapped parking signs.

The ordinances are expected to be discussed at this month’s meeting of the council, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 in the borough hall.