A Carbon County judge appointed a new member to the Lansford Borough Council on Tuesday following a hearing.

The new appointment is not really new, but a former member, Samantha Yasson.Yasson was the only person who sent a letter of interest to fill the vacant position who showed up Tuesday for the hearing before Judge Joseph J. Matika.Yasson had served a two-year term that ended Dec. 31, 2013. She did not run for an open seat on council during last year's municipal elections.Rose Mary Cannon, a current council member who was president of council last year when the vacancy occurred, testified that the seat became open in November 2013 when Andrew Snyder resigned because he had moved out of the borough. Council failed to fill the position in the required 30 days. Cannon also told the court that the borough vacancy board was not able to fill the position.The borough had solicitor Michael Greek file a petition to have the court fill the post. The hearing was held in response to the petition.Cannon said another vacancy occurred when Daniel Smith resigned due to moving out of the borough. She said council filled that post with Joseph Butrie, who was one of the three people who sent letters of interest for the Snyder position.She added that John Williams was elected to the position in the November 2013 election, but declined to accept it as he was also elected to the Panther Valley Board of Education, a position he did accept. That kept the Snyder position still open, she said.Yasson told Matika she was interested in continuing on council. She did not say why she did not seek another term on her own last year. She also added she is currently a member of the town's civil service commission.Greek told Matika her position on the commission would not disqualify her from serving on council.After Matika appointed Yasson, she was sworn in by the judge. She will now serve until Dec. 31, 2015.