A new councilman has been sworn in by Palmerton Borough Council.

As part of its reorganizational meeting on Monday, council swore in newcomer Kris Hoffner.Incumbents Sherri Malik and Jason Behler were also sworn in by new mayor Brad Doll.Councilmen Chris Olivia, Randolph Gursky, and Richard Nothstein were absent.Councilman Terry Costenbader was reappointed president, while Olivia was reappointed vice president.Also as part of its reorganization, council:- Appointed Malik as chairman pro tem.- Reappointed Rodger Danielson as borough manager, secretary, and streets commissioner.- Reappointed Michael Ozalas as solicitor.- Reappointed Keystone Engineers as general engineer.- Reappointed ARRO Consulting Engineers as sewer and water engineer.- Reappointed Duane Dellecker as code enforcement officer.- Reappointed Larry Zawaly as code enforcement agent.- Reappointed ARRO Consulting Engineers as sewer enforcement officer.- Appointed Jenny Serfass as zoning hearing board solicitor.- Reappointed Linda Wilk to a five-year term on the Board of Health.- Reappointed Philip Binder to a six-year term on the Police Civil Service Commission.- Reappointed Gary Curran to a three-year term on the Zoning Hearing Board.- Reappointed Olivia to a three-year term on the Shade Tree Commission.- Reappointed Dr. Howard Cyr to a five-year term on the Municipal Authority.- Reappointed Terry Costenbader and Chris Anthony to four-year terms on the Planning Commission.- Reappointed Jeremy Barbosa to a five-year term on the Palmerton Hospital Authority.- Reappointed Karin Kasten to a two-year term on the Council Vacancy Board.- Announced council will continue to meet at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Exceptions include the month of November, when council meets the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and in December, when council meets the first and third Thursday of the month.Also as part of its reorganization, council announced openings on the following committees:- A four-year term on the Board of Health.- A one-year term as an alternate on the Zoning Hearing Board.- A one-year term on the Shade Tree Commission.- A two-year term on the Planning Commission.- A one-year and three-year term on the Palmerton Hospital Authority.- A five-year and two-year term on the BOCA Board of Appeals.In an unrelated matter, council granted permission to spend its 2010 Community Development Block Grant funds to replace a water line and pave the 200, 300 and 400 blocks of Lehigh Avenue.Last month, Judy Borger, Carbon County director of planning and development, told council the borough is among five entitlement communities that is expected to receive CDBG funding, and added the borough's share is expected to be about $111,123.Borger said at that time council had until Jan. 11 to submit its request to her office. She said a second CDBG public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 28.Last year, Danielson said the borough designated its CDBG funds to pave those blocks. Since then, he said the borough received another $31,000 that was earmarked to make the areas handicapped accessible.However, Danielson noted the water line in that area should be replaced before the borough paves the streets, and suggested council combine a portion of its CDBG funds in recent years with this year's allotment to afford the project.