Tensions were high at Slatington's finance/planning/zoning, public safety, and human/community services committee workshop meeting Monday, the first attended by Slatington's newly hired borough manager.

It began when resident Kris Burek, a former council member, said she had recently filed a right-to-know request for meeting minutes from the 2011-14 borough board of health but that "there are none."She then said she wanted to know if the board was meeting that evening since "they are scheduled to meet here today," directing her question specifically to public safety committee Chairman Jon Rinker.Rinker became noticeably upset with Burek, who is a regular meeting attendee and public commenter, when she stated that he should know whether or not the board is meeting because "they report to you.""They don't report to me," Rinker said, who then chastised audience member Mel Gildner, who is also a regular meeting attendee and public commenter, for his "snide laughing."Burek continued by saying that the board of health has not met "since 2011 or before.""How about … allowing the public an opportunity to meet with these people?" she asked."Do we have some kind of health issue that we don't know about?" Rinker asked."It doesn't matter," Burek said, stating that "there are buildings in this borough that are in serious need of inspection … dilapidated and decaying … infested with rats, termites, roaches."When Rinker asked if she knew this for a fact, Burek said she did.When Rinker asked how she got her facts, Burek said she knew simply by living in the borough.Vice President Gwyneth Neff advised Burek to file a complaint with ordinance enforcement officer Linda Nails.Burek said she had but that "it falls on deaf ears."Neff said Burek can talk to her and newly hired borough manager Kevin Deppe, and that they will look into it."You want people to take pride in this community, yet when they do, we're challenged on it," Burek said, again directing her comment to Rinker. "Jon, come on. Really?""No. The constant little aggravation …," he began, but was cut off by Burek, who told him to be quiet because it was her time to talk.Again, the situation devolved into a back-and-forth exchange before Burek left the podium.Neff later said that many problems get solved via zoning and code enforcement, meaning there is no need to call in the board of health.In other news, Deppe, who started work on July 21, will be formally introduced at August's borough council meeting.