Lehighton's attempts to improve the quality of life in the borough has ruffled the feathers of several residents.

Borough council fielded several complaints from residents on Monday who openly questioned why they received citations.Timothy Snyder, of 264 S. Second St., said he received a $25 fine for having construction material in his yard.Snyder said the fine was later voided out by the borough's code enforcement officer.In particular, Snyder questioned why code enforcement would come around on a Thursday night when residents have garbage out. Friday is garbage collection day in the borough.Borough Manager Nicole Beckett said the borough has code enforcement around four days a week to check on properties in an effort to get the town cleaned up.Further, Beckett said "the garbage guys won't take construction (materials)" because it isn't part of the garbage contract."This is the borough's attempts to be more proactive," Beckett said. "It's very complicated at which point you draw the line."However, Councilman Joe Flickinger said "there's no consistency whatsoever in what he's doing."Councilman John Kreitz said the borough has to "offer more flexibility or something."Beckett said she would discuss the complaints with the code enforcement officer."We're looking for compliance," she said. "Really, it's about being proactive."Beckett noted that a public meeting was held June 10 on the zoning and building processes, along with enforcement of borough ordinances.Only seven residents attended that meeting, she said.Resident Jenni Carrigan, of 253 S. Third St. said she was also cited for pallets that she had on her property, as well as for her neighbor's weeds.Carrigan said she uses the pallets to make crafts, and added that her yard is well-kept.However, Carrigan did tell council she does believe the borough is doing a good job cleaning up the town.In May 2014, council adopted the quality of life ordinance.The ordinance pertains to property maintenance issues such as garbage, household hazardous waste, junk vehicles, litter, motor vehicle nuisances, municipal waste, yards, vegetation and sidewalk areas, among others.Failure to comply with the rules and regulations contained within the ordinance could lead to fines that range from a low of $25 to a high of $100.