Lehighton Borough Council accepted the resignation of part-time patrol officer John Villanueva from the force.

The board agreed to advertise for a new person to fill the position."I'd like to see the person we are going to appoint to see who is representing us," Rehrig said.The council made the motion to continue researching the possibility of a partnership between Mahoning and Franklin townships and Lehighton borough's police force.Last week Franklin and Mahoning townships met with Lehighton to discuss options.Lehighton police Chief Brian Biechy said he asked for the meeting after Franklin's supervisors called him to discuss a potential contract."We're at a crossroads in Franklin Township," said Franklin Supervisors' Chairman Rod Green. "Our chief is retiring in six months and it's a good time to talk about contracting with Lehighton. For us, we could get better protection and a well-qualified police presence, and it's a chance for Lehighton to expand its budget and get more money for things like equipment, training and more officers."Mahoning had previously had discussions with Lehighton about contracted services, and Supervisors' Chairman John Wieczorek said the municipality would again be interested."I think it's something to look into, but more negotiations are required," Darryl Arner said Monday night.Council President Grant Hunsicker agreed.While he hasn't looked into a timeline, Biechy said any contract would likely take at least two years to get in place if things were to move forward."We will continue to look into it," he said.