Lehighton now has an ordinance in place to tackle blight.

That's after borough council unanimously agreed on Monday to adopt an ordinance implementing the Pennsylvania Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act.Borough Manager Nicole Beckett said the ordinance enacts Act 90 of 2010, which gives municipalities additional tools to address owners of properties who are not in compliance with the property maintenance codes.Beckett said municipalities may deny permits to any property owner who has tax/utility delinquencies or serious code violations.The borough previously hired the Gulotta Group to provide technical assistance concerning blight within the community. The Gulotta Group provides technical assistance to communities for the purpose of furthering community development objectives, including but not limited to housing, neighborhood revitalization and economic development.Council had approved a $500 fee to provide general technical assistance to borough officials regarding blighted properties.Beckett previously said Gulotta would conduct a site visit to discuss blighted property issues with local officials to assess the nature and extent of the blighted property problem in the borough, to make recommendations about the appropriate strategies for addressing the blighted properties, and to share ideas about repurposing and redeveloping properties, including different ways to attract private investments.The areas of focus would be properties located within the central business district.Two properties the borough planned to focus on are 209 N. First St. and 135-139 N. First St.In November, Councilman Scott Rehrig discussed the demolition of blighted properties, and said the borough's future depends on taking away some of the bad sites. He said the borough needs to improve the Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard and First Street to attract visitors.