The Weissport borough council agreed Monday to begin considering amendments to its burning ordinance within the borough.

Council members discussed ways they could amend the burning ordinance to allow people with small, controlled clean fires to burn while still banning trash fires and large fires.The ordinance would stipulate the size of fires being burned, the time frame residents would be allowed to burn in, how much debris would leave the burning pit, and what exactly was being burned."We can't have people burning their paper," Councilwoman Linda Schoenberger said. "If they want to burn in something small like a pit they buy I don't see why they can't do that, but we can't have them burning paper."Constable James Osborne also recommended that the council update the fines imposed for violating the ordinance."These are old fines," said Osborne."People are just going to keep doing what they're doing if it's only a $10 fine for burning."Solicitor Greg Mousseau said he would draft an amendment to send to council members.Osborne said there are burn barrels across the borough and that many fires in the community are excessively large.Other business:• The council made and approved a motion to hire Brent Getz as a part-time police officer upon his completion of an updated employment application and the submission of an Act 120 certification.Getz would be paid $14 per hour during his first 500 hours on the job. After 500 hours of work his wage would increase to $14.50 per hour and then $15 per hour after a thousand hours of work.• Council approved the purchasing and installation of surveillance equipment at the borough park and borough playground.• Arland Moyer reported that the borough passed its levy inspection, but officials were awaiting final results for further action to take on the levies.• James Osborne said people are cleaning up when asked.• The council intends to meet with state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, regarding drug and alcohol issues in Weissport. This comes after the borough received an email from a representative from Heffley's office inquiring about such a meeting. The representative also said the Carbon Monroe Pike Drug and Alcohol task force, state and local police and other law enforcement officials would be invited to attend the meeting.