Lansford Borough Council has a new council member.

Gwyneth Collevechio was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the board earlier this month. She replaces Councilwoman Irma Leibensperger, who died Oct. 9.

Council voted unanimously to approve her appointment.

Collevechio is a retired teacher who taught fifth grade in Panther Valley School District. She attended Panther Valley and Kutztown University. She is very active with the Friends of the Lansford Pool.

Collevechio said she hopes to work with the other council members to make positive changes in town.

“I see the town’s need for working together to make improvements,” she said. “The current council has started positive improvements, and I hope to add to that.”

Collevechio will serve out the remainder of Leibensperger’s term, which expires at the end of next year.

There were two other applicants for the position, former council member Joe Butrie and Mario Marconi, who was deemed ineligible because he is currently a borough employee.

Under state law, employees of boroughs with more than 3,000 residents cannot also hold a position on borough council.

Other business

In other recent business, council:

• Accepted the resignation of police officer Jarrod Bulger, who accepted a position in Allentown.

• Discussed unpaid garbage bills, which currently total $82,000. Council is considering a collection agency or ceasing garbage pickup for delinquent property owners.

• Approved a 3% raise for non-union workers, which includes the office staff. Police and road crew members received a 3% contractual raise this year.

• Applied for a $390,000 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal grant for work at the borough park, and an LSA grant of an undetermined amount to replace the oil burner and air conditioner inside borough hall.

• Discussed the Andrewsville Bridge project, which will be delayed until 2022. PennDOT officials and state Rep. Doyle Heffley met with council members recently to ensure that the project doesn’t affect nearby historic mining infrastructure.