Last Wednesday the Lansford Borough Council announced the following business:

• Residents on the 300 block of West Water Street are facing problems with the sewer system due to the frequent flushing of disinfectant wipes. As a result, residents of Lansford are advised to only flush toilet paper down the toilets to avoid further complications with the sewer system. Those who violate this order are subject to possible citations from the borough.

• A motion was unanimously passed to raise the price of parking fines in the borough snowplowing ordinance from $25 to $75 to encourage residents to follow parking procedures during snowstorms. This will apply when snow is higher than 4 inches and when Mayor Michele Bartek declares a state of emergency.

• There are 53 landlords with delinquent taxes for 2020 resulting in $32,070.52 of unpaid taxes. In previous years, the borough secretary has been sending out license renewals and then the code enforcement officer would issue nonrenewal notices to those with unpaid taxes. Markovich suggested following the initial ordinance regarding this situation which would not allow renewal licenses to any landlords owing money. To simplify this process, the council plans on potentially appointing Secretary Wendy Butrie as an assistant code enforcement officer so that she can send out nonrenewal notices to landlords. A final decision will be made regarding the position at the next meeting depending on whether Butrie decides to accept the title.

• The board discussed the borough’s TV franchise agreement, and many members wanted the fee to remain the same at 2% but not necessarily at the set term of 10 years. A unanimous vote was passed in favor of having the borough solicitor contact the cable company to see if they would consider a five-year term as opposed to a 10-year term at a 2% fee.

• Grants to contribute toward borough parks are underway. Council President Bruce Markovich stated that an update regarding the status of a grant for a park consultant will be known on Jan. 20. This grant allows for an experienced consultant to come and survey the Lansford parks to determine ways they can be improved.

• No leaks were found in the skimmer system at the Lansford Pool; however, the borough will be conducting a pressure test to see if leaks only occur when the system is under pressure.

- Lindsey Bowman