Lehighton has decided to forego requesting applicants to submit a Special Event Plan for the remainder of the year.

On a unanimous measure, borough council on Monday agreed to drop the plan and created a subcommittee to have a new plan in place by Jan. 1.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire told borough council the Special Event Plan was forwarded to all event hosts, including those hosting events that have yet to be approved.

DeWire said those included events such as Wine on the River, the Midnight Witches Market, Carbon County Plantfes, and the borough’s Fourth of July celebrations.

Tina Henninger, secretary for the Lehighton Area Merchants Association, said a big hurdle is the cost involved with having borough police officers on the clock during events.

“We lose those events, that’s it,” Henninger said. “The town goes back to what it was five years ago.”

Henninger added that the key to the downtown’s success is brining in tourists from the outside.

“If we can’t have events and we can’t bring in tourism, the downtown (won’t) survive,” she said. “The only economic driver we have is tourism.”

Councilman Steve Hawk admitted that if an event in the borough attracts 10,000 people, the borough doesn’t have enough police officers to man it.

But, Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky said she believes the borough’s current Special Events Plan needs another look, and requested that if it’s an event where alcohol is served, then a special event plan should be required.

However, borough emergency management coordinator Joe Flickinger, who resigned from the his position after Monday’s borough council meeting, said he believes council has already set a precedent.

Bambi Elsasser, community operations director for Lehighton Downtown Initiative, said there has to be something put in place.

Julie Harris, chair of the Lehighton Halloween Parade Committee, asked how this would affect the Halloween Parade, as she noted it runs strictly on donations.

“Mother Nature plays a big part,” Harris said. “Normally we have 1,500 people in the parade.”

Mayor Ryan Saunders agreed that the Special Even Plan needs to be reworked.

The borough Special Event Plan was previously prepared by the Lehighton Borough Emergency Management Coordinator, and approved by borough council to assist applicants that seek to host a special event within the borough.

A special event is defined as an event which includes one of the following criteria:

• Any event with an expected attendance exceeding 500 people.

• Any event with an expected or a required road closure.

• Any event in which an unusual amount of traffic congestion is expected.

• Any event that is expected to occur in tandem with another event.

• Any event which borough council deems necessary to receive this review procedure.

A Special Event Plan is to be submitted for any planned event, activity or contest which will place participants, attendees and/or the general public in a defined geographic area where access by emergency responders may be delayed due to crowds or traffic at or near the event.

The process for review includes:

• Complete and submit a Special Event Plan form to the borough secretary no later than 90 days prior to the preferred event approval date. Include two copies of an event map and any supporting material required for event approval. For a series of recurring events, consider the anticipated first event as the event date.

• The borough secretary is then to submit the application to the Office of Emergency Management, which will then provide a recommendation to borough council within 60 days of the application submission.

• If borough council requires a resubmission, the Office of Emergency Management has 21 days from the date of resubmission to provide a new recommendation to council.

For events with up to 1,000 people, the number of additional police officers required and number of licensed ambulance vehicles is up to the Emergency Management Coordinator’s recommendation; events with between 1,000 and 2,500 people require two additional police officers, and one licensed ambulance vehicle; 2,500 to 5,000 people requires three additional police officers and one licensed ambulance vehicle; and over 5,000 people, the number of additional police officers and licensed ambulance vehicles is up to the emergency management coordinator’s recommendation.