Lansford Borough will look for help with borough operations and finances from Lafayette College’s Meyner Center.

Borough council on Wednesday approved bringing in Nicole Beckett, the center’s associate director for Public Service, for up to five hours for an initial assessment and follow-up with council’s administrative committee and borough secretary and treasurer.

The hourly rate is $125, and the initial assessment will be between three and five hours, including her preparation, meeting attendance and a summary, according to information presented by council Vice President Joe Genits.

“In talking with her on the phone, she is getting booked up with municipalities for this year,” he told council. “In particular, she mentioned, if you want us to look at grants that relate to Lansford Borough, the sooner, the better for us to come in.”

Beckett has over two decades of experience in local government, having served as a borough secretary, treasurer, borough manager and interim township manager.

She served as Lehighton’s borough manager for more than a decade and was also a Lansford Borough secretary/treasurer for more than six years.

Genits said that Beckett would prefer to meet with the committee and staff and then do a preview of what services she could offer to council.

While the initial assessment would cost up to $625, the maximum cost to the borough for the Meyner Center’s services would be $10,000, if the borough decided to follow through with the program, Genits said.

Lansford is also awaiting word on a matching grant for participation in the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Strategic Management Planning Program, which also offers financial and operational assistance.

The program will provide a management audit of all the borough’s operations and departments. Lansford specifically sought a review of its investments, employee work agreements, police contract, streets department contract, software programs, health care costs and borough ordinance, seeking more business-friendly rules.

The strategic management program provides a financial analysis, a management audit and a five-year plan with an implementation schedule.

In October, the borough selected Kafferlin Strategies as the firm to perform the review, audit and plan at a cost of $79,550, if its matching grant application is successful.

DCED offered 50/50 matching grants up $200,000 for the program, but the borough’s share of the cost could be reduced based on financial hardship. Grant applications were due in December.