Lansford Borough is looking for a new code enforcement officer after council accepted Shane Monk’s resignation Tuesday night.

Monk accepted a code enforcement position with the City of Pottsville last month. He was among the top four considered for the position out of 87 applicants.

Council President Joe Genits read Monk’s resignation letter, stating his last day would be Oct. 16.

“I appreciate the opportunity to have served the Borough and the residents of Lansford in this capacity. I am grateful for the experience and knowledge I have gained during my time with the Borough,” Monk wrote.

Monk also requested that any and all back pay owed to him from Jan. 1, 2026, to July 2026 be reviewed and paid in full.

He also asked that any contributions or other pension related money owed to him from July 2025 through October 2026 also “be calculated, credited and paid as applicable before my departure,” in his letter.

“I will do my best to assist with the transition of my responsibilities and ensure that any outstanding matters are appropriately communicated before my departure,” Monk wrote.

He closed his letter again with thanks for the opportunity to serve, and wished borough council, staff and residents continued success in the future.

Council approved his resignation dated Oct. 4 with thanks and regret. Council agreed to send him a letter thanking him for his service.

Council also discussed checking his timesheets and work agreement to clarify what might be owed to him.

Council has not agreed on a pension for office staff, including borough secretary, treasurer and code officer, even though the benefit was promised to the employees when hired or in work agreements.

Pensions were not previously offered to office staff, and council has not set up a pension plan for these employees.

Council invited Paul Bacher of Foster & Foster, the borough actuary for the borough’s police pension plan, to speak to them regarding options for different employee retirement plans Tuesday night.

Bacher briefly reviewed some options, and council asked about retroactivity, as council sought plans that would go back to dates of hire. Bacher said they could go back “within reason,” stating maybe six months or a calendar year.

Council made no decisions on pension plans but planned to discuss options further.

Monk’s resignation was not on the agenda, and council had agreed to go off the agenda to accept the resignation and also advertise for a new code officer.

Council set Nov. 5 as the deadline for applicants. After much back and forth, they agreed to use the previous requirements for the job, noting that knowledge of the International Property Maintenance Code was preferred.

Genits said that IPMC certification or licensing is not required for code officers under the state law. The International Code Council, which publishes the IPMC, offers training, a test and a certificate for code officers, he said.

Council agreed to set a 90-day time frame for a new code officer to take the test with the borough paying for the first attempt.

Monk did not have the certificate from the ICC, and Genits had put him on notice that he had until Nov. 30 to test. Council members had called out Genits for that action, as it wasn’t a council decision.

Monk’s work agreement had two pay tiers listed with a higher rate if he attained the certificate at his own expense.

Council also met privately in executive session last month to discuss an Aug. 14 letter from Monk, claiming he was working in a “hostile work environment” in the borough office.