A Lehighton businesswoman has asked council to conduct a public review of the borough’s outsourced zoning and code enforcement provider in the wake of the H&H/Nonna’s building on Route 443 recently being shut down for two days.

Speaking before borough council Monday, Darcy Caruso said she and her husband, Nino, who own the H&H/Nonna’s building, recently explored converting the former St. Luke’s building on Mahoning Street into housing for residents 65 and older.

“People ask my husband every day for rental housing; the high-rise has a waiting list and many seniors simply cannot afford today’s rents on Social Security,” Caruso said.

After touring the building with two contractors, Caruso said both advised against the project, believing the current zoning and code environment could make it financially unfeasible.

“That is private investment Lehighton is losing before a project even begins,” she said.

Caruso said the borough promotes downtown revitalization, but risks discouraging it if investors view the permitting and code-enforcement process as unpredictable, costly or adversarial.

“When responsible investors conclude that rehabilitating an older building will be too unpredictable, some will simply put their money somewhere else,” she said. “Then buildings remain vacant, storefronts get boarded up and properties deteriorate.”

Caruso also urged council to examine the financial structure and oversight of Barry Isett & Associates, the borough’s outsourced zoning and code enforcement provider.

“When an outside company performs plan reviews, inspections, reinspections and related work, residents deserve to know how that company is paid, what fees are generated, what oversight exists, and whether safeguards are in place to encourage compliance rather than unnecessary additional work,” she said.

“I am not accusing anyone of doing anything improper,” Caruso added. “I am asking council to look at the contract, the numbers, the complaints and the results and answer those questions publicly.”

Caruso said she recently filed a Right-to-Know request seeking records related to Barry Isett & Associates, including agreements, approvals, invoices and payments. The request was denied because it was not submitted on the state’s standard form.

“I can resubmit the request, and I will,” she said.

Still, Caruso argued the situation illustrates how procedural hurdles can discourage potential investors and business owners seeking information about municipal processes.

She asked council to review what the borough and property owners pay for code-enforcement services, inspection and reinspection practices, turnaround times, complaints, appeals and oversight mechanisms. She also suggested comparing the current arrangement with alternatives such as an in-house official, another third-party provider, shared services or a combination of approaches.

Caruso stressed she is not opposed to code enforcement.

“Buildings need to be safe. Zoning ordinances need to be followed,” she said. “We are not asking Lehighton to ignore legitimate safety problems, and we are not asking for permission to break the rules.”

Instead, she said, property owners investing significant money in older buildings should have a clear, consistent path to compliance.

“Every legitimate business that opens, every vacant storefront that becomes occupied, and every neglected building that someone is willing to rehabilitate makes Lehighton stronger,” Caruso said. “Those investments create jobs, customers, tax revenue, safer properties and activity in our community.”

Caruso asked council to conduct a public review of the borough’s outsourced zoning and code-enforcement system, including its contract, compensation structure, performance, complaints, appeals, oversight and possible alternatives.

She also urged officials to hear directly from contractors, investors, property owners, landlords and small-business owners about their experiences.