Weissport hired a new police chief on Monday to replace the officer who recently resigned.

Trevor Flexer of Lehighton, who has been employed for the past seven years by the Borough of Palmerton as a full-time officer, replaces Steve Armbruster, who resigned because he was hired full time at his other job."We decided on Flexer because he is local," said Gene Kershner, council president.In other business, council named as members of the Weissport Zoning Hearing Board: one-year member, Greg May; two-year member, Lynette Moyer; three-year member, Linda Schoenberger; and alternate, Rusty Schoenberger.Mayor Jonathan Troutman also noted that there seems to be an ongoing conflict between a business owner and an employee of the company contracted to haul Weissport's solid waste.Troutman said that a few weeks ago, when it was a rainy day during garbage collection, the solid waste company took the ash pans along with the man's ashes, which resulted in the business owner getting upset."All I know is this can't continue," said Troutman. "I will put in another call to the owner of the company."Weissport also granted a waiver for a land development plan to Jay Frey, who intends to reopen the Reed's store property into a laundromat, ice cream store and old-fashioned general store.Frey asked to waive the requirement for a land development plan because it is an existing property. He agreed to hire a sewage engineer to determine whether the grinder pump can handle the water from a laundromat and agreed to follow the borough engineer's advice on installing curbing that will delineate the parking spaces that he plans for the rear of the property."The soda fountain will have an old-fashioned look," he said. "The general store will be a place for people to pick up staples. It won't carry all that Reed's store did, but it will be a good place for things you need every day."Council also attempted to help a resident whose grinder pump was overflowing into his yard.Tom Ketchledge said that he has a 4-year-old and he is afraid for his safety.Council Vice President Sue Pywar attempted to call for emergency help but the business failed to answer the phone."I tried," she said."That's all right," said Ketchledge. "I won't use my toilet until then."Ketchledge said that he feared what would happen to his yard if he took a shower.Kershner also noted that members of council will be attending the Weissport Municipal Authority meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, to see what can be done to help solve the problem caused when a recent member resigned, leaving the authority without a quorum to pay bills."We need some people to step up and take this on," said Pywar. She said that without a working authority, bills are not being paid on time and residents have no one to help them with problems.Kershner said that anyone interested in helping out should attend this meeting.