Lansford Borough Council on Wednesday approved an agreement for its treasurer to continue on a part-time basis.

Council also stipulated that treasurer Maria Ahner train the current borough secretary, Ashley McLaughlin, as treasurer.

Ahner will be paid $30 an hour in the part-time role and do some of the work remotely from home.

Other duties as treasurer that involve personnel information or financial records, such as payroll, would have to be done in the office, council said.

Ahner also will continue as the borough’s Right to Know officer and train McLaughlin in these duties.

Training would take place after business hours, most likely in the evenings, and council agreed to change the borough office hours to accommodate the training time.

Council agreed to change the borough’s office hours to 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., which would allow McLaughlin to train for two hours a day after hours while still getting paid her normal rate and hours.

Councilwoman Michele Bartek said shifting those two hours would be for training and not involve any overtime.

“She’s not getting paid anything additional while she’s training,” Bartek said. “It’s not going into overtime when she’s training.”

Council agreed to continue the agreement and training through Sept. 9, which is the date of their regular council meeting, when council could determine whether they want to terminate or extend the agreement.

Councilwoman Gwyneth Collevechio said they would like an update on how the training was proceeding at their September workshop meeting to allow them to decide how to proceed.

Council met in special session to consider a part-time work agreement for Ahner, who had submitted her resignation last month, but agreed to continue part-time until council found a replacement.

Council had agreed to shifting Ahner to part-time, but then Ahner later asked for a formal work agreement to continue.

The motion on council’s agenda was only for the agreement, and council members wanted to first discuss the matter in executive session, asking if McLaughlin had been offered the position.

Council President Joe Genits had pressed for the work agreement, saying that McLaughlin could apply for the position which the borough planned to advertise starting this week.

Council members pointed out that they had no opportunity to discuss the matter, only in the public forum of Wednesday’s special meeting. and pushed for the executive session.

Genits pointed out that council only wanted executive sessions, if first approved by the solicitor, and he had not done that. Council continued to push and Genits acquiesced.

Council met for approximately an hour in executive session, coming back with the proposal that Ahner continue part-time and train McLaughlin.

Collevechio noted that council was working off the agreement proposed by Ahner, and the time frame that she provided, but tweaked it a little.

“I don’t know for sure what she’ll say,” Collevechio said, “We’re working off what she gave us. We’re pretty much working with her.”

Genits pointed out that Ahner hadn’t specified a time frame that she would continue as a part-time employee, but council is now adding that.

Council approved the motion to move ahead with Ahner’s work agreement with the additional training duties and conditions on a 5-1 vote with Councilman Joe Butrie voting no. Councilman Jack Soberick was absent.

Council also removed a motion to advertise for a full-time treasurer, which had previously been approved. The borough plans to pull the planned advertisements.

Council did agree to place an advertisement for a part-time clerical position up to 25 hours a week with the salary negotiable, depending on experience. Knowledge of borough business would be preferred.