At Slatington's regular meeting of council held Monday evening Kathy Buss, who owns rental properties in the Northern Lehigh area, said that Slatington's water, sewage and garbage bills are out of control.

"The rates are killing this town," Buss said.President Galen Freed said there will be an in depth discussion on water bills at next Monday's committee meeting. Ted Stevenson, of Spotts, Stevens and McCoy Inc., said that the PennVEST sewer project that's going on now should help reduce these costs. Gary Phillips, who is chairman of the borough's water authority, said that the sewer project is approximately 60 percent completed and that the project is already helping. Phillips said that the sewer plant is no longer flooding, which used to be a problem every time it rained over an inch.Stevenson said that about $515,000 of the $7,100,000 sewer project will be left for paving. Paving should start shortly. Stevenson said that the contractor will probably start with Center Street because of the school bus traffic and then move to Washington Street and Franklin Street.In other business, Council voted to allow the Northern Lehigh Events Committee to hold the Northern Lehigh Halloween Parade Oct. 30 with a rain date of Nov. 6. They voted to purchase two trees to replace the trees that were destroyed in the 500 and 600 blocks of Main Street at a cost not to exceed $325, and they voted to purchase two birch trees for the parking lot at Main and Center streets at a cost not to exceed $350.Council voted to terminate the employment of Borough Manager Steve Salveson effective Sept. 8, and they voted to advertise for a new borough manager. The deadline for applications is Dec. 8.