Lehighton Council meeting schedule examined

Could Lehighton Borough Council change the day it conducts its monthly meetings?

Based on the dialogue from Monday night’s meeting, that remains a distinct possibility.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky suggested that council should look to switch its meeting time and date, noting that both council and Lehighton Area School Board meet at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month.

“Our hopes are that more people come to our community meetings,” Abelovsky said, adding that it makes it difficult to do when the meetings are running head to head against each other.

Abelovsky said a previous request in which the school board was asked to change the time and day of its meeting came up empty.

She also suggested that since there are members who sit on different committees, perhaps council could appoint a liaison who could attend the school board meeting and relay the information back to council.

Councilwoman Lisa Perry said her only concern was that the potential change wouldn’t affect the borough engineer or council’s solicitor, who also attend meetings in other respective communities.

Borough manager Nicole Beckett said that from an administrative point of view, they prefer the meeting to be held at the end of the month.

Councilman Jared McEvoy said he believes it would be a good idea for council to change its meeting date.

Council took no action on Abelovsky’s request.

In January 2016, while not a seated member of council, Abelovsky, as a resident, asked council to consider changing the date for its regular monthly meeting so that it doesn’t fall on the same night the school board meets.

Abelovsky told council at that time that parents and residents shouldn’t have to choose which of those meetings they should attend because there are important issues that come up at both meetings.