North Catasauqua treasurer Annette Englert opened a discussion at the June 11 borough council meeting about how cash and checks are handled at the borough office. Englert's concerns were inspired by a recent media report about alleged fraudulent activity by two South Whitehall Township employees who embezzled $850,000 in funds from the township's accounts over a period of a dozen years.

She said she is concerned because all of the money handling is done in the borough office by her, a practice not recommended by experts for safe handling of public funds.

"I do it all," she said. "I post bills, I post payments, make deposits, reconcile the checking account. I want council to be aware. I want all of you to be aware of what goes on in our office."

Englert said she is also concerned because sometimes borough department heads have submitted purchase orders to her after a purchase has been made instead of before. She said her understanding of the reason for requiring a purchase order is so the treasurer could confirm that there is money left in the line item for that particular purchase, and that it was only after she confirms that the money was available that the department head should make the purchase.

Discussion followed about how big of a purchase could be made by a department head without waiting for the next borough council meeting for approval.

"I think there needs to be thresholds," Englert said.

Council Vice President Shawn McGinley said a policy is needed.

"We should get something down saying this is the procedure," he said.

Council members agreed to review existing procedures as laid out by past resolutions and legislation and decide if they need to be revised.

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Also at the meeting, Councilwoman Cherie Gebhardt asked for clarification from fire department officials about the funding of new LED lighting for one of the fire department vehicles.

The new lighting, costing $5,577.10, was not in the 2013 budget.

Assistant Fire Chief Erik Horner explained that money had been moved from several line items in the fire department budget where funding was determined not to be needed in order to cover the cost of the LED lighting.

Englert also reported the borough received a check for $23,448.02 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for relief from Superstorm Sandy damage. The October 2012 storm caused damage to trees and fencing on borough property.

The federal funds will cover the cost of tree and fence replacement as well as overtime hours by borough employees to clean up and repair damage after the storm.

In other business, recreation committee member Peter Paone reported that two head teachers and four assistants had been selected to run the summer arts and crafts program at the park pavilion, and two individuals had been approved to coordinate the Wiffle ball program.

The council voted 5-0 to approve the personnel, with Michele Hazzard abstaining, as she was one of the assistants hired.