Much like every other municipality, residents of Freemansburg were talking about the snowstorm at the following borough council meeting.

Beth Robinson, a Thistle Street resident speaking for the Townes at Market Square, asked her area be left alone during snowstorms because they pay a contractor $800 for such services. She said public works attending to it just wastes residents’ money.

Council President Homer “Bud” Lorrah offered a mea culpa, however, saying, “That was me. I saw lots of snow and didn’t even realize there were sidewalks there.” Lorrah had spent the night of the storm in how own plow-armed truck assisting road crews and stranded passersby.

Board member Rudy Gallich bitterly announced the water and sewer funds are both in the red, far far behind in collections from residents – to the tune of $143,000 and $137,000 – respectively.

Manager Judith Danko agreed, but reminded Gallich that two years ago each of those totals topped a quarter-million dollars.

The borough is cursed with residents seemingly unwilling to pay for these services, some owing for years of services. She said the administration has gone so far as to mail letters threatening to cut off residents’ services in payments aren’t received. The result from that experiment – admittedly a hollow threat at the time – was unimpressive. After a weak showing from their current collections agency, however, she is preparing to again speak with Portnoff Law Associates collections to find a more aggressive solution.

Board member Jim Smith agreed, saying the threat to cut services should be enacted for real. “I think, unfortunately, today we have to force some peoples’ hands.”

Discussion on tougher collections actions is sure to continue.

Council also agreed to the sale of a small Main Street property that has been delinquent and vacant for years. The small plot, which board members describe as little more than a rocky slope, was purchased by a private owner for $42,000 in 2007. Now, languishing after a failed judicial sale and being placed in repository, the taxing entities – Northampton County, Freemansburg and Bethlehem Area School District – are agreeing to sell it to the highest bidder.

The current bid is $105.

Adding voice to the collective shrug, Lorrah said, “We can’t do anything with it if we buy it, so let’s sell it.”

The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 1 at borough hall, 600 Monroe St.