Emmaus Borough Council convened its Feb. 17 meeting with a call to order and the Pledge of Allegiance before proceeding directly to the first round of personal appeals and the community minute.

Resident Chris Romig, of South Second Street, addressed council regarding the proposal to vacate the green space on Perkiomen Street. The request was submitted by a new property developer seeking to vacate the space in order to construct an additional apartment building. The matter was already scheduled for further consideration later in the agenda.

Council approved the minutes from its Feb. 2 meeting and reported no formal bid awards requiring action.

Under communications, council received and accepted two retirement notices: Rick Wentz of the public works department and Police Chief Jason Apgar. Wentz’s retirement marks the departure of a longtime public works employee, while Apgar’s notice signals an upcoming leadership transition within the borough’s police department.

Council members acknowledged both retirements and expressed appreciation for their years of service.

The written correspondence opposing the proposed vacation of a portion of Perkiomen Street was then acknowledged and referred to committee. The letters, submitted by Romig and another neighboring resident, raised concerns about the potential impact of the street vacation and indicated their intent to preserve their respective portions should council approve vacating their portion of the property.

Moving forward, council approved several community event requests, including the Kiwanis Annual Egg Hunt, SnowBlast Winter Arts Festival and the 21st Annual Student Film Festival. The SnowBlast will take place March 7, the Kiwanis Egg Hunt is scheduled 1 p.m. April 4 and the film festival is set for April 26, at the Emmaus Theatre, with doors opening 1:30 p.m. Council members expressed support for the events, emphasizing their value in promoting community engagement and family-friendly programming.

In the public works committee report, chaired by Chad Balliet, council approved the hiring of Mark Simpkins as a full-time public works employee to address staffing needs resulting from Wentz’s retirement. Meeting notes from Feb. 9 were accepted and the date of the next committee meeting was announced.

The health, sanitation and codes committee and the parks and recreation committee provided brief updates and confirmed their upcoming meeting schedules.

The public safety committee, chaired by Kate Watt, reported on its Feb. 11 meeting and shared several updates.

Under general administration, council accepted meeting notes and confirmed its next meeting date.

The budget and finance committee presented its year-end budget report and the January budget performance report, providing a detailed overview of revenues, expenditures and overall fiscal health as the borough enters the new budget year.

Council approved Resolution 2026-9, authorizing payment of the bill list and reviewed significant revenues and expenses for the first half of February.

The community relations, planning and development committee confirmed its upcoming meeting schedule and various board and commission reports were received for the record.

Following the borough manager’s report, council entered a lengthy executive session to discuss the process for filling the police chief position. Members considered whether to retain an outside consultant or conduct the search internally.

Upon reconvening, council voted to consult with the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association to initiate the search for candidates, formally beginning the process to replace Apgar upon his retirement.

After a second round of personal appeals, council adjourned. The meeting reflected a balance of routine municipal business and significant transition planning, particularly within the public works and police departments, as Emmaus continues to navigate staffing changes while sustaining daily operations and community programming.