At the April 2 Northampton Borough Council meeting, council continued its discussion regarding the pavilion fee issue discussed at a previous council meeting. The issue arose when the AARP requested a waiver for the use of one of the Northampton Borough park pavilions.

Typically in Northampton, when council receives a request from a nonprofit organization such as AARP to provide a waiver of the cost to rent a pavilion at one of the borough’s parks, council usually grants the waiver. At a recent council meeting, a question was raised by council about how much revenue the borough is losing by granting waivers for pavilion rentals during a year.

The concern was partially prompted by a tight borough budget, with growing costs straining the tax rate.

At the last council meeting, a number of considerations prompted council to extend the discussion, with a subcommittee to study the issue and make a recommendation to council. That subcommittee met and recommended council not waive the fees for pavilion rentals for any organizations, including nonprofits.

Council adopted resolution 5-2026, which would allow a $25 discount for requests approved by council for nonprofits’ pavilion rentals from Monday through Thursday. The discount will not apply for holidays or weekends. It was emphasized the request must be council approved.

Gazebo use at Northampton parks was briefly discussed. For example, the gazebos are used at times for wedding ceremonies. The thought to charge a fee for a reservation to use a gazebo for a wedding or any other affair may be discussed at a future council meeting.

In other business, council had no bids for a company to provide road materials, according to borough Manager Brian Welsko. The request for bids will be re-advertised for interested parties to offer bids to provide road materials.

Waste Management was the successful bidder for the transport and disposal of dewatered sludge from the borough’s wastewater treatment plant. The borough solicitor reviewed the Waste Management bid, which was the lowest, and recommended council approve the bid. Council approved the solicitor’s recommendation.

Council members approved a request from police Chief Bryan Kadingo to remove all the parking meters in the 900 block of Main Street.

The Northampton Fire Department received council permission to hold a coin toss 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 25. April 26 is the rain date.

Kadingo received permission to send two police officers to attend Gracie Survival Tactics Level 2 June 22-28 in Telford. The class runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a cost of $1,250 per officer.

The Northampton KIDS Swim Club requested council permission to use the municipal swimming pool 8-10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays during June and July. They agreed to donate $250 toward the operation of the pool.

LeRoy Brobst, former longtime borough employee and borough manager, was council approved to become a member of the borough’s zoning hearing board.

In her land, building and recreation committee report, Councilwoman Judy Haldeman said 2026 municipal swimming pool season passes will be on sale beginning May 1 at the borough’s recreation center on Lerchenmiller Drive.

Haldeman also noted state Rep. Zach Mako, R-183rd, will be hosting his annual paper shredding event 10 a.m.-noon April 18 at the parking lot of the Northampton Banquet and Event Center, 1601 Laubach Ave.

Mayor Anthony Pristash reported he recently attended the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce mayor and municipal leaders luncheon. At the gathering, he received the Most Entertaining Mayor of the Year award. After some friendly ribbing, council President Julia Kutzler agreed she felt Pristash is an entertaining fellow.

The next Northampton Borough Council meeting is set for 7 p.m. April 16 in the municipal building, 1401 Laubach Ave. It is a hybrid meeting, with both in-person and virtual options. Visit northamptonboro.com to review the meeting agenda and to access the meeting virtually.