At the opening of the Sept. 17 Northampton Borough Council meeting, council began with a tribute for Ronald “Herm” Spengler, longtime first ward borough councilman and former council president, who died Sept. 8.

Spengler was elected to Northampton Borough Council in 1999. His notable focus was on structural improvements to the Northampton park system and walking trails designed to, as he said “help everyone in town.”

Spengler also actively served on the Northampton Borough Recreation Center board. He dedicated significant time to youth sports infrastructure, serving on the board of Northampton Athletic Association.

During his leadership on council, Spengler targeted infrastructure “sore spots” along Main Street. He focused heavily on economic development by pushing to fill vacant store fronts on Main Street with new businesses and expand the borough’s farmers market.

Council then entertained numerous and varied items on its meeting agenda. The first of 11 agenda items was a request from a former employee that stimulated an executive session of council to review and discuss the matter. No pertinent information was provided by council at the open meeting.

Council then voted to deny the former employee’s request.

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised explains an executive session is a closed meeting or a closed portion of a meeting where the proceedings are strictly confidential and limited to only council members and invited guests. The public is precluded from attending either in person or remotely. They are largely for legal or personnel reasons.

There was a discussion about the future direction on the borough’s board of health and its health officer position. Councilwoman Bonnie Almond provided a report advocating for the dissolution of the borough’s health board. Almond noted the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture would pick up the responsibilities formerly covered by the borough’s health board and health officer.

Council discussed a request from borough administration for council to allow the advertisement of Ordinance 1245. If approved, it would dissolve the borough’s health board, and abolish the health officer position, effective Dec. 31. Council approved the request to advertise the proposed ordinance.

Council approved a resolution to apply for a Local Share Account grant to purchase a 2027 Ford F-150 for the public works department. The amount requested in the grant is $63,623.25.

Council approved a request from Kim Gehris, light equipment officer, for reimbursement for educational courses related to his borough role that he plans to attend during 2026. Council approved the request.

Council approved an Eagle Scout project request that would enhance the memorial flag area at Canal Street Park. The Scout noted his project would include power washing memorial stones and headstones, cleaning the worn-out American flag deposit mailbox, replacing rocks with brighter and whiter rocks, pulling weeds, placing raised garden beds with flowers and painting the wooden borders at the site.

Coplay Police Department requested and received council permission to allow Northampton Borough Fire Police to assist with directing traffic during the annual Coplay Halloween parade, to be held Oct. 20.

Mighty Pawz Special Operations and Humane Society requested and received council permission for a temporary closure of the parking lot in front of Mighty Pawz and AfFORDable Pet Center and the use of six borough parking spaces in the Center Street parking lot 5-10 p.m. Oct. 31. They plan to host a family-friendly haunted house and walk-through of their facility.

Council accepted responsibility for the minimum municipal obligation for the 2027 police pension plan. The fund is calculated to be $218,011.84. The borough would be responsible for any remainder of the MMO not covered by state aid. This funding will be completed by the state later in September. It is expected the borough’s obligation range between $20,000 and $22,000.

Council considered the non-uniformed defined pension plan as the MMO for 2027. The plan was calculated as $219,119.15. The MMO for the 2027 non-uniformed defined contribution pension plan, paid by the borough, was calculated to be $5,693.51.

In her building, land and recreation committee report, Councilwoman Judy Haldeman noted the recent Uptown Northampton Street Fair was a success. She thanked Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce, the vendors and the borough’s public works department for making the fair a wonderful event.

Haldeman also noted the last day of the season for the Northampton Farmers Market will be Sept. 29.

The next council meeting is 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at the municipal building, 1401 Laubach Ave., Northampton. It is a hybrid meeting, with both in-person and virtual options. Visit northamptonboro.com to review the meeting’s agenda and to access the meeting virtually.