Politics & Government

Council Rejects Board of Health Letter of Support

A motion by Hellertown Borough Councilman Mike McKenna to send a letter in support of a regional board of health to Northampton County died for lack of a second.

apparently did little to convince Hellertown Borough Council members that the formation of a bi-county health department should have their support.

At their March 21 meeting, council members had the opportunity to approve sending a letter in support of the regional health department proposal to Northampton County, but several council members criticized the group pushing for one for a lack of organization.

"I don't know if they even have a plan," council member and Dewey EMS Captain John Bate said.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Council member Stephanie Kovacs said that in order for the regional board of health to be formed, both Allentown and Bethlehem would have to give up the funding for their independent health bureaus. She expressed skepticism that they would be willing to do so.

Only councilman Mike McKenna voiced support for sending a letter to the county. When he made a motion to do so, however, it failed for lack of a second.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A subsequent motion not to send a letter until more information about the regional board of health plan and proposed funding for it is received was approved 5-1, with McKenna casting the sole "no" vote. Council member Gail Nolf was absent.

In other business, council approved waiving the registration fee for the planned Community Day Yard Sale that the Hellertown Borough Business Revitalization Program hopes to sponsor Sunday, Aug. 21. 

The yard sale would be a community-wide event and is tentatively planned for the day after Hellertown-Lower Saucon Community Day.

Finally, council members nixed a proposal by to stage a bigger walk-a-thon than has been held in years past.

This year's walk-a-thon, planned for May 11, would have required the closing of portions of numerous streets in the vicinity of the school, Public Works Director Tom Henshaw said.

The streets would need to be closed because the students planned to walk in the street during the event, he explained.

"That's too big of an area to close down," Kovacs said, after hearing Henshaw rattle off the names of streets that would need to be closed, which included parts of Linden, Second and Third avenues, and Miller and Phillips streets.

"I called (the principal) and gave her my concerns and she said if that was not acceptable to council then she would revert back to her old plan," Henshaw said.

Upon hearing that, council members voted to approve the walk-a-thon along its original route, which Henshaw said would only require minimal road closures in the immediate vicinity of the Leonard Street school.


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