The first business discussed at the Sept. 28 meeting of the Alburtis Borough Council was the appointment of a new councilperson to replace Councilwoman Peg McCormack who retired and attended her last meeting Aug.31.

There were four candidates present at the meeting but only two were nominated. Council President Ronald DeIaco said all four of the candidates would be able to perform the duties of the position.

“This is the most qualified group of people I’ve seen in a long time,” DeIaco said.

“You are qualified in both your background and your heart for Alburtis,” DeIaco said.

The two candidates nominated were Vanessa J. Taggart, CAPP, CMRP, director, supply chain management, accounts payable, Lehigh Valley Health Network and 15-year Alburtis resident and Deborah Mortimor, a New York and New Jersey licensed attorney who recently moved to Alburtis.

Council voted 3-2 to appoint Taggart as their newest council member.

Liberty Property Trust presented two subdivision plans and a land development plan for the Alburtis Borough Council’s approval. The company was asking for a number of waivers and disclosures the first group of which had to do with a right-of-way and cartway width for West Penn Avenue.

The required minimum right-of-way of 60 feet and the minimum cartway width of 40 feet on West Penn Avenue would be on land not part of the original Rayker and LLC property. Liberty Property Trust offered to have a 13.5 foot easement beyond the William Penn Avenue right-of-way the borough would use exclusively for curb, sidewalk, drainage, street trees and utilities.

The company requested a deferral of cartway improvements until a time the borough deems them necessary. Specifically Liberty Property Trust requested to defer the installation of sidewalks and street trees until the borough deems the improvements necessary.

There is a requirement the elevation of all boundary lines or perimeter monuments should be indicated on the plans. Liberty Property Trust claimed the Spring Creek Properties Settlement Subdivision is still actively under construction and there are grading changes currently proposed along the property boundary. The company requested a waiver from disclosing property boundary elevation on plans before the construction is completed.

The committee passed the Liberty Property Trust resolution 5-2. One of the two who objected was Stephen Kaufman. Kaufman said he was not against the project, but he wanted more information in advance.

“I did not feel we had enough information. We didn’t have a printed resolution in front of us,” Kaufman said.

Jeff Ott, of Ott Consulting Engineers, demonstrated Geographic Information System software. Ott explained how the GIS helps decision-making, communications and maintaining data and records.

Ott also talked about how the GIS software can keep track of real estate inventory in the borough through aerial photos. Ott talked about how the software could save a lot of time when it comes to generating a mailing list to communicate with homeowners.

According to Ott, GIS software can be used to inventory all of the borough’s assets in a very short period of time through video.

Ott talked about how you can upload videos and pictures onto the GIS maps in order to sort projects by location and keep track of previous projects in the area. Council decided to discuss the possible use of GIS by the borough government further at the next meeting.

The Alburtis Borough Council meets 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month in Alburtis Borough Hall, 260 Franklin St., Alburtis.

The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12.