Macungie Borough Council met Feb. 19 and announced receiving a written resignation from council member Marvin Moyer, who is leaving council effective immediately due to health reasons. His resignation was unanimously accepted.

With the open position, council has 30 days from the date of accepting the resignation to fill the seat. Anyone interested in sitting on Macungie Borough Council is invited to apply by sending a letter of interest to the borough via email, mail or fax. This position is open to residents of Macungie only. The term on the council will expire Dec. 31. The deadline to submit a letter of interest is 4 p.m. March 13. For more information, visit http://www.macungie.pa.us.

In other business, Sgt. Travis Kocher, of the Macungie Police Department, presented council with an update on the implementation of the safe Internet Exchange Zone. This is an initiative from the Macungie Police Department to deter crimes that may occur during a transaction beginning online.

Transactions like purchasing items from Craigslist or any arrangement made on the Internet that concludes in a face-to-face meeting can now have this layer of added protection. The exchange zone location will be a parking spot posted in the police parking lot, 21 Locust St., Macungie. Police are currently awaiting the sign and will post the spot as soon as they receive it. In the interim, people are encouraged to use any parking spot in the rear of the parking lot until the spot is posted.

Having this location will act as a deterrent to would be aggressors or criminally minded individuals since the area is under constant video surveillance.

Under normal circumstances there will be no police intervention, documentation or witnessing to a transaction. However, should one of the parties request an officer, one will respond.

It is recommended buyers obtain as much information about the seller like name, number and/or license plate number without appearing too invasive, since the police department cannot use the state computer system to run model numbers, serial numbers, etc. of items that are part of a private exchange. Obtaining this information from the seller will assist police in the event the items purchased are later determined to be stolen.

These exchange zones are also used by people who are co-parenting and sharing custody of children. This allows for parents to make a custodial exchange in a neutral location that is under 24-hour surveillance.

The Internet Exchange Zone is available 24 hours a day; however, meeting during daylight hours, if possible, is advised. Any additional information can be found on the Macungie Police Department Facebook page or the department can be contacted directly by phone or email.

Council also discussed the fire department’s submittal of a financial report intended to take the place of having an actual audit performed. Although the document was signed by an auditor, a disclaimer on the document stating that there are “No assurances are provided by these financial statements” led council to question whether the document will satisfy the audit requirement.

In 2017, amid scrutiny of the Macungie Volunteer Fire Department’s accounting practices, financial missteps and other issues were found. Council put forth a list of 10 demands needed from the fire department in order to ensure the release of the department’s semiannual funding. One of those demands was to have an independent audit completed by an accountant and submitted to the council.

Council President Chris Becker explained that the financial statement submitted was due in part to fire department’s attempt to mitigate the thousands of dollars needed to cover the cost of a full audit.

Council decided they will request a full audit from the fire department.

Lower Macungie is preparing to receive 5G wireless antennas throughout their community. The antennas will be placed in public areas to give residents access to high speed wireless Internet. Lower Macungie Township created an ordinance to put rules in place about where these antennas can be placed. A motion was passed to ask the solicitor to adopt and adjust Lower Macungie’s ordinance to cover Macungie Borough.