During the Jan. 21 Northampton Borough Council meeting, council members discussed the status of the Northampton Borough Municipal Pool.

Council member Judy Kutzler expressed she didn’t understand why the community pool was closed last summer. She said the pool water has chemicals in it.

“If the Northampton Recreation Center can be open safely, why can’t we open the pool?” she asked. “I will be disappointed if the pool isn’t open this summer.”

Borough Manager Leroy Brobst said pool openings in surrounding communities “is a 50/50 (situation) whether to open or not.”

Pools in the neighboring communities of Catasauqua, Coplay and Whitehall also did not open for the 2020 season.

Council members expressed hope the pool can be opened this year.

In Councilman Anthony Lopsonzski Sr.’s report, he requested an update on the effort to restart the junior council members program at Northampton Area High School. Lopsonzski Sr. noted, at a previous meeting, the purpose is to allow high school students an opportunity “to bring their issues to council.”

The program plan is to offer students in ninth through 12 grades the chance to be a junior council member in order to learn about local government.

The junior council membership, Brobst said, “is still in the works. Hopefully by the start of the next school year,” it will be reactivated.

Brobst said the plan is to offer junior council membership to high school sophomores and juniors, so they can spend two years as a junior council member.

Lopsonzski Sr. also asked if his suggestion was followed up to transform a troubled property located on Laubach Avenue into a community meeting place.

Brobst provided updates noting the Laubach Avenue property in question. There is a warrant out for the owner’s arrest, he said. The property is reported in a state of disrepair and neglect.

There were no mayor’s, solicitor’s or president’s reports.

The public works report indicated the borough-sponsored Christmas tree pickup is over. Any tree not picked up is to be delivered by the resident to the recycling center on King Street.

The borough has an advertisement on its website seeking to fill open positions on the Uniform Construction Code Board. There are three openings. It is a five-member board.

The UCC Board hears disputes that involve construction issues. Reportedly, the group met one time last year. The board needs three present at a meeting to have a quorum.

Councilman Robert McHale expressed disappointment in the handling of a contract executed by the borough manager. McHale noted the process was not transparent and should have included other council members and stakeholders prior to the decision to sign the contract.

McHale provided council and the manager a brief dissertation on the importance of transparency in all matters of local government.

This prompted Brobst to express, “Lesson learned.”

In other matters, John Shoemaker was appointed a part-time police officer in the Northampton Police Department.

A question was raised if Northampton Banquet and Event Center, 1601 Laubach Ave., would be used as a public COVID-19 vaccination center. Brobst noted he is open to using the facility as a potential vaccination site. The center is currently closed due to the pandemic.

In other news, prior to the start of the meeting, council President Anthony Lopsonzski Jr. opened a meeting specifically to explain the proposed ordinance designating portions of Station Alley and West Alley as one-way streets. Borough Solicitor Steven Goudsouzian ran the brief meeting.

The next Northampton Borough Council meeting is 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4. It will be a virtual meeting. Visit the borough website, northamptonboro.com, for the call-in numbers and access codes.