There were 22 total attendees at the Feb. 4 Northampton Borough Council meeting. About half commented on the challenging, excellent work of the public works department in clearing snow from Northampton streets after the three-day storm Jan. 31-Feb. 2 that dumped more than 2 feet across most of the Lehigh Valley.

Every council member acknowledged the hard work of the street department in individual reports to council. The only resident comment was gratitude for the “excellent snow removal on Main Street.”

Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst stressed the difficult task done by the public works staff in working to clear the snow. He said they worked countless hours and noted it is difficult plowing during a snowstorm because of the hypnotic effect of the falling snow.

“They did a wonderful job getting our roads clear and the Valentine’s Day decorations (hung),” Councilman Kenneth Hall said.

Councilman Anthony Lopsonzski Sr. noted, “We have a damn good group of workers” in Northampton, including the borough office staff. “The guys (in public works) did a hell of a job.”

He noted the borough workers are “second to none” for their collective work.

On another snow matter, Lopsonzski Sr. noted residents need to refrain from throwing snow into the street.

Council member Judy Kutzler asked all to ignore social media criticism. Comments on social media have, in some cases, devolved from unwarranted negativity to outright misinformation.

In other business, council passed an ordinance making Station and West alleys one way by an unanimous vote.

A resolution was passed to sell a sliver of land by the Northampton-Cementon Bridge to Pennsylvania to aid in the bridge reconstruction planned for 2022. The payment for the land is $21,000.

Jeffrey Perry was appointed to full-time police status, and part-time police officer Ahmed Elkadousy was hired by council, pending successful evaluations. Lopsonzski Sr. congratulated the two officers and expressed hope they will have successful, long careers in Northampton.

The Freepoint Energy Solutions agreement was passed by council. This agreement was mildly controversial due to a paucity of council input. It will reduce the borough’s electric costs.

Joseph Billie was appointed to the Uniform Construction Code board. The UCC board hears disputes involving construction issues. Reportedly, the UCC board met one time last year. The five-member board needs three members present at a meeting to have a quorum. There remain three vacancies on this board.

Council also committed to having the Northampton Banquet and Event Center, 1601 Laubach Ave., insurance added to the borough’s insurance. The center received an insurance bill of $6,000. If added to the borough’s insurance, the center’s cost would be $2,000 for the same insurance coverage.

Councilman Robert McHale said he wants a stormwater management fee assessed for property owners and wants to explore different revenue streams to help pay for the MS4 project. Kutzler said she agrees with implementing a fee to offset MS4 costs.

In Kutzler’s report, she noted the fire department’s swift work to evaluate for injuries in the Hampton Lanes roof collapse during the snowstorm. There were no injuries due to the collapse.

Advocating for the reopening of the Northampton Borough Municipal Pool, Kutzler said she supports all patrons paying a fee to enter the pool grounds. At a previous meeting, most of council members indicated they also want to see the community pool opened this summer.

Kutzler asked Brobst if the borough is pursuing a grant to assist with the community garden idea. Brobst said the borough has not applied for a grant, saying if the financial need is small, funding could be raised through donations.

Lopsonzski Sr. discussed the value of planting trees along streets, noting “trees are good for converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.” Lopsonzski Sr. asked Brobst to begin evaluating needs at the borough’s Canal Street Park.

The next borough council meeting will be 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18. It will be a virtual meeting. Visit the borough website, northamptonboro.com, for the call-in numbers and access codes.