At a special public meeting Dec. 2, Northampton Borough Council appointed a new member to fill a vacant seat resulting from the Oct. 26 death of Councilman Keith Piescienski.

Council was in position to name a replacement at the Nov. 18 meeting but elected to wait until they had a full board, which prompted the convening of the election council. The three candidates were present at the Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 meetings to address council.

Barry Frantz, a resident of the borough for 22 years, was the first to speak. He has worked for True Value Hardware as an area transportation manager. Additionally, he spent 34 years as a member of the East Allen Township Fire Department before joining the borough’s department six months ago.

He listed public safety and the park system as his top priorities if elected to council.

Judy Haldeman, who has lived in the borough almost her entire life, spoke next. She worked for Northampton County for 38 years, serving in a variety of positions, most recently as a casework supervisor. Haldeman recently joined the Northampton Borough Municipal Authority board.

She also cited public safety as a top priority due to a recent break-in on her street.

Finally, the third applicant, Sandra Pudliner, addressed council. Pudliner previously worked as the administrative manager and zoning officer for Hanover Township. She currently serves on the borough’s zoning hearing board.

Pudliner’s goals, if appointed, would be protecting borough residents and keeping the tax base low.

After hearing from each of the candidates, the election council had the floor.

Councilman Kenneth Hall nominated Frantz for the position and was seconded by Tony Pristash. The result was a 4-4 tie. Mayor Thomas Reenock did not attend the meeting, so without a tiebreaker from the mayor, the motion died.

Anthony Lopsonzski Sr. then nominated Judy Haldeman to fill the position, and this motion was seconded. Haldeman was appointed to the board with a 5-3 vote.

Without Reenock present, she could not be sworn in at the meeting.