During their February 3 public meeting, the Northampton Borough Council and Mayor Tony Pristash welcomed a new full-time police officer to the department.
After taking the civil service test and interviewing with the Civil Service Commission and Police Chief Bryan Kadingo, Joseph Britt was named the top-ranking candidate. Chief Kadingo requested that the borough hire Britt as a full-time officer. Council unanimously approved his request.
Britt was sworn in by Mayor Pristash and welcomed by members of council. Chief Kadingo and several officers were present to watch their newest colleague officially join the force.
His swearing-in came during a tense time for the police department. Several days before, a member of the public assaulted one borough officer. Councilman Anthony Lopsonzski, Sr. assured the police department that the council “has their back.”
The police department was not the only team of first responders recognized during the meeting. Councilwoman Judy Kutzler praised the fire department, the fire police, and neighboring municipalities for responding to over 620 fire calls throughout 2021.
“We are blessed as a community to have working agreements with these other communities,” she said.
She reminded the public that the fire department is a volunteer fire department and urged residents to respond to the fund drive they will soon receive in their mailbox.
In other news, following a meeting with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Allen Township, council motioned to upgrade their sewer plant to accommodate a minimum of 300 additional EDUs for Allen Township, if needed. This motion comes after a stalled agreement has left developers in the township unable to acquire EDUs for their property. This motion does not impact the expired agreement or service fees.
Meanwhile, several months after representatives from Republic Services appeared before the board to address numerous complaints from residents, Council President Anthony Lopsonzski, Jr. took the time to recognize the improvements the trash hauler has made.
“[While] still not 100%…[it is] way better than what it was,” he said.
While most companies only hear complaints when things go wrong, Lopsonzski, Jr. wanted to make sure Republic received some praise after listening to residents and council and following through on their promises.
“I want to give credit for a job well done,” he added.
The borough also received some praise itself for a job well done. Dozens of letters from Good Shepherd Catholic School students in grades K through 8 were delivered to the borough administration, the public works, the fire department, the police, and other organizations. These letters thanked the borough employees and volunteers for keeping the town safe, clean, and running smoothly.
Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst said he read every letter with a smile and added that the borough is saving these letters for years to come.
“The greatest part of the whole thing was the gift of them sharing their thoughts,” he said.
The next borough council meeting will be on Thursday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m.
