Northampton Borough has welcomed four new employees to its public works department, just in time for spring. Joshua Deveney, Noah Hassler, Colyn Gerstenberg and Matthew Ackerman were officially hired by Northampton Borough Council on February 15 after interviews with Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst, Public Works Superintendent Greg Morey and members of borough council.
Brobst, who started his career with the borough as a public works laborer, called them the “future of the public works department.”
“I was in your seat at one time,” he said. “You’ll find, at times, the job is rewarding, is frustrating, but always appealing.”
He told the new hires that they’ll learn new skills, meet new people, and ultimately, enjoy the position.
Councilman Ronald Glassic called their interviews “outstanding,” while Councilwoman Judith Haldeman said they showed “enthusiasm.”
“We look forward to what you guys can bring to the borough,” continued Councilman Trevor Stone.
New councilmember, Councilman Ronald Knopf, said he still considers himself a “new employee” too and is happy to help the new team with anything they need.
In addition to the four new members of public works, borough resident Kathleen “Kitty” Hucaluk was also appointed to the Northampton Borough Municipal Authority Board of Directors.
A former nurse and 20-year resident of the borough, Hucaluk said she applied to the open position because she wanted to be more active in the community.
“I want to see if I can…help make things better,” she said.
Hucaluk was unanimously appointed.
In other news, borough council approved a motion to purchase citizen notification software from GOGov. This software, which costs $4800 per year, will allow Northampton residents to download a custom app that will alert them to snow and weather emergencies, upcoming bills, changes to the garbage schedule and other special events. Notifications will be sent via email or phone, depending on the user’s consent.
In addition to the borough administration, other borough departments can use the app to send citizen alerts, including fire and police.
Assistant Borough Manager Brian Welsko has been instrumental in researching the app. He calls the app “intuitive” and says it gives the borough control over its settings and notifications.
Borough council approved the purchase, with Councilman Stone saying it is a good investment at less than 50 cents per resident per year. The borough can also opt out of the agreement after one year.
Finally, Mayor Anthony Pristash announced the launch of the Hometown Heroes online campaign. This social media campaign was created in conjunction with volunteers from Northampton Area High School.
The campaign will launch on March 1. Social media posts will showcase the stories behind the men and women on Northampton’s Hometown Heroes banners. Posts will share their stories and “show what these people mean to the Borough of Northampton and what Northampton meant to them” as they served their country, said Mayor Pristash.
The next borough council meeting will be on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m.
