Hellertown Council: Municipal Authority Board Seat Filled, Police Plan Ready

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The Hellertown City Council held its regular meeting Monday evening, with council members addressing several issues of importance to the community.

Among them was a vote to fill a vacancy on the Hellertown Municipal Authority board caused by the death in May of former board treasurer and Saucon Source contributor Chris Christian.

Chris Snyder and Ken Bloss both wrote letters of interest after the vacancy was announced. Both men spoke to the board about their qualifications Monday in hopes of getting the job, which ultimately went to Snyder on a 4-2 roll call vote.

“As a business owner with multiple properties in the Borough of Hellertown, I asked to be considered for the vacant board member position,” said Snyder, who owns Quest Termite & Pest and is the former chief of the former Steel City Volunteer Fire Co. in Lower Saucon Township. “I am very proud to be a part of moving the Hellertown Borough Authority toward a sustainable future.”

Police Department’s Community Outreach Program About to Begin

Officer in Charge Detective Michael Dattilio announced the launch of the Hellertown Police Department’s LEAP (Law Enforcement Assistance Program) initiative. The goal of the program is to open lines of communication with Hellertown citizens to assist police, he said. At a meeting in June, officials said the program will be similar in nature to the former Hellertown Block Watch group.

“We all want a crime-free community, but also a high quality of life… Communication is the first crucial step to achieving that goal,” Dattilio said.

The first LEAP meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 7 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. More information will be available on the Hellertown Police Facebook page. Anyone wishing to register to be part of the group or wanting more information should send an email to js*********@he**********.org.

Other business

Fire company needs help

Dewey Fire Company No. 1 Chief Rick Delmore said his organization is in desperate need of volunteers.

“We’re looking at every option we can to recruit and get the manpower we have,” Delmore said. “We can have all the equipment in the world, but without people to use it, it means nothing.”

The fire company currently has 18 senior members, five support members and three junior members, he said. Of the senior members, 16 work during the day.

For more information on how to become a volunteer, contact the fire company at 610-838-0161 or visit DeweyFireCo.org.

Amended parking order

Council made some minor changes to its municipal parking bylaw (Ordinance 848) and approved a motion to publicize it. The full ordinance can be viewed here.

Forest Festival to discover

The council approved plans for this year’s Save the Forest Festival, which will be held Sunday, July 28, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Heller-Wagner Grist Mill on W. Walnut Street. Resident Jayne Shinko attended the meeting on behalf of Citizens for Responsible Development-LST, which is hosting the event to raise money for its efforts to stop a proposed landfill expansion in Lower Saucon Township.

Fireworks Message

The council urged residents to be courteous and cautious if using fireworks during the upcoming Independence Day weekend, which begins Thursday.

“Be courteous. We’re going to get a lot of complaints between now and the end of the week,” Council President Tom Rieger predicted. “We just want to reiterate that in the past we’ve had a lot of issues with the public not being nice to police officers who were just trying to respond. At certain times, if there’s a lot of fireworks going off, just be respectful of your neighbor’s property and neighbors in general, and enjoy the long holiday weekend.”

The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 15 at 7 p.m. at Hellertown Town Hall. Meetings are being held in person and are being livestreamed online and via the borough’s Facebook page.