Emmaus Council Split in Decision on August Calendar

In an Emmaus Borough Council meeting last night that was largely centered on public comment, the most intense debate of the evening came when council faced a decision about cancelling its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Last night’s resolution, posed by Councilman Mike Waddell, would have dropped the number of council meetings in August from two to one, canceling the next regularly scheduled meeting on August 1, and leaving the August 15 meeting on the calendar.

“It’s a waste of staff time and efficiencies,” Waddell said, referring to the amount of effort that borough staffers spend putting together the packets that the members of council and the borough manager and solicitor use during the meetings. “This helps the employees.”

Council member Brent A. Labenberg offered an opposing view: “I think I am going to have to vote ‘no’” he said. “If we cancel the meeting, the public does not get to have council input on problems."

Labenberg said that if the summer months are slower, he would have no issue with only planning one meeting in July and August, but that council’s calendar should be set up that way from the beginning of the year when the meetings are advertised.

Council members R. Erick Reinhard and Wesley R. Barrett also voted against cancelling the August 1 meeting.

With Council President Lee Ann Gilbert, and council members Nathan Brown and Waddell in favor of the resolution, the vote was tied at 3-3. At that point, it was up to Emmaus Mayor Winfield Iobst to decide.

“I feel we should be here for the people,” he said. And, with that, the August 1 meeting was a go.

When the 3-3 vote and subsequent tie-breaker was finished, Craig Neely, borough manager, joked, “I can’t believe that this was the most heated debate we had all night.”

Waddell said: “I thought this was going to be an easy one.”

Councilman Brian Holtzhafer did not attend last night’s meeting.

The next Emmaus Borough Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 1 at 7 p.m.