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The Home News Your Local News
MARCH 5-11, 2015
Dunkin’ Celebration
50 cents
Bath Council accepts Petrucci resignation by BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
Employees of the new Dunkin’ Donuts store in Bath gathered together for a team photo as a grand opening celebration was held on Saturday. Youngsters who were part of the crowd enjoyed having their faces painted and getting balloon figures.
Gabriella and Mellanie had their faces painted as cats at the Dunkin’ Donuts grand opening. -Home News photos
Bath Borough Council on Monday accepted the resignation of Thomas R. Petrucci as Borough Manager. It was done with regret, and all members of Council and those in the audience stood and applauded in appreciation for the work he has done in the borough over the past four years. In addition to serving as manager, he had a number of other responsibilities, including: Borough secretary and treasurer, chief administrative officer for the borough’s non-uniformed pension plan and trust, historic district administrator, floodplain administrator, trustee to the Delaware Valley Health Trust, alternate code enforcement officer, alternate property maintenance code enforcement officer, and delegate to the Northampton County Tax Collection Committee. During his tenure in Bath, Petrucci wrote grant applications that brought in some $600,000 for the borough. He has been hired as township manager for Plainfield Township at a salary of $80,000. In the wake of Petrucci’s leaving, Keystone Consulting Engineers was named to administer provisions of the flood plain management regulations; Council President Robert Fields was appointed as interim chief administrative officer for the nonuniform pension plan and trust; and Stevens & Lee were appointed to fulfill the role of the interim open records officer. Other Matters • Council voted to send delinquent 2014 sanitation bills to
Portnoff Law Associates for collection. • Linda Roth of 256 S. Walnut St. was removed as a qualified commercial establishment from the borough’s sanitation contract. • It was noted that snow was shoveled at one location into the street. Council advised people not to do that, or they could be cited by police. • Flood plan ordinance legal expenses have been submitted for a municipal assistance program grant. • Under Act 164 of the Local Tax Collection Law, an amendment allows the husband of tax collector Debra Mills to serve as a deputy to her. • A number of actions were
put on hold until a new manager is hired. They include: the 2015 TreeVitalize planting grant, sanitation contract planning Act 101 Sec. 902 grant, 224 W. Main Street, and a proposed options agreement on P3 towers. Mayor Fiorella Mirabito reported that the borough will host the Mid-Eastern Counties Association of Boroughs meeting on Wednesday, March 25. She also announced that a tree planting in memory of Emily DiFrancesca will take place at Ciff Cowling Field near the Bath Lions Football stand on Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m., and a fundraising event called Painting in the Park will be held Saturday, May 22 at 2 p.m. in Keystone Park. Councilwoman Carol BearHeckman announced that the Gov. Wolf Historical Society is having an antique show on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and Continued on page 16
Fire in Cherryville
A fire at Walt’s Auto Center is being investigated. The fire, which was reported late Monday, struck the used auto dealer around 11:30 p.m. The business is on Route 248 in Cherryville. Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company Responded. -photo by Carl P. Kern, FIVE COUNTY FIRE on Facebook.
74th Year, Issue No. 10 www.homenewspa.com
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