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First Posted: 7/8/2014

SHICKSHINNY—Borough Council is apparently looking for a new secretary/treasurer after hiring Amy Evans for the position in May.

Councilman Michael Steeber said at Tuesday’s meeting that a special meeting will have to be scheduled to consider an applicant who can serve as secretary/treasurer and be bonded.

When asked, Steeber and council President Rosalie Whitebread said they “have quite a few applicants” but declined to be specific or to elaborate about Evans.

Whitebread said that for the past two weeks Evans has been functioning only as the secretary.

Whitebread said Evans hasn’t resigned and neither is she aware of Evans, whose resume lists her as serving as the secretary-treasurer of Briar Creek Borough and general clerk at Manpower in Wilkes-Barre, being under scrutiny.

“She just hasn’t been functioning as our treasurer,” Whitebread said.

Otherwise, Whitebread and other members of council were closed-mouth.

Evans when contacted Tuesday night would only say the situation “is ridiculous” and declined to comment.

She was appointed on May 22 to succeed to Wendy Kramer, who resigned from the post. Kramer was elected in late 2013 after Melissa Weber, who served the borough during the period immediately after the flood of 2011, retired.

In other discussion, the council approved two zoning variances.

One of the variances involve a proposal by Wayne Wolfe of Five Mt. Hardware to construct a commercial structure at 20 W. Union Street. Comment at meeting indicated that Wolfe proposes to store lumber and other building material at the site.

The other variance will allow Nikolay Stepanenko of Cliffside Park, N.J. to erect a detached accessory structure at 58 S. Main Street.

On a 3-2 vote, the council enacted a landlord ordinance that Whitebread said is intended only to identify absentee owners in the event of emergencies and other code situations.

The ordinance provides for a process of filing a form with the borough whereby the borough “can contact property owners when we experience difficulties,.” Whitebread said.

Council members Kathleen Llewellyn and Kevin Morris, however, disagreed. They voted against the ordinance.

“We don’t need anymore regulation,” Morris said.

Llewellyn expressed that same sentiment. She added that she opposes language in the ordinance that stipulates a $25 license fee and subjects landlords who fail to comply and who reside more than 20 miles away to a possible $100 fine.

Council also voted to award a bid of $169,236 to Lycoming Supply of the Williamsport area for repair work on the Bartoli Bridge. The bid ($950) of Reliable Services of Berwick was also accepted to remove a falling tree located at the park on Canal Street. Council acted unanimously to move the borough’s payroll account to First Keystone Community Bank.

In addition, council accepted a proposal by Warren Flick, a state constable, to establish an office in municipal building at a rental fee of $125 per month.