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Two meetings yesterday (10 am and 6 pm) held by the Legal Committee, specifically for residents to provide input on a discussed Quality of Life Ordinance, found only 3 residents attending the 6:00 pm meeting. I attended both meetings as an additional spectator only.

No resident appeared at the 10:00 am meeting held by Councilmen James and Lewis. My only suggestion was that the Legal Committee may want to add an ordinance regarding drones that might be flown within the borough. I was more interested in listening to residents input.

The 6:00 pm meeting attracted 3 residents and discussion ranged on a number of concerns raised, from restriction of invasive vegetation, to the wording regarding a State Constable. Councilman Lewis is on the Legal Committee and was assisted by Council President Dan DePaul who sat in for Councilman Paul James, who’s employer required his presence.

In some instances, it was noted that aspects of the ordinance could be better clarified, or that typos actually reversed the intent of the ordinance and needed to be corrected. It never hurts to have additional eyes reading a document!

The ordinance is still in its development stage and what people received was a rough draft that will likely see changes, deletions, and additions made to it, as it goes through a process that could lead to a Council vote when the Legal Committee believes it is ready to be presented.

It was appreciated that a few residents did appear in order to be heard, but I was disappointed that more did not attend. Especially considering that one resident who posted on Facebook about the Council “changing West Easton for the worse” wasn’t at the meeting and would have had an opportunity to get information that might have changed that opinion.

Council is trying to create a fair balance of enforcement, while improving conditions of West Easton’s neighborhoods without being too restrictive in its ordinances. It is difficult to find that balance without knowing which issues are most important to the residents.