WEST PITTSTON — The borough council members welcomed a new face to their committee in Judy Aita, who was sworn in at the bi-annual reorganization meeting Monday.

Aita will serve a two-year term while Pete Albano, Charles Alfano and John Hood were all re-elected to four-year terms and sworn in by the Hon. Joseph Carmody.

One of the seats filled on council was recently left vacant by Jay Rose, who temporarily served on council after the resignation of his father, Jim Rose, as council president in September. Jay served from September until the end of 2015.

Another vacancy was left by Raymond Savokinas whose term expired at the end of 2015.

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The council currently has six of seven seats filled as Alfano was elected to both a four-year and a two-year term and will resign his two-year position at the next meeting, so the council can advertise for a new member to fill that vacant seat.

“It just happened because we didn’t have enough people running,” Alfano said of his double victory. “What happened was we didn’t have enough people running and I got double nominated.”

During the reorganization meeting, the council president Brian Thornton, who was appointed to that position after Jim Rose’s resignation, was elected to stay on as president while Pete Musinski was elected to remain as vice president, a position he filled after Thornton was elected president.

Atty. Mark Bufalino was re-appointed as borough solicitor, Ellen Riddle was re-appointed as borough secretary and council secretary and Savino Bonita was re-appointed as borough treasurer and borough manager.

The council members also re-appointed Paul Porfirio chief of police.

During the regular monthly meeting, the council members approved:

• The adoption of a resolution to fix annual salaries and wages on certain West Pittston employees for the fiscal year as per the 2016 budget.

• Authorize and approve the Grant Administration Agreement as prepared with Ashburn Advisors for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal Fund Program that will see the repavement of Erie and Fourth Streets.

• Adopt an ordinance in regard to reserved handicap parking n which a handicap sign placed at certain properties will be designated for a specific vehicle rather than being open to any car with a handicap permit.

The next West Pittston Borough Council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at the municipal building, 555 Exeter Ave.

By Jimmy Fisher

jfisher@timesleader.com

Reach Jimmy Fisher at 570-704-3972 or on Twitter @SD_JimmyFisher