Council approves resolution allowing treasurer to pay bills between meetings to avoid late fees

The Northampton Borough Council on Sept. 2 approved Resolution 11-25 authorizing the borough treasurer to pay bills between scheduled public meetings when necessary to avoid late fees or meet immediate payment requirements.

“Resolution 11 25 would allow the borough's treasurer to pay bills between scheduled public meetings. This would be for bills that might incur possible late fees or bills that require immediate payment,” a council member explained during the meeting before requesting a motion. Council member Trevor Stone made the motion to allow the board to pay bills between scheduled public meetings; a second was recorded and the motion passed with an affirmative voice vote.

Council members asked how the process would be communicated to the board and to the public. A staff member identified as James was described in the discussion as the reviewer who would be notified, and members were told that payments would still appear on the next meeting agenda and be visible in the public record even if already paid. Council noted the authority was intended for short turnaround items such as utilities and to avoid penalties when due dates fall shortly after an invoice is received.

During the meeting finance-related questions also noted recent efforts to consolidate some utility bills (PPL) onto a consistent billing schedule to simplify payments. No vote was taken to change existing vendor-payment policies beyond approving the resolution; council did not adopt a formal dollar threshold in the meeting minutes and did not specify additional notification requirements beyond the statement that payments would be reported at the next meeting.