Assistant DA Sworn in as Upper Nazareth's Newest Supervisor

welcomed a new supervisor, but not much else changed at Tuesday night's reorganization meeting.

James Augustine, an assistant district attorney for Northampton County and for the township Zoning Hearing Board, was sworn in as supervisor.

Augustine won a two-year seat in the November election, in which he ran unopposed. He is finishing the six-year term left open by State Rep. Joe Emrick in 2010.

Supervisor Scott Sylvainus Emrick's term. He also ran in the November election but for a six-year term to replace former Supervisor Jim Fahr, who did not seek re-election.

Other township officials retained their positions for 2012. Mike Rinker will continue as chairman of the five-member supervisors board, while Sylvainus will again serve as vice chairman. The other supervisors are Willard Mohn and Andy Donello.

All department heads and appointed officials, such as Zoning Officer John Soloe, township Secretary Jeri Kronstadt and Department of Public Works supervisor Shawn Shupe, will continue their duties this year.

Supervisors approved one change to the 2012 holiday schedule for township employees, adding Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 16 to the list of paid holidays.

At the regular business meeting that followed the reorganization meeting, supervisors briefly discussed the idea of meeting just once per month, rather than twice. The idea -- broached by Rinker -- met lukewarm response and discussion petered out without a vote.

“There's too much going on,” said Sylvainus, who supported two meetings per month rather than one.

In other business:

Soloe, the zoning officer, encouraged supervisors to attend the next meeting of the township Planning Commission on Jan. 12. That meeting, he said, will focus on plans for , the controversial senior living community that wants to develop near Upper Nazareth's border with Nazareth Borough. He has been at odds with the commission over how to interpret land-use regulations for the project.

The township Board of Auditors will meet Wednesday, Jan. 4 as required by state law.

Auditors set the pay rates for supervisors who also work for the township.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at the township municipal building, 100 Newport Ave.

Editor's Note: A correction has been made to this article. The original version stated Augustine was elected to a six-year term, when that was incorrect. The current version of this article correctly reflects the outcome of the November election.