Palmer Township Board of Supervisors from left to right: Mike Mitchell, Ann-Marie Panella, Chairman Mike Brett, Vice Chairman Joseph Armato and Jeffrey Young.Glenn Epps

Palmer Township has decided to switch up its strategy in the new year, and the first of many changes starts with a change in leadership.

Vice Chair Michael Brett was unanimously chosen during a reorganization meeting Tuesday to replace Chairman Jeffrey Young, as the board’s lead player. The board then named a new solicitor to replace Attorney Chuck Bruno, who unexpectedly stepped away from his role last month.

Since joining the board last year, Young had vowed to stay chairman of the board for, at maximum, a year.

“I never intended to do this job again because there are challenges, but for me it’s always a labor of love. I love Palmer. I love everything about it,” Young said.

Young previously served on the board between 1988 and 1999. He was reelected 15 years later.

He was presented with a placard by the township to commemorate his year of service. Young’s term on the board will expire in 2025.

Brett is a Palmer Township native son. He grew up sharing a backyard and fence with Young.

He now works as the project manager for the Easton Redevelopment Authority and resides in Palmer Township with his family.

Among his top priorities, as he gets used to his new role, is seeing the board settle the zoning ordinance and revise the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, he said. Brett intends to stay involved with environmental efforts in the town too. He agreed to serve as board liaison to the township’s Shade Tree Commission and the Environmental Steering Committee on Tuesday.

“In titles, this is definitely a major shake up for the board, but in terms of operation it’ll be fairly smooth because all five of us have a great working relationship built on mutual respect and we work well together as a unit,” Brett said.

Board member Joseph Armato, who joined the five-person board last year as well, will take over Brett’s former role as vice chair on the board.

Armato is originally from East Stroudsburg. He relocated to Easton six years ago is now the executive director for two senior health care facilities in the area.

Both Brett’s and Armato’s terms are set to expire in 2027.

Following the unexpected announcement by the township’s solicitor last year to not seek reappointment to the role, the board selected the offices of Grim, Biehn & Thatcher to be the township solicitor. Attorneys Jonathan Reiss, H. Peter Nelson and William Oetinger will represent the firm.

“It has been a pleasure serving on behalf of the township,” former solicitor Chuck Bruno said during a Dec. 12 meeting. “I always found the job rewarding and I felt I could contribute to the Palmer Township community where I was raised since the sixth grade and lived most of my adult life.”

Bruno served as the township’s solicitor since 1998. He is only the third municipal solicitor to hold the position in 45 years.

The board named a new firm to conduct the township’s engineering reviews. Ron Gawlik, representing the Pidcock Companies, of Allentown, was replaced by three representatives from Carroll Engineering Corporation, of Warrington. Christopher Briglia, Christopher Peterson and Justin Coyle will represent the firm.

Bob Lammi and Robin Aydelotte were both reappointed to 4-year terms on the township’s Planning Board.

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Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter.

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