Following an extensive executive session and a tied vote that required Mayor Christian Morrison to cast the deciding yes, Tamaqua Council approved a lengthy list of lifeguards and clerks for the summer season at the Howard D. Buehler Memorial Pool. Guards hired include Earl Akins, Allison Amodea, Nathan Bastanzi, Emily Bumbulsky, Joann Butkus, Tyler Butkus, Ethan Eberts, Chelsea Frantz, Amber Gulick, Melanie Kostecky, Victoria LaBar, Rebecca Minehan, Jordan Nowacki, John Ritzko, Matthew Stanek, Denae Starry, Carly Trovinger, Benjamin Turrano, Aleida VanBuren, Kathryn Wagner, Megan Wagner, Gage Whalen and Andrea Whitley. Clerks hired include Beth Fritzinger-Jones, Brianna Heck, Justin Huegel and Emily Wenzel. Council also voted to raise the starting wage to $7.25 an hour, with a $0.25 increase per year of service. Returning employees' wages will be adjusted accordingly. Stanek was also hired as senior lifeguard at a pay rate of $10 per hour when acting as pool manager. Morrison said the list of guards and clerks can be added to at a future date.

Council approved a proposal from L&S Electrical Construction company Inc. in the amount of $3,986 to upgrade the electrical system at the Bungalow Park Pavilion.Bids were received for several older pieces of equipment the borough is offering for sale. Council accepted the following bids: $3,310 from Edwin Ziegler for a 1974 Diamond Reo triaxle, $1,500 from Bruce Eberts for a 1961 Caterpillar grader and $850 from James Oliver for a 1992 Mercury Topaz. Borough manager Kevin Steigerwalt said verbal bids had also been received from James Whah in the amount of $450 for a 1987 Chevrolet pickup, and from Watkins Lawn Service in the amount of $200 for a Gravely riding mower. All of the bids were accepted.Council approved a resolution for a sewer extension along Lincoln Drive in Hometown. The borough's sewage treatment plant has the capacity and adequate facilities to handle the additional influx of waste. Steigerwalt said the proposal estimated an additional 8,000 gallons per day among approximately 25 commercial and residential hookups.Council heard from resident Donna Hill, who requested that code enforcement get involved with a dilapidated property situated between her home and her son's home on Bowe Street. According to Hill, the owners moved out more than eight years ago, and the property hasn't been maintained. Water damage is being done to both her and her son's properties. Council referred the matter to the borough's code enforcement officer.Resident Cathy Miorelli questioned whether the borough had previously paid to repair the Elwood apartment building when it was in disrepair. She asked why a similar process couldn't be followed here. Council President Micah Gursky disagreed with Miorelli and said the Elwood property had been secured as a safety measure; however, the owners had then been billed for the costs incurred by the borough. Gursky also said that if the code enforcement officer deems the property on Bowe Street is a public safety hazard, the borough would take similar steps. Gursky advised the Hill family to follow the code enforcement process. "It is aggressive neighbors that got the job done," said Morrison, referring to other properties the borough has been instrumental in cleaning up.Tony Prudenti, representing the Stadium Hill Café, requested that two spaces in front of his business have signage placed indicating one-hour parking. Prudenti said that high school students are parking in front of his business and leaving their cars there during the school day. "I just need to deter the kids from parking there," he said. "I'm losing money every day because of this." Prudenti said that several people have approached him saying they would have stopped but there was no available parking.Gursky reminded Prudenti that the business had applied for a variance because the property did not have the necessary parking spaces for such a business. The variance had been approved. "Our zoning requirement is that you need to have so much off-street parking in order to open your business. You said you didn't need that," Gursky said. "That didn't grant you the right to public parking." Prudenti asked for an expedited response from the parking and traffic committee. Chairman Dan Evans said the next meeting will be in June, and hopefully the matter can be resolved before the beginning of the next school year.Robert Bachert, representing the North and Middle Ward Playground, asked for additional police coverage or "kids at play" signs in the area of the playground due to "cars blowing through stop signs" in the area.