In addition to its scheduled agenda items, Walnutport's Borough Council heard several requests from residents at its workshop meeting on Thursday.

Residents Frank and Bernice Schlegel, who said they rent along South Canal Street, asked "what the borough does for tenants (when) landlords don't take care of properties."They said conditions at their rental unit have become a health hazard, then showed council members photos that they said show proof of black mold and more.Council said it will look into the matter.Resident Rich Thomas requested a permit to hook up natural gas to his home on Spruce Street, noting it will save money over his current oil heating system.But because Spruce Street was recently resurfaced, he needed to ask council for a special exemption. The borough currently has an ordinance that places a five-year moratorium on digging up a road that has been resurfaced and also adopted an ordinance just last month that sets the fee at $900 if the road has been resurfaced within the past year.Thomas said that due to health concerns, he is still anxious to get the waiver as soon as possible.He added that he had been looking into getting a gas hookup for several months and had been unaware that the borough planned to resurface Spruce Street until he got a letter in the mail only a week and a half before the work was to begin.He said although the letter said that people and public utilities would be given a 30-day window to make repairs (or, in his case, a hookup), that was not possible because of UGI's lead time and when his letter was received.Thomas said UGI representatives told him the company will meet the borough's guidelines and specs for resurfacing the roadway. However, council members said they were still hesitant due to inadequate secondary resurfacing efforts by entities in the past.President Matthew Newhard said Thomas should write a letter to the borough as requested in the ordinance plus ask UGI to fill out the permit and also put in writing that it will work with the borough to restore the road to borough specs.In other news, Newhard updated council on a resolution and an ordinance that need to be passed by the first meeting in October before Walnutport's venture with Slatington and Washington Township to form a regional recreation authority and start receiving special grant money can begin.In addition, he also asked members if "everything has gone through to our liking for the boat ramp" and, if so, for a motion for him to sign off on a permit to the Pennsylvania Fish and Game Commission to state that the borough can encroach into the Lehigh River. Council unanimously approved the motion.Newhard later explained that getting a boat ramp down at the river has been in the works by the Wildlands Conservancy for about three years and that the conservancy has been "doing all the legwork" and paying for everything.Later, grant coordinator Michael Wentz said he had recently found out that "all of Walnutport is now eligible for block grant funding," which is less restrictive. He said that means the borough should soon be able to apply for these types of funds with "no more red tape" and possibly "automatic funding direct from the federal government.""This is a big boost for Walnutport," Wentz said.