Nesquehoning officials on Wednesday raised some concerns regarding public safety issues, including a railroad crossing, emergency responders, discharging firearms and riding ATVs within the borough limits.

Railroad crossingCouncil President David Hawk said that during one of his discussions with Reading and Northern Railroad, which uses the railroad track through the borough on a daily basis to serve its customers, it was mentioned that the stop sign at the intersection of Park Avenue and Industrial Road in the Hauto Valley Estates could pose a potential problem if a tractor-trailer, which is not supposed to be using Park Avenue, makes a wrong turn when leaving a business on Industrial Road and heads toward Park Avenue. The stop sign currently sits back about 6 feet from the intersection and also has active railroad tracks crossing the road in that area."If a wide vehicle stopped at that sign, it will probably be extended onto the tracks," Hawk said. "They (the railroad) asked about moving the sign forward to give a vehicle more space."He said that he thought the sign could be moved forward, but didn't know if that would give a longer vehicle enough clearance."I can see the railroad's concern," Hawk said. "I think we have a concern too. If someone gets lost and follows their GPS through there to get back to the highway with a flammable trailer or other chemical on a trailer, you could have a potential that where they stop … and are across the tracks and a train is coming that they can't pull out because kids are riding their bicycles in front of them."You may say what are the odds of that happening," he continued. "Well, what were the odds of three trucks coming down the Broad Mountain in three days?"Councilman Frank Jacobs asked about making Industrial Road one way away from Park Avenue.Hawk said that he wasn't sure if that would work because trucks aren't supposed to be coming to that intersection from Industrial Road, but it happens if drivers are not familiar with the roads and make a wrong turn or their GPS directs them to that route.Council said it will look into purchasing additional signage, which will be installed before the crossing alerting motorists that there are railroad tracks right near the intersection and to proceed with caution.ATVs and firearmsNesquehoning police recently reminded residents that driving all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes on borough streets is not permitted and those who are caught doing so will be cited and vehicles will be impounded.Borough council discussed their concerns over a seemingly growing trend of ATV riders coming to the borough from out of the area to off-road. On weekends, dozens of trucks with ATV trailers can be seen parked off the road in some outlying areas of the borough."We're trying to get as many of them as we can when they are on the street," Mayor Sam Kitchko said of the police enforcement.Council said that some riders disregard motorists and dart out in traffic across the wash shanty coming into the borough from Lansford, and some have even begun shooting firearms within the borough limits, including on land owned by the Kovatch family just north of the Hauto Valley Estates.Jacobs asked what could be done.Kitchko said he spoke with John Kovatch and he doesn't have a problem with borough police going up there to patrol. The problem is though that the borough vehicles are not made for off-roading.Jacobs asked if the borough could lease ATVs for a month or two to allow police to go up there to patrol and deter the people a bit.Emergency responseCouncilman Don DeMarco said he had some unanswered questions with the sale of KME with regard to emergencies happening in the borough and the emergency responders who work there.Under the Kovatch family, volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel were allowed to leave their jobs at KME in Nesquehoning to answer a call if an emergency occurred in the borough, but DeMarco is wondering what will happen once the REV Group takes over.He said he plans to set up a meeting with the new owner to explain the value of the volunteer responders and see if anything will change.In other mattersNesquehoning council acted or discussed the following items:• Advertise for additional part-time police officers after officer Derek Marouchoc accepted a full-time position with the Lansford police department.• Purchase two new computers for the Nesquehoning police.• Ratify a boroughwide burn ban extension until May 28. During a burn ban, outdoor burning of any type is prohibited. Council is also pricing signs that can be attached to road signs alerting motorists that a burn ban is in effect.• Adopt the articles of agreement to join the Carbon County Council of Governments.