Palmerton has agreed to take action against a home that's become an eyesore in the borough.

Borough Council on Thursday unanimously agreed to file legal proceedings against the owner of the home at 910 Edgemont Avenue.As part of that measure, council authorized borough Manager Rodger Danielson and borough solicitor Michael Ozalas to take the action.Danielson said the property has been abandoned for many years, and has been cited various times. Council was vehemently in favor of the action.Also on Thursday, council unanimously agreed to spend this year's allotment of Community Development Block Grant funds to pave portions of Lehigh Avenue.That decision came after a second public hearing was conducted by Judy Borger, director of planning and development for the Carbon County Office of Planning.Council agreed to designate $111,123 in CDBG funds to replace a water line and pave the 200, 300 and 400 blocks of Lehigh Avenue.Of that amount, Borger said $91,121 would be utilized for the work, while the other $20,002 would go toward administrative costs.Borough Manager Rodger Danielson previously said the borough last year designated its CDBG funds to pave those blocks. Since then, he said the borough received another $31,000 that was earmarked to make the areas handicapped accessible.However, Danielson noted at that time the water line in that area should be replaced before the borough paves the streets, and suggested council combine a portion of its CDBG funds in recent years with this year's allotment to afford the project.In an unrelated matter, Councilman Kris Hoffner said he was pleased with the borough's public works department in the wake of the major snowstorm earlier this month."I think our public works did a fine job," Hoffner said. "The roads were in great shape."In a related matter, Councilman Chris Olivia cautioned residents to shovel snow by fire hydrants."We had to send people out to shovel fire hydrants," Olivia said. "We want to ask people to shovel their fire hydrants."In another safety-related matter, Mayor Brad Doll warned residents to clean snow from their cars before they get into their vehicles to drive.Doll noted he's observed cars drive down Delaware Avenue that still have snow on them."It's a citable offense," Doll said. "They should clean their windows."Also, the issue of handicapped parking along Delaware Avenue was discussed briefly.Doll asked if there was any way council could remove one of the handicapped parking spaces in front of the borough building and place it on the other side of the street along Delaware Avenue.Olivia noted there is a handicapped parking space in front of the Palmerton Area Library.Hoffner said he believes council should examine the matter further."That's something I think we need to look at," Hoffner said. "Our downtown is really not handicapped friendly."In other business, council:• Granted permission to the borough's code enforcement officers to authorize the issuance of citations.• Approved, on a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Jason Behler opposed, a request by the fire chief to take engine 714 and tower 721 to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Jim Thorpe on Sunday, March 14.• Approved a request by the Palmerton American Legion Post 269 American Legion Veterans Day Parade on Sunday, Nov. 7. The rain date is Sunday, Nov. 14.• Appointed Renee Costenbader to the Board of Health.• Approved a handicap parking request for Eugene Dempsey at 592 Hazard Road.• Approved a resolution for the disposal of police records.