A problem with Palmerton Area elementary students who are dropped off at non drop-off zones continues to abound.

Mayor Brad Doll informed Borough Council on Thursday that school administration has advised the borough police department that a number of students continue to be dropped off at locations other than the proper drop-off points designated in front of S.S. Palmer Elementary on Third Street and in the rear parking lot of the Parkside Education Center.Doll said his letter will be distributed to students to take home with them over the holidays."Leaving a student off at improper locations is inviting a possible accident and may even be deemed illegal," Doll said in his letter. "If this practice continues, the police will be notified of the offending drivers and action will be taken."Doll also cautioned drivers that the posted speed limits in the areas of the schools are 15 miles per hour."We all want our children to be safe, so please be extra careful when you're commuting in these respective areas," he said in his letter. "Thank you all for your cooperation."Also on Thursday, council held a Community Development Block Grant hearing.Judy Borger, Carbon County director of planning and development, told council it will receive $120,438 in CDBG funds. Of that, she said $98,759 will be used toward the project, while the other $21,679 will go toward administrative costs.Borough Manager Rodger Danielson said the borough plans to spend its CDBG allotment to replace a water line and pave the 200 and 300 blocks of Lehigh Avenue, as well as overlay the 400 block of Lehigh Avenue, if there's any money left over."We've been mothballing our funds the last two years," Danielson said. "We have a very undersized water line, and this should greatly improve water services and fire emergency services."The borough is among five entitlement communities that will receive CDBG funding, said Borger, who added the applications are due Jan. 12.Last year, Danielson said the borough 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 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, council recognized several employees for their years of service to the borough.Among the employees mentioned were Joe Kercsmar, 40 years; Danielson, 20 years; Leroy Scherer, Donna McGarry, and Kim Rodrigues, 15 years; and Barry Scherer, Bill Merics, William Strauch, and Kevin Buck, five years.In other business, council:• Approved, on a 5-0 vote, to hire Leon Techentin as a full-time crossing guard, and Neal Kester as a substitute crossing guard, at a rate of $10 an hour.• Approved, at the request of Councilman Richard Nothstein, to erect a sign in the borough park that will depict where a Veteran's Memorial will eventually be placed.• Announced the borough has received the deed for the property at 910 Edgemont Avenue.• Appointed Councilman Kris Hoffner to fill a vacancy on the borough's Civil Service Commission.• Appointed Anita Harry and Jeremy Barbosa to the borough Planning Commission (through Dec. 31, 2014); Jonathan Siller to the Municipal Authority (through Dec. 31, 2015); Andrew Jordan to the Zoning Hearing Board (through Dec. 31, 2013); Larry Zawaly to the Shade Tree Commission (through Dec. 31, 2013); and George Beechay to the BOCA Board of Appeals (through Dec. 31, 2015).• Announced there are still vacancies to be filled on the Board of Health (up through Dec. 21, 2015); Planning Commission (up through Dec. 31, 2015); two on the Hospital Authority (one through Dec. 31, 2012, and the other through Dec. 31, 2015); the BOCA Board of Appeals (up through Dec. 31, 2011); and for a Zoning Hearing Board alternate (up through Dec. 31, 2011).• Appointed attorney Michael Greek as conflict attorney for the borough's Zoning Hearing Board to serve as board solicitor for one meeting at a rate of $75 an hour.• Approved the 2011 salary schedule.• Approved the 2011 meeting schedule, whereby council will continue to meet at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, with the exception of November, when it will meet the second Thursday and fourth Tuesday of the month.