During a meeting Wednesday, Schuylkill Township supervisors voted unanimously to waive permit fees for Schuylkill Headwaters Association so the organization can construct a pavilion without incurring that cost.

Bill Reichert, Schuylkill Headwaters, asked for the relief on behalf of the association. The pavilion will be 14 by 20 feet, and located near an acid mine runoff remediation site where the organization constructed a system of ponds and piping which favorably adjust the acidity of the water. The land is owned by the Mary D Fire Company.Reichert said that Schuylkill Headwaters has gotten a $3,000 grant to apply toward the $4,700 cost of the pavilion. The various permits needed would have cost the group about $1,500. Reichert said the pavilion will be used when various school groups visit the site for educational purposes.Supervisor Christine Verdier relayed information the township has received from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regarding a paving project on Route 209, a state road that runs through Schuylkill Township, between Tamaqua and Pottsville. Verdier said the $3 million project will begin June 8 and involve the area between Coal Street in Middleport and North Lehigh Street in Tamaqua. Motorists can expect lane closures between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.Township secretary Jamie Moore said delinquent garbage bills from 2014 have been reduced from 55 to 32. New bills in the amount of $165 yearly, with a three-bag-per-week limit, will be sent soon. In a related matter, Verdier let residents know that a clause has been added to the 2016 contract which states that at the discretion of the township supervisors, the trash hauler can be directed to refuse to pick up garbage from delinquent customers.Supervisor Chuck Fayash suggested that the township have a plaque made for the late Joseph Zelinsky, a former township supervisor who served for 12 years. The suggestion was unanimously approved.Under public comment, the majority of discussion came from residents who asked for more frequent police patrols. Township officer Jennifer Dempsey, who works 29 hours per week, was not present at the meeting. Michelle Teetz, who lives on Green Street, said that she's attempted to leave a message for the township police, but finds that the voice mail is full. The supervisors had discussed the police voice mail issue earlier in the meeting, and said they were going to look into the matter.Verdier suggested that in addition to raising issues during public comment, residents can use the township's police complaint form. When the form is used, the supervisors can help set up a meeting between the complainant and the officer, she said.