Kara Scott will serve as president of Bowmanstown Borough Council.

Pam Leiby will be vice president, with Rob Moyer as president pro tem.Additional appointments Monday included: Paul Bossard, vacancy board chairman; Brad Rhode, zoning hearing board member; Wayne Engle, planning commission, UCC Appeals Board and authority member; Michael Spairana Jr., fire chief; Bruce Koch, assistant fire chief; Stephen McDonough, emergency management coordinator; James Preston from Broughal & DeVito LLP in Bethlehem, solicitor; Jessica Rehrig from Alfred Benesch & Co., engineer.The Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator position is vacant. Anyone interested in the position should contact the borough for more information.Chairpersons of the various committees will be selected at the Feb. 2 meeting, according to Tracy Burbage, the borough secretary. The committees include Fire, Law, Sewer/Sanitation/Water Authority Liaison, Budget/Finance, Streets, Property/Special, and Personnel.The borough council also conducted its first meeting of the year.The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has grants available, but applications have to be submitted between Jan. 20 and April 13. The Property/Special Committee will be directed to look into what grants the borough should apply for this year.Some residents are concerned about the dust collector at Haas Wood Shop on Ore Street making too much noise. The borough has a noise ordinance maximum of 70 decibels, Burbage said. The company hasn't begun to use it yet.Burbage said the dust collector is a huge machine, and several people consider it to be unsightly."Haas wants to be neighborhood friendly," she said.The machine could be as loud as a generator, Burbage said. If the noise is excessive, the company offered Monday night to construct a shed around it.Council suggested that a line of shrubs be planted near the dust collector to screen it from the public. The company agreed to the shrubbery.In other business, Preston, the solicitor, was given the authorization to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to find out who constructed a retaining wall along White Street. The borough needs to know who is responsible for its upkeep and repair. Norfolk Southern's standpoint is if the wall is supporting a public road, then it is not its wall.The council also discussed complaints from residents about cats running loose. Council decided the borough cannot be responsible for the trapping, spaying or neutering of loose cats. It is the responsibility of the pet owners. Residents should make sure to keep their cats in their own yards or keep them indoors.