Slower speeds could be coming to Delaware Avenue in Palmerton.

Mayor Christopher Olivia told the borough council that he wants to ask the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to drop the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of Delaware Avenue. The speed limit is already 25 miles per hour on the 100 through 500 blocks of the street, but currently is 35 mph on the remaining stretch. The measure made sense to the council, who gave the mayor their support for the idea.Olivia also asked them for support of a resolution that would encourage the state to change its ruling on forbidding municipal police department from using radar in speed enforcement. Currently, only the state police can use radar detection. The council threw their support for the measure and voted to back the resolution, which places Palmerton among many municipalities petitioning the state to make the change.In other business, the council approved hiring Drew Cortright to work at the wastewater treatment plant. His employment is contingent on passing a physical. During his employment, Cortright will be expected to get a CDL license within six months. The commercial license will enable him to drive a tractor-trailer. He also needs to pursue getting a sewer operator's license within five years. The job pays $13.63 per hour.They also approved Bryon Bonser's application to become a member of the Palmerton Municipal Fire Department, and accepted officer Michael Fedor's resignation from the Palmerton Police Department. Fedor's last day with the force will be March 23.The council also agreed to hire the law firm Gellert, Scali, Busenkell and Brown in Philadelphia to pursue a claim for utility fees from Horsehead Holding Corp., which declared bankruptcy in early February. The fee for the work is not to exceed $1,000, said borough manager Rodger Danielson.Anne Cronk paid the council a second visit. She said the traffic issues at S.S. Palmer Elementary School and Parkside Education Center are still an issue. Parents drop off their children in no-parking areas, double and triple park, and back over crosswalks.Cronk told the council in January that the traffic problems were a danger to the children. Shortly after coming to the meeting, she said she did see more police presence, but now it's gone."Ninety percent of the time I'm there for pick-up and drop-off," she said. "I have not seen any police presence. I'm really disappointed."Council member Terri Costenbader said, "I know this wasn't swept under the rug. We'll address it again."Olivia said he spoke to the police chief and that he said they can't always be there because they have to be in other places. To have an officer there every day could mean paying overtime.Through discussion of the issue, the council members discovered that part of the problem could be the timing of the police shifts. For instance, the police chief works 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.Council member Holly Sell said, "If we have officers leaving right at that time, maybe that's the problem."Olivia said he would talk to the police chief about the issue again.