Tamaqua Borough Council met via a Zoom meeting for their first meeting this month, and approximately half a dozen members of the public tuned in to watch and participate in the meeting.

Council dispensed with the reading of the minutes and there were no communications. Council voted to approve the lowest bid received for the bituminous seal coat for the approximate 5-mile stretch of Owl Creek Road from Route 309 to the Schuylkill-Carbon County line. The bid was awarded in the amount of $71,712.39 to Pocono Spray Patch. Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt said that equaled about $1.20 per square yard.

Steigerwalt and several other borough council members brought up concerns about work performed by the company in other municipalities; however, because they are a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approved company, they submitted the lowest bid, and the job is being paid for by liquid fuel funds, the borough had to either accept the bid or rebid the entire project.

Robert Jones, director of Public Works, said that the job is guaranteed for one year, so that if there is something wrong, the company would need to come back and correct it.

Steigerwalt advised council that two demolition projects, one at 209 and 211 Lombard St. and 200 and 202 Pitt St. have been completed satisfactorily.

Steigerwalt informed council that due to recent decreased interest rates, he has begun the process of refinancing several loans that the borough currently has. A loan from 2017 for the cost of the streetlight acquisition project through Mauch Chunk Trust will have the interest rate reduced by 0.5% and will save about $14,000 over the life of the loan.

The 2012 water department note in the amount of $9.4 million is also being reviewed, but because of the amount of the loan, another bank in addition to Mauch Chunk Trust is involved. The final loan that the borough is reviewing is a bond issue from 2012, which includes the Owl Creek Dam rehabilitation, the aerial truck purchase and another streetlight project. More information regarding that will be available in one to two weeks.

Steigerwalt advised those in attendance that as of now, there is no change in the due dates for the municipal and county taxes, despite the change in federal income tax due dates. Ann Marie Calabrese advised residents and local business owners that the deadline for filing necessary CRIZ paperwork has also not been extended and will still be June 15.

Council also discussed issuing a robocall to advise residents of the street sweeping schedule. This came to light after a resident said that she had not seen her street posted due to stay-at-home restrictions and had been ticketed as a result.

Steigerwalt said that the borough is publishing the schedule in the newspaper, and updating the borough’s website and Facebook page, but it was agreed that not everyone accesses these resources. The resident also asked how she could contest the ticket, and was told that if she contests the ticket and it goes to court, if she is found guilty, it could result in a traffic citation and court costs.

The borough hired Scott Linkhorst as a part-time code enforcement assistant, at a rate of $1,200 a month. Linkhorst will assist code enforcement officer Greg Kurtz. Kurtz attended the meeting to advise residents that home repairs and emergency repairs can proceed, but any work that requires a permit is on hold as issuing permits has been deemed a nonessential function.

Jones also advised council and residents that the borough staff will continue to prepare the Bungalow pool as expected in anticipation of opening for the summer.

Council held an executive session before the meeting for personnel matters, and following the meeting for legal matters.