A Slatington mother was among residents complaining this week at the Slatington Borough Council meeting.

Melanie Peters said people were speeding at local bus stops, endangering her young son as well as other children in the neighborhood.

“These cars in this town, especially on Main Street, are endangering the welfare of our children. My son is 9. Last year if it wouldn’t have been for my quick reflexes he and I both would have been hit while crossing the street in a crosswalk.”

Peters explained that she continually had issues with who to talk to and that individuals continued to place bus stop responsibility on others.

“I call the school they say call the borough. The borough says call the police. The police say it’s PennDOT. It’s just a big blame game over whose jurisdiction the bus stops are.”

Peters even noted that she would go into the crosswalk herself and act as a crossing guard to maintain the safety of children at her son’s bus stop.

“Something needs to be done with all the bus stops in this town. They are dangerous, the drivers are not being careful where they’re going and they almost hit children on a daily basis,” Peters said.

Peters’ solution involved either hiring crossing guards for the area or getting more police officers in the area to discourage speeding. However, she noted that her solutions were not being listened to.

“I’ve spoken to the police and they’ve said ‘Oh we’ll put a police presence around the bus stop,’ but there’s never anybody there.”

President Bryon Reed responded saying, “Well we can’t put a police officer at every bus stop.”

“No, but something has to be done. I mean we used to have a pedestrian crossing sign over there, but it disappears every year I call to get one,” rebutted Peters.

Vice President Jason Ruff encouraged Peters to attend a school board meeting instead to voice her issues, noting that problems with school bus stops were not under the jurisdiction of the borough.

Reed said that the borough would try to call the school board as well to discuss the situation further and also try to maintain crossing signs in the bus stop areas.

Although school is finished for the summer, Peters hopes to get the situation straightened out for when the kids return at the end of August.

Other complaints

One unnamed resident complained about neighbors not disposing of their trash properly, saying the smell prevented them from sitting in their backyard.

The neighbors were eventually evicted from the apartment for shooting a gun through the floor, but the resident was concerned about future tenants.

Council members agreed that the garbage should not have been left out, but said they cannot control who rents the apartment.

Resident Jeralyn Schoch, who is on the ballot for mayor, discussed people occupying apartments that had not passed inspection on East Church Street.

Out of six inspections, two residences passed, three failed and one was not inspected at all.

“How are we allowing people to live in these properties if they didn’t pass inspection?”

Borough members responded saying it was an issue to be handled by the magistrate.

However the people who are occupying the property have caused issues for neighbors.

Schoch said last Saturday she had to call the police after an incident where kids were breaking glass in the middle of the street.

Council members encouraged her to work out problems with the property owner directly.

The next Slatington Borough meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on July 12 at Council Chambers, Slatington Municipal Building at 125 S. Walnut St.