The Tamaqua borough recently acquired a drone, and now it’s time to train department officials on how to use it.

During a recent council meeting, members authorized borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt to look into training and licensing for those who will be operating the drone.

Council President Brian Connely said the drone is high quality and has many technical features.

“We want to put it to the potential that we bought it for,” he explained. “So this (training) is the next step to putting it to what we want it to do.”

Connely noted that the drone will be flown to check out potential code or zoning violations.

“We can use it for any water or utility line issues that are wherever. It is available for use by us as a municipality as a whole,” he said. “The police department, the street department, zoning departments” can use it.

Councilwoman Kathy Kunkel asked how many borough employees would need training.

“We can do as many as we want to but I think it’s a matter of getting a list,” Connely responded. “I would think the heads of the departments at least” would be trained.

Steigerwalt estimated that a dozen individuals would be enrolled in the training.

“We thought the code officials, a couple police officers and a couple guys from the water department,” Steigerwalt said.

The borough has insurance on the drone.

Blight demolition

In other business, council authorized Steigerwalt to prepare a bid for the demolition of a blighted property at 423 Willing St.

According to Steigerwalt, a code enforcement official expressed concerns that the property was unstable and believed it would need to be demolished immediately. A subsequent inspection by a borough engineer determined that it wasn’t an emergency situation.

“But he felt that it was something we should act on sooner rather than later,” Steigerwalt said.

Council also denied a handicapped parking space application for 243 Clay St. because it would exceed the number of handicapped spaces allowed on the block.