Coaldale Borough Council directed its solicitor to draft an animal control ordinance.

The item was included on a recent meeting agenda, and council took action after hearing concerns from resident Terry Wargo.

“Please, please vote on controlling the amount of animals people can have,” Wargo pleaded with council.

He said that a neighbor has 14 large dogs.

“It is a nuisance,” he said.

Wargo said he’s afraid to take his own dogs out of his house for fear they’ll be attacked by the others.

He added that his wife can no longer use their front yard for gardening because of the dogs, and he’s had to relocate his mailbox because he’s afraid the dogs might get loose.

“It’s too many for one person to have. Would any of you here want to live next to someone that has 14 dogs?” Wargo said.

Councilwoman Claire Remington said the borough had an animal control ordinance at one time.

“Can we please address this issue? We don’t need another summer of this,” she said.

Council President Angela Krapf said that the borough or its police department wouldn’t be able to remove dogs from homes, but Remington said the ordinance would allow the borough to fine offenders.

In an unrelated matter, Remington said street sweeping has been put on hold.

The borough has its streets cleaned by Lansford’s street sweeper, which is broken.

“We won’t have a street sweeper here - only the human ones,” she said.

Borough crews will likely clean intersections, she said.

Remington said they’ll also collect any piles swept up by residents.

“If they don’t pick them up our answering machine is on down the garage. Do not call the borough hall. Call the borough garage and leave a message,” she said.

The number is 570-645-7164.