Weatherly Borough will repave two streets and an alley this summer. Officials say that's a far cry from what they once were able to afford, thanks to a decrease in state funding and an increase in the cost of asphalt.

On Monday, borough council voted 6-0 to award its 2017 street paving contract to Hazleton Site Contractors, part of the H&K Group.Hazleton Site Contractors' winning bid was $84,084.03. Five other contractors submitted higher bids.The project includes repaving Sixth Street between Packer and Evergreen streets; Franklin Street between High and West Main, and Iris Alley between Jefferson and Franklin.The project will be funded entirely with the borough's share of the state's liquid fuels tax, which all municipalities receive, borough manager Harold Pudliner Jr. said.The streets that will be repaved are among the most deteriorated in town, Pudliner said. The borough would like to do more streets, including Evergreen Avenue, but the cost of paving is increasing faster than state funding.Resident Jeff Miller asked if the borough could seek grants to include more paving in this year's project."If we're only paving one street and an alley, you know our town is crumbling in a lot of places. Is there a way to do more?" Miller said.Connors said that other boroughs, including Palmerton, have borrowed money to help fund road projects."To take a loan out to do the streets is another option, but it's not one I'm in favor of, because then you're asking the taxpayers to pay that loan back," he said.Council also authorized solicitor James Nanovic to make a petition to exonerate the taxes on the Mrs. C.M. Schwab School, which is now borough property. The petition will be heard by the Carbon County Tax Assessment Board. The borough also recently paid about $5,000 for a year of liability insurance for the building.