Parking and traffic issues were once again at the forefront of Tamaqua's regular monthly council meeting.

Several residents of Rolling Mill Avenue appeared to request that the speed limit be dropped from 35 miles-per-hour to 25 along the road, which is frequently used as a shortcut by motorists to avoid the traffic backup along North Railroad Street (SR309). The street, which is already a one way thoroughfare, is also narrow."Last night we had a truck come up the wrong way," said Stacy Kunkel, one of the residents. "They're flying." Kunkel also requested that one of the children at play signs be replaced and relocated so that it is more visible to motorists. There are many children that live and play in the neighborhood, she said.Another resident, Pat Morgans, added that more stop signs along the intersections of Rolling Mill Avenue and Elm and Vine streets could also help the problem. He noted that trying to pull out onto the busier streets is difficult.Councilman Tom Cara made the motion to advertise an ordinance reducing the speed limit and adding several stop signs. "Hopefully we can make Roling Mill Avenue a little safer," he said.Several other residents questioned how many vehicles individuals are allowed to park on the borough's streets. One resident, in particular, questioned if vehicles hauling scrap metal could be parked on borough streets and if people were allowed to repair their cars while they were parked on the street. Tamaqua police chief David Mattson said that as long as vehicles are properly licensed and registered they can be parked on the street.Councilman Steve Tertel, chairman of the parking and traffic committee, also proposed that all handicapped parking space applications be put on hold pending a review of the handicapped parking policy. Resident Jamie Folweiler questioned whether this would affect current spaces. Tertel indicated that there would be no change to existing spaces. Tertel's motion passed.A motion to install a "No parking here to corner" sign and mark the curb in the 600 block of North Railroad Street also passed. Councilman John Trudich cited several incidents where residents had parked in that space, which is located right at the entrance to Tamaqua, on a slight curve, and were unloading their vehicles while standing in the road. "Someone's going to get killed there," he said. "Trucks come flying down there.""Parking in this town is a big issue," said Tertel. "People and neighbors have to be considerate."A previous request to make the intersection of Schuylkill Avenue and Elm Street a four way stop, instead of the three way stop that it currently is, was denied. Tertel said that he had reviewed police reports for the last five years and found no instances of accidents at the intersection. "I think putting it in there will cause more problems," he said.Other businessCouncil approved a motion to remove the recreation facilities located at the east end of Biddle Street and to sell the equipment for scrap. "Essentially, this is an abandoned basketball court," said Councilman David Mace, the chairman of the recreation and youth committee. Mace said that the committee was looking into possibly using some of the utility poles at the East End Playground to move some of the existing lighting. It was also suggested that the area could then be used as additional parking for the baseball complex.Council hired the Trollinger Consulting Group to provide actuarial, investment, consulting, and administrative services for the police and employee pension funds. Currently, the pension funds and the services are handled independently. Although the funds will still be separate, council is hoping that the consolidation of services could improve the investment opportunities in the future, leading to more money coming into the funds, and less of a burden on the borough to keep the balances up.The Howard D. Buehler Memorial pool will be closing on Aug. 29, instead of the original date of Sept. 6. Mace explained that most of the staff members will be returning to college, leaving the pool without sufficient lifeguards and no managers. The remaining high school students are all involved in fall activities and are unavailable to cover the shifts to keep the pool open.Council accepted the resignation of zoning hearing board member Clyde Robertshaw. Council president Micah Gursky said that Robertshaw has done a nice job on the board and that council will be sorry to see him go.Council received communication from Megan Flackman, of the Schuylkill Headwaters Association, regarding a 5K Run/Walk that will be held in conjunction with Tamaqua's annual Heritage Festival, on Oct. 10. Council also approved a request from the New Life Assembly of God to utilize Willing Park for a carnival type event on Sept. 11. The church had previously requested use of the Tamaqua Community Center for the same event. The event will be held from 4-7p.m., rain or shine.Borough managerBorough manager Kevin Steigerwalt updated council on several projects.The Carriage Street stair project is complete and the ribbon cutting will be held today. The South Ward playground plans are complete and ready to be advertised. The bid opening will be held on Sept. 16.The pool waste water plan is currently in the design phase. That work is being done by Wade Associates.The borough has received a phone call from a railroad representative regarding the wall collapse along Pleasant Row. "They are interested in working out an arrangement," said Steigerwalt. Several council members said that this arrangement should be hammered out before the next council meeting as this work needs to be completed before winter.Trudich noted that there are currently over $177,000 in delinquent water, sewer, and refuse bills. Although that number seems high, Steigerwalt said that it is probably less than five percent of collections. It was noted that the borough aggressively pursues these delinquencies by shutting off water and sewer services, but in many instances, the property owners are absentee landlords or property owners and are not affected by the shutoff or unable to be reached.Council met for an executive session to discuss personnel issues.