Bowmanstown Borough Council met Tuesday to discuss the new fire company building project, garbage and payroll.

Borough Council passed a motion that the Council President Pam Leiby and Vice President Darren Thomas work in conjunction with the Bowmanstown Fire Company on their building project to incorporate the borough facilities in the plans.

The Bowmanstown Fire Company received a $925,000 grant for a new fire company building. An additional grant is being applied for that would include additional space for the Bowmanstown Borough. They are looking for more modern space for residents, especially for the disabled. They are looking for added offices, meeting space, a file room, and a map room.

Garbage contract

The current garbage contract with Tamaqua Transfer is for $132,300 for one year. It was based on 437 residential accounts, each with six 39-gallon containers. Council had voted for the one-year contract due to the higher costs involved. Recycling was not included in the plan.

The new bid will be based on 387 residential customers, each permitted to have up to four 39-gallon trash bags per week.

“I don’t see a lot of residents putting out six bags of trash,” Council President Pam Leiby said. “They’re lucky if they put one or two out.”

Again, recycling would not be included in the collection.

“More and more smaller municipalities are pushing away from recycling,” Vice President Darren Thomas said.

“The Bowmanstown Fire Company takes the aluminum,” Council Member Donna Winter said. “We drop our cans off there; they go in a shed behind the trailer behind the fire company building.”

Council will put the bid on the agenda for the May meeting.

Payroll

Borough Council then discussed the current payroll status in order to determine if they could hire additional personnel.

“I asked Rob to go through the budget regarding payroll,” Leiby explained. “We’re struggling in every aspect to hire people, and then we have to let them go. It affects everyone; it’s a constant revolving door. I asked Rob to find out, could we actually afford to hire somebody.”

Rob Moyer suggested hiring one regular worker and getting seasonal help. Darren Thomas suggested that the borough really needs two additional people.

“Carbon County CareerLink will set us up with seasonal summer help beginning June 1 when kids are out of school for the summer,” Council member Kara Scott told council.

Council also passed a motion for Council member Candace Rodrigues to purchase paint and supplies to paint the floor of the tunnel that goes under Route 248.