Weatherly Borough Council on Monday approved a police contract that gives officers a 7% raise and other benefits.

Police officer hourly wages will go to $33.17, and the sergeant’s hourly rate will increase to $35.56, said Harold Pudliner, borough manager.

“That compared to other police in Carbon County we’re still low,” he said about the wages after council’s meeting. “There’s only so much you can do. We don’t have the income that Lehighton has.”

Officers will also see an increase in the shift differential, going up 15 cents to $1, and will also pick up New Year’s Eve as a holiday, he said.

Vacation time will go to 31 days for officers with more than 20 years of service, Pudliner said.

The borough will also carry health insurance for officers retiring after 25 years of service and who are at least 50 years old, he said.

This would be only if their spouse doesn’t have an equal or cheaper form of insurance, or they are employed by someone else with an equal or lesser plan, Pudliner said.

Other municipalities have similar provisions for their retiring officers, pointing to Lehighton and Palmerton, he said.

Roads

Council also opened bids for summer road paving projects. The borough plans to use state Liquid Fuel funds to work on Dunnigan Street, Doney Run and Fern Alley.

Three companies bid on the project, and they include: Pennsy Supply at $75,209.99; Lehigh Asphalt at $70,540.74; and H&K Group at $57,880.60.

All three firms had the required bid bond of 10%, and Solicitor James Nanovic reviewed the bids.

Council awarded the contract to the H&K Group, which was the low bidder.

The borough has $77,000 in state Liquid Fuel funds for the paving project, and had hoped to have some funds left over for road salt for winter application.

Fishing

Council approved advertising an ordinance for a recreational fishing program at the lake at Eurana Park.

Council members last month discussed rules and fees associated with the fledgling program, as well as the need to hire workers. At the time, Councilman Jeffrey Miller disagreed with a $25 a day fee to fish.

Council moved ahead with advertising the ordinance, and will approve a resolution next month setting revised fees, Pudliner said.

Instead of the proposed $25 a day fee, the daily fee will be $5 a day for adults, age 13 and over, and $4 a day for seniors. Fishermen will pay $8 a pound for each fish caught, Pudliner said. Children under 12 will fish for free, he said.

Miller thanked Pudliner for considering a lower daily fee for the program.

Other

In other business, council approved:

• A resolution for the tax collector to dispose of required records for 2016, 2018 and 2021.

• Changes to the fire department ordinance, which dated to 1913. The revisions remove outdated language, but keeps language recognizing the Citizens Fire Co. No. 1 of Weatherly as the official fire department and covers firefighters responding outside of the borough.

• Willow Lane as the name of a driveway to the DeFrancisco property. Pudliner said that the lane, which is not borough property, needed to be named for emergency services and 911 response.