Tamaqua's zoning, code enforcement and health inspections will now be handled by a third party. Council voted to approve Barry Isett & Associates, Inc. as the borough's zoning officer, code enforcement officer, and health enforcement officer. James Barron, who previously held the position, retired earlier this year and has been continuing to function on an as needed basis.

Councilman Tom Cara, who helped to negotiate the contract with the company, said that the firm will have people in Tamaqua on a daily basis to address issues or to pick up information. "People will not go to Barry Isett. They will go to the borough," said Cara. "They have offices in Hazleton and Allentown, and at least one employee who is a local resident. They have nine to 10 inspectors. They're a very professional outfit."The agreement will benefit the borough, as they are paying approximately $62,000 for the annual contract. "That's hours of work," said Cara. "We don't have to pay healthcare, no vision, no clothing allowance, no vacation. Someone will be here every working day to take care of things." The contract required the local UAW to agree to remove the position from the union, which they did. Cara noted that that will not affect Barron, but will only apply going forward.Council hired the remaining staff for the Bungalow pool, which will open on June 2. Molly Betz, Beth Fritzinger-Jones, Justin Huegel, Gabrielle Lech, and Michael Taylor were hired as clerks. Emily Bumbulsky, Tyler Butkus, Deana DeWire, Ethan Eberts, Eric James, Jessica Kohutka, Brianna Kunkel, Nathanial Leibensperger, Mallory Loughman, Abigail Markovich, Jordan Nowacki, Austin Resch, John Ritzko, Devin Smith, Matthew Stanek, Rachael Rertel, Christi Truskey, Ben Tuckett, Connor Beglia, Megan Wagner, Gage Whalen, and Andrea Whitley were hired as lifeguards. Truskey was also hired as senior lifeguard.Council approved a resolution creating tobacco-free zones at the borough's parks and playgrounds. Included are all of the playgrounds in town, the Bill Angst baseball stadium, and the Owl Creek reservoir.Council approved requests from James Barron and Pamela McCullion to be appointed to the planning commission. Barron also requested to be appointed to HARC.Council did not receive any bids for the sale of the Community Center. They will readvertise it with no minimum bid.Council approved the purchase of a used 2001 Blaw Knox MD 3000 asphalt paver for $8,300 and a used Marathon tack coat machine with trailer for $1,695. They also purchased a used 2011 John Deere Z930A zero-turn mower from Kermit Kistler Inc for $9,995. They approved the advertisement for sale of the 1974 Diamond Reo tri-axle.Brent Getz of Lehighton was hired as a part time police officer.Fire Chief Tom Hartz, Jr. reminded residents that even with recent heavy rain, the county-wide burn ban is still in effect until May 20th. The Fireman's Memorial Service will be held at the Bethany E.C. church on Sunday, May 27th, at 6pm and is open to the public.Residents Dominick Valentine, Louise Howells, and Lenore Rutman asked Council to address what they called an "eyesore" property at 225-227 Hunter St. Valentine said the property has been a problem since 2000. "It's a terrible mess. It's a safety issue. it's a health issue," he said. "We should not have to live like this. The property owner, George Geissinger, has been found guilty of code violations, however, the property is still not being cleaned up. "He pays," said Valentine, "but it doesn't fix the problem." Rutman said that she has won awards for the beautification of her property in the past. "What is sad is that I can't even be outside and enjoy my property," she added. Valentine and Howells provided council with numerous pictures and a detailed history of the problems with the property, including the previous citations.Owl Creek Reservoir Committee members Reg Hefflefinger and Georgine Wentz asked council to consider clearing more area around the Reservoir to help accommodate the large crowds that the organization sees at their annual Easter, Halloween, and Christmas events. According to Hefflefinger, they have had as many as 4000 attendees at previous gatherings and expect they could expand to up to 6000 in the future. "There are a great number of handicap and senior citizens attending and we cannot accommodate them," he said. Hefflefinger gave council a drawing of the areas that they would like to have cleared. Wentz said that they would need approximately 24 trees removed to clear the area.The request met with some hesitation from council. "Does this go against what was designed," asked Councilman Brian Connely, referring to the ongoing reconstruction project on the Owl Creek Dams. Connely asked why these requests weren't made during the design phase of the project. "We're behind the eight ball now," he said. "The timing on this is, quite frankly, terrible." Council president Micah Gursky said, "this isn't an amusement park. This is a low impact usage area. Aren't you concerned about that? People want to go out there because it's a beautiful natural area. I want to go out there to be by myself." Connely asked where the money to fund the project would come from. Hefflefinger said that the commission has "x amount of dollars to put to it."Wentz also asked council to prevent the construction trucks from traveling through the Owl Creek playground parking lot, where children are riding their bikes. Steigerwalt said that he has discussed this with the project manager and they are aware of the problem. He also said that issues with the construction project should be directed to the borough and not directly to the contractors.Council also held a moment of silence to remember former council member and council president George Wenzel and Sally Neumann, who was an active volunteer in many organizations, including HARC. Both Wenzel and Neumann passed away recently.