The July 18 Macungie Borough Council meeting focused on the details regarding the Main Street Streetscape plan and several other infrastructure topics.

Mayor Gary Cordner presented a proclamation from council to law enforcement professionals worldwide, both venerating and lamenting their sacrifices to keep us safe, even in the midst of recent acts of bloodshed worldwide and nationally.

“The mayor and council of the borough of Macungie send their heartfelt prayers and respect to all those affected ... by the tragedies of Dallas, Baton Rouge and St. Joseph... the terrorist attacks, mass murders and hate crimes during the last year... the whole world has been brutally victimized by terrorist attacks,” Cordner said.

The mayor and council also urged national and world leaders to “embrace the politics of respect, tolerance and understanding, in regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation” in an effort to curtail such events and prevent their inception.

The topic of per capita tax levied on overseas military service personnel was brought to council by Sharon Schrantz, who has two sons on active duty. The two were sent bills from Berkheimer Pa. Tax Administration for the fee while they are stationed overseas.

The borough had waived the fee in past years while her sons were serving in the military, but since Berkheimer has been collecting, the fee has not been waived.

Council unanimously agreed on instant research to solve the matter. The practice is at the moment a standard business procedure for Berkheimer under the current ordinance. Borough members pledged they would contact the county solicitor about the possibility of creating an ordinance to allow for active service member’s exemption from such a tax.

In other news, Macungie Borough Manager Chris Boehm announced signs are now displayed to make Dock Street one way between Church and Lea streets which went into effect July 14. The work was granted a 90-day approval which council unanimously approved.

The Macungie Institute’s alcohol policy, allows for wine and beer to be served at the old schoolhouse, but not spirits or kegs. The policy was changed because the Macungie Institute was purchased and operated by the borough with the intent on being self-sufficient financially, but had to turn away many people who wanted to rent the old schoolhouse for their weddings, events and fundraisers and have a champagne toast or wine tasting. Council approved the change to policy July 5 and is granting permission on an individual basis.

The Macungie Institute’s vacancy on the board of trustees was filled by Barbara Levinson with a term ending March 31, 2017.

Cordner presented the new standard operating procedure polices for borough police which were necessary to satisfy the borough’s insurance policy requirements. The six policies largely borrow from the model written by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and is tailored to the needs of Macungie and serves as a rule book, playbook and handbook for police. The six policies included active shooters, mental health crises, barricaded individuals, suicide bombers, developmental disabilities and hostage situations.

The Main Street Streetscape is a ongoing topic on the agenda, with a new date of Sept. 12. Among the issues was the proposed crosswalk lines for safety after the borough received several concerns regarding visibility issues.

The borough was again contacted by Norfolk Southern, who owns the tracks and a 50-foot right-of-way from the center of the track and thus a portion of the space the proposed crosswalks and stormwater bumpouts would occupy.

Representatives from Norfolk Southern have agreed to allow public works to do the cautionary line painting; however, Norfolk Southern also stated the borough would need to cover the expenses for surveying, inspecting and approving the final work which, according to Norfolk, is going to cost $24,000 and would be billed to the borough.

Boehm also brought to the council’s attention lines had been painted in the past and a similar matter had been resolved after Becker contacted the engineering department at Norfolk. The borough hopes to dissolve the cost in part by using borough resources at a reduced cost such as using the fire police for traffic and safety control.

The Main Street Streetscape plan would allow the borough to allocate expenses to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation grant related to improvements and repairs including the line painting and stormwater bumpouts on the north side of the train tracks up to Buckeye Road on all roads except for Walnut Street which was omitted due to its use by the fire department.

Stormwater bumpouts are an inlet or curb-cut which directs runoff into the bumpout structure where it can be stored, and taken up by the plants where it infiltrates into the soil instead of entering storm sewers. Excess runoff is permitted to leave the system and flow to an existing inlet. The vegetation of the bumpout will be short enough to allow for open sight lines of traffic.

Aside from managing stormwater, bumpouts also help with traffic-calming, and when located at crosswalks, provide a pedestrian safety benefit by reducing the street crossing distance.

The SW Lehigh Comprehensive Plan has its next meeting July 26 at Lower Macungie Township. Cordner and Boehm both strongly urge residents to attend the Arcadis presentation on sewer rehabilitation for Macungie Aug. 1 at the Macungie Institute.