The Jan. 18 Emmaus Borough Council meeting began with a public hearing for a zoning hearing board conditional use with Yergey Brewing. Solicitor Jeffery Dimmick represented the borough in this hearing. Dimmick announced James Yergey is requesting a conditional use for a new brewing production facility at 235 Main St. in Emmaus. Yergey’s current facility is at 518 Bank St.

Dimmick said the application is complete and all prerequisites were met before the meeting.

Yergey gave a short presentation saying the new facility will be a production facility and a taproom. The taproom will be open 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. These times may be adjusted with regard to any COVID-19 guidelines.

There was public comment from Andrew Stanton, president of Altitude Marketing, during the Yergey Brewery conditional use hearing. He completely supported the Yergey Brewing new facility on Main Street in Emmaus.

“Everything about this is good for Emmaus,” Stanton said. “I know my employees would love to be able to go after work.”

Council President Brent Labenberg had a concern about how late live music could go if Yergey is considering this. Yergey said their intentions are to mostly have the music inside with minimal noise pollution outside. However, Yergey said they may have outside music in the summer.

Labenberg suggested a restriction of outside music to end 10 p.m.

Councilman Chad Balliet has his own business on Main Street and is excited to welcome Yergey. He didn’t believe the noise restriction on outside music was necessary.

Many of the council members supported Yergey’s plan and were excited about the future taproom on Main Street. Many of them believed Yergey to be a fantastic business owner in Emmaus, as well as a great neighbor and were split on the noise restriction.

With no noise restriction included, council did not approve Yergey Brewery’s conditional use application during their first vote. The vote was split 4-3.

The conditional use application was amended to have noise restrictions included. Limitations of outside music will be 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. Yergey has the ability to request a waiver on the time limits on a case-by-case basis. The conditional use application was approved in a 6-1 vote.

In other business, Eva Seibert was reappointed to the community garden commission. Carl Cramer was reappointed to the library board.

In unfinished business, Ordinance 1210 was presented. This ordinance amends Chapter 15, Part 4 of the Borough of Emmaus Consolidate Code of Ordinances to prohibit parking of trailers without attached motive power on borough-owned property, motor vehicles parked on borough property and penalties for associated violations. Council approved the ordinance.

In a short report, Mayor Lee Ann Gilbert announced she had sworn in two Emmaus Police Officers and they are ready to go.

Councilman John Hart presented the 2020 fire and ambulance reports. He said ambulance calls were very low, most likely due to COVID-19. The fire department was more active, with 100 more calls than the previous year. Some of these calls were the fire department assisting the ambulance calls.

In general administration, Keith Miller was approved by council to have his MBA reimbursed by the borough. Next, the assistant borough manager and project manager job descriptions were approved. These descriptions are in preparation for possible listings.

In budget and finance, an ambulance billing RFP was approved by the council for this upcoming year.

Junior Council member Jonas Hausman announced Jan. 19 will be the start of hybrid learning in the East Penn School District. Lehigh Career and Technical Institute will remain virtual.

Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong attended the meeting and thanked the borough members for their help in the election. He was proud of Lehigh County’s ability to withstand this pandemic and told council the county is ready to answer any questions. His focus was on providing help for the local economy.

Borough Manager Shane Pepe thanked Armstrong for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 which was developed to provide fast and direct economic assistance for American workers, families and small businesses and preserve jobs for American industries. Pepe said Emmaus borough needed the help and council was appreciative.

In the borough manager’s report, Pepe reported there have been several COVID-19 cases in the borough departments. They have conducted the proper steps in testing and quarantining. He said things are still running smoothly.

The next Emmaus Borough Council meeting will take place virtually through Zoom 7 p.m. Feb. 1. A link can be found on the Emmaus Borough website.