Alburtis Borough Manager Sharon Trexler delivered an update for the homes with grading issues at the Hills at Lockridge during the March 31 council meeting.

Some council members visited the areas to view the problem with the borough engineer Jeff Ott.

Council member Hector Vasquez, who joined in reviewing the properties, noticed some residents use sump pumps to drain the water out, but the water ultimately goes back into the swale and recirculates.

“It’s not built right, at all,” Vasquez said. “As you go further down you can see where it actually slopes back into people’s yards ... It’s a huge problem. It all needs to be regraded.”

Vasquez said a report will be filed to Jaindl Land and Company.

Council member Vanessa Taggart agreed with Vasquez about the severity of the issue after visiting one resident’s home.

“It was like walking on sponge,” she said. “[Water] was puddling into my footsteps. It was coming down off the hill and laying and flowing down against the resident’s houses.”

Council member John Aleszczyk said he found it odd the issue was being addressed nearly five to six years after residents moved in. Resident Janelle Ann said she encountered water issues almost immediately after moving in.

“[Kay Builders and Jaindl] said that they were going to put in a French drain to collect some of the water …[they] stopped responding to anyone in about 2018,” she said. “You have to understand, we’ve tried in the last two-plus years to get it resolved from Jaindl … You have to understand that Kay [Builders] and Jaindl have literally ignored emails for water concerns and other things for two and a half years.”

Council President Ron DeIaco acknowledged the borough possesses more power than residents and the borough will not permit them to perform any further work in the borough “until the old development has been satisfied.”

Ann acknowledged that during the walk-through, Ott spotted a drain Jaindl was to fix but didn’t.

“All that swale work and all that drain work, Mr. Ott was pretty shocked at how poorly it was done,” Ann said.

Council Vice President Steven Hill questioned the borough’s authority over this situation, saying “I’m not sure there’s much we can do.”

Solicitor Dave Knerr clarified this. According to him, at the most, the borough can mention their dissatisfaction with the situation and existing work.

“They’re desperately trying to wrap up this development right now,” Knerr said. “So, I think … this is definitely the time to do something about it.”

Following that, council agreed to permit usage of the baseball dugouts at resident’s discretion.

“Instead of the government trying to tell them, if the parents say it’s OK, let them use it,” Hill said.

Mayor Kathleen Palmer agreed under the circumstances the borough would not be held liable for disinfecting the dugouts. DeIaco proposed asking the teams who will use the dugouts to sanitize them. Meanwhile, some parents at the Zoom meeting added they supported signing a waiver.

“I would love to see the waiver signed,” Palmer said. “And I’m only saying that because I want to protect the borough.”

Ann mentioned day cares ask parents to sign waivers indicating they are aware of the risks their children face if they do not wear their masks. Palmer asked that a copy of the waiver stay with Trexler at borough hall.

In other news, Alburtis resident Gary DeRoner brought it to the council’s attention drivers still speed throughout the borough, namely on Franklin Street. While the borough recently put up a radar speed sign, DeRoner finds them ineffective.

“I think we have a speeding problem here on Franklin Street,” he said. “ ...[Drivers] can see [the radar speed sign], but it doesn’t do anything.”

DeRoner claims he’s been documenting speeds recently. Just that evening he recorded high speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour. The borough speed limit is 25 miles per hour.

“Last week we had a 45,” he said.

DeIaco suggested Kathleen Palmer ask Chief Robert Palmer to increase police presence in the borough to discourage drivers from speeding.

“The only thing we can do is have [police] presence out there,” DeIaco said. “A physical vehicle sitting there observing; people usually slow down for that.”

Vasquez proposed lowering the speed limit throughout the borough, excluding state-owned roads. Ultimately, council disapproved of the idea due to the costs associated with the potential change.

Council ended the meeting and moved into an executive session for personnel with no decision to come.