Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong attended the Catasauqua Borough Council meeting May 3 as part of the Government on the Go program.

The Government on the Go program was a Lehigh County Board of Commissioners initiative a decade ago. Commissioners would hold meetings at various Lehigh County municipal buildings. Armstrong said he tries to attend a council or supervisors meeting at every local municipality during a year.

Armstrong thanked council for their hard work during the past year and chronicled what he and his county team are doing to address the many challenges the COVID-19 pandemic created.

Armstrong explained how his administration installed committees to evaluate a fair way to divide grant funding to various county entities. For example, with borough and township funding distribution, it was based on municipality population.

Regarding businesses, he utilized the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce to advise which businesses to fund and how much they would receive.

“We helped over 900 small businesses,” he said, regarding the grant funding.

There was a challenge with funding for restaurants because losses needed to be demonstrated via written records, which some smaller restaurants lacked.

He employed the United Way to assist with the evaluation of what various nonprofit organizations lost in fundraising opportunities during 2020 and how much funding they would be awarded.

Catholic Charities advised and assisted with housing and rent assistance to those affected by the pandemic.

In other business, a resident asked council if there will be an educational effort on behalf of the borough to address the detonation of commercial-grade fireworks by residents over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. It was presumed the police will be out monitoring public safety and citing offenders.

Another resident asked what happened to the law saying garbage cans cannot be put out before 6 p.m. the night before garbage collection. She also noted garbage cans are to be put away and out of sight from the street after garbage pickup. Council President Vincent Smith asked borough Manager Steven Travers to look into these matters.

Another resident asked if the recreation committee is looking into grants to assist the reopening of the pool in 2022. Travers explained the borough is pursuing a planning grant to evaluate the needs and long- and short-term costs, as well as to develop a plan for the future of the pool.

A resident asked council if there was any movement to install automatic doors at the borough complex. Some residents have difficulty opening the heavy doors, particularly those who need accessible entry. Travers explained grant funding is expected to cover the costs of the new doors.

Ordinance 1402 was passed to eliminate, at the homeowners’ requests, two accessible parking spots.

An ordinance regulating rental properties inspections was tabled due to council-requested changes; therefore, the ordinance will have to be readvertised.

The rental inspection plan is to inspect the 1,000 rental units in the borough every two years with 500 units inspected annually.

The Norris McLaughlin law firm was appointed delinquent tax collector for the borough and as the borough’s solicitor. Jeffrey Dimmick was appointed as conflict counsel.

A second drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic is planned for May 16 at the fire department, 90 Bridge St., for the 240 people who recently received their first vaccine at the borough’s first vaccine clinic.

There are also plans to hold a Johnson & Johnson drive-thru vaccine clinic sometime in June.

Travers reported the borough received a reimbursement of $96,000 from its medical insurance trust for unused medical payments.

“We self-fund [health insurance], and our employees are healthy,” Travers said.

Mayor Barbara Schlegel thanked the Catasauqua churches who participated in the recent Bells Across Pennsylvania initiative involving three minutes of bell ringing statewide to honor essential workers during the pandemic.

Junior council member Sabrina Safadi noted Catasauqua High School graduation is June 5 and will be held in front of the high school, 2500 W. Bullshead Road, Northampton.

Engineer Vanessa Nedrick said she is pursuing a Community Development Block Grant to help pay for the replacement of the George Taylor House summer kitchen roof. This grant will require a 10-percent match from the borough.

Nedrick also noted there is a meeting planned with Lehigh Valley International Airport to partner with the borough to address flooding issues generated by rain runoff onto neighbors’ property adjacent to the airport.

The general government committee’s next project is to develop a business registration of contact information and safety specifics of businesses alerting first responders should an emergency call occur at a business.

The borough is seeking a Civil Service Committee alternate to replace a former member who relocated to Florida. Interested parties can contact the borough office to apply.

Public utilities committee Chair Paul Cmil announced there will be an effort to remove fluoride from the borough’s water. This generated concern about apparent division on the committee, and it was suggested proper protocol was not followed.

Smith noted the committee should discuss an issue and make a recommendation to council for consideration. This protocol reportedly did not occur in this case.

Council member Debra Mellish noted the beekeeping ordinance is proceeding. She also said Catasauqua Main Streets, the borough’s business organization, is planning a Meet the Candidates event 6 p.m. May 13 at the pavilion at Catasauqua Park and Playground, 501 American St.

The next Catasauqua Borough Council workshop meeting is 7 p.m. May 24. It will be a hybrid meeting with both in-person and virtual options. Visit catasauqua.org for the call-in number and access codes.