Shawn Millen, from the office of state Sen. Pat Brown, R-16th, attended the Oct. 27 Alburtis Borough Council meeting.

The meeting began with a discussion on the PPL pole by Ridgeview which has been down for some time. The borough has called PPL and Millen said he will also contact PPL to help speed up the process.

The fiscal consultant’s report was next read. Of note, “‘the total revenue of the borough exceeded total expenditures by $697,773 through September.” This is double the amount of September 2020.

The Lower Macungie Fire Department quarterly report received a comment from Councilman Stephen Hill. “It’s impressive how (the fire company) can get here in five minutes,” Hill said. Council agreed and was thankful for their abilities.

The Chestnut Circle draft bid schedule by Ott Consulting was the first item in administration. A motion to bid for the project was approved by council.

Next, Councilman Hector Vazquez requested more parking stall signs be put up around designated painted areas around the borough. Main Street and Second Street already have stalls with signs. However, there are only five specified areas enforceable in Borough Ordinance 41-901, “Parking in the Designated Stalls; Maximum Vehicle Length.”

Reports have shown people are not always parking between the lines of non-specified stalls and the police don’t have much enforcement power because the non-specified stalls are not in the ordinance.

Mayor Kathleen Palmer added an idea, “If the people of the borough don’t park in between the lines, they will get a $20 fine.”

There was no decision made at the end of the discussion. The cost of the extra signs was a worry. Council requested how many signs will be needed and an estimate of the cost.

Vazquez brought a second item to administration. He requested Township Manager Sharon Trexler receive a $1,000 bonus. The council quickly approved and praised Trexler for her amazing work in keeping all things in the borough running smoothly and efficiently.

“You are more than deserving” Vazquez said, as Trexler was trying to deflect compliments. This was definitively the highlight of the meeting. Trexler’s impact on the community was very evident.

The rest of the agenda items were informational, with no action taken. The 528 and 4002 S. Second St. lot line adjustment was mentioned. This adjustment will convey a 0.9-acre parcel to the other.

The new safety manual was presented during the meeting.

The last item was on rental inspections fees. Trexler believes a change is needed for reinspection fees in the ordinance. The ordinance reads reinspection fees shall be $50 or under. However, the current rates are higher and Trexler wants to address the situation.

It was suggested a better practice would be to total the rates for inspection by the end of the year and use that number to budget. No immediate decision was made. Trexler mentioned all rentals are being inspected this year.