In her building, land and recreation committee report at the Northampton Borough Council meeting June 1, Councilwoman Judith Haldeman, committee chair, reported the municipal pool would open on time, weather permitting.

On June 3, swimmers came to the pool for the opening day of the 2023 season.

Some area municipal officials have experienced numerous challenges in successfully operating their pools, such as having a difficult time recruiting lifeguards and other staff and are bedeviled by escalating operating and routine maintenance costs. Catasauqua Borough is in its third year of being unable to open the pool due to major, costly structural issues. Whitehall Township has only one of its three pools open. Coplay Borough continues to struggle with costs and finding lifeguards.

Northampton had a swift, efficient hiring of enough lifeguards for 2023, repainted the pool area and upgraded its entrance to the pool and is replacing a slide and diving boards.

The public works department received accolades for its effort to get the pool open on time and with improvements.

When public works staff focused on the pool opening preparations in May, they faced a situation they weren’t expecting. A mother duck with her seven ducklings had taken up residence on the pool grounds. No doubt, Mrs. Mallard felt the pool and grassy area were a great spot to rear her youngsters. To her, the fence around the large area may have felt divine.

The public works department staff regrouped and developed a plan on how to handle the situation quickly and safely. They swooped in and captured all eight members of the duck family. Northampton Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst assured council the mother duck and her ducklings were relocated to a safe and appropriate location.

In other news, council approved a request for ABATE of PA, Lehigh Valley chapter, to use pavilions A and B at the 26th Street Playground Aug. 13. ABATE collects items that enable disadvantaged families to keep their children in school.

The headquarters company of the 6th Battalion of the 68th Armor Division requested to hold its retirement picnic at the borough park pavilion A Sept. 16. The request was granted by council.

Schoolhouse Apartments LLC received council approval to have its line of credit in the amount of $11,270 released for the Schoolhouse Apartments on Main project. The borough engineer also approved the request.

Northampton Liederkranz is sponsoring a bike night June 17. The Liederkranz received approval to have Siegfried Avenue closed to traffic between Ninth Street and Plum Alley. The Liederkranz is located at 402 N. Ninth St.

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ requested and received council permission to use Canal Street Park’s pavilion Aug. 13 for a church service and picnic.

Also at the meeting, Brobst received council permission to submit an application for a Northampton County grant in the amount of $48,000. These dollars will be combined with a recent Northampton County Community Development Block Grant request of $20,000 to fund the updating of the borough’s zoning and subdivision land development ordinances, as required by the upcoming River Central comprehensive plan.

In Councilman Kenneth Hall’s administration and finance report, he noted Brobst arranged to have a representative from the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs attend the Northampton Borough Council meeting June 15 to recognize the two years of service provided by Northampton Area High School senior Ryleigh Tillotson. She served as a junior council member.

Tillotson, in her report, thanked council for the opportunity to serve on council the past two years. She said the NAHS Class of 2023 is talented.

“Without my class and friends (at NAHS), I would not be the person I am,” she said.

Tillotson received congratulatory comments from members of council.

In his remarks, Councilman Anthony Lopsonzski Sr. said a council committee needs to examine the safety of electric-powered bicycles in the borough. He expressed safety concerns for both the drivers and pedestrians.

Lopsonzski also requested the council committee governing the borough’s municipal pool consider granting Catasauqua residents permission to purchase season passes for the Northampton pool at the Northampton resident price.

He cited the more than 100% property tax hike Catasauqua Borough Council voted to implement for 2023 as a reason to assist Catasauqua residents and the fact that Catasauqua is unable to reopen its municipal pool due to structural and safety issues.

Haldeman, chair of the land, building and recreation committee, which includes the municipal pool, informed Lopsonzski the committee did not support Lopsonzski’s request.

In his report, Mayor Anthony Pristash noted the monarch butterfly garden is underway. He said there are 72 plants being planted in the garden.

In reference to the well-attended Memorial Day services sponsored by the borough’s three veterans groups May 29, Pristash noted, “Patriotism is alive and well in Northampton.”

The next council meeting will be 7 p.m. June 15. It is a hybrid meeting, with both in-person and virtual options. Visit YouTube and search Northampton Borough Council to access the meeting.