Alburtis Borough Council held its first meeting of the month June 14; during the administration section of the meeting, several noteworthy items were discussed.

The meeting began without any public comments.

Mayor Kathleen Palmer shared the good news the Pennsylvania House of Representatives agreed to provide more grants in the future, which would benefit upcoming projects in the borough. She also mentioned the recent dry weather and asked about the authorization of burn bans in the area. The solicitor stated the mayor had the authority to implement a 7-day burn ban if necessary.

The police report showed 140 incidents in May, with more than half of them being vehicle or truck stops. Specifically, there were 72 vehicular incidents in May compared to 42 in April.

The meeting minutes from May 31, bills for payment and treasurer’s report were all approved. The total amount on the bills list was $73,824.26.

In the engineer’s report, several updates were provided.

Ott Consulting, Inc. conducted a review of the as-built plans and provided an updated punch list for The Hills at Lock Ridge. Exterior manholes/cover inspections were completed for the Sewer Capacity Assurance and Rehabilitation Program, but interior manhole inspections still needed to be done before the manholes could be raised.

Progress is being made on the Franklin Street project, with Council President Ron DeIaco noting the sidewalks are almost finished.

According to the Macungie Ambulance Report, there were four calls from Alburtis in May.

The meeting then shifted to the administration agenda.

Three quotes were received for a sewer flow meter. Lower Macungie needs to know the flow amount as water continues to flow from the borough toward their area, causing water buildup in certain locations. Corrections need to be made, with the council thinking a gravity flow option is the best bet, but an accurate reading of the flow amount is necessary. A decision on the matter has been postponed until further discussions on funding the meter take place.

A quote from York Hoist was debated for the purchase of a motorized winch to lift the pump well basket out of the 40 foot well, which will eliminate the need for borough employees to manually crank it. It was agreed two additional quotes, not exceeding $5,000, would be obtained and the lowest price would be accepted.

Next, Payment No. 1 to Grace Industries for the Franklin Street project, totaling $112,008.42, was approved for distribution.

It was recommended to use the remaining American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to cover the total pump repair costs and this proposal was approved. Council aimed to utilize all the remaining ARPA funding before potential requests for its return from the government.

Council then acknowledged the Harold Frey Memorial Bench had been placed in front of borough hall and expressed gratitude to the community for their generous donations.

Finally, it was announced the groundbreaking ceremony for the new addition to Cold Nose Lodge would occur noon June 26.

The meeting concluded, with the next scheduled meeting 7 p.m. June 28 at borough hall, 260 Franklin St.