Alburtis Borough Council met June 28 with only a few items on the docket, followed by an executive session to discuss litigation.

There were several residents with public comments to start the meeting. The first complaint was about roadwork signs. Next, a resident complained about speeding on Franklin Street at the S-turn by Church Street. The mayor and a couple of councilmen defended the issue by arguing about the difficulty of patrolling speeding without the use of radar, plus the lack of police numbers.

Mayor Kathleen Palmer said she would direct police to have someone watch that specific area and Borough Manager Stephen Nemeth said he would investigate solutions as well.

Palmer had nothing to report for the night.

Following, the meeting minutes of June 14, bills for payment and the fiscal consultant’s report were approved. The bills for payment totaled $79,762.06.

During the approval of the fiscal consultant’s report, there was a lot of discussion about incoming grant money and the cash expenses on current projects. There is worry from some on council taxes could be raised at the end of the year. Inflation was cited as a big issue.

The meeting then moved to administration with six items on the agenda.

First, a request was made by Jaindl Land Company to rezone three residual parcels of land included as part of the Hills at Lock Ridge. The property addresses are 386 Scenic View Drive, 380 Church St. and 381 Church St. Jaindl would like these rezoned from Light Industrial – Office Research Zoning District to a High-Density Residential Zoning District to build approximately 22 townhomes on the property.

Part of the lots they are looking to rezone is a floodplain area and there is concern from council about worsening conditions and issues arising from floodwater if so many homes are built. The representative from Jaindl assured council more design work needs to be done and the plan will be to address these concerns. The rep focused on getting the zoning done as planning is still in the very early stages.

Councilman Mehmet Birtek addressed the overall issue that the floodwater could impact the Hills at Lock Ridge neighborhood if townhomes are built. Plus, he said there are too many businesses leaving Alburtis and a convenience store or another type of business would be great for the area residents. After a vote, it was decided the lots will remain an L1 – Light Industrial – Office Research Zoning District.

The next item was the revisit of the flow meter request raised at the previous meeting. Three quotes were received; however, it was decided this purchase should be tabled and moved to a later date when the budget season begins.

The current grant list was presented. The Bicentennial Village grant totaled $1,452,254. The Chestnut Street Stormwater grant totaled $204,680. The Franklin Street grant totaled $494,805. The 2020 PA Small Water and Sewer laterals grant totaled $497,801.50. The School Street grant totaled $42,297. However, there is heavy concern about the borough expenses.

Next up, was a discussion on the Bicentennial Village Project estimates and the scope of the project. The estimated cost shown in the report is $1,452,380.34. The project still needs to go out to bid, but there is concern about the engineering fees.

In great news, the police department was awarded a $258,733 grant for new radios and a police software system. More information will be presented in the future.

The meeting was then adjourned.

The next meeting will be held 7 p.m. July 12. The meetings are held at 260 Franklin St., Alburtis.