During the North Catasauqua Borough Council July 17 meeting, the River Central multimunicipal comprehensive plan was mentioned since council will vote on this matter during the Aug. 7 meeting.

The building plan spans Northampton and Lehigh counties and impacts the boroughs of North Catasauqua, Catasauqua and Northampton and the townships of East Allen and Hanover (Lehigh County).

The comprehensive plan will serve as a road map for future development concerning housing, transportation, farmland preservation and economic development in the River Central area.

North Catasauqua council members have encouraged the public to visit the River Central planning website to better understand what actions may take place in the coming months before council votes on the matter. To view the plan, visit planrivercentral.org.

In other business, fire Chief Roger Scheirer discussed an inspection that recently occurred during his emergency management report. He requested $1,000 from council to install a staircase that leads to a storage area. The inspector noted a staircase is required since the current set of stairs leads to a landing before entering the storage area. This has been mentioned by the inspector during previous visits and is now requiring the borough to take action. Council approved the request, and work will begin on the staircase.

The fire chief also requested a large map of the borough, as well as a whiteboard that will be positioned next to the map, with a set cost of around $1,057. The chief explained this map would be utilized by all emergency management and even public works to help plan strategies and map out major investigations and projects. He described this as a major asset to the department.

Council approved the purchase of an 8-foot-by-4-foot map of the borough with a large whiteboard to match.

Police Chief Chris Wolfer discussed training completed by himself, Cpl. Steven Santiago and Detective O’Donnell with the New York City Police Department aviation unit, emergency service unit and 75th precinct detective squad. This was the second time members of North Catasauqua Police Department ventured out to train with NYPD.

Wolfer said establishing and strengthening a relationship with one of the largest departments in the country is incredibly beneficial.

The police chief also mentioned North Catasauqua is currently assisting Coplay Police Department due to staffing shortages. Wolfer is maintaining a detailed record of each call in the neighboring borough and said, even though North Catasauqua is here to assist, the department cannot go overboard, and Coplay will need to staff accordingly.

Councilwoman Michele Hazzard mentioned there are still some events scheduled for this summer. Shark Sandwich will perform 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at North Catasauqua William J. Albert Park, 701 Grove St. The park family night out is scheduled for Aug. 9.

Council President Peter Paone revisited the matter of parking on Grove Street and Howertown Road. During the last meeting, council discussed vehicles being ticketed on Grove Street due to prohibited parking for a particular time frame during the year. Parking is limited in this area, and there is a concern residents may not be aware of the prohibited parking.

To help reduce traffic citations, bollards - yellow posts used to signal a message to drivers - will be placed along the side of Grove Street. Residents may see this sooner rather than later, and council hopes to see effective change with this method.

Council will next meet 7 p.m. Aug. 7 at borough hall, 1066 Fourth St. To view the agenda, visit northcatasauqua.org.