Alburtis Borough Council met Aug. 9 with a small agenda including four items in administration.

The meeting began without public comment or a report from Mayor Kathleen Palmer. The previous meeting minutes were then quickly approved.

In the Alburtis police report, vehicle stops have gone down for the second consecutive month. There were 132 vehicle/truck stops in June. There were 113 reported stops in July.

The bills for payment, treasurer’s report and engineer’s report were all approved without discussion. The bills for payment totaled $126,939.05.

The Macungie Ambulance report showed seven calls to the borough during the month of July. It should be noted the Macungie Ambulance Corps was nationally recognized for its commitment to quality care for heart attacks and strokes.

The meeting moved to administration.

First, Auditor Christopher S. Basile, CPA was in attendance to provide the council with a financial status presentation for the borough.

Overall, Basile felt the borough revenue has trended up since 2018 and there isn’t much concern for Alburtis. He highlighted grant money has really helped the borough.

Councilman John Aleszczyk raised his concern about spending on projects, specifically engineering costs. Basile said the borough has been fiscally conservative in a lot of areas, which has offset the specific concerns.

There was a long discussion about cash flow on project and engineering costs over the next few years. Aleszczyk is concerned the project costs will overrun and/or inflate past the budget and raise taxes for borough residents. However, many in the council want the projects completed and believe the borough can offset payments in the future. Plus, much of the future project costs are still unpredictable.

Councilman Hector Moss said, “I think we need to get an overall handle on these projects and inconsistencies moving forward. Raising taxes or taking out a loan should not be an option.” Bastile said the request was reasonable and had strategies to help in that area.

To start, the Bicentennial Project will be looked at in a special work session.

“I’m tired of hearing (the question), how much are we raising taxes? After listening to John, I want to stop the projects altogether. I just want to make sure we are fine,” Palmer said. Bastile responded that things look fine.

Next, Victoria Cerulli addressed the council about Corey and Kimberly’s Ride Oct. 7. She was in attendance, with others, to represent the committee and request signage and a route for their annual fundraising event. They asked for the ride to be staged and take off near the Alburtis Fire Company on Third Street. Registration starts 9 a.m. and the ride begins 11 a.m.

The event begins with motorcyclists taking a ride through the county and convening at the park by the Alburtis Fire Company. After ending the ride, participants eat, speak and listen to others involved in the event. There will be food, live music, activities and prizes.

Funds raised are provided for organizations who help those struggling with substance abuse. The group raised $22,000 last year.

The request was approved by council.

A recommendation from Ott Consulting for Pay Application No. 2 on the Franklin Street Multimodal Improvements Project was next on the agenda. The total amount approved was $190,648.31.

The last item was the announcement the Alburtis Civil Service Committee needs to fill alternate seats. There are up to three alternate spots available.

The meeting was then adjourned.

The next Alburtis Borough Council meeting will be held 7 p.m. Aug. 23.