The latest Alburtis Borough Council meeting, held April 24, shed light on some small community developments and decisions.

The meeting commenced promptly 7 p.m. at Alburtis Borough Hall. Council Vice President Stephen Hill led the proceedings alongside Borough Manager Stephen Nemeth and Mayor Kathleen Palmer.

The meeting kicked off with the official call to order and the Pledge of Allegiance. Residents had the opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions.

A resident asked a question about the new sidewalk project at Bicentennial Village. He was upset with the removal of their property to complete part of the new project. Borough Engineer Mike Preston explained that to keep the sidewalk project uniform and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, they needed to cut into the property. Plus, due to the large amount of money invested, this was the best option for the project. The resident did agree he was happy about the sidewalk improvements and appreciated the work being done.

Another resident asked about the Alburtis yard waste facility, to which Hill said council has already voted twice and turned it down, ensuring there will be no local facility for Alburtis residents this spring. Several residents in attendance were upset with this and wanted solutions.

Nemeth said the Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners is voting on whether Alburtis residents can use their facility, though no decision had been made as of the meeting.

Council reiterated to the residents that due to the past abuse of the facility and the high costs to fix the issue, they are not able to fund the yard waste facility this year. Residents were upset and are hoping a council member decides to bring this issue up at a future council meeting.

Palmer did not have a report for the evening nor did Police Chief Tony Alsleben.

Council then approved the minutes of the previous meeting held April 10, as well as the bills for payment, totaling $67,516.48. A detailed report on financial matters was provided for council members.

The Macungie Ambulance report showed 10 calls to Alburtis in the month of March. On May 18, Macungie Ambulance will host a community event for EMS week. The event will be held at Lockridge Park 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Under administration, several important resolutions and decisions were made. First, council passed Resolution No. 2024-10, appointing Ray Ricketts to the Alburtis Planning Commission.

Following the quick appointment, council discussed the introduction of a new ordinance regarding mailbox regulations.

The ordinance will “establish regulations for the installation and maintenance of mailboxes within the public right of way, including requirements for obtaining permits, standards for mounting poles or containers, maintenance obligations and duties of property owners to provide mailboxes for tenants, requiring existing installations to be brought into compliance by Dec. 1 and establishing penalties for violations.”

With this ordinance, a regulated type of mailbox will be established for residents needing to install a new one on their property. This ordinance would also require all residents to possess a permit for their mailboxes, new or existing. This will allow for the borough to know if all residents would be compliant with the standard mailbox requirements.

There were many additional requirements including location, sidewalk clear zone and surface. Plus, there was contentious language needing to be looked at again. This was just the first draft of the ordinance and a follow-up was undecided. However, a motion was approved to replace the mailboxes for those affected by the Bicentennial Village project.

Next, council members reviewed quotes and follow-up actions regarding tree maintenance on Maple Court. They went with the lowest bidder, Craico Tree Service.

A discussion followed on replacing a playground slide. A large boulder was thrown through the bottom part of the slide and it broke the plastic. A replacement was estimated at $1,885.17. This was tabled for a later meeting.

Council addressed plans for the Lower Macungie Fire Department centennial book, commemorating a century of service by the department.

Details regarding the Macungie Ambulance Touch-A-Truck event scheduled for May 18 were finalized, promoting community engagement and emergency preparedness.

The next Alburtis Borough Council meeting will take place 7 p.m. May 8 at the Alburtis Borough building, 260 Franklin St.

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