Alburtis Borough Council gathered Aug. 28 for its regular bimonthly meeting, focusing on community and administrative matters.

Council members President Ron DeIaco, Vice President Steven Hill, Second Vice President Hector Moss, John Aleszczyk, Mehmet Birtek, Chad Atkins and Ashlynn Rivera were in attendance, along with Mayor Kathleen Palmer, Borough Manager Stephen Nemeth, Police Chief Tony Alsleben and Borough Engineer Mike Preston.

The meeting commenced with the call to order and the Pledge of Allegiance. Following these formalities, the floor was opened for public comments, allowing residents to express their concerns and share suggestions with the council. A question was asked about how parking on the streets would work if the upcoming automatic trash pickup would require cars to move. Council does not yet know how the system will fully operate and so there was no explanation provided.

Palmer reported there was an incident down by the railroad tracks and requested that if there is an incident in the borough, residents please respect the scene and the emergency service providers. A local man was struck and killed by a train at approximately 9:50 a.m. Aug. 26 in the area of North Main Street and West Penn Avenue.

This was followed by the council’s approval of the minutes from the Aug. 14 Alburtis Borough Council meeting. Council then reviewed and approved the bills for payment as of Aug. 28 totaling $48,396.99.

Next, an engineering invoice was heavily analyzed by council, with members questioning several invoice items in the report. Moss questioned why the borough was being billed with engineering fees on work needed to be done due to mistakes made by the contractor. He questioned why the contractor wasn’t being billed directly. Ultimately, since the borough has a code that asks for an engineer to oversee and review work completed by outside contractors, the bill was accepted.

The treasurer’s report and the fiscal consultant’s report were presented and approved.

In the administration section, council discussed several critical infrastructure and technology matters. The first item was the recommendation to approve Payment Application No. 5 to Construction Masters Services, LLC, which is another payment installment for the completed infrastructure project at Bicentennial Village.

Alsleben then gave a presentation on IT service upgrades needed for the police department. Council reviewed his request for upgrades to provide new software and hardware systems from IntegraONE for the Alburtis Police Department. These upgrades are a necessity, as the department could be sanctioned if their digital abilities are not upgraded. Council wanted to wait and see if there were other quotes out there and will decide at a later meeting.

Following this, council reviewed and approved a proposal to upgrade the utility billing system, aiming to enhance the accuracy and user-friendliness of the borough’s billing processes. This was another necessity, as another company bought the company previously used.

Council also considered a request to apply for Local Share Account Grants, which, if secured, would provide significant funding for various community projects and initiatives.

Lastly, council reviewed a handout for a senior officials workshop for all-hazards preparedness, an essential course designed to equip local officials with the skills to manage potential emergencies and disasters effectively. The course is held at Lehigh Carbon Community College and will take place Dec. 3. Alsleben encourages everyone to look into the program as there is no cost.

The meeting concluded without further discussion, bringing the meeting to adjournment.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed and participate in future meetings as the borough continues to prioritize community well-being and growth.

The next Alburtis Borough Council meeting will be held 7 p.m. Sept. 11.