The Emmaus Borough Council meeting began with Community Minutes with Mayor Lee Ann Gilbert inviting the community to participate in Earth Day clean up at Emmaus Community Park 8:30-11 a.m. April 26. Gloves, vests and bags will be provided. Also, on April 26, the Emmaus Police Department will hold its Drug Take Back program 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the department on Jubilee Street. Drop off any expired and unused prescription medications.

The mayor also invited the community to the open house and ribbon cutting for a new business in Emmaus called Swine Design, 244 Main St. An open house will take place 5:30-6:30 p.m. with the ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place 6 p.m.

Lastly, the mayor declared an Arbor Day Proclamation for April 25. This is a special day set aside for the planting of trees. The mayor encouraged the community to “support efforts to protect trees and woodlands, as well as plant trees to promote the well-being of future generations.”

Taylor Rojek, with the Emmaus Arts Commission, prepared a special presentation to council regarding the mural project on the walls of the pool snack bar at Emmaus Community Park. Rojek described the three options for the mural including a bright summer 1970s vibe of orange and yellow, a sunset vibe of purples and pinks and a combination of both with the sun on one side and sunset on the other side.

The arts commission will create a paint by numbers outline of the chosen mural. Volunteers from the community will sign up to paint the mural. The project is expected to take about three days.

Rojek anticipates the painting to be done 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Public works will power wash the building prior to work being completed. Grant money was used to pay for the paint for the hydrant project and the borough paid for the primer. Leftover paint from the hydrant project will be used for this mural.

Questions surfaced about the longevity of the murals. Rojek said the mural completed in 2020 has not yet needed touch ups. Council President Chad Balliet recommended the community relations, planning and development committee place this item on its May 6 agenda and asked Rojek be a part of that meeting.

Balliet also asked Rojek return to the May 19 council meeting to provide a timeline for the project. Council member Roy Anders mentioned Tiffany Reed, manager for the Emmaus Community Pool concessions, could be a valuable resource for input on the mural.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 5 at borough hall.