The meeting began shortly after 7:00 p.m. with all council members present except for Reverend Matz.
Following the call to order, pledge, and roll call there was a swearing-in of the fire chief and fire-police officers.
Public Comment:
Question regarding the status of the borough web site. Mayor Keller responded that the person from the school said they were almost there.
Question regarding the architect's bill. It was noted that the Law Committee is evaluating it as a legal issue and that is all they were going to say.
Question regarding when the snow emergency information would be released. Stated it would be out soon.
Conversation between a resident, Mayor Keller, and Mike Rinker (emergency management director) regarding the proposed emergency siren/warning system. The resident brought up the recent PA American Water company's request for information to be used for a call notification system. Questions then followed regarding benefit of system vs. cost of having it. In the end it was noted that next month the full presentation would be made.
Question regarding the comment in the recent newsletter about the expansion of the police department. Noted that the borough is looking to hire because they are understaffed and addressing the the problem through part time officers.
Question about the announced county assessment and if this was at all related to the article in the Morning Call last fall about Nazareth not filing its zoning permits. The borough engineer noted that the previous zoning officer failed to file, but that was no longer the case.
Question about the soccer fields being completed and when they would be ready. It was stated they appeared to be done, but wouldn't know until spring and not expected to be usable until fall.
Question if all positions for commissions were filled or if there were openings? Stated there were some openings. Follow-up was is there a lack of volunteers?
The period of public comment ended at that point.
The approval of the minutes from the business meeting of December 4 were approved along with the treasurer's report and approval of bills to be paid.
The Emergency Management, ambulance, zoning, and code enforcement reports were not given.
A motion was approved to set a rate of $5.00 for the rental of a picnic table at the Park and $60 for rental of the Log Cabin for one day.
A motion was approved to hire Heather Coyle as Pool/Park Manager for 2007.
A motion to nominate Martin Clark for a 4 year term on Planning Commission was approved.
A motion to nominate Jeffrey Corpora for a five year term on the Recreation Commission was approved.
A vacancy for a 2 year term on the recreation commission exists.
A motion to nominate Lester Shook for a three year term on the Zoning Hearing Board.
A motion to nominate Evelyn Huth for a one year term on the Vacancy Board.
A motion to approve Resolution No. 1-05 which approves the appointment of all nominated candidates was approved.
A motion to set and advertise times and dates for Borough Workshops and General Business Meetings. Workshops will be held on the Thursday before the first Monday of each month beginning at 7:00 p.m. Regular Business Meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month to begin at 7:00 p.m. When the first Monday of the month is a Holiday, the Regular Business Meeting will be held on the next night, Tuesday, at the regular times. Any cancellation, postponement or time change or a regularly scheduled meeting will be advertised by the Secretary.
A motion to nominate William Sauerzopf for a five year term on the Nazareth Borough Municipal Authority was approved.
Vacancies for 5 and 3 year terms on the Shade Tree Commission exist.
A motion to approve the placing of additional street lighting by Met-Ed along Franklin Street was approved.
As there were no bids for the 2nd time for the Gateway Project at the corner of South Main Street and Easton Road, a motion was made to provide commission member Les Little the ability to negotiate for the project.
A motion to direct the Secretary to advertise the curbside pickup and disposal of Christmas trees for January 4, 2007 and January 10, 2007 was approved.
A motion to nominate Jeffrey Corpora for a three year term on the library board was approved.
A motion to vote on an ordinance change to remove stop signs on South Green Street at West Walnut and to place a stop sign on West Walnut at South Green was approved.
Motion to grant permanent status to Officer Vanessa Cruz-Smith following completion of her one year probationary period.
Motion to approve Resolution No. 1-07-B, the Handicapped Parking Resolution for 2007.
The highway report was approved.
Motion to appoint Mike Rinker as the Borough's "Emergency Management Director" at an annual salary of $2400 was approved.
Motion to appoint William Matz to a five year term, Gail Kromer to a 1 year term, Fred Daugherty to a two year term, Michael May to a 2 year term and there remains one opening on the ambulance board.
Motion to approve Resolution No. 1-07-C eliminating member contributions to the Borough's Police Pension Plan for all of 2007.
Motion to approve contracting Palmer & Company of Easton, PA to conduct the annual audit of our tax collector for real estate taxes, earned income tax and the Emergency Services Tax.
Mayors report noted there were 48 crimes in December, 42 traffic violations and 24 accidents.
There was an executive session following the meeting for a police matter.
4 comments:
I AM NOT SURPRISED WITH THE SECOND LAST PARAGRAPH REGARDING THE CRIME, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. THE CRIMES AND ACCIDENTS SEEM A LITTLE EXCESSIVE, HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ICREASE IN TICKETS FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. I SEE SO MANY TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS DAILY ON MY DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK SUCH AS NOT STOPPING FOR STOPSIGNS, EXCESSIVE SPEEDS AND PASSING ON THE RIGHT, AREN'T ALL THESE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS..LOOK AT ALL THE $$$ POLICE COULD BRING IN IF THESE PEOPLE WERE CITED. THE OTHER DAY THERE WERE 2 ACCIDENTS ON BROAD STREET...AGAIN AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TRAFFIC LAWS ENFORCED MORE DILIGENTLY IN TOWN. I WAS YEILDING TO A PEDESTRIAN IN THE CROSSWALK AND A CAR FLEW AROUND ME ON THE RIGHT AND THE CARS BEHIND THAT CAR FOLLOWED SUIT LEAVING THE PEDESTRIAN WHO WAS A WOMAN WITH AN INFANT IN A STROLLER AND A TODDLER HOLDING HER HAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD...IT IS RIDICULOUS, AS USUAL THIS OCCURED ON BROAD ST INFRONT OF THE CHURCHES. I WAS GOING TO CALL MR RUCH BUT FIGURED WHAT WAS THE POINT SINCE HE HAS YET TO RETURN ANY OF MY PHONE CALLS. ALSO I HEARD OF AN INCIDENT ON THE SCANNER OF 8 YOUTHS ASSAULTING 1 YOUTH ON HIGH STREET AND DIN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE PAPER BUT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT....DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS AND WHY IS IT ALMOST ALL CRIMES IN NAZARETH AND UPPER NAZARETH SEEM TO NEVER MAKE THE NEWS PAPERS, THAT IS ANOTHER THING PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I think you make a great point.
There was quite a discussion about this subject at an earlier meeting.
I personally noted that they should be doing everything they can including repainting faded crosswalks, adding new ones, and putting more yield to pedestrian signs out.
In addition to that everyone at the meeting agreed that enforcement was the only way to get people to change their behavior.
The details for the police report where not available this past month, but maybe in the future the new web site the borough is talking about will include a crime map that uses google maps to pinpoint incidents.
This would be of tremendous value to us all.
The other points in regard to this worth noting are that you don't drive through an intersection until the pedestrian is across and back on the sidewalk, and you don't drive through an intersection with a crossing guard holding the stop sign (twice I witnessed this before the holidays with the driver indicating the kids were in the opposite crosswalk and therefore it was ok).
Thanks for again raising this important issue.
Why are the crimes in Nazareth not made public? Several friends of ours homes have been broken into and homes and cars have been vandalized. We have not seen any of these incidents in the papers. We think the residents need to be informed (many still do not lock doors).
As for the cross walks..... I was walking with my baby in the stroler today. We were on Main by the circle in the crosswalk. We made it 1/4 across, almost to sign in the middle of the street that states "Yield to pedestrians". I spotted out of the corner of my eye by the mail boxes a woman who was clearly driving way to fast. I backed up(quickley) to the curb. She glared at me as if I was in her way and continued down Main st.
The pedestrian issue is something that has been brought up previously and it is something I will continue to bring up.
The only way we will see real change is through enforcement.
I want to see new lines on crosswalks, new signs, and reminders to drivers that you need to wait until the pedestrian crosses the road and is on the sidewalk before proceeding.
The very first steps have been taken, but enforcement is the answer.
Thanks for you comment, I've experienced the same.
Post a Comment