Coplay Borough will investigate the cause of repeated flooding at 12th and Tapler streets.

At Tuesday's workshop meeting, Councilman Charles Sodl said he received a complaint from a resident in the area.

"I'm not sure what we can do or how we can do it but there's been a complaint and I think it's our duty to look at it and see what can be done," he said. "We owe it to the residents."

Council President Lou Bodish and police Chief Vincent Genovese both said water has risen above the curb in the area.

Genovese said during an average rain, the stormwater system works OK. However, floods occur four or five times each summer.

"If we have a heavy rain for any amount of time, it backs up." Genovese said.

Genovese and Public Works Director Dan Pavelko said additional development in Whitehall may be to blame because the pipes now have to handle additional runoff.

Council President Lou Bodish wondered if the borough should attempt to get Whitehall Township involved.

"We should take the first step," said Sodl, who suggested the borough get an opinion from an engineer.

"Can we get them to look at us and give us a clue?"

Council agreed to start by getting an engineer's opinion.

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Also at the meeting, Sodl asked how business licenses work.

"There seems to be a lot of vagueness," he said.

Borough Secretary-Treasurer Sandra Gyecsek said she would have to look at the borough ordinance to answer Sodl's question.

A person who wants to open a new business comes into borough office for an application. Once the inspections are done, the borough gives the business owner a form for getting a business license, but that license is obtained through tax collector Jeffry Deutsch.

The business owner is required to display the business license, said Code Enforcement Officer Ronald Helman.

Sodl said he wants to know how the borough determines how much tax a business pays, he said, adding some businesses may not be paying what they should.

Bodish said Deutsch and Solicitor James Preston would be the ones to answer those questions.

"These are things we should look at," said Sodl. "If we pick up an extra $5,000 or $10,000, whatever, it's less burden on the taxpayers."

Also at the meeting:

· Councilman Steve Burker said the public is invited to a recreation board meeting 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at Samuel Owens Restaurant.

The idea, said Burker, is to address concerns of taxpayers and reactivate the parks and recreation board.

Chris Schmidt, vice president of Coplay Sports Inc., is interested in an opening on the board. Council will vote on the appointment at the Oct. 9 meeting.

· Council briefly discussed a request from Good and Water Watch to support a resolution opposing fracking in Pennsylvania. Gyecsek will invite the representative to the Nov. 5 workshop meeting to explain the group's concerns.

· Coplay will host the next MECAB (Middle Eastern Counties Association of Boroughs) meeting 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in council chambers. A speaker will discuss ObamaCare. The public is invited.