In a retrospective look at 2013, [The Press, Jan. 16] Catasauqua Borough Executive Eugene Goldfeder discussed the acquisition of the FL Smidth property and the next steps the borough council will need to take in its development. In this continuing interview, he discusses other council business.

Interestingly Goldfeder felt the second most important trend started in 2013 was starting the grant cycle for the borough's historic George Taylor House.

"We received a grant from the Trexler Trust and were able to get some of the modern-day improvements that were added to the kitchen annex removed," he said. "There was a caretaker living there at one time so accommodations were made for him, but it detracted from the historical character of the building."

He said the annex has been stripped down to the structural walls and archaeologists will study the area to see what they can determine.

"Jeff Warren did an assessment of the property with ground-penetrating radar and was able to identify areas where there is potential for further exploration," he said. The plan is to outline where the outbuildings were on the property. Tom Jones, a local historian, was hired to prepare grant applications, but he is also contacting universities trying to see if there is interest for an architectural dig. Results from Warren's radar survey showed what might be a potential cemetery.

"I see a lot of exciting things happening in the future at the George Taylor House," he said.

The refuse contract with Mascaro and Sons was a significant accomplishment.

"This is the first time that we ever saw a reduction in fees," Goldfeder said. The state is willing to pay the borough for recycled waste which Goldfeder sees as a way to keep costs down.

Goldfeder is not in favor of mandatory recycling, but does want to see efforts made to increase the quantity recycled. According to Goldfeder, the contract with Mascaro uses an average of two bags of trash per household per pickup.

"There is some disparity between the people who put out one bag while their neighbor deposits many. However, there is a problem trying to correct it. Right now, it isn't worth the hassle to have a driver report that someone has a lot of trash bags out. Mascaro generally picks them up," he said.

An alternative for consideration is that when you pay your fee, you receive so many bags.

"A system like that might encourage recycling and using compost piles," said Goldfeder. The intent of any change would be to reduce garbage tonnage and keep costs stable.

The mention of the collapse of a building last year opened another topic for discussion.

"I don't think that the collapse of the building on Crane Street is indicative of the housing stock in the community," Goldfeder said. "The building collapsed because of neglect on the part of the owner."

According to Goldfeder, the community has a number of environmentally deficient buildings.

"We need to improve those with better insulation and maybe things like new windows," he said.

Generally, according to Goldfeder, people like the close-knit community feel of the town.

"The row house has appeal because it is insulated by the neighbor's house. And people can get around town easily," he said. "I can walk to work, to restaurants and most services are readily available. That is a real asset."

The aspect of the housing stock that has Goldfeder concerned is the number of two-bedroom houses.

"They don't have the same functionality that you get with a three-bedroom. When a family grows, the people move on and often out of the borough," he said. "What we need to be careful of is someone converting the two-bedroom places into two one-bedroom apartments. I would rather see an effort to reconfigure houses into three bedrooms."

Goldfeder sees a lot of progress in events sponsored by the borough.

"We have movies and concerts in the park every weekend during the summer. The Lehigh River Blues Jam is going into its tenth year," he said. Fest-O-Fall is a perennial favorite and gets better each year. Red, White and George, a wine tasting event, has met with mixed results.

"I would like to broaden the scope of the event and have more than one vendor," he said. "This year we'll put tents closer to the road in hopes of attracting more interest," he said.

Main Street, the borough's business organization, is making its presence known.

"They got the mural painted, we have a town clock, the sign at the Pine Street Bridge they manage and it gets lots of interest. It shows that the business owners are actively working with the people in the community," he said. He also mentioned the Public House and Crazy Mama's, two new entertainment venues making a mark on the borough.

Looking into the future, Goldfeder sees waterfront development as a possibility.

"The riverfront is a valuable entertainment resource that no one has really developed," he said.