Councilwoman Jessica Kroope asked borough Police Chief Douglas Kish about the impact of new regulations the council had approved for handicapped spaces and signage in the borough and for the towing of illegally parked vehicles. Her request was made at the Dec. 1 borough council meeting.

"The handicapped spaces will be posted with a sign that says there will be a fine from $50 to $200 and the offending vehicle can be towed," Kish said. He explained the decision to issue a ticket is at the discretion of the patrol officer. The fee is set by the magistrate and takes into account extenuating circumstances.

Handicapped spaces are requested by borough residents who park in public spaces, often along a curb. The applicaton for a space is reviewed by the police department and then approved by the borough council.

"Handicapped spaces are not reserved for a particular individual," Kroope commented. "Anyone with a handicapped authorization can use the space."

The borough reviews the continued appropriateness of handicapped spaces annually.

Solicitor Jeffrey Dimmich addressed a new interpretation of the eviction law approved by the state.

"Reports of domestic abuse called into police cannot be used against the person making the complaint," he said. The borough has a rule on its books that allows property owners to remove a tenant if there is evidence that police assistance was called on more than three occasions.

Dimmich recommended that the borough ordinance be reviewed and modified to accommodate the new ruling.

Dimmich also presented an agreement to council for the Race Street pub, Fossil's. The local tavern had requested the borough amend its noise ordinance to monitor noise from the establishment.

Presently, the Liquor Control Board handles noise complaints, but several surrounding communities have instituted regulations that allow noise complaints to be handled locally instead.

The local changes presented by Dimmich expand upon the experience of other municipalities in dealing with this issue. According to the agreement drafted by Dimmich, any expenses to comply with the noise ordinance will be borne by Fossil's. As Dimmich explained, the proposed noise ordinance would be subject to an annual review and can be cancelled by the borough.

In other business, Councilman Brian Bartholomew asked the council to review the history of the purchase of the borough property on Pearl Street. The property is up for sale with an open bid process to be completed in 2015.

"I was informed that the property was initially purchased by the borough to install a water tank," he said. "If that is the case, water department revenues were used to make the purchase. Any proceeds from the sale, need to be returned to the water department."

Borough Manager Eugene Goldfeder said he will investigate the purchase and make the appropriate determination. Some council members indicated the proceeds from the sale could be used to defray costs incurred for the Iron Works property on Front Street.

Councilman Brian McKittrick also asked the borough to investigate the tenancy at 327 Mulberry St. According to McKittrick, there is reason to suspect that the unit is cause for concern.

"No electric has been on at the property for two years. I thought I heard dogs barking in the house," he said. Code enforcement will investigate.

Dimmich indicated police could enter the house if there was suspicion of a dangerous situation.

Bartholomew and Councilman Eugene Schlegel asked the borough manager to get more aggressive on streetlight repair. According to the information presented, streetlights often go unrepaired for years.

"People are tired of reporting on the problem when nothing ever gets fixed," Schlegel said.

Kish added that police monitor the situation.

"We have data on all the calls made," he said. The department does not have the manpower to follow up to see if repairs were made. "If we get a second complaint at the same location, then we assume that no repairs were made."

"Recognize that street lighting is not the highest priority for PPL, but we need them to get caught up on the problem," Bartholomew said. Solicitor Dimmich recommended the borough compile the data it has available and forward it to PPL for action.

If there is no response, Dimmich recommends filing an official complaint with the state Public Utilities Commission.