At Coplay Borough Council’s workshop session Aug. 1, Mayor Dean Molitoris presented council with a report on the frustration residents on Front Street have over continuing delays on the street repair project. According to Molitoris and council President Louis Bodish, there is no firm completion date. They are estimating at least two more weeks of work.

Residents have complained that contractors parked heavy equipment in the street, blocking available parking spots.

“They are moving some of the heavy equipment off the street,” Bodish said.

The project was at one time estimated to take six weeks. It has ballooned to six months. And completion by the end of August might still be iffy.

“About everything that could go wrong happened on this project,” Molitoris said.

The borough still must complete its portion of the project.

“We plan to get a base coat on before winter, but we are going to wait for the finish coat until spring,” Bodish said.

As he explained in his commentary, when projects start to go wrong, it is hard to get them out of the negative spiral.

“There were a lot of things that could have been done better, but that’s in hindsight,” Councilman Charles Sodl said.

“This has been ugly. The borough worked to try and make accommodations,” Bodish added.

Public works Director Paul Boyle agreed: “So many things are outside our control because it isn’t our project,” he said.

Molitoris turned over emails he received from residents to Boyle asking if there was anything public works could do to help alleviate some of the frustration.

In other business, the borough will advertise for bids on the property it owns on Fourth Street next to borough hall.

“The renter we talked to has disappeared,” borough Secretary Sandra Gyecsek. “There does seem to be at least one interested party.”

Ads will run weekly for the first three weeks in August.

A resident at 5 N. Ruch St., who is disabled, is asking the borough to install sidewalks along Coplay Street at his property. The matter will be debated at council’s regular meeting Aug. 8.

Also at that meeting, the borough will award a contract for handicapped curb cuts on Hokendauqua Street.