The Emmaus Borough Council unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with the local firefighters union at the Oct. 15 council meeting.

Council President Brent Labenberg said negotiations have been going on for about three months, as they were starting a brand new contract from scratch. He said the negotiation was educational on both sides and he “believes everybody is happy that it’s fair.”

“The borough’s happy that it’s within our budget, which is our main concern because we don’t want to have to address a tax increase for this,” Labenberg stated.

This agreement will provide pay raises for a number of positions within the department including firefighters, master firefighter, lieutenant, captain and assistant chief. The only exceptions will be for probationary and entry-level firefighters, who will be paid $10 an hour through 2021.

The deputy director and fire chief were not part of the bargaining unit, so their pay will remain the same.

This agreement will run from 2018 to 2021. Under the new agreement, employees will not exceed more than an average of 29.5 hours a week.

In other news, council unanimously passed the first reading of Ordinance 1181 which deals with the borough entering into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement called the Southwestern Lehigh County Comprehensive Plan with the boroughs of Alburtis and Macungie and the townships of Lower Macungie, Lower Milford and Upper Milford.

This agreement will allow for an inter-municipal committee to coordinate plans for land use, development concerns and transportation among many other issues. Each municipality will have representatives attend the committee meetings.

In May of this year, council originally voted against joining the committee mainly due to a concern of neighboring communities being allowed a say in the development of Emmaus property. Borough officials met and have since resolved said issues.

After the meeting, Emmaus Borough Manager Shane Pepe gave The Press an update on the potential Wawa to be built on a parcel of land located on Cedar Crest Boulevard just north of Chestnut Street.

Pepe said the developers, Cedar Crest Chestnut Development LP, have a number of engineering issues to work out and will have to resubmit a new plan before the planning commission prior to coming to council.

One of the main concerns council had with the proposed Wawa was the proposed left hand turn onto Cedar Crest Boulevard, which they told the developers they did not want. “I’m adamant council is absolutely opposed to a left hand turn coming out,” he said.

He noted only two residents spoke before the planning commission during public comment; one resident was expressing safety concerns and the other expressed excitement to have a Wawa in the borough.

Pepe said there is a possibility the developers will submit a new plan to be back in front of the planning commission at its Nov. 8 meeting.

Pepe gave an update on the 10th Street culvert project stating the contractor told him construction is supposed to start Oct. 29 and claims it will be open for traffic on Dec. 5.

Pepe said he wanted to make it clear “the reason that project is not going on right now, has nothing to do with the potential convenience store coming in, that is not why this project hasn’t started.

“It has everything to do with the engineering contractor and getting this thing going,” he stated. “The contractor blames it on the weather and other projects that are backed up. I don’t care, I’m tired of excuses, and I just want the project done.”

Jason Smith from Hanover Engineering spoke before council regarding the MS4 program the borough is going to participate in, which deals with stormwater management planning.

“One of the most important and critical steps going forward with the program is the development of the pollution reduction plan which is designed to remove 10 percent of sediments from the borough,” Smith said.

Smith presented the initial draft plan to council and said there are already changes that need to be made.

Ordinance 1180 passed its final reading which will remove a residential handicapped parking sign located in front of 640 Minor St.

Ordinance 1182 passed its first reading which will remove a residential handicapped parking sign located in front of 624 Walnut St.