Police Officer Antonio Tramonte gave a presentation at the North Catasauqua Borough Council meeting Oct. 7 about the department’s increase in DUI arrests since 2017.

He cited numerous officer training programs that he and acting Chief Chris Wolfer have taken, as well as his background in drug enforcement, as the primary cause. He noted he became a full-time officer in 2017.

DUI arrests in North Catasauqua - which include the influence of both drugs and alcohol - numbered in the single digits until 2017. They have numbered in the dozens every year since then.

These numbers, Wolfer explained, do not indicate a new DUI problem, but rather the introduction of educated officers who can make the arrests. The majority of the DUIs are drug related, with the most common drugs being heroin and methamphetamines.

According to Tramonte, police removed more than 200 grams of methamphetamines from traffic stops alone in 2018. Wolfer hopes to train more of the officers so they can further increase their effectiveness.

Tramonte will be awarded the Top Gun Award by the Pennsylvania DUI Association for an outstanding contribution to the enforcement of DUI laws. He will be presented with the award at the association’s 40th annual meeting Oct. 24 in Pittsburgh.

In other business, the public works department announced it will be installing “Young Lungs at Play” signs around North Catasauqua William J. Albert Memorial Park next week to prohibit smoking and vaping.

Mayor William Molchany Jr. reminded council of the upcoming Debbie Linton Memorial 5K, which will take runners and walkers through Catasauqua and North Catasauqua Oct. 12. The race is hosted by the Suburban North Family YMCA and will start at Alumni Field, 855 Walnut St.

Molchany also discussed plans for the 2020 J4 celebration, which will be held in honor of the late Joe Tagnoli. The J4 committee’s next meeting will be 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at borough hall, 1066 Fourth St.

Pete Paone, borough council president, explained his recent work in applying for various grants. Council approved resolutions for grants to install shade structures at the park, to do a trail connection study in the borough and to build the proposed retaining wall at the borough’s Main Street municipal complex.

Solicitor Steven Goudsouzian discussed with council the process of adopting a certificate of occupancy ordinance to verify buildings in the borough are in compliance with codes and suitable for occupancy. Goudsouzian noted other municipalities have had a hard time enforcing such an ordinance, adding it would require hiring an outside code enforcement agency or extra borough employees.

Paone would like to phase in the process, starting by enforcing landlord ordinances already on the books for apartments with four or more units.

At the previous meeting, borough council went into executive session to discuss ongoing litigation between the borough and the Keglovits family. Council members Joseph D. and Joseph T. Keglovits were given the option to either allow the matter to be discussed publicly or step out and let council enter a private executive session without them. They chose the latter.

Sometime between then and the Oct. 7 meeting, one member of borough council was said to have been asked by a borough road crew employee what was discussed in that executive session. Paone publicly voiced serious concern about this unprofessional exchange.