Bath Borough Council President Mark Saginario called to order a livestreamed borough council meeting May 4.

It was a joint meeting for both April and May. The April meeting was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents could attend the meeting via a virtual meeting platform called Zoom.

Council voted unanimously to indefinitely extend Mayor Fiorella Reginelli-Mirabito’s disaster proclamation.

Reportedly, Bath residents understand and are complying with social distancing and wearing masks to help prevent the transmission of the virus. Bath Borough and Northampton County remain under a stay-at-home order from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. The order continues until June 4 when it will be reevaluated by Wolf.

Council acted to cancel the very popular Bath summer event called Spuds and Suds. The event was held in late August for the last four years.

It pays tribute to the dynamic potato industry and its historical significance to Bath and surrounding area potato farmers. The festival has grown in attendance each year since its inception and includes live music, vendors, crafts, food and, of course, beer.

Reginelli-Mirabito thanked all who participated in the Bells Across Pennsylvania ceremony May 3. A proclamation from Pennsylvania State Mayors Association was distributed to all Pennsylvania mayors to proclaim the special event. It honored first-line emergency responders, health care workers, grocery clerks and elected officials to help prevail over the pandemic.

Addressing the base tax period of property taxes, council moved to eliminate the penalty phase of both the real estate tax and the sanitation fee penalty.

In another council action, the parking meter ticket officer position was filled. However, the parking meter enforcement will not occur until 2021.

Parking meters have been installed at various locations throughout the borough. When the meters are active, residents have the option to use quarters or get The Mobile Now app to pay fees through their smartphone.

Council also deemed all current capital projects on hold until 2021. This includes the multiphase Bath Borough transportation improvement project. It is unclear if Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to re-engage its Route 248 realignment project. Both projects are planned to work in sync to alleviate the traffic congestion in the borough and provide more efficient routes for the large truck traffic that has plagued the borough for years.

The next Bath Borough Council meeting is June 1. Contact the borough office for the Zoom meeting call-in number, meeting ID and password.