During the March 17 Catasauqua Borough Council meeting, four residents were appointed to the Catasauqua Borough Authority, including Dale Hein, for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2030; Cameron Smith, for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2029; David Bernini, for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2028; and Robert Nolter, for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2027. The group immediately went into a meeting.

Solicitor Chuck Smith thanked the board for approving the appointments to the borough authority, so they can now finalize a pending agreement with Allen Township.

At the end of the council meeting, Hein gave a short report on what occurred at the borough authority meeting. He noted they voted on officers, with Bernini serving as chair, Nolter as vice chair and Hein as secretary/treasurer. He also reported the group signed the Allen Township wastewater EDU agreement.

In other business, council approved the agreement with Law Enforcement Accreditation Services, which provides professional consulting to law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania. David Madrak, with LEAS, attended the meeting to provide more information.

It was reported David A. Faust, a retired police chief, has been working part time with the police department since 2021 to work toward accreditation. However, council reported he has asked for help in getting everything done.

Borough Manager Glenn Eckhart reported the borough received $102,000 in grant funds to use toward getting the department accredited. These funds are reportedly not able to be used by the department directly but can be used to hire a services company such as LEAS. The grant funds are set to expire later this year, but council is looking into getting an extension.

Madrak said the LEAS proposal outlines a timeline, including a five-month review of the existing policies and benchmarks for LEAS to report monthly to borough leadership and to hold quarterly meetings for updates.

Madrak reported the goal is to help better professionalize the department and bring the accreditation culture into the department with full understanding of and support for the process. Additionally, processes and supports will be put in place to help maintain the accreditation.

In response to a question regarding the LEAS personnel accessing or seeing sensitive materials during the process, Madrak assured council all of their employees are Criminal Justice Information Services compliant, meaning they are trained and adhere to the security standards set by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to protect information and safeguard confidentiality and security.

Now that the agreement was approved, next steps include having LEAS meet with police Chief John Wiseman, who is also attending a class to help manage the accreditation process at the end of March, and Faust.

In related police department business, council President Howard Cunningham reported the borough incurred $15,936 in legal fees from the contract development for the new police chief. He moved to have that cost allocated to the police department budget. Council approved the motion.

The Remington and Vernick engineer report noted the Walnut Street stormwater culvert project was completed. Council members approved a change order for a $3,950 credit back to the borough. Council also approved the final payment certificate in the amount of $147,201.

Additionally, the 2024 Liquid Fuels Road Program work was completed. Council approved a change order of a $5,507.43 credit back to the borough. The engineer also requested payment certificates for $155,597.24 and $8,689.33 for the completed work, which were approved.

The engineer report also noted bids open April 16 for the Walnut Street paving project from 14th Street to Howertown Road.

There was discussion about the progress being made on the Greenways Trail and Recreation project for the 14th and Poplar streets pocket park. Design and planning are underway for Americans With Disability Act-compliant pathways and equipment needs. Eckhart noted the state will pay 85% of costs from a grant. Work is expected to begin soon.

Additionally, it was reported new equipment is expected to be installed at Catasauqua Park and Playground, 501 American St., including fitness and new play equipment and an inclusive play area.

A resident asked council to make sure the inclusive area is actually inclusive and recommended having a disability advocate give input. Councilwoman Tara Nicholas reported they have been meeting with a group to make sure they are getting the right equipment with proper installation and maintenance.

There was discussion about the new Race Street parking lot. It was reported Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is not opposed to the borough opening the lot to alleviate some parking woes for residents, but the work is not yet done. The crosswalk and signal device will not be installed for quite some time, but there was discussion about adding a stop sign. Additionally, not all of the ADA ramps are installed.

There was concern about the borough being vulnerable to liability if they open the lot before all of the safety features are finished. Solicitor Chuck Smith said he wanted to look into the details a bit more before making a recommendation.

Council approved a resolution with Grace Industries to enter into a month-to-month lease agreement for $300 per month for access and utilization of 247-249 Race St. for work associated with the PennDOT project. The lease is expected to last until approximately March 1, 2026.

Council also approved ordinance 1443, removing a handicapped parking space on Second Street and adding three signs at Second and Church streets.

Eckhart said they are getting a contract for municipal software for financial, billing, public works and more. The borough received a STMP grant for $159,000. This will use about $100,000 of the grant funds.

“This will do us a world of good,” Eckhart said, adding it will take a year to implement.

Cunningham said the terms of agreement of sale for the Iron Works property are just about finalized and expected to be presented at council’s April 21 meeting for approval. Plans are being made for the purchase of construction materials, and additional grants are being sought.

Councilman Gene Schlegel noted there are openings on the shade tree commission, adding that if the vacancies are not filled, the group will have to disband.

It was noted there are also vacancies on the borough planning commission and the code board of appeals. Michael Snyder was appointed to the planning commission.

Councilwoman Kim Brubaker reported Catasauqua Main Streets is planning to hold a cleanup 9-11 a.m. April 12.

Congratulations were given to Catasauqua High School athletic teams for their successes, particularly boys basketball and girls wrestling.