Emmaus Borough Council held its regular meeting May 19 where a resident brought forward concerns about flooding issues on South Second Street due to a previous storm.

The resident said the street was filled with muddy water and debris caused by stormwater runoff from the new apartment complex. The borough is working to fix this issue, as Borough Manager Shane Pepe and the borough engineer are already working on plans to address the problem. The apartment complex received a violation and Pepe said the complex has been working with their own engineers to fix the situation.

A second resident from Emmaus Borough and Upper Milford Township Environmental Advisory Council thanked council for their assistance with the Earth Day cleanup. The resident also requested additional communication between the Joint EAC and council on various environmental items.

In the community minute, Mayor Lee Ann Gilbert highlighted the Veterans Memorial Park opening, stating it was a wonderful event. Council President Chad Balliet added May 20 is Election Day and encouraged residents to go out and vote.

A special presentation was delivered by Hattie Freye of the Emmaus Arts Commission, who detailed plans for the Kiwanis Mural Project at the Williams Recreation Area. The Kiwanis approved the design for the bathroom building at its April meeting and are prepared to paint the entire building.

There was push back from the parks and recreation committee on the rainbow design, stating they wanted something more community-neutral. They will adjust the rainbow design to include more greens/blues and stars, as this is dedicated to the kids at the baseball field and playground. Council conditionally approved the design, with approval of the amended design needed by the parks and recreation committee.

Council unanimously approved the May 5 meeting minutes. They then moved on to decisions on bids, approving the 2025 sanitary sewer manhole rehabilitation project to maintain and upgrade critical sewer infrastructure.

Under communications, council addressed multiple community event requests. They sent St. Ann’s Fall Fest and banner request, which will run Sept. 4-6, to the staff level. Next, Alan Sylvestre was reappointed to the recreation and entertainment commission.

The Fifth Street Cross event, held Sept. 4 through Nov. 28 on various weekend dates, was also passed to staff.

The Friends of the 1803 House’s Passport to History event was also passed to the staff level.

The borough engineer and solicitor did not have reports for council.

Under new business, council approved the first reading of Ordinance 1278, which proposes amendments to several borough parking regulations under Chapter 15 § 602.3 of the codified ordinances. This will be to add handicap parking to the parking area adjacent to 338 Main St. and delete the reserved parking at 332 Main St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays during the farmers market, as well as the north side street parking adjacent to 509 North St. The second reading will be at the next borough council meeting.

Gilbert issued two proclamations recognizing May 26 as Memorial Day (Proclamation 2025-621) and the month of May as National Preservation Month (Proclamation 2025-622), honoring veterans and the community’s ongoing efforts to protect its historical assets.

Committee reports followed, beginning with public works, which provided departmental updates on various projects and confirmed its next meeting for June 9.

The health, sanitation and codes committee announced the May 20 meeting has been canceled.

The parks and recreation committee shared notes from its May 15 meeting, announcing significant repairs had been done by the public works department to the community pool over the past month. They have been able to stop 90% of the leaking issues. They were losing over 160,000 gallons per day between the main pool and baby pool; now they are losing approximately 15,000 gallons per day. They are also requesting a grant to replace the decking at the pool bridge, as well as the other footbridge near the Groller Pavilion. The parks and recreation committee’s next session is scheduled June 19.

The public safety committee reported Patrolman Tyler Wiik had successfully completed his one-year probationary period.

Council also adopted Resolution 2025-16, approving the Lehigh Valley 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The next meeting is scheduled June 11.

General administration reviewed its May 7 meeting notes and set its next meeting for May 21.

The budget and finance committee passed Resolution 2025-17, approving the latest bill list.

Council also approved a master service agreement and business associate agreement with UCS Holdings, Inc., doing business as Valenz, offering care management, client-centric networks, claims management and assurance, payment integrity solutions and software-as-a-service products.

This will be to audit and ensure the borough is paying the right amount for its health insurance contract. The next meeting is June 4.

Community relations, planning and development shared its May 6 meeting notes and set its next meeting for June 3.

A second round of personal appeals followed, with a resident asking about the council’s approval for updates to a property he owns. Pepe said he has approved the letter he received for the property and the request is being processed.

Pepe then gave his report, announcing several personnel changes. Council approved the class advancements for public works employees Robert Leanch, Ben Harrison and Taylor Branciforte. Pepe also announced the hiring of Jeremy Yeakel-Mendez, Phillip Doherty and William Raab as part-time seasonal employees, as well as Isabel Corso as a lifeguard. Council did not need to vote on the hirings.

Balliet closed the public portion of the meeting without any items in president’s business. The meeting was then officially adjourned.

The next Emmaus Borough Council meeting will be held 6 p.m. June 2 at borough hall, 28 S. Fourth St., Emmaus.