At the March 5 Northampton Borough Council meeting, Tri-Boro Sportsmen Club leader Chris Bodner addressed council during the hearing of persons present agenda item, explaining what Tri-Boro has done to address the alleged bullets flying from the club’s gun range into a nearby neighborhood.

About a year ago, residents approached council about an allegedly disturbing number of bullets flying through the neighborhood. The residents said the bullets were coming from the Tri-Boro Sportsmen Club gun range nearby.

Borough leadership and the Northampton Police Department investigated and worked with Tri-Boro to understand the issues.

Bodner said the club has made a number of changes and adjustments to eliminate the situation.

Bodner noted the gun range backstop, or berm, has been enlarged. The club also installed cameras at the range to monitor shooting behavior. A new gate box was installed, so shooters who may no longer be club members but still have a key to access the range will have to renew their membership.

Additionally, all members who use the gun range must take a range training education that includes shooting safety at the Tri-Boro gun range. The club also coordinated a reporting mechanism, so if anyone using the range finds someone misusing or violating safe shooting behavior, they can anonymously report the issue.

Bodner concluded by noting the club has long-term plans to further isolate the gun range by building a wooden wall above the shooting berm, planting evergreen trees behind the range and installing an electronic entrance utilizing a key card to track who was using the range and when.

Bodner thanked council for working with the club to address the alleged issues at the range. Bodner said he has been submitting weekly reports to the police chief and borough manager for about a year, which have now been reduced to a monthly report.

Council thanked Bodner for his and the club’s efforts and ongoing work addressing and monitoring the gun range.

In other business, council discussed possibly altering the fee waivers for nonprofits renting borough park pavilions. As the discussion developed, it became clear the issue is more complex and required more time to find the best, fairest solution. Council then voted to table action on a new waiver fee schedule for park use, pending further discussion.

Northampton police Officer Robert Lindsey submitted his resignation effective immediately, which was accepted by council.

Following the lead of council President Julia Kutzler, council passed a motion to advertise the opening and engage the police civil service process as soon as possible to ensure a new police officer is promptly hired.

Council approved the hiring of two light equipment operators for the borough’s public works department.

Paw Prints on the Canal was approved to use Canal Street Park and the borough’s portable band trailer June 14 for the 17th annual event, set for 11 a.m.-4 p.m. It is a rain-or-shine event that benefits Northampton Police Department’s K-9 unit.

Northampton Area School District requested and received permission for the assistance of borough fire police for the Northampton Area High School commencement. The graduation is planned for 7:30-9 p.m. May 29 at Al Erdosy Stadium. The rain dates are May 30 or 31.

Wildlands Conservancy and Northampton County Parks and Recreation received council permission to hold a snorkeling program in the Lehigh River at the borough’s Canal Street Park from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 14.

AARP requested a waiver of the fee to use the borough’s 26th Street Park for a summer gathering. The request was tabled pending the resolution of the change of the park fee structure regarding nonprofit organizations.

Council appointed Mayor Anthony Pristash to be the delegate and Councilwoman Bonnie Almond as the alternate delegate to the upcoming annual Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs conference.

In her building, land and recreation committee report, Councilwoman Judy Haldeman noted March 2 was the opening day for resident park permit reservations. She added the annual Easter egg hunt will be held 11 a.m. March 28 at Municipal Park, Smith Lane and Laubach Avenue.

Haldeman said applications for pool employment are available at the borough office. She also said the upgrades to the pool piping and electrical systems are scheduled to take place within the next few weeks.

The next borough council meeting is set for 7 p.m. March 19 at the municipal building, 1401 Laubach Ave. It is a hybrid meeting, with both in-person and virtual options. Visit northamptonboro.com to review the meeting’s agenda and to access the meeting virtually.