Emmaus Borough Council met March 16 at borough hall, opening the evening session at 6 p.m. with the call to order and the Pledge of Allegiance before hearing from residents during the first portion of personal appeals and the community minute.

Resident Craig Neely addressed council regarding the recently enforced “no bag pickup” policy under the borough’s refuse and recycling program.

Neely urged council to focus on funding tangible benefits that directly improve residents’ quality of life rather than prioritizing new technology or additional municipal assets.

Neely spoke at length about the importance of maintaining small but meaningful services, emphasizing conveniences such as bag pickup play a role in preserving the overall quality of life for borough residents.

There was a second resident who spoke up in support of Neely’s request to reimplement the bag service. This would help many residents who struggle with transporting their yard waste. Council thanked them for their contributions but did not address the topic following their comments.

Council then approved the minutes from its March 2 meeting before addressing two items under decisions on bids. Members approved a contract for bituminous seal coating work, part of the borough’s annual road maintenance program that helps extend the life of pavement by sealing surface cracks and protecting against weather damage. Council also approved financing for a paving machine, a piece of equipment that will support future street maintenance and public works operations.

Under communications, council received an application from Jackie Pursell to volunteer with the Emmaus Arts Commission. This was passed to the committee level.

Council also acknowledged a letter from resident Dylan Cawman expressing concerns related to potential data center development.

The correspondence was received and entered into the record for consideration as discussions around large-scale technology infrastructure continue to arise in communities across the region.

There were no items mentioned in the mayoral, borough engineer or solicitor’s report. There were also no items under unfinished or new business requiring action, so council moved forward with regular reports and committee updates.

The public works committee reported on its March 9 meeting and outlined upcoming discussions related to infrastructure and maintenance priorities.

The health, sanitation and codes committee and the parks and recreation committee each confirmed their next meeting dates as they continue to oversee development, environmental health and recreational programming.

The public safety committee presented an inter-municipal mutual aid agreement, which council approved to strengthen cooperation between Emmaus and neighboring municipalities, specifically Salisbury Township, during emergencies.

Such agreements allow police, fire and emergency responders to assist one another across jurisdictional boundaries when additional resources are needed. The committee also submitted meeting notes from its March 11 session and confirmed its next meeting date.

Under general administration, council accepted recent meeting notes and confirmed its upcoming meeting schedule.

The budget and finance committee presented Resolution 2026-12 approving the borough’s bill list, which council adopted. Members also reviewed significant revenues and expenses for the first half of March and accepted meeting notes from the committee’s previous session.

The community relations, planning and development committee confirmed its next meeting date, while council received board and commission reports including meeting minutes from the community garden commission and the historical commission, providing updates on local gardening initiatives and preservation efforts.

During the borough manager’s report, council addressed several personnel matters involving the borough’s ambulance department. Members accepted the resignation of Sara Heyman, effective March 9 and also received a resignation letter from Jordan Meyer. Council further approved the termination of employment for Mariellen Kehler. Officials acknowledged the staffing changes and indicated that maintaining emergency medical services coverage remains a priority.

Following another call for personal appeals, the meeting concluded with adjournment. Emmaus Borough Council will hold its next regular meeting 6 p.m. April 6 at Emmaus Borough Hall, 420 S. 10th St, Emmaus.