During Northampton Borough Council’s meeting May 7, council and the administration heard concerns regarding some roads in the borough.

A resident pointed out there are many potholes that need correcting.

“Potholes are all over the place,” he said.

He also asked when the yellow lines would be painted on the streets, saying the lines have not been painted in a year and a half. He also said the repairs on the stretch of road between 21st and 24th streets have not been started.

Borough Manager Brian Welsko and Assistant Borough Manager Jerry Serensits noted the pothole repair issue is being addressed, and the painting of the street lines is scheduled.

Regarding the 21st to 24th streets project, the resident was informed it is a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation project that the borough has no control over.

Mayor Anthony Pristash noted the primary function of council and his office is to maintain public safety. He noted there is one location in the borough that has a depression in the road needing repair. It has been talked about for several months without resolution, he said. Welsko and Serensits noted the issue is difficult to resolve because it involves a third-party insurance company, which has been slow at resolving the problem.

A second resident asked about recent odor complaints from a factory at the northeast corner of the borough. She asked if the business or the homes were located there first and asked how much tax income the borough receives from the “odor-emitting plant.” Welsko and Serensits said the tax question answer would need to be answered by the borough tax collector.

In other business, council voted to change the July 2 council meeting to July 1 because there is an event in Northampton July 2. Council chose to change the meeting date rather than cancel it.

Council approved the sealed proposals to provide road materials for Northampton and North Catasauqua and the Northampton Borough Municipal Authority. The successful bidder was New Enterprises Stone and Lime of Nazareth.

The Northampton Liederkranz, 402 E. Ninth St., received approval to place “no parking” signs on Siegfried Avenue from Ninth Street to Birch Court for the Liederkranz fifth annual bike night 6-10 p.m. July 11.

A Main Street resident also received permission to place “no parking” signs in front of their property May 23 for their daughter’s Sweet 16 birthday. They plan to rent a limousine and want to ensure they can park it in front of their house. They want the “no parking” signs placed for about 30-45 minutes.

Councilman Ron Knopf reported the borough’s farmers market would open for the season May 19 and runs 3-6 p.m. every Tuesday through Sept. 28.

Councilwoman Judy Haldeman commented on the status of the municipal swimming pool’s opening, planned for noon-7 p.m. June 6. She added staffing challenges might affect the schedule.

Haldeman asked if administration can contact local school districts and other municipalities to seek lifeguards and other staff for the pool season. She also thanked all for the work done to prepare for the pool opening.

Welsko noted the vandalism at the recently opened restroom at Canal Street Park will cost about $700 to repair. The plan is to keep the restrooms locked unless the park has a rental.

Welsko also reported the public works department will have three workers on duty on a Saturday to provide better service to residents. He noted borough administration plans to have the office hours extended to have an office staff member working later for residents who work between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

In her junior council report, Xuan Lam said Northampton Area School District’s Stars, Stripes and Song: A Konkrete Chorus Celebration of America’s 250th Birthday event was approaching. It was held May 27 at Municipal Park.

The next Northampton Borough Council meeting is 7 p.m. May 21 at the municipal building, 1401 Laubach Ave. Visit northamptonboro.com to review the meeting’s agenda and to access the meeting virtually.