The Nazareth Borough Council meeting on Monday, August 5 began with two concerns from residents regarding the proposed cost of temporary parking permits for those residing within the bounds of the new “resident permit parking only” ordinance in certain areas of the school zone and concerns regarding enforcement of the newly designated permit parking zones for individuals illegally parked in these areas.
Several council members agreed that enforcing a $10 fee for every temporary parking permit seems excessive, so council decided to table the resolution and send it to the Police Committee for discussion about possible alternatives. Possible suggestions included providing residents with a select number of temporary passes initially and an online portal where residents could print out temporary daily passes free of charge to display on guests’ dashboards.
Additionally, Police Chief Randall Miller expressed that the department currently has one day-shift part-time officer who has been tasked with an earlier start time to devote to parking enforcement in the newly zoned permitted parking areas. Signs will be up before the start of the school year to prevent students, parents and teachers from parking in zoned areas, although council, Miller and residents agreed that it would take some time and enforcement once school begins to deter illegal parking in those areas.
During consideration of agenda items, the following public property motions were approved unanimously: the placement of scarecrows in the Circle by the Girl Scouts beginning September 15 through the first week of November; the request of Nazareth Area Youth Baseball for use of specified fields for fall baseball beginning August 15 through November 1; for the 2025 Adult Soap Box Derby to be held on June 7, 2025 on West Prospect Street; revision of the Park rules to restrict the use of electric bikes, scooters, mini-bikes or similar type vehicles to parking lot areas only; and the placement of signs in the Circle for 30 days by the Nazareth Ice Hockey Club.
The following public property resolutions were also approved unanimously: certification for the borough’s endorsement of a 2024 Northampton County Public Safety Grant to be filed by the Nazareth Regional Ambulance Corps seeking funding for the purchase of a Lucas 3 Chest Compression device; certification for the borough’s endorsement of a 2024 Northampton County LSA Grant to be filed by the Nazareth Regional Ambulance Corps seeking $75,000 in funding for the purchase of a new Ford T350 transport van; and certification for the borough’s endorsement and sponsorship of a 2024 Monroe County LSA Grant authored and sought by the Nazareth Regional Ambulance Corps for funding for a new transport ambulette.
Under finance, council unanimously approved designation of Councilman/Police Chairman Carl A. Fischl, President Daniel Chiavaroli, Pension Plan Administrator/Treasurer/Secretary Paul Kokolus and Assistant Secretary Treasurer Theresa Fedele as designated signers for Truist Bank Police Pension Plan transactions, a resolution that certifies Truist Bank and the new borough signers to verify transactions for cash and wire transfers and investment management directions and decisions involving the Police Pension Plan where Truist Bank Wealth Management is the trustee, authorization of the $50,000 pool/park money deposit into the existing PLGIT daily account at 5.11% and authorization of the $120,000 sanitation money deposit into the existing PLGIT daily account at 5.11%.
Next, the following police agenda items were approved unanimously: submission of a 2024 Monroe County LSA Gaming Grant seeking $54,832 in funding for a 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe police SUV; use of the Park on October 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Cars and Coffee event; a handicapped parking spot on South Church Street; an agreement between the borough and the Police Association to provide payment of the acting supervisor wage; direction for the Civil Service Commission to begin the examination process and establish an eligibility list of candidates for the patrol officer position; the hiring of William Grucela, Eileen Kraft and Joan Reinert as substitute crossing guards; advertisement for a regularly scheduled part-time parking enforcement officer; and to sell the 1999 Ford Econoline van for $1,000.
The police report for the month of July included 363 total police activity/calls for service, 34 crimes reported and investigated, 26 criminal arrests, six drug-related crimes, three Part 1 offenses, 120 traffic citations, 85 warnings issued, three reportable accidents, 10 non-reportable accidents and 238 total parking tickets issued for the month.
Under law, council unanimously approved the following items: a parking ordinance amendment to identify the specific streets in the school zone subject to resident permit parking or other parking restrictions; an amendment to the parking ordinance to establish a program for “resident permit parking only” in certain areas of the school zone; a parking ordinance amendment to delete Section 15-411, which prohibits selling or repairing vehicles on a borough street to be revised and replaced; a resolution establishing a $30 fine for a parking violation under the borough’s resident permit parking ordinance; and a resolution approving an amendment to the Nazareth Borough Municipal Authority’s articles of incorporation that extends the authority’s term of existence to Aug. 1, 2074.
Under fire, council unanimously approved a donation of $250 to the Nazareth Special Fire Police for their assistance with traffic control on Nazareth Day, trick-or-treat night in the borough on Thursday, October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. and recommendation of Mike White to the governor to become the borough’s new emergency management director through the end of the year.
Additionally, the fire chief’s report for the month of July included 34 service calls, which included 15 fire alarms, five motor vehicle accidents, two wire problems, two EMS assists, one rubbish fire, one industrial fire, one carbon monoxide alarm, one high-occupancy fire, two dwelling fires, one police department assist, one spill, two move-up assignments and 11 mutual aid calls.
The next Nazareth Borough Council workshop meeting will be held Thursday, August 29 and the next regular monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 3 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers.
