At Walker’s September monthly meeting, an ordinance was discussed and approved for Wildcat Road to become a restricted road only for free use to vehicles under 13 tons.

Within the ordinance, exemptions can be provided to local delivery trucks and other special cases. The details of the exemption form were discussed Thursday night.

The agreed upon price per exemption form applicant is $25 for the administrative fee. Solicitor Riedlinger reminded the board that they can make a change to the price in the future and they can also revoke the exemption even after being approved if the township notices that the trucks are causing too much damage to the roads.

The approved companies will be able to list the license plates of the vehicles that will be using the road.

He reminded the public and the board that the point of the ordinance is to restrict damage to the road because theoretically there will be fewer heavy vehicles using it.

The signs for the road are ready but the township will advertise it five days before putting them up.

Drug issues

Before Chairman Craig Wagner of Walker Township Board of Supervisors opened the floor to public comment, he instructed the room to take a moment of silence in appreciation for the town’s fire and police departments.

At Thursday night’s monthly meeting, Ronald Farrell spoke about the drug issues affecting the township. He said needles and baggies full of heroin were found near his house near Meadow Lane.

“It’s no big secret we have a drug problem,” Farrell said. “But everyone needs to know about when (drug paraphernalia shows up).”

Chief of Police Doug Springer was contacted during the meeting to ask about roadside DUI stops. Farrell suggested it earlier in the meeting due to the likelihood they would catch more than alcohol at the stops.

Wagner supported the idea of the DUI checkpoints but he wasn’t sure if the checkpoint would have to be located on a state route. Solicitor Chris Riedlinger said he didn’t know how the process worked to initiate the checkpoint.

The topic of payment also raised concern to township residents and the board. Near the end of the meeting, officer Springer got in contact with the board members to inform them that a DUI checkpoint wouldn’t be cost-effective due to the township’s responsibility to then pay for the officers needed to carry out the procedure.

Not only that, Wagner said of Springer’s text, but there’s not enough traffic flow to do it.

Road work

A line painting project that will cost roughly $3,000 will begin within the coming weeks. There are two areas that will be worked on which include sections that township workers lined and chipped on Valley Road and Mountain Road.

Secretary Ann Ostergaard mentioned noticing other roads within the township that have faded lines. Wagner responded by saying the two roads mentioned in the project will be the only two worked on for lines for now.

Felty said he will also be completing work on Wildcat Road for crack sealing and filling in shoulders.

On Shady Lane, Felty said he and his team are trying to extend the shoulder so there is no drop at the crossing just past Meadow Lane. He is putting in concrete blocks near the waterway and planning on widening the road while inputting a better guide rail system.

“They’re putting wing walls on, putting bricks around it and sometime next week, putting concrete pads and filling it with dirt,” Wagner said.

Felty said he is planning in putting the concrete pads with dirt on Tuesday.

Flood plain ordinance

Walker Township is looking at its floodplain ordinance as part of a countywide project. It is uncertain if anything will be changed.

Ostergaard said if a township fails to send in an updated copy of the ordinance, it would prevent that township from getting grants and other monetary help as well as cause residents to lose out on flood insurance.

She said the township will be working on it over the next few months. She said she already started the process by pulling copies of past maps and copies of old versions of the ordinance.

Upcoming dates

• Trick-or-treat night will take place at the New England Fire Company on 7 Miller Lane in Tamaqua on Oct. 29 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

• Township budget meetings are set for 7 p.m. Oct. 15 and 6:15 p.m. Nov. 5.