Nesquehoning residents continue to ask if anything can be done about the growing problem of off-road vehicle noise, as well as people shooting off guns on the Broad Mountain.

Terry Snyder, who lives in the Hauto Valley Estates portion of the borough, asked council last week what is being done with the excessive noise from the recreational vehicles, tractor-trailers using Jake brakes on Route 54 and most concerning, shooting on land closer to residential areas.

“It’s getting out of control,” he said, noting that this is every weekend anymore. “I can’t sit on my back porch, can’t even watch TV without hearing loud vehicles or gunshots, fireworks at night.”

He said that this isn’t residents doing this, it is out-of-towners who come in and party and destroy the area.

“Something needs to be done,” Snyder said, asking if police can sit up in the problem area more often.

Mayor Tom Kattner said that he can have an officer look at the tractor-trailers using Jake brakes when they aren’t supposed to, but there is not much that can be done with the recreational vehicles once they are off Park and Industrial avenues because they are going on private property.

He added that if the borough would raise taxes for an additional two to three officers, then he could post officers along the road to catch offenders all the time, but right now, the officers on staff have enough other cases to keep them busy.

Snyder said he doesn’t mind all the visitors, but asked if an ordinance could be made for the loud mufflers, especially because those are the ones that cause the most disturbances.

“There’s one guy down here every week, back and fourth on the Haul Road all day long,” he said.

Kattner said he gets it because he hears it too, but unless the borough gets permission to go onto the private property or the property owner says they want the people off, the borough’s hands are tied.

Council President David Hawk echoed Kattner, saying the biggest problem is the borough not owning the property or the road from Industrial up to Fourth Hollow, near the solar park.

“That road up is entirely on private property. The borough does not own any portion of that road,” he said.

Snyder then asked about the gunshots, wanted to know why people are allowed to shoot near a residential area.

Councilman Lou Paul said that the residents have to come together and talk to the property owners and say “No more.”

“We’re not going to send police officers up there with a target on their back,” Paul said. “And that’s what is going to happen. I won’t send any of our cops up their by themselves because you know what is going to happen. But I agree with you 100 percent. You have to go to the landowner.”

He said that this was happening in New Columbus and the residents went to the property owner, who then shut it down by blocking off the area, telling the borough they don’t want it happening and posting it.

Paul added that he spoke to one of the landowners and she is aware of it and she would talk to her family regarding the concerns of the residents over the off-roading.

“They’re going to make an attempt to try and correct something,” he said.

Borough Solicitor Robert Yurchak gave Snyder a copy of a draft ATV ordinance that the borough is working on and a meeting would be set up with the police and borough officials to work on getting it tweaked to what is needed.

Hawk said that the borough is aware of the problem and is working to try and come up with solutions to help the residents.