The Tamaqua borough council passed a motion at last week’s meeting to issue an emergency demolition for a portion of a building at 227 W. Broad St.

Part of the building is partially collapsed and poses a threat to neighbors and passersby.

Other business

Council also voted to enter into an agreement with Alfred Benesch & Associates to inspect the upper and lower Owl Creek Dams, which are done annually, at a cost of $4,800.

• Council voted to enter into an agreement with Coaldale to borrow a crack sealing machine used on street repairs. There will be no cost to the borough.

• David Hadesty, president of the Tamaqua Fire Police Association, sent a letter to borough council requesting assistance in filing for an LSA (Local Share Account) Grant to help the fire police get a building.

Council passed the resolution, formerly requesting the grant on behalf of the fire police association, which is the first step of the project.

• Council passed a resolution approving the 2023 Community Development Block Grant Program or CDBG Program Budget. The funds will be used for administrative purposes, and council also requested the maximum allowed for demolition. The rest of the funds will be used for street resurfacing.

“Specifically, we are looking at two blocks of Glenwood Avenue, the Lafayette Street hill from the church to the bottom of the hill, and then a portion of Hegarty Street from Lafayette to Nescopec,” Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt said.

One of the requirements to get CDBG funding is that the project is in low to middle income areas. Other streets that need paving in the borough will get funding from other sources such as Liquid Fuels funds.

The annual Tamaqua Halloween Parade will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, according to a letter borough council received from the Tamaqua Lions Club.

Rain date is Oct. 25.

Trick-or-treat in the borough will be from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, Mayor Nathan Gerace said.

“Anyone wishing to participate should be sure to turn their porch lights on,” Gerace said.

Council received a letter from Tamaqua Borough Secretary/Treasurer Tonia Collevechio regarding the upcoming Minimum Municipal Obligation payment for the borough’s pension plans.

The MMO’s are:

• Police and police pension $272,089;

• Non-uniformed employees pension plan $151,819;

• Non-uniformed design and contribution component plan $45,000.

“State aid or state contribution covers most of the MMO, and we are responsible, as the municipality, to pay what’s left,” Council President Brian Connely said. “Where other municipalities don’t pay this, Tamaqua has paid this continually each year.”

Roadwork this week