Parryville Borough will soon have “Live Answer Pro” 24-hour virtual answering service through Palmerton Telephone Company as part of its efforts to “be available to constituents,” according to council President Jason Smith.

The unanimous council vote allows Administrator Nicole Beckett to determine which service plan is right for Parryville.

According to Smith, the need for “someone live to answer the phone” will aid in collecting 21 “major” delinquent solid waste accounts totaling nearly $38,000. Some “residents have not paid garbage bills for five years,” Beckett reported. She determined “major” accounts as anyone who owed over $900.

To collect the past-due debts, residents will be sent a letter reminding them of their balance, as Beckett believes a “kind approach is best.”

Residents will work directly with the waste management provider to settle accounts or establish payment plans, as the “borough cannot take payments,” Smith said. The letter will establish a deadline.

Those who do not respond to the letter will receive a certified letter from the borough’s solicitor, Robert Frycklund, outlining actions for those who fail to pay.

Smith said that it is “not fair” for “residents who’ve paid their bills quarterly to have to pay again for people who have not paid.”

Smith proposed that the council use some of its coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds to help Parryville Fire Company purchase three digital radios. According to Smith, the state “is moving to digital radios,” which “cost approximately $9,000 per radio.”

Smith reported that the fire department needs about 10 radios in addition to new portable radios. Council member Monica Kunkle will get a quote for the radios to present at the February meeting, when a vote will be taken.