Tamaqua Borough Council hired a number of new people during Tuesday night's regular meeting, including a new part-time police officer.

Police Chief Richard Weaver introduced council members to Rachel Lenar after she was unanimously approved as a new hire. She will be sworn in at a later date, after all of the paperwork is completed.Two employees who have successfully passed their probation periods were retained. Michael Wester Jr. is a full-time plant operator at the water treatment plant, while Jordan Fegley is a full-time water distribution worker.Approved as part-time summer maintenance workers were Bernie Gigli of New Ringgold; Tyler Hollenbach, Dylan Houser, Ernest Shilko and Dylan Woods, all of Tamaqua; and Scott Zelonis of Mary D. Their salaries were set at $8 an hour, with a $0.25 per hour increase for each year of service. Other returning employees' salaries were also adjusted to reflect the increase.Several part-time lifeguards were also hired for the Bungalow Pool. They are Gabrielle Markiewicz, Christopher Miller, Hannah Perla, Kaitlyn Shlanta, Kaitlyn Stauffenberg, Sierra Szabo and Michael Witczak.In a pool-related matter, council approved entering an agreement with the American Red Cross to provide lifeguard training at the pool.A vacancy on the borough's Police Civil Service Commission was created by the recent death of longtime member Ray Bonetsky. Council hopes to fill the vacancy quickly, as the commission was given approval to review and update the civil service rules and regulations. The issue came up after Chief Weaver asked council for permission to conduct promotion exams. Anyone interested in serving on the commission should send a letter of interest to council at 320 E. Broad St., Tamaqua, PA 18252.Parking and trafficCouncilman Dan Evans made several recommendations on behalf of the parking and traffic committee. Committee Chairwoman Kerry Lasky was absent from the meeting due to a death in her family.Council approved adding handicap parking spaces at 139 Penn St. and 643 E. Broad St. A motion to install a space at 31 Hunter St. was sent back to committee for further review, after Councilman Dave Mace pointed out the borough's regulations limit such spaces to one per block, and there is already a handicap space in that block. The rules do allow for a second space on a block, if the block is more than 600 feet long.A request for a handicap space at 400 W. Broad St. was declined by the committee.Several other requests and complaints submitted to the committee will undergo further review.Public commentJoseph Salla of Owl Creek Road addressed council on several issues, including what he sees as the "uneven enforcement of the borough's Quality of Life Ordinance." He pointed out a property near his where "the entire lot is overgrown, with several trees that have fallen or are in danger of falling." It was pointed out that the lot is unimproved and therefore not subject to the ordinance.Council President Micah Gursky said, "We can't require unimproved lots, fields and forests to be maintained in any particular manner."Salla said he still felt the borough should be able to do something about the matter.He then turned his attention to the condition of Owl Creek Road, which he sees as "the worst maintained street in the borough, with potholes everywhere. It's anarchy out there. Drivers are speeding and passing illegally there constantly tractor-trailers, UPS, FedEx, Tamaqua Transfer trucks, even school buses. We need more signs, speed limit, no passing. There is a 5-ton weight limit for that road, but the sign for that was taken out in an accident and never replaced. Trucks should not be using that road as a shortcut to Summit Hill."No action was taken on his request.