Emmaus Council Gets an Earful of Complaints

Emmaus Borough Council heard complaints this week about baseball stadium funding, dirty picnic tables at Community Park and a shuttered food stand for park concert goers.

“A lousy coke machine” was the only food or refreshments available Sunday at the first concert of the summer, said an angry Jo Sandrovitz, head of the park’s summer concert series. The food stand was closed. “Either you get somebody in there…or I can get a caterer,’’ she told council at its Monday night meeting.

The Emmaus Youth Association runs the park food stand and did not have volunteers to open it Sunday evening because EYA people were out of town at the state baseball championships that day, explained councilman Wesley Barrett, who said it was a "unique" situation that should not happen again. “It’s shame it was not open,” EYA Chairman John Eyer told council, but he said the problem will be resolved and there was no need to criticize EYA volunteers.

Sadrovitz said the closed food stand during concerts was also a problem last year.

Picnic tables at the park also need to be cleaned, said resident Richard Gerhart. “It’s ridiculous to see the condition of those tables. I wouldn’t sit down to eat at those tables.”

Councilman Brent Labenberg said temporary summer workers should refurbish the tables.

Gerhart also complained that the EYA turns on the baseball field lights while there is still plenty of sunshine. “If the EYA has that much money then give it back. It’s just a waste of money.” Gerhart said police also need to patrol the park more frequently and people are parking on the grass.

Also joining the complaint forum was Marshall Rau, a longtime youth baseball supporter, who questioned council on why budget money was transferred from the baseball field improvements project to the police department for a new computer system. Borough Manager Craig Neely explained that some of the $100,000 bond money allocated for the baseball field was spent on expensive engineering studies for the field and so the remainder was used for the police computer system.

Rau asked if the police agreed to the money transfer. “I don’t think the police would take that money if they knew it was for the kids.”

Resident and council candidate John Donches, defended the money transfer, claiming that the police computer system and other public safety needs are more important than a ballfield. “There are lots of places where the money is needed, not wanted,” he told council.

Frank Sadrovitz asked why it was taking so long for the borough to display the civil war flag. Councilman Michael Waddell explained that the flag display will be part of a larger historical display the borough is creating.

In other business, the Emmaus General Authority last week granted the borough’s request for $78,400 to buy a . The new ambulance, along with the police computer system was on council’s annual “wish list” to the authority. The ambulance money came from earnings on the authority’s $675 million investment account, one of the largest such accounts in the state, authority chairman Richard Gerhart told Patch.

Council also approved a first reading of an ordinance to borrow $150,000 that would be used toward the purchase of a new $624,000 aerial fire truck for the . The borough will pay most of the new truck cost, according to councilmember Erick Reinhard, who said the fire department will sell the old ladder truck and contribute those proceeds for the new ladder truck.

Waddell reported that unlicensed solicitors came to his house recently and he advised residents to demand to see the white solicitor badge that solicitors have to obtain from the borough. “There are bad people out there,” he warned and said residents should call police at 965-0722 to report unlicensed solicitors.

Waddell also said when residents see a non-handicapped vehicle parked in the handicapped space at the post office they should take a picture of the vehicle and license plate and send it to the police department so the violators can be prosecuted. “It’s just rude behavior,”’ Waddell said.

He also reported that 17 new namesake bricks were placed at the Remembrance Park for veterans from the World War II through the Iraq war.

Council awarded a $38,716 contract to Zgura Concrete of Emmaus, who was the lowest qualified bidder for curb and sidewalk repair. Advanced Excavating and Snow Removal of Allentown was the other qualified bidder at $49, 492.