[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6161404,"mediaKeyId","5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5","parentId",5441900,"title","Council approves trail agreement with Wildlands Conservancy to connect park shelter area","audioSeconds",134,"startMs",3607000,"endMs",3741000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5&start=3607&end=3741","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5/thumbnail_3607000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6161404/Emmaus/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Council-approves-trail-agreement-with-Wildlands-Conservancy-to-connect-park-shelter-area","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161404-46e7c6246a8dc695d3aacf094ccdb394/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128064&Signature=E0QFdha-xaciqgVTiT8zCoNKcTH1q34Q0L2k9qR~cWM8pIghAZZEC-oyl4Qm4M6wEOImJAuE0KpovYWDB9v1fvS144pbA8Br-YOTeU~abXb6fo-zYdhEG9CTVK2gsSApZmlsNPh8PWbodtPQgoe7XQkMwE10M1JuH~ItyrL4bSBnluSCMMj7PjHPbvvDkGO-KLwJastbRFdzq6RyrWIXfHn~cWIBMysTzOOiRB0VSBNJjmlI6TPT6jL3rhvOVHdBGRtcNQ~qe6w~AQ2vt0wwKGoDqNrNIdDrPTeAFpCKlJ31sokwFaOpFHYp0nTB7d372Y5Fug1~q2WOMCLkIwK0Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Emmaus Borough, PA","date","2025-07-22T13:42:18Z","article","Emmaus Borough Council on Monday approved a trail agreement with the Wildlands Conservancy that will allow a conservancy-built trail to cross borough property near the park shelter house and connect to existing conservancy trails on the mountain.

Councilmember Ladenburg moved approval and Miss Watt seconded; the motion passed by voice vote with seven ayes. Parks and recreation committee members reported the agreement and recommended council approval.

Council members said the conservancy’s project will increase public trail access and the borough will retain rights and conditions established in the agreement; staff will administer implementation details and any required conditions in coordination with the conservancy and borough engineer.

No objections were recorded and staff will handle next steps per the signed agreement.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Council Meeting 07/21/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Emmaus Borough Council approved a trail agreement allowing the Wildlands Conservancy to construct a trail that will connect the conservancy’s mountain properties across borough land near the shelter house; council voted in favor with no opposing votes.","taxTitle","Emmaus, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania","taxId",71513,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161410,"Council conditionally approves lot-line adjustment for downtown properties; borough declines 2-foot donation",350,3304000,3654000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5&start=3304&end=3654","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5/thumbnail_3304000.jpg","/articles/6161410/Emmaus/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Council-conditionally-approves-lot-line-adjustment-for-downtown-properties-borough-declines-2-foot-donation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161410-2a8f71746172420d4524e673cd7c6ed7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128064&Signature=lXL7cLC~uneTBNMZplQCGRu2IlOcdGb2Vr3qcuavuPrTxBkXTXCN1cy2g4vYzU9sxeZxeE0Ix33M1rNuMd1wcRiAwrRlsbsSgn4aW34liqOMFmsojtNuxk24dIfCRUJMmx~RJAebJVCJVbD5z0zEVjM9czeApa~alUQKotf5z1IBXXwO6bztLi5Wj0RqbeUQWdJUR~PO7av6Mo7c6tYHc89ZVLgLLAjsJNru3cjBTvtJPQ3Vg3i02GP~UlosaS9n5ym3HiKhAZApaMMLf4FA8Gm87fgxR~CczA7qPjSCHCrvRd14NXMsP8DO7WJhDyH-GLNjwloEaqHDO4Hh2irYDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Emmaus Borough Council on Monday conditionally approved a revised lot-line adjustment plan affecting 160–162 Main Street, 150 Main Street and 102 Garden Court, with the planning commission’s recommendation and subject to conditions. The applicants, including Philip Siebert and George Anderson, were present at the meeting.

Councilmember Brown moved approval; the motion passed by voice vote with seven ayes. The planning commission’s conditional recommendation had included a small proposed donation of a narrow strip of land to the borough; borough staff and council declined that offer, saying the two-foot strip offered no public utility, would create tax-exempt property and add maintenance obligations.

Borough solicitor and staff explained the parcel is not large enough to provide public access or sewer service and that accepting it would create administrative and maintenance costs for little community benefit. The applicants were advised to coordinate with borough staff and counsel on plan modifications for recording.

The conditional approval allows the applicants to proceed with sale and recording steps once they finalize plan revisions with the borough and their counsel.","Council granted conditional approval for a revised lot-line adjustment involving properties on Main Street and Garden Court and declined a small offered strip of land because the borough said it would add maintenance without public use.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161415,"Emmaus council hires new emergency services director and deputy after executive session",91,2524000,2615000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5&start=2524&end=2615","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5/thumbnail_2524000.jpg","/articles/6161415/Emmaus/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Emmaus-council-hires-new-emergency-services-director-and-deputy-after-executive-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161415-e6893a2d0563eb441f55b50b00862ba8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128064&Signature=aZAGeTpZCJ4aWSV8iwclk8Lnpd-PeB2ZrV9mUbmONuXeyDdfjyjSV40SWYODEPV4BQ~Q8cqyxO~KZmB9AZysy3LgJnUjSEf2T7hbZ-2fLtYid5nPFfkSAJkvVrP2V7~6L-~7jo5HHppIJCpbQdNO6XGbEiNhA8H0RwCgAVAv4UuhuHj2Xu9vH3XDjiookSMzLhy7S-KQLz4IKWmWtLgJG3entqT335UZlt6MiYEKN4-c4uSVYKYcXb5cAbuy-c7CkaBxVDrTSuKt1FASCaFpdV84efXm7WRUvQ5fyaNx1Z2rk7N~qpm9pEngw4rPeI7-oSZt-off6kNBb6~o3k6wAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","After an executive session Monday night, Emmaus Borough Council voted to hire Keith Miller as director of emergency services and fire chief at a prorated salary of $99,000 and to hire Adam Priest as deputy director of emergency services and ambulance chief at a prorated salary of $95,000.

The hires were moved and seconded from the dais and approved by voice vote with council recording “seven ayes.” Councilmember Ladenburg moved Miller’s appointment and Baumgartner seconded; Ladenburg moved Priest’s appointment and Baumgartner seconded.

Council also approved several personnel actions recommended by borough management. Council voted to retain Brianna Falco as a full-time employee in the fire department after a successful probationary period, and approved a public-works pay-class advancement for Ben Harrison to Class 4. Borough manager announcements included hires of part-time EMT Emma Schilling, part-time firefighter Danielle Himes (previously a part-time EMT) and part-time firefighter John Simonik Jr., and a note that part-time police officer Al Klaus would move to an auxiliary policing role.

The council’s motions were presented as personnel decisions after the executive-session interviews and were approved by council without recorded opposition. The borough manager said the appointment process included interview steps conducted in executive session; council did not disclose interview details during the public meeting.

Council directed staff to proceed with onboarding and stated salary amounts for the two leadership hires would be prorated and implemented according to borough payroll procedures.","Following an executive-session interview, Borough Council voted to hire Keith Miller as director of emergency services and fire chief and Adam Priest as deputy director and ambulance chief. Council also approved several personnel actions in fire and public works.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161419,"Emmaus Rotary: summer fest raised less than $10,000; local food need up this summer",384,86000,470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5&start=86&end=470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5/thumbnail_86000.jpg","/articles/6161419/Emmaus/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Emmaus-Rotary-summer-fest-raised-less-than-10000-local-food-need-up-this-summer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161419-9760f0b35f3f11eb43b788b10c965522/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128064&Signature=W2fDV6XmIggRSE34IzLfTGYgrQzzS4EpFdfJ-Isib2WhVJYbjB4S2J4icmzKV8MZVctcBe5k3YDyxu~xUKlFN8iN1mA5MGDkNkayLnb-rVA1wbDhsF29sria8hoTkyKNfBkORI8uGAso5RqZRplPa17iyVaf~NWvn7LhcowoNgPH4wXdXPCzVZZxiUoyGPGGHCJ4Y916j4sswCXV-lq061fzKDixaBk1YbP5g45xEcukkNnyxAlujnNNatHi~S8rvkrEmuS9mwBHSiRdX5Jmj5TPxfL~FfMDpRY00V08~OCVqzUfNCyverwSabuOyEWr1yBdiicyWXa~E2Ko0vV7hA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Emmaus Rotary leaders on Monday briefed Borough Council on the group’s first summer festival and on rising local food needs. Cindy Horniman, a Rotary member, said weather reduced attendance and revenue: the club set a $30,000 fundraising goal but “made a little bit less than $10,000.”

HORNIMAN: “We cannot thank the borough of Emmaus, the ambulance, and the police department for all of the cooperation and true community working together that we had while planning and implementing the first of, we hope, our many festivals.”

Horniman told council the club will donate proceeds to area service groups including the East Penn Food Coalition and warned that demand for food assistance has increased this summer. She said weekly food distributions that had dropped from about 120 bags in peak months normally to 40–50 in summer have instead been near 66 recently, which she described as roughly a 20% increase compared with the expected summer drop.

The Rotary said it plans to begin preparations early for next year and suggested fixing a date (they mentioned the idea of June 6) to avoid conflicts with Memorial Day weekend. Horniman also said the club will mark its 100th anniversary during the coming Rotary year and is pursuing a large Rotary Foundation global grant in partnership with the Emmaus Public Library to renovate the library entrance.

Council members and staff thanked the Rotary volunteers and suggested additional fundraising ideas, including events that could draw visitors to the borough and a fun run/walk.

The Rotary asked council for no formal action at the meeting; council members expressed appreciation and encouraged continued planning and coordination with borough staff.
","Emmaus Rotary leaders told council their inaugural summer festival fell short of a $30,000 goal because of poor weather, raising under $10,000. Club leaders said they will continue fundraising to support the East Penn Food Coalition and plan a centennial library renovation project tied to a Rotary Foundation global grant.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161424,"Emmaus council hears MPS automated parking-enforcement presentation; no decision tonight",1943,533000,2476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5&start=533&end=2476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441900-5efa9499c1509c754b54c4ac788469f5/thumbnail_533000.jpg","/articles/6161424/Emmaus/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Emmaus-council-hears-MPS-automated-parking-enforcement-presentation-no-decision-tonight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161424-ac98e3a8de306c9c4150182996bec33e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128064&Signature=aqfiLsU440emjuNB5WWedt5-~96QnfYeJ7keScvNcBDgDslYiWqCANN3fKUMOB8lnR7sCr1xk0xQzsgzrqrlcIFbTvqfTAkOFknwqAOxHSrS-DfelnroDasdMSz5Fdq1W1k2ZeFf6hW7BMXfTWXoxSkiF6JrkUu3QvOjiAZmVpVEFQxup23Nyj8ns~V2kaVnZ731bU84fckJj-AWeLNrQ8GrUlcAL9SNDS0Pi4oPR2PYkW9wW89oxnzIzdGz6TVz5Aqy8sX01cpINb7uGCe3EtXDI7l7UnDNoFMUqDCU0X9Bs8FMUQENfjqJ~icE9Pe9fiZ67qA3isMyTtVTLU3dpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Emmaus Borough Council on Monday heard a presentation from Ken Wallins of Municipal Parking Services (MPS) on a solar-powered, data-driven parking-enforcement system but made no decision. The company described how cameras capture time-stamped photographic evidence of parking violations and how officers would review and approve potential citations.

The system, Wallins said, is designed to “allow officers to do this asynchronously” and create a deterrent effect through visible devices and persistent enforcement. He described the company’s business model as a license fee per device, “about $150 to $200 per month for each device on average,” plus a revenue-sharing arrangement when citations are issued.

Deputy Chief Hampshire and other council members pressed on operational details and legal timelines. Hampshire and staff confirmed that, under state practice cited in the meeting, parking notices should be mailed within 72 hours of a captured violation and that a citation could be filed later if the mailed notice is not paid. Wallins described a four-step workflow in which the device uploads an image to the cloud, a quality-check is performed, officers review items in a web interface and approved violations generate evidence packages for mailing.

Council members focused on costs and contract terms. Wallins said the company’s standard agreement runs five years with automatic renewal but that pricing and operational details were “boilerplate” and subject to negotiation or clarification for a smaller borough. He said municipalities keep discretion to remove devices or relocate them if a device’s measured performance is low, and the company said it could deactivate devices seasonally without removing hardware.

Specific financial details discussed included the roughly $150 monthly per-device baseline and a 40 percent share of citation revenue to the company when the firm handles mailing and payment processing. Wallins said the $150-per-device average assumed steady volumes; in a hypothetical example he used a $25 ticket and said the vendor’s revenue per citation would be about $10, implying about one citation every two days per device to meet that baseline.

Council members also asked about minimum device counts and flexibility. Wallins said the company prefers deployments of at least about 10 devices for practical purposes in a small borough but would consider smaller deployments and monthly terms after an initial period. He noted some municipalities deactivate devices in off seasons to avoid paying for inactive months.

No motion or vote was taken. Mayor and council confirmed the proposal will return to the public safety committee for further discussion and possible contract negotiations. Council members asked staff to obtain clarifications about minimum financial exposure, seasonal deactivation, and how the borough would handle low-performing devices.

If the borough advances the proposal it may negotiate contract language to clarify minimum fees, seasonal deactivations, and administrative responsibilities such as printing and mailing violations.","Representatives from Municipal Parking Services described a solar-powered camera system that timestamps and photographs parking violations, outlined a license-fee and revenue-share model, and answered council questions on costs, contract length and legal timelines. Council referred the item to the public safety committee for further review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves trail agreement with Wildlands Conservancy to connect park shelter area

Council conditionally approves lot-line adjustment for downtown properties; borough declines 2-foot donation

Emmaus council hires new emergency services director and deputy after executive session

Emmaus Rotary: summer fest raised less than $10,000; local food need up this summer

Emmaus council hears MPS automated parking-enforcement presentation; no decision tonight