SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - The Schuylkill Haven borough council hired a recreation director at their meeting Wednesday.
By unanimous vote, the board hired B.J. Folk, 30, of New Ringgold, as full-time recreation director at a salary of $42,500.
His first day is Monday. Folk replaces Joe Rosselli, who resigned. Rosselli worked part-time.
"I look forward to working with all of you," Folk told the council.
He started at the Schuylkill YMCA as their program operations director March 6 but submitted his resignation April 9 to the board.
"My last day is Friday," he said.
Before working at the YMCA, Folk worked as director of community relations for the Schuylkill United Way from 2012 to March of this year. Folk also worked with the Blue Mountain Recreation Commission as a recreation coordinator for six years.
"The reason I left (the YMCA) is I wanted to be a recreation director and the position is a promotion," he said.
He is a 2001 graduate of Blue Mountain High School and a 2005 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with a bachelor's degree in sport and recreation management.
He will work out of the neighborhood center and economic development office in the borough, Scott Graver, borough manager, said.
Folk said he is excited to get started in his new job.
The council also made other recreation related decisions.
They voted to have the Lion's Club gazebo at the park illuminated as Graver sees fit.
"We are having a lot of vandalism" in the area around the gazebo, council member Ruth Tucci said.
Council President Marlin Berger Jr. also commented on the issue.
"If that damage is being done to the gazebo, that's a shame," he said.
Schuylkill Haven police Chief Jeffrey Walcott said the lighting would act to discourage acts of vandalism. There are cameras in the area, but they do not provide live feed to the police department.
Borough Mayor Mike Devlin said information is recorded on a hard drive for use if necessary. The council also voted to light the basketball court near the gazebo from sundown until 10 p.m.
Graver said motion detectors for the lights will be installed in the area.
Carl Berger, economic development director, and Tucci said there will be 10 or 12 benches and 2 metal bike racks installed at The Island in the borough during the summer.
Money from a Schuylkill River Heritage Trail town grant the borough was awarded previously is paying for the additions.
In other business, the council voted to continue to fund the economic development office through the end of this year. Graver recommended this action to continue the success of the office as well as Berger's position as economic development director, which he has held since 2011.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs out in June, and money kicked in by the borough was previously used for this purpose.
After the meeting, Graver said the amount needed for the office is about $9,000 and will come out of the general fund of the borough.
In an effort to help pay for a "small sewer project," Graver will submit a grant request to the state Department of Community and Economic Development for the project. The council previously approved the request. Graver said the plan to add a reed bed, which treats biosolids, will not cost more than $150,000. He did not say for what amount the requested grant would be. The deadline to apply for the grant is May 16.
In other action, Jerry Bowman said the borough will receive a designation from the Arbor Day Society in recognition of being a "tree city" for 20 years.
Frank Snyder, a service forester with the Weiser Forest District, will present the plaque at The Island 9 a.m. Wednesday, Bowman said.