TAMAQUA - The borough council took the necessary action Tuesday toward final plans to open the H.D. Buehler Memorial Pool for the summer.
The council hired 23 part-time lifeguards and four clerks for 2014 but not without some opposition to the list of hires.
The first potential employee list was shot down by a 4-2 vote, with councilmen Tom Cara and Justin Startzel voting in favor and councilmen Micah Gursky, Dan Evans, Dave Mace and Kerry Lasky voting against it.
The council deadlocked 3-3 on a second list, with councilman Brian Connely absent. This time Gursky, Mace and Evans voted in favor while Lasky joined Startzel and Cara opposing it. Mayor Christian Morrison broke the tie by voting to approve the second list.
The council can add additional part-time people as needed.
The council also approved a starting wage of $7.25 per hour with a 25 cent increase for each year of service for returning employees, and hired Matthew Stanek as senior lifeguard at a pay rate of $10 per hour when acting as pool manager.
The last two approvals were unanimous.
In other action, the council accepted a proposal from L&S Electrical Construction Co. in the amount of $3,986 to upgrade the electrical system at the Bungalow Park Pavilion. A grant from the Morgan Foundation will pay for the work, according to Mace.
Equipment sold
The council approved selling a 1974 Diamond Reo Triaxle for parts only to Edwin L. Ziegler, Slatington, for the highest bid price of $3,310.
Also sold were a 1961 Caterpillar motor grader as is for $1,500 to Bruce W. Eberts, Andreas, and a 1992 Mercury Topaz as is for $850 to James Oliver, Tamaqua.
Two other items were approved for sale by council: a 1987 Chevrolet pickup for parts only at $450 and a Gravely riding mower as is for $200, the only bids placed on those items.
The council also approved a resolution for the Lincoln Drive sewer extension project that affects 25 commercial and residential properties.
The council's next meeting will be held May 21 due to the primary election the previous day.