Speeding, Vandalism Concerns Discussed in Hellertown

The Hellertown Borough Council meeting Monday night featured discussions about traffic safety, an ongoing vandalism spree and several development projects.

Speeding Concerns Prompt Safety Discussion

Wagner Avenue resident Jeff Frankenfield opened the evening’s public comment period by sharing his concerns about speeding vehicles, which he said are endangering children near the former Wolf School at E. High and Riegel streets.

Frankenfield, who has lived on the street for many years, described dangerous conditions where young students cross Wagner Avenue from Riegel Street to reach their school bus stop.

“There’s a bunch of little kids that don’t look. They run across Wagner from Riegel…and they don’t look,” Frankenfield told council members. “There’s too many cars going too fast right now. It’s terrible.”

Police Chief James Baitinger responded that his department has already taken action by painting speed measurement lines on the roadway and increasing patrol presence. However, he explained the challenges in getting additional traffic control measures approved by the state.

“Unfortunately, you need to have a certain number of accidents with injuries to be able to get that,” Baitinger said, noting that the Wagner stretch under discussion has seen 14 accidents over the past 10 years, which he said is well below the threshold required for state-approved stop signs.

“I was expecting it to be much, much higher to be honest with you–to only have that amount was kind of surprising to me,” the chief added.

The discussion expanded when another resident advocated for electronic speed detection boards, which he said could cost between $10,000 and $20,000, according to his research.

Borough Manager Cathy Hartranft confirmed that such equipment is included in the borough’s capital budget proposal, with costs ranging from $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the boards’ features.

Police Chief Reports Vandalism Spree

Chief Baitinger delivered a stern message about an ongoing vandalism problem that has frustrated both law enforcement and residents. Someone has been smashing car windows throughout the borough, with 17 vehicles damaged so far.

“Whoever’s doing this, I can’t wait to catch you and we will catch you,” Baitinger said. “Each one of these victims are out the money. They’re taking a day off of work so that Safelite or whoever they choose can come out and replace their windows. It’s asinine.”

The chief described the vandal as using what appears to be a hammer during nighttime hours. Despite having some video surveillance, poor camera quality and limited coverage areas have hampered the police investigation.

“I couldn’t tell you if it’s a male or female” based on the footage, Baitinger said.

He urged residents to adjust their security camera settings and report suspicious activity to police immediately.

Sidewalk Tree Inventory Moves Forward

Council members received an update on the borough-wide tree inventory affecting sidewalks.

Councilwoman Gail Nolf, who participated in the inventory, described the complexity of the issue.

“One property had multiple trees affecting multiple sidewalks,” she noted.

The borough is developing a comprehensive policy that will address enforcement parameters, potential hardship assistance and clear communication with property owners. The goal is to develop a policy that will clearly define when enforcement action is triggered and provide options for property owners facing financial hardship.

Projects Move Ahead

Council approved several significant items related to ongoing or planned development and related projects.

Dewey Fire Co. Storm Water Improvements: The borough received 15 bids and awarded a $204,417 bid to Gorecon Inc. for storm water improvements behind the fire station, which is located at Tobias Drive and Durham Street. The project, which is receiving grant funding, will include new drainage infrastructure installation and repaving.

LVHN Lighting Waiver: Council granted a waiver allowing the developers of the Lehigh Valley Health Network microhospital project on Main Street near I-78 to install under-canopy lights at a 1.4-degree angle rather than the ordinance-required zero degrees. The slight pitch is necessary for water drainage and represents only a five-inch difference across the canopy span.

Budget Meetings Notice

Council will meet on the following dates to review and discuss the proposed 2026 borough budget. Meetings are open to the public and will be held in person at Borough Hall, 685 Main St., Hellertown, and via Zoom. 

• Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. – Police & Fire (In Person)
• Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. – Public Works, Parks, Liquid Fuels, Sanitation (Zoom)
• Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. – Administration, Insurance & Revenue, Library (In Person)
• Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. – Revenue & Capital (Zoom)
• Nov. 3 – Preliminary Budget Approval
• Dec. 1 – Final Budget Approval

The next regular Hellertown Borough Council meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall, on Zoom and on Facebook live.