Tamaqua Councilman Evans says goodbye

Tamaqua Borough Council said goodbye to Councilman Dan Evans Tuesday night. Evans will be stepping down at the end of the year, citing work commitments and an increased role with the CRIZ board.

He has served on the board since 2011. Over his tenure, Evans was committed to the purchase of the town’s streetlights and conversion to LED lights, a project which is slated to save the borough money and which is nearing its end stages.

Evans also made a last push to bring the housing rehabilitation loan program back from the mothballs it’s been in since 2016, when council put it on hold, citing outstanding loans and unclear guidelines.

Evans has been working with Ann Marie Calabrese, the director of community development, to have a clear understanding about what loans are currently held by the borough, and how the program could be more effectively utilized by residents of the borough to prevent blight.

Evans unveiled his recommendations at his final meeting. Citing roof repairs, energy efficiency improvements, and sewer and water line replacements as the big hitters, Evans recommended that loans not exceed $7,500 and have a term no longer than five years.

He also said that loans should be geared to help elderly residents update their homes as needed to provide handicap accessibility, whether it be in the form of ramps or first-floor bathroom facilities.

“Our goal should be keeping people in their homes,” he said.

“There also needs to be a focus on emergency repairs that really impact the bank statement,” he said, using a furnace failure or a water line break as an example. “We’re not a bank, but we’re a lender of last resort for a lot of people.”

Calabrese outlined some of the new requirements that the team suggested for the revamped loan program. Instead of looking at a credit score alone, she suggested that the application review the cause of a lower credit score. “Someone who pays all their other bills who has unpaid medical bills is different from someone who doesn’t pay any bills and who has credit card bills because they like to spend money,” she said, adding that a full credit report should be reviewed before dispensation of the loan.

Although council members still had a few outstanding questions, such as what the total cap for annual loans offered will be, most members were confident that the program will be able to be put back on the table come January.

Commending Evans’ work on the loan program and the streetlight program, Councilman Tom Cara added that Evans “has a good head on his shoulders and he has done a lot for this community.

Council President David Mace presented Evans with a farewell gift, consisting of a card thanking him for “letting his light shine on” in the community and one of the retired light fixtures. “He has been an exemplary member of council,” Mace said.