After years of planning, Quakertown Borough will have a mural placed downtown to highlight notable historic photos and properties of the area.

                Quakertown Alive's Main Street Manager Naomi Naylor presented a small scale version of the new mural during council's Aug. 3 meeting. The mural will be placed at the intersection of Branch and W. Broad Street. Motorists travelling west will have full view of the painting after three trees at the location are removed.

                "Council is very enthusiastic; looking forward to the actual presentation of the mural," Council President Jim Roberts said.

                Quakertown Alive! plans to present the progression of the mural at the borough's fifth annual Brew Fest scheduled for Aug. 20 at the train station on Front Street.

                The mural was designed by artist Jared Bader, well-known for painting murals in the Philadelphia area.

                Quakertown Alive! and its design committee also presented borough officials with a check for $5,000 coming from a façade grant totaling $50,000. The grant was obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and will be used toward the construction costs for the police department's Sally port expansion.

                In other business, the newest member to council, Jon Roth, who is replacing Dave Erwin after his recent resignation, was sworn in and seated at the dais.

                Roth brings years of experience as planning commission chair and now will take over as chair for the planning and zoning committee. Councilwoman Lisa Gaier will move from planning and zoning committee chair to public utilities committee chair.

                Officials also approved a memorandum of understanding with the Quakertown Community School District regarding a new electronic sign to be constructed at the high school, 600 Park Ave., as well as the advertisement of a maintenance and abandoned properties ordinance. The purpose of such an ordinance would create a registration process for any house that goes into mortgage default.

                The next scheduled borough council meeting is on Aug. 22.