Effective immediately, Bally Borough Council has enacted a burn ban for two weeks.  The burn ban will be lifted if there is significant rain to relieve the severe drought that Berks County is currently experiencing. 

            Newly installed Fire Chief Cris Schaeffer, of Eastern Berks Fire Company, noted the local Channel 69 weather identified Berks County, including Bally and Washington Township, in its severe drought forecast. 

            Schaeffer, who has served as deputy fire chief for many years, informed the borough council that there was a significant fire in Earl Township caused by a tree that landed on wires.  The wires set off a field fire.  He explained the fire was difficult to contain because some of the roads are difficult to traverse. 

            Schaeffer noted that while the grass is green, the trees and leaves are very dry.  It can lead to a fire.  While the drought is not an emergency yet, it has the potential to become an emergency. 

            Schaeffer thanked the borough council for its ongoing support. 

            The fire company had 35 calls for April and 149 since the beginning of the year.  Bally Ambulance had 139 calls for assistance in April.  Quite a few of the calls were in Red Hill, Pennsburg, East Greenville, Upper Hanover Township, and Washington Township.  From the beginning of January until the end of April, Bally Ambulance has answered 520 calls. 

           Front Street needs some roadwork repairs.  However, council has decided to prioritize roads in need of repair that most Bally residents utilize.  Potholes in the borough will be filled first.  Eventually, some repair work on Front Street will be performed, possibly later in the year. 

            The addition to the borough's municipal building that is intended for the use of the Bally police has encountered an issue.  Part of a masonry wall was constructed in an uneven manner. 

            Borough Solicitor R. Tim Curley will send a letter to the borough engineer, Systems Design Engineering (SDE), to request an urgent meeting between the engineer and Borough Manager Wendy Mutter.  The letter will require SDE to provide timely updates to the manager on the building's progress.  The estimated cost of the addition is approximately $300,000. 

             The borough's website is expected to be American With Disabilities (ADA) compliant by April 2028.  Councilman Josh Sloan has provided a great deal of his time and expertise to the borough to update Bally's website to make it ADA-compliant. 

            Mark Hager informed the borough council that Bally Mennonite Church will hold a summer camp for children between the ages of kindergarten and sixth grade.  The summer camp is free for all children.  It will run from July 27 until July 31, from 10 a.m. to noon.

            Bally Area Development Society (BARDS) will sponsor a bake sale and car wash on May 16 from 8 a.m. until noon at the borough park.  The community yard sale is scheduled for