During the monthly water report, Michael Groody announced the borough reservoir is eight feet below overflow at 73,280,000 gallons, which is 67 percent of the reservoir's capacity of 110 million gallons. Since the water level is below 70 percent, residents are asked to voluntarily restrict water use.

"I am asking the borough residents for voluntary conservation of water," said Groody. "Our next step would be mandatory restrictions for using water."

In other business, council acted on the following agenda items:

--Approved the salary ordinance for council members and the mayor. The $50 stipend per meeting remains the same.

--Passed a resolution setting borough employee salaries as they currently stand. Groody said council will consider establishing a salary scale in the near future.

--Approved giving full-time borough employees a $500 bonus, while part-time employees will receive $250. Groody explained the bonus was established in the 2008 operating budget in lieu of giving employees raises at the beginning of this year.

--Approved equally dividing $15,370.84 received from the state for the fire relief funds of the American Hose Company and Washington Fire Company. Each fire company will receive $7,685.42.

--Approved disbursing $66,912.92 received from the state for employee pension funds as follows: $55,228 for uniform employees, $11,684.92 for non-uniform employees.

--Set the borough's trick-or-treat night for Thursday, Oct. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. in coordination with similar Halloween activities on the same night and time in Butler Township, Girardville and Gordon.

--Gave permission to allow the municipal building to be used for an American Red Cross blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23.

--Approved cathodic protection service for the one-million-gallon water tank for $1,300. The tank protection word is done annually.

--Acknowledged a thank you letter from Ashland Downtown Inc. for assistance by borough workers in placing eight steel planters in the downtown business district.

-----

To see more of The News-Item or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsitem.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The News-Item, Shamokin, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.