Hamburg Borough

Hamburg Borough is the municipal government serving the Borough of Hamburg in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Borough offices are located in the Hamburg Municipal Center at 61 North 3rd Street, which houses administrative staff, the Council Chamber, and the Hamburg Police Department. The Borough can be reached at 610-562-7821.

The Borough describes its mission as serving residents and businesses with dependable, efficient, and economical services while preserving the traditions and values of the community. In practice, that work spans police protection, water and wastewater treatment, trash and recycling collection, street maintenance, parks and recreation, zoning and code administration, and land development review.

Government Structure and Public Meetings

Hamburg operates under a borough form of government, with an elected Borough Council setting policy and adopting the annual budget. Several appointed boards and commissions handle specialized functions, including the Planning Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board, the Civil Service Commission, the Library Board, and the Hamburg Municipal Authority.

Regular public meetings follow a predictable monthly schedule:

• Borough Council: 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Council Chamber of the Municipal Center
• Hamburg Municipal Authority: 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:00 pm
• Planning Commission: 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm

Meeting minutes, the adopted budget, borough newsletters, the code of ordinances, the schedule of fees, and annual consumer confidence water quality reports are posted online so residents can review them at any time.

Police Services

The Hamburg Police Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from the first floor of the Municipal Center under Chief Anthony Kuklinski. The department is staffed by corporals and patrol officers who handle calls for service, traffic enforcement, investigations, and community policing within the borough.

Emergencies should always be reported by calling 911. For non-emergency matters, dispatch can be reached at (610) 655-4911 or 1-800-372-9111. The department also maintains a community medication dropbox in the Municipal Center lobby, giving residents a secure way to dispose of unused or expired prescriptions rather than flushing them or placing them in household trash.

Water and Wastewater

Drinking water and sewer service are provided by the Hamburg Municipal Authority. The system draws from the Furnace Creek Water Filtration Plant, which has been online since 1996 and operates two filters permitted at 0.400 million gallons per day each, along with four wells and a 30 million gallon impoundment. Wastewater is treated at a plant upgraded in 2007 with an oxidation ditch and a permitted flow of 1.5 million gallons per day.

Billing is quarterly. The Authority publishes annual water quality reports and notifies customers of events such as hydrant flushing and boil water advisories.

Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste

The Borough coordinates curbside collection for residential properties. Containers are limited to 32 gallons with a maximum weight of 75 pounds, and residential units may set out up to four bags per collection. Each residence may also place one bulk item at the curb per month. A seasonal yard waste program runs every Wednesday from March 3rd through November 25th.

Online Bill Pay and Account Services

Residents can pay water, sewer, and trash bills through secure online payment portals rather than visiting the office. Customers who prefer electronic billing may request email delivery by sending their account number, name, service address, and phone number to Utilities@hamburgboro.com.

Public Works and Street Maintenance

The Department of Public Works is led by Superintendent Joseph Stoudt and operates from Front and Pine Streets. Crews work Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, handling street repairs, signage, drainage, parks maintenance, and winter operations. The Borough designates snow emergency routes that must be cleared of parked vehicles during declared snow events.

An annual street sweeping program runs from the first Thursday in April through the first Friday in December. Streetlight outages can be reported by calling the Borough Office with the pole number and a description of the pole location.

Parks and Recreation

The Recreation Department oversees Etchberger Memorial Park and Pool, located between Franklin and Island Streets. Park amenities include a public pickleball court, a bandstand, and a pavilion, with the bandstand and pavilion available for reservation through the Borough Office. The pool season generally runs from May through September, with daily lap swim from 11:00 am to noon and public swim from noon to 7:00 pm.

Zoning, Permits, and Inspections

Property owners, contractors, and business operators work with the Borough on zoning approvals, building permits, and inspections. The Borough also issues occupancy permits, conducts property transfer inspections, and administers building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire inspection fees listed in the official schedule of fees.

Subdivision and Land Development Review

Developers and property owners proposing subdivisions or land development projects submit sketch, preliminary, and final plans for review by the Planning Commission. Submissions are due at least 20 days before the monthly meeting, and comments are typically issued within 15 days of review. Approved final plans are recorded with the Berks County Recorder of Deeds through the Berks County Planning Commission.

Stormwater Management and Emergency Notifications

Hamburg administers an MS4 stormwater program as required under the Federal Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania Act 167. The program includes source water protection, public education on stormwater pollution prevention, and illicit discharge detection. Suspected illicit discharges can be reported to the Borough at (610) 562-7821.

The Borough also offers free enrollment in CodeRED, an emergency notification system that delivers calls about urgent community matters such as boil water advisories, hydrant flushing, and other time sensitive alerts.

Public Records and Office Information

Hamburg Borough complies with Pennsylvania Act 3 of 2008, the Right to Know Law. Requests may be submitted by mail, in person, by email, or by fax to (610) 562-8461. Records may be inspected at the Municipal Center between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Denials may be appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records within 15 business days.