BY STACI WILSON

Drivers are still blowing through stop signs onChurch St.,New Milford, a resident reported a Thursday’s council meeting.

And last week, one of the signs was run over by a vehicle during late night hours.

Church St.resident Mark Stanley, who originally voiced his concerns about traffic on the street to the council in February, said he has seen little improvement since then. “When is someone going to drive into my house?” he asked.

Council President Teri Gulick also serves as the borough’s liaison with the Montrose Police Department.New Milfordcontracts with Montrose for part-time police coverage in the borough.

Gulick said she agreed withStanleythat there is an issue on the street. She said police had recently pulled over 10 people onChurch St.for various infractions. Of those 10, she said, eight were residents of the area. Police issued warnings to those drivers, Gulick said.

Council members also noted that people ran stop signs or were speeding during the morning commute hours, when traffic backs up onto Rt. 492 from the intersection at Rt. 11 andChurch St.is utilized by drivers looking for a shortcut.

Council members also reported that gunshots were recently fired late a couple of weeks ago outside of aMain St.tavern but no one called 911 to report it. Local police were not on duty in the borough at the time of the alleged incident.

Zoning questions were raised by Dr. Edmund Burdick, aNew Milfordoptometrist, who has an office onChurch St.

Dr. Burdick told council he plans to retire and would like to sell his office building but he noted the zoning map was not clear as to whether the office was located in a residential or a commercial zone. The building predates the town’s zoning ordinance and was built as an office.

Council advised Dr. Burdick to call the borough’s codes enforcement officer who could determine whether or not the building was in the commercial zone.

Council is moving forward with pothole patching and other maintenance jobs in the borough.

With mounting legal fees still weighing on the borough’s finances, council opted to pay the borough solicitor and the zoning board attorney each  $2,500 toward the bills this month.

Legal fees have already exceeded the amount budgeted for them in 2012.

Councilman Rick Ainey said he would bring suggestions to council next month on budget areas where money can be saved in an effort to cover the legal expenses.

The borough has been embroiled in two lawsuits stemming from zoning issues.

One suit, filed byNew Milfordresident Wayne Bradley, has delayed the start of construction of a 20-unit senior apartment building onChurch St.

The other suit is a challenge of a zoning board decision calling for the removal of non-permitted trailers onMain St.

Council also voted to add a second monthly meeting. In addition to meetings held the first Thursday of each month at7 p.m., council will also meet on the third Thursday of the month, also at7 p.m.