The East Allen Township Board of Supervisors met on Jan. 12 to discuss township facilities and the emergency signal warning devices.
The township had a liability assessment completed sometime in 2021; the assessment noted that the restrooms and entrances to the township building are not ADA-accessible.
Brent Green, township manager, explained that the board hopes to have a local architect draw up plans to make one of the two bathrooms accessible; to do this, a small expansion would have to be added onto the building. The restroom that stays as is will become an employee bathroom since employee bathrooms don’t have to be ADA-accessible.
In terms of making the entrance accessible, a wheelchair elevator was discussed to replace the current ramp that is not up to standards. The board also brought up the handicapped parking space, which is too far away from the entrance.
Green also discussed expansion of the salt shed and an additional storage building for the public works department. The salt shed would be included on the proposal with the ADA project, while the additional storage will not cost anything to simply explore options.
The board also talked over issues in regards to emergency signal warning devices.
In September last year, a dump truck took out the ambulance corps’ emergency signal on Route 329; the township is working with the insurance company to replace it. The fire department’s signal is also out of commission.
Green said the township would like to look for proposals to make both signals operable again.
While the emergency warning signals were not used consistently in the past, increased traffic in the area makes it more necessary now. Solar and OptiCom systems were discussed over the current system in place; supervisor Mark Schwartz was in favor of the latter since it takes out the potential of human error.
Lastly, the board discussed the purchase of a vehicle for township employees, which was approved at their December meeting. Most vehicles at dealerships are for retail sale, and the dealerships will not want to swap a retail vehicle out for a “fleet” vehicle, which they cannot replace, according to Green; this means many dealerships are not willing to entertain a sale to the township. The township will keep searching for a vehicle at further dealerships.
The East Allen Board of Supervisors will meet next on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 5344 Nor Bath Blvd.
