The Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors held their first meeting of the month on Tuesday, March 8.
The Lehigh Township Police Department was pleased to announce they were granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Early last month CALEA did a two-day assessment of the entire department in 30 different areas, including the department’s policies, procedures, equipment, station set-up, and vehicles. The Lehigh Township Police Department is now in the top 12% of police agencies in the United States to have this program seal. The seals are reserved for public safety agencies that have demonstrated compliance with CALEA standards and are the “marks of professional excellence” for the department.
Police Chief Scott Fogel proudly stated that, “It has been six years in the making.”
CALEA will present the accreditation plaque to the force on April 12.
The Lehigh Township Police Department is in the process of applying for a grant through the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). The JAG program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to local and state jurisdictions. It supports a range of areas such as corrections, drug treatment, law enforcement, courts, etc. The grant will be used to upgrade the agency’s records management software. It would allow proficient regional information sharing between agencies.
Law enforcement looked at the optics and volume of the truck traffic on Walnut Drive, and has stated that there does not seem to be a repetitive problem. There were minimal violations during the assessed time the police department was monitoring the roadway.
The Lehigh Township Fire Department was awarded a $295,000 grant under the Vehicle Replacement Program’s Primary Apparatus Fund. The vehicle to be replaced is the department’s 52-year-old military truck. The fire department is looking to purchase a brush truck and is seeking additional funding.
Earlier this month the fire company used a $50,000 grant and matched it by $20,000 to upgrade the department’s radio systems. These systems haven’t been replaced in 30 years. They will provide the department with updated security and features to more accurately and efficiently do their jobs.
Extensions of time for plan approval were awarded until June 30 for Sedler Design & Redevelopment/M&U International. Northwoods LURRs Final Development Plan was approved, as was Richard Diehl Paving Land Development Plan. The board approved release request #1 from the Northampton Area School District Land Development escrow in the amount of $1,052,451. This release is for completed land improvements on the school property, including the parking lot.
Finally, the Northampton Kids Baseball team has been approved as a home team and has expressed interest in taking care of the infield this year as well as redoing the inside of the home dugout. Prices are being reviewed at this time. The Lehigh Township Dog Park has been closed due to muddy conditions. It will be closed until April 30. Township yoga is set to start again on April 3 in Danielsville. See the township website for more information: www.lehightownship.com.
The next Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m.
