The Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors opened their Jan. 28 meeting with a discussion about the repairs being done to the water tank of the new maintenance building. Township Manager Alice Rehrig reported that a meeting took place on-site regarding the repairs and steps are being taken, and she was waiting for a reply from the engineer who designed the tank.

Next, Rehrig presented the board with a proposal from Pennoni, an engineering firm, who will be working on changes to zoning ordinances. They offered a contract that would be directly with the township rather than going through the Urban Research & Development Corporation. The board examined the proposed contract and raised some concerns with regard to cost and the ownership of the finished project. Board member Cynthia Miller pointed out that some past engineering contractors gave the township difficulty about turning over their work, but Township Solicitor David Backenstoe assured the board that this could not happen in this instance, since the ordinances belong to the township. Board member Janet Sheats inquired whether Pennoni would review what was already completed by Urban Research, and Backenstoe said they almost certainly would in order to keep the completed project consistent. Rehrig suggested having a representative from Pennoni visit the board to answer their questions, and all agreed. Rehrig will see how the agenda looks for the next meeting and extend an invitation, with the possibility of starting the meeting earlier than usual to allow for extra time.

Next, the board reviewed Rehrig’s write-up for the possible hiring of a Parks and Recreation consultant. Board member Gerald Pritchard felt that the Recreation Board should see and contribute to the proposal. Pritchard and David Hess will bring it to the board’s next meeting on Feb. 3. 

Following, Miller acknowledged that Northampton County is a sanctuary county, which is a county that has policies to protect undocumented immigrants from federal immigration enforcement. Sanctuary counties limit or define how much information they share with federal immigration law enforcement. Sergeant Philip Mirabile and Officer Jonathan Roth on behalf of the township police department attended the meeting at Miller’s request, so they could describe the steps the department takes in the event that they encounter an illegal immigrant in the township. Miller gave the example of pulling over a speeding driver and running their information, only to discover their illegal status. Mirabile explained that the procedure has always been the same for such an instance. Federal officers are contacted, and the police make the arrangements depending on what they are instructed to do; they are taken either to Northampton or Lehigh County Prison, as both are sanctuary counties, and turned over to county authorities. This procedure will not change unless dictated by the chief of police. 

In other news, the board decided to maintain the tax collector’s salary at its current rate of $42,000 per year.

Following, Rehrig informed the board that the township’s insurance policies are up for renewal in May, and she is contacting brokers for quotes. Rehrig has also received paperwork from the county regarding the most recent census, and the township is now eligible for certain grants based on the percentage of the population which is low to moderate income. Rehrig will send copies of the paperwork to the board members. 

It was noted that the grants in question will help with roads and infrastructure. 

Grants for generators are also currently open through FEMA, so Rehrig will be looking into those as well, and the township office is currently moving forward with the new telephone system that the board previously approved.

Audience members then raised the topic of possibly forming an environmental action committee to work on preserving farmland in the township. Backenstoe confirmed that a previous attempt to form an EAC in Lehigh Township was met with strong resistance. An EAC would add another layer of regulation and increase fees whenever property owners wish to make changes. At the suggestion of Sheats, the subject will be added to the agenda for the second meeting in February, and in the meantime, board members will review relevant ordinances from other municipalities to better understand what is required.

As a final note, resident Paul Nikisher reminded those in attendance that both the Lions Club and the fire company have a number of upcoming fundraisers, and encouraged the community to support them.

The next supervisors meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11 in the municipal building, located at 1069 Municipal Road, Walnutport.