The Whitehall Township Public Works Department and the Northampton Borough Municipal Authority have a working relationship that pays dividends to both entities.

The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners was recently informed by Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. the cooperation between the two entities involves road restoration and the sharing of equipment.

The NBMA water line replacement trench on Roosevelt Street was paved by township forces. The commissioners learned the NBMA paid for the material allowing half the width of the street to be done, rather than only the required 4-foot width.

In the spirit of intergovernmental cooperation, NBMA shares equipment that the township does not have in its public works inventory. The township does not own a hoe ram for breaking rock and concrete, which was used last year to open the Water Street culvert so that debris could be removed.

Hozza and Public Works Director John Rackus reported the sign department is busy.

Over the previous month there were 16 new signs made, 44 signs replaced and 29 signs repaired. Another 12 new sign posts were made, 37 posts replaced and 41 posts repaired.

"Township and public works generators proved their worth running 19 and 20 hours, allowing us to be fully operational during Hurricane Sandy," Hozza stated.

The preparatory, emergency and cleanup measures performed by the public works department was carried out by four employees and supervisors during the storm, said the mayor. No township buildings incurred damage from the hurricane.