Upper Milford supervisors at their Jan. 17 meeting set in motion plans to update the township's emergency response plans.

After lengthy power outages the past two years in the aftermath of unusual storms, supervisors and residents have urged the township to come up with more specific plans to deal with such emergencies.

Township Manager Daniel DeLong said this is "something that has to be done," and suggested working with the fire chiefs.

Supervisors agreed and asked DeLong to have his staff set up a meeting, including representatives of the two fire companies and the residents who came forward and said they would be willing to help formulate procedures. An ad hoc committee of emergency responders and interested citizens could then be formed.

Supervisor George DeVault was named to represent the board at the meeting.

DeVault said the township's "10-year-old plan needs to be updated. There are no local specifics, no shelter locations, no evacuation routes."

Supervisor Robert Sentner said the accident involving a tanker two months ago was a "perfect example" of where procedures need to be improved. He said while the response to that accident went well, communications among the emergency responders could have been better.

Supervisors also renewed their criticism of what they consider out of control development in Lower Macungie Township, which they said impacts surrounding communities.

Sentner contended the most recent zoning changes proposed by Lower Macungie are "inconsistent with the Joint Southwestern Lehigh County Comprehensive Plan." Development in Upper Macungie and Lower Macungie is "devastating the agricultural land we have," he said.

In particular, he said a proposal to rezone a parcel next to Allen Organ on Route 100 for a supermarket and a gas station will contribute toward "end[ing] up with a MacArthur Road on Route 100."

Supervisors recommended writing to Lower Macungie expressing their concerns about that plan, and setting up a meeting with representatives of all the communities who are part of the Southwestern Lehigh Comprehensive Plan to discuss these concerns.

Sentner said he would like it to be an open meeting which would also include school district representatives, PennDOT and the public.

"Lower Macungie gets the income from this development," Sentner said, while PennDOT gets damaged roads from increased truck traffic, residents of the East Penn School District get higher taxes because of the additional students and adjacent communities get more traffic.

Someone in the audience commented that it's "a little late for what's going on right now." Sentner agreed, but said, "We can't just give up."

In other action, supervisors re-appointed William Ahlert to another three-year term on the Joint Environmental Advisory Committee, to expire the first Monday in 2016, and appointed Neil Moser to fill a vacant auditor's position, a term expiring Jan. 1. 2014.