With storm damage prevalent in certain areas, the commissioners talked about fraudulent contractors at their meeting March 21.

They reminded residents all contractors should have identification and Garrett Rhoads said all contractors should be carrying a license from the state. Be sure to ask for identification and license to avoid any fraudulent work.

Holly Edinger, director of Envision Lehigh Valley Project and Status, talked about various organizations developing a sustainable community plan for the Lehigh Valley. This type of plan considers the long-term goals of an area with economic, social and environmental considerations. It is estimated the Lehigh Valley will grow by another 145,000 people by 2030.

The plan will outline how the region can grow to accommodate the population without compromising the quality of life. Edinger said they are looking for information from residents through social media, online surveys and other avenues. Five key plans are to be developed. The plans are Lehigh Valley regional affordable housing, regional sustainable economic development, jobs/housing balance, climate and energy conservation and fresh food access plan.

Envision Lehigh Valley is looking at the Lehigh Valley's growth and is considering the goals of the residents and long-term projects of the region.

A letter was received from PennDOT regarding an Automated Red Light Enforcement grant. The letter said Lower Macungie Township did not receive the grant for this project.

Joseph Ludrof wrote a letter of resignation from the Public Safety Commission. The board accepted the resignation with regret and will send Ludrof a letter of thanks.

Sharon Trexler, from Alburtis Borough, is requesting Schoeneck Road be used for a detour for the bicentennial celebration. Lower Macungie Township approved the request but it will involve restricting truck traffic. The detour will only last for an hour.

The Church Lane bridge project is awaiting approval from Norfolk Southern. The materials necessary to complete this project have arrived. The project will get underway as soon as the approval is received.

A traffic study will be done from the Route 22/78 interchange and Hamilton Boulevard/Route 222 and 309 interchanges. Whenever there is a traffic problem in the Route 22/78 area, it affects the Route 222 bypass and Hamilton Boulevard area.

To study this area for possible changes, $10,000 has been allocated. Joe Pugliese, former commissioner, said this traffic study should find a solution instead of being "a dog chasing its tail."

The Willow Lane walkers project is waiting for school board input. This does give the public more time to view the present plans. There are presently two different plans proposed. It has to be decided which plan will be used before any planning can continue. There are major concerns for the amount of traffic that may enter the school's property.

There is a proposed settlement for the Spring Creek Properties. This will be further discussed at the next commissioner's meeting as the revision has not been reviewed by the commissioners. The commissioners did not make any comments on this proposed settlement at this meeting.

The Service Electric agreement was approved. There is a slight increase in rates. Included in this agreement is a senior citizen discount. There is an application for this discount which is based on need. For further information about obtaining this discount, call the township or Service Electric.

There were more water shut-offs in the township due to non-payment of water and sewer bills. This action is certainly improving the collection of accounts, both past and present. However, a problem remains with these properties being inhabited. The township is looking into solutions for this.

The City of Allentown declares properties of this sort uninhabitable and then takes necessary steps to deal with the problem. There will be reminder notices of unpaid bills with consequences for the non-payment to be investigated.

The Kratzer farm subdivision was a topic of discussion. It is only the house and barn involved presently, similar to the Lichtenwalner and Camp Olympic properties. The farm has excellent soil and is considered a gem in the township.

There was discussion about a Reverse 911 plan. There are three stages for this plan. The first step is the local stage. This involves residents within a mile radius. A phone call will be made to residents to notify them there is a situation. The second stage involves the township. The president of the board of commissioners will call township residents. The third stage is countywide. There are 277,000 phone lines involved and 50 percent of households have only cell phone usage.