Heidelberg Township Administrator Janice Bortz and Engineer Roy Stewart have discussed the upcoming Tough Mudder event with the organizers, Chairman Steve Bachman said at the March 14 supervisors meeting.

The high-endurance obstacle course with thousands of participants will take place June 1 and 2 on Jaindl Farms, 5585 Mulberry Drive. Bachman said they were asked to contact local emergency service providers in advance with their plan for the event.

Stewart said he discussed the event with the Lehigh County Conservation District and was told the organizers would need to have a plan for erosion control.

Bortz said they would also be hiring a traffic control engineer. She said participants would be scheduled in groups of 700 to 900 and would leave after completing the course.

"I'd like them to make signs directing people to area restaurants," Bachman said.

Bortz said the promoters will notify local businesses of the event and provide some type of banner for the businesses to display.

Also at this meeting, Stewart presented the board with a plan to remedy the drainage ditch hazard abutting Sid German's driveway on Hunter's Hill Road.

German asked to have the ditch filled in, saying vehicles had rolled into the ditch.

Stewart's recommendation was for German to have a seepage pit created at the end of the pipe and have the ditch filled to a depth of about 1 foot.

German agreed to the plan.

Supervisor Forrest Wessner III said there has been progress on the new township website, which he said will be very user-friendly.

Wessner also congratulated Kathy Hermany on completing the four-day building code official course and passing the exam. It was a very intensive course, he said.

Bachman said Lynn Township supervisors have decided not to pursue sharing services with Heidelberg at this time, due to a recent reduction in their own staff.

Bachman reported three new picnic tables have been ordered for the Lions Pavilion.

The pavilion, which is under-used, is east of the recreation fields, below the large soccer field. Bachman said many people may not know of this pavilion, but it is a good place for a picnic, especially since it is near the lower playground.

The Northwestern Youth Athletic Association has asked if additional fields could be made available by churches or others, Bachman said. Youth team enrollments are up, he said, and practices are currently restricted to two a week.

Bortz said the township audit was completed very efficiently.

Many residents in the township have not received their local tax forms in the mail, Bortz said. Anyone lacking an EIT form should contact Berkheimer Tax Associates at 800-360-8989, or on the Web at hab-inc.com.

Bortz also said she received an update from Administrator of Lowhill and Weisenberg townships Brian Carl regarding the grant application he submitted for a new road roller for the four Northwestern townships.

The county will consider the application on April 10, and would like someone from each township to be present to answer questions.

The board decided either Bortz or Roadmaster Kevin Huber would attend.

The reverse 911 emergency notification system is being tested, said Bortz, with calls to 270,000 numbers.

Only the county emergency management officer, the township board chair and the local emergency services have access to this system.