This is the second part of a two-part series on the state of Whitehall Township in 2015.

Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. recently delivered the seventh annual "State of Whitehall Township" address. In the report Hozza looked back at the accomplishments of 2014 and outlined a vision for the future in 2015.

Among the items discussed was the replacement of the township police station on Lehigh Street, slated to begin in 2017.

Five sites considered are Range Road, a new Municipal Drive East at Lehigh Street, a new Municipal Drive West, Route 145/MacArthur Road at Columbia Street West and the current municipal complex with a north addition.

Hozza said Police Chief Linda Kulp and he met with architectural firms that have experience designing emergency service buildings. The next step is to conduct a feasibility study on the five potential sites. As the second largest police department in Lehigh County and fourth largest in the Lehigh Valley, Hozza said the Whitehall police have a $4 million plus budget with 45 officers and a new 46th officer coming aboard later in 2015.

Living in the digital age, the department has onboard video cameras and CODY systems and information sharing with the Lehigh County Crime Center located at DeSales University.

The township fire department has the highest number of volunteer firefighters in the Lehigh Valley, with five fire stations and more than 150 volunteers.

The department is headed by Fire Chief Robert Benner and has a budget of $400,000, with capital reserve expenses of $450,000 in 2015.

The township pays annual rent for the storage of its rolling stock of seven fire engines, two rescue trucks, one quint aerial, one aerial truck, water rescue equipment, fire police command vehicle and the fire chief's vehicle.

The township this year will replace a secondary fire truck at the West Catasauqua station at an expense of $450,000.

"In 2014, we took that plan a step further to include the replacement of every major piece of equipment to the year 2031," Hozza said.

New aerials or ladder trucks cost $1 million and a new engine or pumper is $450,000. They have a 25-year life expectancy.

Benner, a deputy fire chief and the five assistant chiefs prepared and approved a rolling 10-year replacement schedule for all fire apparatus.

The township fire police are headed by Rex McConaughey. Their services, Hozza said, are more in demand with aggressive driving on the rise. These volunteers handle traffic control, allowing police to handle crash and other investigations.

Chris Grim volunteers his time to serve as emergency management director. In this capacity, he is responsible for updating the township emergency operation plan.

The emergency operations center is outfitted with communications equipment, computers and weather monitors. The room can be used for training and meeting space for event command staff.

Switching to public works, Hozza said in 2015 six streets will be repaved, eight bridges will be repaired and six streets will be micro-surfaced.

Led by Director John Rackus, the public works department has a 2015 budget of $5.6 million. It also calls for replacing two pickup trucks and hiring a replacement employee.

"In the winter of 2014, our public works employees earned their pay and overtime in keeping our streets, alleys and public spaces free and clear of snow and ice. I am gratified and you should be too when people from other municipalities comment that Whitehall streets are the best plowed and treated after a snow event in the Lehigh Valley," Hozza said.

The department is responsible for maintaining all township public buildings, vehicles and turf as well as paving roads, alleys and parking lots. It is also responsible for the township's trail network, mosquito treatments and storm water management.

In 2014, the public works department resurfaced a portion of Glenside Avenue, Center, Ruch, Wilson and Columbia streets, for a total cost of $550,000.

In recreation, a $902,000 budget pays for Greg Mooney and his staff. Six part-time maintenance staff take care of Camp Whitehall. The aquatics program requires directors, six adult pool managers, life guards, camp counselors, summer bus drivers and summer maintenance workers.

The Cementon volleyball courts will be repaved in 2015 and converted into two basketball courts and the tennis courts will be resurfaced. Also, the Ironton Rail-Trail will be paved from Fort Deschler site to North Whitehall Township. The department also anticipates hiring a parks and recreation replacement maintenance staff worker.

Also in 2014, the Cementon Pool parking lot was repaved and the Hokendauqua Parkview and Fullerton and Jefferson street pools repainted, the Village Green Subdivision tot lot was replaced.

The Riverwalk Park, Cementon and numerous sites along the IRT benefitted from Eagle Scout projects and the former golf center on Range Road changed to allow Tri-Boro Soccer Club to use the grounds in exchange for mowing the grass.

"You don't know how happy I was to witness 600 children taking advantage of this great location this past year by playing soccer and not sitting in front of a computer or a TV playing video games," Hozza said.

Other improvements included paving the batter's cage, replacing a sewer grinder pump, replacing a basketball pole and hoop and a designated handicap parking area next to the building, all at Cementon. Also, the floor was replaced, a new stove and a new HVAC unit was purchased at the West Catasauqua recreation building.

Hozza said in 2014 the township continued to see the continued reuse of existing commercial spaces and a continued decline in new residential construction.

Department Director Lee Rackus operates with a nearly $1 million budget, which has seen an increase in code enforcement issues including high grass and weeds, maintenance issues, hoarding, disregard of necessary permits and certificate of occupancy inspections. Since the Great Recession, the township continues to see major banks and mortgage companies refusing to take responsibility for properties foreclosed on.

"We anticipate this trend to continue, but have already seen an uptick in residential remodeling and improvements and property resales, which are all a very good sign of an economic turnaround," Hozza said.