“This is my 27th year in corrections,” said Warden Janine Donate when asked by Commissioner Nathan Brown to address the board of commissioners Aug 22. She is currently the warden of the Lehigh County Jail.

Donate had just been introduced by Lehigh County Executive Philips Armstrong as someone of whom he is proud; someone who has been “coming up from our own ranks.”

The proposed $5 vehicle tax to fix infrastructure such as bridges, proposed by Armstrong at the last meeting, came under attack by Joe Hilliard, who called it a “total money grab on the middle class and working poor.” He said it is just not needed. “All of our bridges are fixed,” said Hilliard.

He called the proposed state contribution of $2 million to those counties who enact the vehicle tax a bribe.

“Hold them [the state] to what they should do,” said Hilliard.

According to Lehigh County Recreation Authority Executive Director Michael Kukitz, a feasibility study on the sustainability of a 16,000-square foot Northern Lehigh Community Center building at West Church Street in Slatington will be completed by the end of the year. Kukitz said he would share the results of that study with county commissioners.

He said a public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 20 at the Northern Lehigh School District administration building.

The commissioners approved release of $3,250 for the feasibility study. It is a portion of the total money set aside in the county’s budget for the Northern Lehigh Community Center.

Commissioners also approved distribution of gaming program grants: Borough of Coopersburg gets $32,993 for a police cruiser; Upper Saucon Township gets the same amount for a police cruiser; Whitehall Township is allocated $62,250 for a police cruiser and a license plate reader; the Borough of Fountain Hill gets $113,800 for a rescue system, a patrol vehicle and training and outfitting of three part-time officers; Salisbury Township gets the $113,800.00 for two patrol vehicles, funding for 300 hours of additional police patrols in the traffic corridor and other hardware, cameras.

Commissioners also gave preliminary or first reading approval to give a young bison bull from its herd at the Trexler Nature Preserve to Catoctin Zoo and Wildlife Preserve in Thurmont, MD. Because the young bull is “coming of age,” he will be a challenge to the existing dominant male on the preserve and must be transferred.