Lowhill board approves fire tax
By Susan Bryant
Lowhill Township supervisors and Solicitor Keith Strohl had a brief discussion concerning the new regulations governing local township meeting agendas under the Sunshine Act before the Sept. 2 virtual and in-person meeting.
In other matters, Chairman Rich Hughes reported the board decided to add a fire tax to help fund the five fire companies that serve Lowhill Township.
“The township does not have its own fire company and cannot afford a fire company,” he stated. “We have an ordinance here to establish a special purpose levy pursuant to the Second Class Township Code to fund fire protection services in the township,” Hughes said. “The initial rate proposed under this ordinance will be .44 mills for fiscal year 2022.”
The board approved the fire tax levy.
Engineer Ryan Christman gave his report regarding the Bear Road Bridge Replacement project.
According to Christman, everything is in good shape.
“The footers are scheduled to be delivered Sept. 14,” he said.
“PPL was out. The wires are down, and the pole is down. The bridge is ready to be delivered.
“They are waiting on the contractor.”
Resident Alex Masetti asked about the old footers that are still there.
Christman replied they will be taken down even further, once the bridge is set.
He expects once the bridge has been set, the backfill and paving are finished, the final completion date is expected to be around Oct. 8 or the middle of October.
Next item on the agenda was the administrator’s report.
Administrator Brian Carl said he had been talking to the Lehigh County Conservation District and there is money remaining in the dirt and gravel program for dirt roads.
“They are willing to give us some money to vacate (Poplar) that road, close it up,” he said. “I kind of think it is a good idea honestly. There are game lands on both sides of it.”
“It (the road) is a little over half a mile, .63 miles and it has been an erosion nightmare every time it storms.”
After a short discussion by the board about the process to vacate the road, they approved a motion to start the process.
During public comment, Donald Christ, president of the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial Committee, provided supervisors with an update on the progress of the Veterans Memorial at Ontelaunee Park.
He said construction is underway for a Memorial Day 2022 dedication, in the meantime the memorial committee will be having a drive- through on Veterans Day 2021.
“The eagle bought by one of the veterans is going to be at the entrance and the flagpole came in today,” he said. “The names of the 2,456 veterans will be engraved on 11, 6-foot high granite panels.”
The memorial budget is $400,000 and, to date, the committee has raised $230,752.
“We are selling trees and those who purchase a tree will get a little plague with their name on it,” Christ stated. “We are also selling ads for our booklet. A quarter page ad costs $250.
“One of the things we discussed at our last meeting was the benches and they (memorial committee) asked if I would go around to the different townships to see if they would be interested in purchasing a bench,” he said. “Each bench costs $6,000.”
Christ added each township that purchases a bench for the memorial will have its name on it.
“I know you can’t do anything tonight, but would the township be interested in purchasing a bench?” Christ asked in closing.
No action by the board was taken on the matter.
Before Hughes closed the meeting, the board scheduled the first budget workshop for 5 p.m. before their regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7.
Trick or Treat Night will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 30 rain or shine, according to Jill Seymour, township secretary.