The public works building including site survey under unfinished business on the agenda was discussed at the Heidelberg Township Board of Supervisors’ March 18 meeting.

Board Chairman Jonathan Jakum began the discussion asking for a motion for Keystone Consulting Engineers to complete the site survey for the township’s new public works building including wetlands delineation.

During the discussion, Geoff Dean, township engineer with Keystone Consulting Engineers said the boundary and topographic survey has been completed, that’s 100 percent done.

“We do need to do the wetlands delineation,” he said. “My thought on that was that it might be worth the township or Keystone’s [interest] to make a call to the Army Corps [of Engineers]since they’re familiar with this site already.”

He said they might be able to do that free of charge instead of hiring a wetland scientist.

“It wouldn’t be a large fee, but it would still be a sub consultant that we’d have to hire to do that. We can reach out to the Army Corps and see if, as long as it’s a reasonable time frame, [they can do the work],” he said.

Dean said he has worked with the corps in the past and sometimes they can take up to a year to do wetlands delineation, but he’ll get some more information.

David Fink, vice chairman of the board, said along that same line that his recommendation would be to have himself and Kevin Huber, township road master, start putting together a draft of the building like the interior setup.

“A lot of the contractors do provide the architectural work usually at no extra charge because they’re looking to do the job, so once we put that together we can put the word out,” he said.

After further discussion, Jakum’s motion was approved.

Another item discussed under unfinished business was the bridge conditions survey.

Jakum again made a motion for Keystone Consulting Engineers to compile a list of township bridges and their current conditions.

During the discussion, Huber asked why such a survey is needed.

Dawn Didra, township manager, said “We talked about this a while ago, but there was never an official decision. We talked about having Keystone look at all of our bridges so that we can have a plan. “

Dean said the state has inspected a number of the bridges, and it issues reports every other year on the ones that are over 20 feet in length.

“We can compile inventory on which ones are inspected by a PennDOT and which ones are not,” Dean said.

Didra said, “That way we can plan what grants we can go for.”

After further discussion, Jakum’s motion was approved.

Under monthly reports, Germansville Fire Chief Jay Scheffler reported that the fire company has switched insurance companies.

“The risk assessment gentleman was out and toured the whole facility, and looked at some record stuff,” Scheffler said. “I just got the results back two days ago. There are some minor things maybe for you to think about like a posted emergency preplan.”

He said cyber was listed as a big concern on the report.

“Everything building wise and truck wise was good,” Scheffler said. “He just basically said to do an annual driver refresher, which is always a good thing for your insurance. I don’t drive a lot other than during the day so again it’s just to make sure the guys are certified in-house [and have their] annual recertification of the trucks.”

Scheffler said he would like to reduce the fire company’s insurance rates.

“Again, the Insurance Service Office rating is what sets our insurance premiums here, your house, everywhere, schools,” he said. “So, again that’s why I’m pushing for that commercial fire risk management. It is a big one out there. I’m trying to see what we can do.”

Matthew Schneider, board member and director of parks and recreation, said the only thing he had to report was that fire companies will not have to pay to get in this year at Night in the Country.

He said parks and recreation is looking for different grants for paving and some roof repair.

Fink, director of public works, reported that the road coming up for paving would be Buckley Road. He said normally once a year supervisors go around and inspect the roads.

During the Farmland Preservation Committee report, Schneider said Donna Wright, director of Farmland Preservation with Lehigh County Conservation District, will be at the township building Sept. 10 for a public Q&A.

Didra said during her monthly township administrator’s report that she is working with Huber on getting information together for a grant to purchase a vehicle that uses biofuel.

She said she is also working with Geoff [Dean, township engineer] and Congressman Ryan McKenzie’s office and LCCD on funding for the Rex Road bridge replacement.

Dean reported that Keystone Consulting Engineer surveyors were at Heidelberg Heights recently to survey that potential MS-4 drainage swale project.

“We’ll be looking at that survey over the next couple of weeks,” Dean said, “and I’ll have something to report on that at next month’s meeting.”

During the Environmental Advisory Council report, Jakum said the EAC is planning to hold a public environmental workshop on the township grounds at 10 a.m. May 16.

They will do a presentation on riparian buffers including a show and tell about the township buffer, he said.

Jakum said he had been asked if it is acceptable and legal for citizens to personally make donations of cash to the township which would then be dispersed to cover the cost of fixing up the fencing outback.

“We told them it was alright,” Jakum said.

Township solicitor Keith Strohl said during his report that he had a helpful conference recently with the attorney for the 6302 Route 309 Dunkin’ Donuts development project.

“I got some information from them on where they’re at. I’ve been working with Dawn [Didra] and Geoff [Dean] on trying to keep that moving along and getting them updated on where this developer is,” Strohl said.

Under correspondence, Jakum said the board received a handwritten resignation letter from Barry Mantz, of UCC board of appeals. Jakum said the letter reads “To Whom it May Concern: Please accept this resignation as I am no longer able to be on the building code board of appeals. Thank you for your understanding.”

Jakum also said the board received a thank-you letter from Northern Valley Emergency Medical Services thanking the township for its generous donation of $12,500.