Upgrades to the Salisbury Township Municipal Building are continuing in the new year with the township board of commissioners looking into the installation of bulletproof exterior glass windows and a new meeting room audio-visual system.

Township Manager Randy Soriano, in his report to the commissioners at the Jan. 8 meeting, said while $50,000 has been set aside for a new sound system and video projection system, preliminary bids estimate the cost will be between $21,000 and $25,000.

Microphones will be replaced. The taping system, whereby commissioners' and other meetings are recorded, will be replaced by a digital system.

"They will be digitized and stored," Soriano said of meetings' recordings. "We can no longer play them," Soriano added, referring to the tape-recording system now in use.

The biggest noticeable change will be the installation of two video screen monitors. An 80-inch HDTV screen is to be placed on the north wall inside the meeting room. A 60-inch screen, which will be able to pivot, will be mounted on the opposite southern wall.

The screens should facilitate the display of land development plans under consideration by the zoning hearing board and planning commission.

An easel is now used to display maps, drawings or photographs. The easel faces commissioners. The plans are difficult to see by those seated in the audience.

The screens could also be used for presentations at other township meetings.

Soriano discussed with commissioners a proposal to replace the meeting room's exterior windows with bulletproof glass.

Commissioners asked Soriano to get cost quotes for partial and full replacement of the windows. Proceeding with the replacement may depend on its cost.

The municipal building's security system was upgraded last year. Also, the building's roof was repaired.

In other business:

- The Department of Environmental Protection and Lehigh County Conservation District Dec. 29, 2014, issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit for the Lindberg Park perimeter walking path project.

"Now we can move ahead," Soriano said. "We should be shovel-ready by March."

- Urban Research and Development Corp., township consultant, is working on the Laubach Park Master Plan. The plan is to be discussed at the 7 p.m. Jan. 19 township recreation committee meeting.

- The Lindberg Park tennis courts use agreement with the Salisbury Township School District was discussed. "They [the school district] are to indemnify us when they use it," Atty. John W. Ashley, township solicitor said.

- There have been 31 applications for the municipal complex custodian job. The applications will be reviewed based on a numerical criteria. About 10 finalists will be chosen with five to be interviewed.