Lehigh County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the allocation of gambling funds from the Lehigh County Gambling Grant Program amounting to $307,638 to Salisbury and Upper Saucon townships and Fountain Hill and Coopersburg boroughs at the board’s Aug. 10 meeting.

The monies will be used for the township and borough police and fire departments.

Salisbury will receive $102,543 for 325 hours of police patrols for the traffic corridor safety project, as well as a patrol vehicle and equipment. Fountain Hill will receive over $81,000, Upper Saucon more than $74,000 and Coopersburg over $49,000.

According to the board’s 2009 ordinance, the grant money must be used “to fund the costs of human services, infrastructure improvements, facilities, emergency services and health and public safety expenses associated with licensed gaming operations.”

Board Chairman Brad Osborne said while the 2009 ordinance outlines the process, “ultimately, the board of commissioners approve the grants each year by ordinance.”

In other business during the meeting, the board unanimously approved a five-year capital plan to proceed with the request for proposal for bidding purposes for the plan.

“This is a first of its kind initiative in Lehigh County government that I’m proposing,” Osborne said.

Commissioner Dan Hartzell expressed reservations with the plan, despite casting a vote in the affirmative. His concern, he said, rested with voting for longer range plans.