Lehigh County commissioners were presented with the Lehigh County Authority’s five-year capital plan during the board’s meeting on Aug. 24.

Liesel Gross, chief executive officer of LCA, said the plan is merely an overview.

“We felt a five-year plan was more manageable,” Gross said. “A capital plan is the most conceptual. It’s a five-year look out.”

According to Gross, 85 projects are included in the the five-year plan, with $25 million of work anticipated in 2017.

Total funding for the plan, she added, is $146 million.

Roughly $2.8 million is planned for administration for 2017 in the form of information technology projects.

Included in the capital plan is the water and waste water budgets. LCA has and services 13 main water systems in the county.

Gross said the LCA is going to borrow approximately $20 million to pay for various water projects.

She noted LCA must focus on the Environmental Protection Agency administration order requiring the elimination of all sanitary overflows.

In terms of Allentown, LCA has $76 million in projects planned, Gross said. Such projects include two miles of water main replacement, which will cost about $17 million.

In other business, Commissioner Geoff Brace presented a motion, unanimously approved by the board, opposing the Federal Highway Administration’s Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform.

Brace said the plan, if accepted, would turn the Lehigh Valley into a “mega region” and result in the loss of funding.

Commissioner David Jones agreed, stressing the Valley would lose its autonomy.

The FHA proposal would result in the Lehigh Valley competing with other areas for funding.

Commissioner Dr. Percy Dougherty also commented.

”This is the most egregious example of big government,” Daugherty said.