The Lehigh County Authority is expected to receive its requested 43-year lease extension.

In a preliminary first reading, Lehigh County commissioners approved, by a 9-0 vote, amending the LCA’s Articles of Incorporation to extend its term of existence 43 years from the date the agreement is approved by Pennsylvania’s Department of State.

The move allows the LCA to negotiate long-term financing at the best rates for capital improvements for its water and wastewater systems serving 14 municipalities in the county.

LCA Executive Director Liesel Gross reiterated her pledge to provide an annual report and to provide an annual public presentation to commissioners.

In other matters, commissioners finalized the lease of the Seed Farm, 43 acres at 5854 Vera Cruz Road in Upper and Lower Milford townships, with the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley to operate and manage the farm to create programs to introduce, train and develop farmers.

CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings attended the meeting.

Commissioners gave first reading approval to appoint Diana Scholl to the position of deputy clerk.

Erin Yasenchak, a partnership specialist with the Census Bureau, encouraged everyone to become involved in the upcoming census scheduled for April 1, 2020.

She said undercounts in the county’s population result in losses of government grants back to the community.

In other business, members of the Lehigh County Youth Advisory Council were honored for their contributions with citations from the county administration.

Citations were presented to the high school students by Joshua Siegel, the county’s public information officer.

The youth advisors receiving citations were Nicholas Saylor of Whitehall High School, Ga Young Lee of Parkland High School, Thomas Chakif and Zahi Awad, both of Dieruff High School.

The Adjutant for Detachment 284 of the Bethlehem Marine Corps League, Douglas Graves, presented citations to Lehigh County Commissioners Amy Zanelli and Dan Hartzell, and Executive Phillips Armstrong and county Public Information Officer Joshua Siegel recognizing their voluntary work supporting the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program at Allentown’s Salvation Army last December.