The cancellation of Salisbury Township public meetings has been extended through May 15, except for board of commissioners’ meetings, which are to be held virtually.

Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich made the cancellations’ announcement April 3 on the township website.

Bonaskiewich is taking the measures “in response to the rapidly-changing news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a statement in a large red box on the website’s main page.

Commissioners will meet 7 p.m. April 9, but the meeting will be virtual. Commissioners will convene via Zoom, a social media application platform for long-distance meetings.

In an email April 3 to The Press, Bonaskiewich stated the following concerning the April 9 meeting:

“The meeting will be an audio conference while I share my screen (i.e., the agenda items). The public can attend by registering which is required.” The information and link is posted on the township website.

In an email April 2 to The Press, Bonaskiewich stated, “We will not be opening the building for the meeting; it will all be done virtually.”

Additionally, Bonaskiewich stated in the April 2 email the 7 p.m. April 23 commissioners’ meeting is still scheduled, unless the board decides otherwise.

The logistics of holding township zoning hearing board and planning commission meetings virtually is being worked on, according to Bonaskiewich.

Zoning and planning meetings typically involve the presentation of engineering and design documents and large-size plans.

Several township meetings have been canceled, according to April 2 emails to The Press from Kerry Rabold, Salisbury Township administrative assistant, community development.

Canceled “due to the current pandemic” is the 7 p.m. April 15 meeting of the Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council. Rabold said the next scheduled EAC meeting is 7 p.m. May 20.

Canceled is the 7 p.m. May 5 Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting. The April 7 zoning hearing was canceled. The April 14 Salisbury Township Planning Commission meeting is canceled.

Rabold explained even if the stay-at-home order is lifted at the end of April, the township wouldn’t have enough time to advertise for the zoning board public hearing.

If the stay-at-home order is extended, the township would have to place an additional advertisement the hearing is canceled.

Pennsylvania mandates a zoning hearing be advertised twice, in two consecutive weeks, with the first advertisement no more than 30 days in advance and the second advertisement no less than seven days in advance.

Salisbury Township is continuing the following measures to limit the community spread of the coronavirus:

- Township offices are closed “to limit personal contact.” Administrative staff has been working remotely from their homes since March 27. Residents may email info@salisburytownshippa.org or call 610-797-4000 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- In-person payment of utility bills is suspended. Payments must be mailed in the envelope provided with the bill, dropped in the administration building drop box or made via the online bill payment platform on the township’s website. For assistance with online bill payment, call 484-661-5815 or 610-797-4000.

- Devonshire and Franko yard waste drop-off sites are closed until further notice. The township is “exploring temporary alternate arrangements for the collection of yard waste and additional information will be posted on the township’s website as it becomes available,” Bonaskiewich said.

- Township parks are closed. Pavilion reservations may be subject to change. No park pavilion reservations or ballfield permits are accepted until further notice.

- The township is not accepting permit applications until further notice. For questions, call township community development department staff at 484-661-5825 or 484-661-5812.

- Collection of bulk items is suspended, effective March 30. Curbside pickup of household trash and recycling continues as scheduled.

- The Salisbury Township Police Station is closed to the public as of March 17. The filing of non-emergency reports can be done by telephone to the police station at 610-797-1447, or Lehigh County Dispatch at 610-437-5252. Incident reports may be emailed to covid19call@salisburypolice.org.

- The Salisbury Township Public Works Department is continuing to work “unless and until it becomes necessary to revise or amend those services, as more information regarding the coronavirus becomes available,” the township website states.