A motion to ratify a Declaration of Disaster Emergency for Salisbury Township will clear the way for township officials to request reimbursement for costs connected with the coronavirus pandemic that has closed the administration building, canceled public meetings and changed life in Salisbury for the foreseeable future.

The closing of the administration building has necessitated key township employees to work from their homes. The township purchased four computers at a cost of $7,217 for four employees. The computers are among the items for which it’s hoped costs can be recouped.

Township commissioners, meeting for the first time using the Zoom software platform allowing them to convene from their homes, voted unanimously 5-0 to approve the disaster emergency declaration.

Commissioner Joanne Ackerman made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Rodney Conn, to bring the declaration to a vote April 9.

“Let’s pretend I have a gavel and I’ll call the meeting to order,” board of commissioners President Debra Brinton said prior to the vote.

“I was going to have a miniature flag so that we could say the Pledge of Allegiance,” Brinton continued, adding, “I appreciate everyone’s patience because this is new to us.”

Among the 20 persons registered for the meeting were Commissioners Heather Lipkin, James Seagreaves, Brinton, Conn and Ackerman, Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich, Salisbury Township Police Chief Kevin Soberick, Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas, Salisbury Township Assistant Manager Sandy Nicolo, Salisbury Township Business Administrator Paul Ziegenfus, Salisbury Township Solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley, Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer, Salisbury Township Recreation Director Genny Baillie, Western Salisbury Fire Company Chief Joshua G. Wells, several residents and a reporter for The Press.

Each attendee was visible on the computer screen, represented in a small box if he or she had a computer camera and was heard via a computer microphone.

By consensus, commissioners agreed to cancel the April 23 township meeting, which would have been the second regular monthly meeting.

Instead, commissioners are next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. May 14, again via Zoom.

April meetings canceled include zoning, planning and environmental advisory council. The May 5 zoning hearing board and May 12 planning commission meetings are canceled. The next scheduled zoning meeting is June 2. The next scheduled planners’ meeting is June 9.

In other business, the coronavirus-mandated shutdowns, whereby Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered nonessential businesses closed and residents to stay at home through April 30 may affect the township’s six-week mid-June to mid-July summer playground program.

Said Bonaskiewich to a reporter for The Press in a phone interview after the meeting, “We are proceeding with cautious optimism for the summer playground program. We have advertised. We are getting applications. We are moving forward with the process, but it may well be canceled.

“We’re all hopeful that this will be over sooner than later, but the program is very much in jeopardy,” Bonaskiewich said.

During the meeting, commissioners backed the closing of township drop-off sites because of the guidelines for six-foot social distancing and gatherings limited to 10 or fewer.

“I don’t want to put anyone in jeopardy, nor do I want to put a township employee in jeopardy,” Brinton said, adding, “We are very lucky to have garbage pickup.”

Said Bonaskiewich after the meeting, when asked about the drop-off site closings, “We’ve gotten a number of complaints. We have to prioritize and we have to make sure we’re providing essential services.”

It was noted during the meeting that Green Acres Park, Devonshire Park and Laubach Park are closed to the public and Lindberg Park and Franko Farm Park are open for walking, jogging, walking dogs and riding bicycles.

“We have closed our parks except for walking and running,” Brinton said.

Ziegenfus said the United States Department of Agriculture loan application for the $3.5-million Western Salisbury Fire House project was submitted the week of March 30.

Ziegenfus added there is a 45-day response period and the interest rate on the 40-year loan has decreased from 2.75 percent to 2.375 percent.

“We still have to go through planning and zoning,” Wells said.

“If a firehouse is considered essential, wouldn’t it be prudent to move it along?” Brinton asked.

“It has to be approved at a public meeting,” Ashley said.

“Part of the other problem is that construction companies are behind in their work,” Wells said.

In a phone interview with The Press after the meeting, Ziegenfus said, “The pre-application is cut and dry. There’s definitely going to be a holdup in the next step. I don’t know how we can get contractors to bid on it.”

Regarding required Western project township planning and zoning approvals, Ziegenfus said in the interview, “We want to make sure we have public input because it’s in a residential area.”

When it was suggested Zoom meetings might be able to alternate with public meetings, Ashley cautioned:

“I would think that it would be better to have in-person meetings. As an emergency-type situation, these are fine. But I’m concerned about not having the meetings once people can get in the building.”

“State law has been amended to allow for this format for now,” Bonaskiewich said.

“We may be having these [Zoom] meetings into the summer,” Brinton said.

“We can’t predict anything,” Conn said, adding, “The virus may not have plateaued.”

Said Nicolo, “Things in the department have been running really smooth. I want to thank Kerry for that. She really stepped up,” referring to Kerry Rabold, administrative assistant, community development.

At the meeting’s conclusion, Andreas said, “I just encourage everyone to stay safe and stay well. I can’t wait to get back for everybody to have a meeting in person.”