The Upper Milford Township board of supervisors met Aug. 20 via Zoom. Chairperson Joyce K. Moore, Vice Chairperson Daniel J. Mohr and Supervisor Robert C. Sentner were in attendance. Township Manager Bud Carter, Solicitor Marc Fisher and Secretary/Treasurer Jessi O’Donald were also in attendance.

Supervisors discussed concerns from Mark Feiertag, president of Mechanics Plus Towing on Colebrook Avenue. He is concerned about water damage from the last two heavy rainstorms and asked for the township’s assistance in looking at the direction of the water and any mitigation that could be done.

The supervisors approved a waiver for well isolation distance for a home in the 5700 block of Indian Creek Road.

Also approved was an Eagle Scout project as proposed by Scout Grant Hagenbuch to place bat houses at Fulmer Preserve. The proposal includes three sets of bat boxes.

“I think it is wonderful; I love bat boxes,” Moore said. “Thank you to Grant for this wonderful project and we appreciate his efforts.”

The supervisors also approved the Interim Lehigh County Act 537 Plan.

The wastewater treatment plan for Lehigh County Authority must be approved by the borough of Alburtis, city of Allentown, borough of Coplay, Whitehall Township, borough of Emmaus, Hanover Township, Lower Macungie Township, Lowhill Township, borough of Macungie, North Whitehall Township, Salisbury Township, South Whitehall Township, Upper Macungie Township, Upper Milford Township and Weisenberg Township.

The Final Interim Act 537 Plan details a “corrective action plan related to the hydraulic overload condition which occurred in 2019 after Pennsylvania received the most annual rainfall since data began being collected in 1895. As a result of the hydraulic overload condition, the Kline’s Island Sewer System Signatories working group, with the assistance of ARRO Consulting, developed the interim plan for the period of 2021-2025,” according to LCA.

In other business, Wesley Barrett, Golf Circle, requested a stop sign along North Second Street going into Golf Circle. Supervisors agreed a stop sign was needed and approved the request.

At the end of the meeting, Sentner asked why the meetings continue to be held via Zoom.

“It takes the people out of local government,” Sentner said referring to holding Zoom meetings.

Fisher responded by saying only 25 people are allowed in a meeting location at one time. If a 26th person were to attend, there would be an announcement to ask someone to step outside or the meeting would not be able to be held.

“I don’t think it is fair to the public,” Sentner said.

“You can hold the meeting outside with more than 25 people,” Fisher offered.

Moore said there is nothing they can do unless the mandate is lifted.

“If we are going to have in-person meetings, everyone must wear masks. Until we have complete cooperation, we have to have Zoom meetings. I absolutely will not be in a meeting if people won’t wear masks,” Moore said.

Sentner made a motion to hold in-person meetings at the township building and said they would deal with the 26th person.

Fisher had concerns about handling the appearance of a 26th person and offered the three options to either ask someone to not come in, hold the meeting outside weather permitting or ending the meeting or not having the meeting start.

Fisher also asked how the meeting would be advertised – as a Zoom meeting or an in-person meeting.

O’Donald suggested the three supervisors could be in a meeting room and the staff and audience could sit in the auditorium. The meeting would be broadcast to the auditorium.

O’Donald was tasked with having staff develop a hybrid meeting format to include an in-person meeting and a Zoom format.

“The budget is going to start soon and we need to have a system prepared,” Sentner said.

“We just need to do this properly,” O’Donald said.

Sentner revised his motion to have a hybrid meeting 7 p.m. Sept. 3.