By Sarit laschinsky

Special to The Press

For the fire company report at the start of the Aug. 20 Heidelberg Township supervisors meeting, Germansville Fire Company Chief Jay Scheffler said two firefighters completed their Firefighter 1 training, with another scheduled to finish in several weeks.

He also reported the fire company was awarded a $129,500 FEMA grant to replace air packs.

The fire company needs to contribute around $6,500 to the project.

Scheffler said company has started work on opening another one of its bays for storage.

Furthermore, a firefighter was recently injured in response to a nearby rescue call, and a claim had been filed.

The firefighter’s injuries were not major, Scheffler said.

Emergency Management Coordinator Dawn Didra noted in her report the municipal building vestibule is open for public access, and said she had spoken with Administrator Janice Meyers about contacting the township’s Internet provider about possibly setting up a guest Wi-Fi network in the building and at the recreation fields.

“When we’re having meetings like this, and we have a full house, if people want to join by Zoom in their vehicle, or even if their Internet goes down at their house and they really need it they can come here and sit out in their car, and use the Internet,” she said.

Didra also said Tropical Storm Isaias had caused flooding, wind damage and brought down trees throughout the township.

She has been working with the fire company and residents to collect information about damages to submit to the county.

She also said information on the Buckery Road Bridge collapse, which occurred Aug. 12, was sent to the county.

The 911 control center had been notified that the bridge will be closed for the foreseeable future.

Township engineer Christopher Noll and Chairman Steve Bachman said estimated costs for the collapse were $385,000.

In the ambulance report, Northern Valley EMS responded to 89 calls for service in Heidelberg Township to date and covered 92 percent of all calls – including 100 percent for the month.

In addition, a panic button was installed in one of the ambulance units after a NOVA crew member was assaulted by a patient.

Regarding office operations, Supervisor Jonathan Jakum reported the new door lock and video intercom system have been installed, and the office has resumed regular business hours 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday from, with limited public access.

For parks and recreation, Bachman said several signs had been stolen at the recreation field but security cameras caught the perpetrators, and the township will be pressing charges.

Bachman also noted that prices were being gathered for bench and tree memorials for interested individuals to sponsor.

Road Superintendent Kevin Huber reported toil, chipping and road sweeping was completed, and line-painting work was ongoing.

He noted the road crew’s new truck has been completed, but is sitting at the plant awaiting transportation to the township.

Huber also said he had received a request from a resident to return parking spot markings in a part of Heidelberg Heights to their previous size.

He reported another resident had repainted the lines and made the parking spots narrower than standard, making it difficult to enter or exit a vehicle.

Noll said there were standards which governed spot sizes, and the board asked Huber to look into the issue and make adjustments as necessary.

In the engineer’s report, Noll said he had spoken to Lehigh County Authority about the ongoing handicap ramps project in Heidelberg Heights.

The LCA will be bidding the ramps with their first project in 2021.

Regarding Hunter’s Hill Road drainage, he said some pipework by approximately 20 feet, and a flared end section and riprap would need to be added to help divert water away from a resident’s home.

Additionally, Noll said additional work would be necessary to keep draining water off the roadway as a utility pole would need to be moved, at a cost of around $5,000, and several more driveways would need to have pipework added.

Noll said he would put together minimal pricing numbers, additional line items and unit prices to discuss at a future meeting.

In other business, regarding a request by Michael Kistler for a handicap ramp and sidewalk repairs on Herman Street, the board noted Solicitor Keith Strohl and Noll said at the last meeting a midblock ramp was not feasible due to liability and safety concerns.

For sidewalks, Noll said he would get the measurements and calculate the square yardage and costs.

Meyers said the cost would be borne by the property owners, based on frontage.

Bachman said the township would need to start notifying affected residents.

He asked Noll and Huber to start working on a plan to get the sidewalks fixed.

Additionally, the board also approved a waiver to temporarily waive the minimum required distribution from the AIG retirement plan for 2020 due to changes from the CARES Act.

Meyers said the changes would only be for this year and would not affect the plan in any way.

Furthermore, the board also discussed issues with washouts on Jones Road, Trout Road and other dirt roads within the township during recent storms and heavy rains.

Resident Bruce Zellner presented a history of the work done on Jones Road by the township and recommended to address washout issues, the township should reinstall pipelines into field entrances, increase the size of pipes draining into the creek, reinstall previously-placed pipes which water ran through, and make a swale on the edge of the road, planted with grass to stop erosion, among other points.

Bachman said the township could regrade parts of the area and fix several of the drainage and runoff issues.

Additionally, resident Paul Kovalchik said he had requested records about the work done on Jones Road.

He said the work cost $72,000 and was “to no effect.”

He also asked about reinstalling piping and putting in a grass waterway to fix drainage issues.

Bachman said some of the money was from grants which had strict instructions and limits for usage, and said some of the issues are also related to the slope of the road and surrounding area, which funneling water into an area that constantly washes out.

Kovalchik and several other residents also asked about paving the township’s dirt roads, calling out the dust and rocks kicked up by driving on the roads, and noting that the maintenance costs and requirements for dirt roads are higher than asphalt streets.

“This day and age, to be putting it up with this stuff, it is crazy,” Earl Zellner said.

Bachman said the cost to pave Heidelberg’s 11 miles of dirt roads would be “astronomical,” but added there were grants which could help ameliorate the cost.

The board asked the township, Noll and Huber to look into potential paving plans and any available grant funding, as well as ways to rebalance maintenance costs and work.

Finally, the board dropped previously-discussed issues related to Holly Hill Court after a property owner clarified the situation, and said there were no trespassing, paving or maintenance violations.

The next board of supervisors meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17.