By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

During their Sept. 16 virtual board meeting, South Whitehall commissioners approved the purchase of a new fire truck for Woodlawn Fire Department and the construction of a new vehicle port at the station.

Fire Commissioner Chris Kiskeravage reported the department was looking to replace Engine 3212, a 1998 Seagraves engine.

He said the Woodlawn truck committee had been working on the replacement project since January 2019.

The committee selected a 2021 Metro Star from Spartan Emergency Response as the final design, and Kiskeravage said the department chose Spartan because Woodlawn already uses a 2012 Spartan engine, and firefighters are familiar with the operation and maintenance of the apparatus.

He said the committee had carried out a line-by-line discussion of needed equipment with the manufacturer to ensure fiscal responsibility with taxpayer money.

Additionally, Woodlawn Fire Chief James Kish said the current engine needed to be replaced due to maintenance headaches and costs.

He said the department is looking to getting more than 20 years of service out of the new apparatus.

The old engine will remain in service until the new Spartan arrives, at which point it will be taken out of service and put up for bid to recoup money for the fire apparatus fund.

“It’s been a long process, we’ve learned a lot of things along the way,” Kish said.

The final cost for the new engine is $627,837, with half paid at time of order and the remainder upon delivery.

Delivery time is expected to be around 400 days, around the fall or winter of 2021.

Additionally, the board also approved a motion to proceed with the construction of a concrete pad and truck port at Woodlawn Fire Company to park and protect fire department vehicles from the elements, for a project cost of $15,601.

In his report, Police Chief Glen Dorney said the department had 1,058 calls for service in August, compared to 1,140 in 2019.

He noted activity was starting to pick up again.

The most common calls were for EMS, with 220.

There were 60 arrests and 100 reported crimes last month, compared to 68 and 120, respectively, in 2019.

Regarding the good behavior ticket program Dorney said it was still in the works due to some delays, but said the department was working on having citations printed up and handed out shortly.

During the discussion period, Commissioner Mike Wolk made a motion to establish the proactive posting of open board and commission positions on the township’s website.

This would include qualifications, selection criteria and interview process information.

Wolk said the motion was due to feedback from township residents who “think it’s a transparency issue” regarding access to apply for positions and said the motion would promote open recruitment and selection, opportunity and diversity.

Commissioners Matthew Mobilio and board President Christina “Tori” Morgan said while they agreed with the concept of the motion, information regarding different township positions was already available and accessible on the township website for residents.

Mobilio also said he had not received correspondence from residents regarding concerns about finding open positions, and additionally said he would vote against any motion which was brought to the board without communication or discussion with other members.

Morgan said when the township’s new website is launched it will include additional methods of making openings more visible and disagreed with Wolk’s statements of the matter being a transparency issue.

She also noted that residents can apply for any position on a board or commission at any time, even without an opening, and will still be considered should a position free up, and said she had also not been told of any problems finding information or filling out an application.

The motion failed 2-3 with Wolk and Commissioner Diane Kelly voting yes, while Morgan, Mobilio and commissioner Joe Setton voted no.

During courtesy of the floor, in response to a question about an estimated time line for the township’s comprehensive plan, Kinney said the plan had completed its Phase 2 section and would be moving into Phase 3, which covers how development in South Whitehall will look like.

He reported Phase 3 will include a visual preference survey, currently in the works, which will be out within a 4-6-week period and be distributed to all township residents via postcard and is seeking at least 1,000 respondents.

Kinney also said Phase 4 will involve assembling stakeholder groups and writing the plan, which will hopefully be wrapped up by spring of 2021.

Kinney also said the township will try and hold some form of a virtual town hall to announce the Phase 3 survey, and said the public will be invited in some manner during Phase 4 to provide input and get involved in the plan’s subgroups.

Additional information and updates are available at swtcompplan.org.

The next board of commissioners meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 7.