Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners held a brief virtual meeting Nov. 9.

The meeting opened with the presentation of a special Veterans Day video from Lee Rackus, township planning, zoning and development bureau chief. The video, which featured a photo collage of several generations of U.S. military veterans, was made to remember and thank all of the service members who have lived and currently live in Whitehall Township.

Among the many veterans featured were board President Philip Ginder and Commissioner Joseph Marx.

Also at the meeting, the board voted unanimously to pass a bill authorizing the township to sell general obligation bonds totaling $8.28 million. Those funds will go toward the construction of the new police station, as well as other capital projects to renovate and maintain various township facilities and grounds.

The board also held the first hearing on bill 32-2020, which would see the zoning of a 31.65-acre parcel of township land be changed from “very low density residential” to “local commercial.”

With the U.S. presidential election winding down, Commissioner Michael Dee took a moment during the meeting to encourage unity amid a moment of political polarity. He asked people to try to come together, regardless of political beliefs.

“If you take the time to talk to someone, you’ll find that you’ve got more in common than you might think,” Dee said.

Commissioner Charles Fisher used his time during the meeting to advise people of the ever-present and growing dangers of COVID-19. Fisher cited rising numbers of cases and hospitalizations nationally and warned the upward trend will likely continue through the holidays as people gather together indoors.

He suggested more people consider staying home and away from others during the holidays as much as possible, to avoid continuing the spread.

Township Engineer Frank Clark updated the board on the work being done to Lehigh Avenue. Heavy rain, which overtakes a section of the road, has gradually undermined it and created a sizable hole in the road surface. Clark said the damaged section of the road will be redone.

Ginder and Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. met with representatives from Lafarge Cement to determine whether or not Lafarge was burning trash being brought in from New York. Harakal said he and Ginder were given no reason to believe Lafarge representatives have been untruthful in their assertion they are not burning any trash, and the company is meeting the requirements of their permit. Harakal reported he also learned Lafarge has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent since 1990.

The next regular meeting of the board of commissioners will be held Dec. 14.