At the Jan. 28 meeting of East Allen Township Board of Supervisors, there was clear excitement as parks and their improvements, an egg hunt, a township farmers market and a plan to secure a new ambulance were discussed.

With palpable enthusiasm, supervisors reviewed a plan for a farmers market that could take place Wednesdays from May through September. Bicentennial Park is a possible planned destination for the market. The hope is to have a diverse amount of local produce and meats and other items for sale in a community-strengthening activity.

The annual township egg hunt is expected to take place. The playground that hosts the event is perceived as having enough space to socially distance. There was general agreement the hunt must occur for kids and families.

“I wonder how the Easter bunny will look in a mask,” one supervisor quipped.

Talk of playground and park planning was extensive.

There are draft plans to improve park lights by switching to LED lights and parking lot lighting. Improvements are necessary to increase security around the parks. Security lighting will assist in mitigating vandalism experienced at some parks.

Reportedly, last year “a port-o-let was blown up.”

The event was captured on park cameras, but the lighting was so poor the offenders were not identified.

Refurbishing and recoating basketball and tennis courts are also planned. Adding a pickleball court is on the parks improvement agenda.

Supervisors are developing extensive plans to renovate and possibly add pavilions to the park system. There is consideration to evaluate the need for replacement playground equipment.

Pathways that are stone paths tend to wash out and need weed killer spray, creating expenses that can be eliminated by paving these areas. The pathways will be changed to become accessible.

Any baseball fields with grass infields are planned to have the grass removed, thereby having dirt infields that are less costly to maintain.

Township Manager Brent M. Green is charged with not only drafting these plans but also seeking grant funding for these ambitious plans to create a better, more usable and less costly park operation.

Supervisors passed a motion to authorize payment through a lease agreement to East Allen Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps for a 2021 type 3 ambulance. The ambulance cost is $238,000. The vehicle will be titled to the township to reduce interest costs for the loan.

A type 3 ambulance is mounted on a cutaway van chassis. The cab is the integral part of the ambulance unit. The connection between the cab and patient module can vary in appearance but generally looks more like a doorway than a window. This allows for an easier transfer of items from the patient compartment.

The township will maintain liability insurance for the ambulance. The ambulance corps will carry typical vehicle- required insurance. Maintenance and care of the vehicle are solely the ambulance corps’ responsibility over the 10-year life of the lease loan payback term.

A farmland preservation nascent committee is moving along with a large number of residents expressing interest in attending meetings, with a goal to preserve farmland and open spaces.

In another matter, an ordinance establishing speed limits on various township roads is under consideration. If assembled, the ordinance’s expected completion is spring.

The next board of supervisors meeting is 7 p.m. Feb. 10. It is the workshop meeting. Contact the township office at 610-262-7961 or visit eatwp.org for the virtual access information.