By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

The closure of part of Pine Street was one of the main topics of discussion for North Whitehall supervisors during their Feb. 1 regular board meeting, held virtually.

Township Manager Chris Garges said developer Curtis E. Schneck was proposing to shut down an approximate 1,000-foot section of Pine Street between Walnut Drive and Cobbler Road to install a sanitary sewer line for the Fairland Farms subdivision.

The street will be closed completely until Feb. 22.

Garges and township engineer Steve Gitch said it would not be open to general traffic.

Gargas said PennDOT had approved the detours, and traffic would be redirected onto Old Post Road, Neffs Laurys Road and Bellview Road.

Solicitor Lisa Young said a preconstruction agreement still needed to be executed before any work begins, as well as the reception of a letter of credit.

The board voted to grant the request subject to the applicant’s satisfactory submission of the necessary financial securities, execution of the preconstruction agreement, and notification of the school district, post office, emergency services and affected residents.

The board also heard an application to join the North Whitehall Township Agricultural Security Area, which Secretary Brenda Norder said was for 17.124 acres along Bellview Road.

She said the board needed to take no action at this time, and after waiting 180 days the board could accept the land.

In other matters, the board approved the appointment of David Druckenmiller as interim tax collector to fill out the unexpired term of Terri Blazofsky through Dec. 31.

Additionally, supervisors approved a resolution setting the tax collector compensation for 2022.

Garges said the compensation for tax collectors are set for the next term, which is up for election in November.

He added the township would be changing its rate of compensation to a per-bill compensation, which would be sit at $3.50 per bill.

Board members also voted to distribute budget allocations to a number of different organizations.

Norder said $500 would be distributed to the Ironton Rail Trail Oversight Commission, and $2,600 would go to the Upper Lehigh Historical Society’s Schneck House.

She also said emergency service organizations would receive half their 2021 budgeted allocation, with the other half distributed around September after the township receives the organization’s required reports.

Disbursements include $31,000 to Northern Valley EMS, and $19,668.75 each to Laurys Station Company No. 1, Neffs Fire Company, Community Fire Company No. 1 and Tri-Clover Fire Company.

The board approved the distributions in a 2-0 decision, with Chairman Ronald Heintzelman abstaining due to being a lifetime member of the Schnecksville Fire Company.

Supervisor Dennis Klusaritz noted for the record he was also a lifetime member of all the township’s fire companies, but said he could vote without any conflict of interest.

Under announcements, Norder said the municipal offices would be closed Feb. 15 in observance of Presidents Day.

In his manager’s report, Garges said there would be a conditional use hearing on the Strawberry Acres development at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 via Zoom.

The next supervisors’ meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 1.