Whitehall Township Police Department will be receiving some equipment upgrades after the township board of commissioners approved a purchase request during its March meeting.

Bill 7 approved the purchase of in-car cameras for the police department. The bill was unanimously passed with six votes, as Commissioner Randy Atiyeh was absent due to prior work obligations. There were no additional comments from the board of commissioners or the public.

A salary for the township treasurer was approved in Bill 2. The amount will be set from 2022 to 2025; however, no specific numbers were mentioned during the meeting.

The board approved service to streetlights throughout Whitehall Township in Bill 3. Additionally, Bill 4 approved the installation of sidewalks at 3030 S. Third St., with an agreement that the developer, Castle Builders Inc., will maintain the easement.

Whitehall Township’s public works department has been approved to purchase a new skid-steer loader, which is an all-purpose vehicle.

The March 1 motion regarding the use of the Lafarge funds for repairing South Lehigh Avenue was amended during this meeting by board Vice President Joseph Marx Jr. to include the purchase of a $38,000 snowblower attachment for the public works department.

John Rackus, bureau chief of public works, indicated, according to Marx, the department was supposed to purchase the snowblower attachment last year but was unable to do so because of budget constraints. Rackus was able to get the price lowered and said the $38,000 is a fair price that might never come again.

Marx requested to include this purchase in the Lafarge fund motion because the fund was originally intended for public works equipment.

Solicitor Jack Gross helped amend the motion during the meeting, and the board of commissioners unanimously approved the updated motion to use more than $170,000 from the Lafarge fund. However, the requests will now become ordinances for further approval since both purchases will be in excess of $25,000.

Resolution 3154 approved the retirement and release of monthly pension benefits to former police Officer Jason Mertz, who was shot in the line of duty in 2017. Commissioner Jeffrey Warren thanked Mertz for his 13 years of service; the sentiment was seconded by Commissioners Michael Dee and Charles Fisher.

“The people of Whitehall Township should be forever grateful for Officer Mertz’s service,” Marx said in his report.

“We will always be here for you,” Marx added to all the other men and women in emergency response careers.

The board of commissioners will next meet 7 p.m. April 5 for the monthly workshop meeting. Instructions on attending can be found at whitehalltownship.org.