During the June 14 virtual public meeting of the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners, board Vice President Joseph Marx discussed the lack of fire department daytime volunteers.

Marx said the township needs more manpower on the street during normal working hours Monday through Friday, and the lack of this support is reflected in the incident that occurred on Pennsylvania Street the morning of June 14. While Fire Chief David Nelson and his deputy chief were on the scene and heroically fought the fire, Marx said they lacked support in case the situation escalated.

Mayor Michael P. Harakal Jr. agreed growing the fire department is a necessity but said this will be one of the most challenging projects for the township to tackle.

He mentioned meeting with Catasauqua Mayor Barbara Schlegel and North Catasauqua Mayor William Molchany Jr. to brainstorm recruitment approaches because they generally have a very strong turnout with a lot of young volunteers.

Board President Philip Ginder said the board will support Harakal in moving forward with growing the department.

In other business, the board reviewed and unanimously passed three bills and four resolutions during the meeting.

The board passed Bill 10, which will allow the public works bureau to begin breaking ground on the Coplay Creek stream bank restoration project with erosion and sedimentation control. The township will also be requesting a grant from the Pennsylvania Financing Authority Watershed Restoration and Protection program for this project, in the hope the grant will cover a significant portion of the cost.

Resolution No. 3162 will request a grant from the PFA Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program for the Ironton Rail Trail trailhead improvement project. Commissioner Michael Dee introduced the resolution, and Commissioner Charles Fisher seconded it. There were no additional comments on the project or the grant.

The board voted to amend the existing term of the Whitehall Industrial and Commercial Development Authority to ensure the longevity of its mission and to provide a lengthy period to reach its long-term goals. The expiring term date is Dec. 31, 2070. No additional comments were made.

Harakal mentioned the electronics recycling and document shred event taking place 9 a.m.-noon June 26 behind Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, 2930 Zephyr Blvd. The list of accepted items can be found on the Whitehall Township Facebook page.

Residents interested in volunteering for the event are asked to arrive 8-8:30 a.m. for instruction and safety gear.

For more information on the June public meeting, visit whitehalltownship.org to see the minutes and recorded video.

To attend the virtual July 5 workshop meeting, visit the board of commissioners page on the township website for the link.