By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

South Whitehall Township commissioners met in-person in the newly-renovated township building on June 2.

Board President Christina “Tori” Morgan called the meeting a “monumental evening,” and noted it would be the first meeting with new commissioner, Ben Long, who was appointed in May to fill an existing vacancy.

He will serve through Jan. 3, 2022.

Morgan also said the board’s meetings would still be held in a hybrid format, allowing for audience comments and questions via virtual means, due to an extension of Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 orders through August.

The first item on the agenda was a resolution extending conditional final approval for the Parkland Manor Senior Living Phase 4 major plan, 4636 Crackersport Road on the site of the former West End Racquet Club.

Community Development Director Dave Manhardt said the plan proposes construction of a four-story, 91,520-square-foot senior living building as well as an adjacent parking lot.

The applicant was seeking a 10-month extension until March 31, 2022.

Bill Erdman, speaking on the applicant’s behalf, said the extension was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, legal, internal and engineering issues which needed to be resolved, and outstanding details and agencies which must be addressed.

Erdman said he did not anticipate using the entire 10-month period and the applicant would like to have the matter wrapped up by the end of the year.

Commissioners approved the extension.

Next, commissioners approved a motion to award the 2021 road paving bid to Lehigh Valley Site Contractors Division of H&K Group for $981,481.50.

Public Works Superintendent Herb Bender said the roads needing to be paved are in the Clifford Park and Woodlawn Manor Annex areas.

The project’s budgeted amount was $1,285,455.

In response to a question about why the bid amount was so much lower than the budged amount, Bender said H&K Group makes its own blacktop material out of road milling debris.

He said the process does not compromise material quality, and the paving work comes with an 18-month warranty.

Bender and Operations Director Randy Cope said work will be scheduled and spread out to avoid gridlock and residential inconveniences.

Paving notifications will be posted to the township website, roads will be posted and residents will be notified.

Furthermore, another motion was accepted to add two utility vehicles to the Greenawalds Fire Company.

Fire Commissioner Chris Kiskeravage said the vehicles would be purchased and owned by the fire company.

He said Greenawalds was looking for the township to cover insurance, fuel and repair costs.

Kiskeravage said the company needed additional people-moving vehicles due to a large influx of new volunteers.

Commissioner Diane Kelly asked why Greenawalds was using its own funds and not fire tax money.

Kiskeravage replied the additional vehicles were not included in the township’s fleet plan and instead of using township money, the fire company decided to purchase the vehicles through its relief organization instead.

He added the township fleet plan would likely need to be reviewed and updated to address the matter of adding new vehicles and compensating for increases in volunteers.

Under informational items, Commissioner Mike Wolk provided a detailed finance committee report largely centered around the status of the township’s outstanding financial audits.

He thanked Finance Director Scott Boehret and the financial department for their diligent work on completing the audits.

Wolk reported steady progress was being made on the 2016-2020 reports.

He said individual reports will be completed for each year, and the 2016-19 audits will be managed as a group.

Wolk added the next major milestone will be a presentation by the auditor of the 2016-19 reports, including audit opinions, to the finance committee in July, when committee members will hold a Q&A and provide feedback.

He said final audit reports will be presented to the commissioners in August.

Wolk also said work continues on the 2020 audit, which is expected to be done by the end of the year.

After Wolk’s report, resident David Kennedy asked why the finance committee meetings are not open for public attendance.

Morgan said the committee meetings have historically not been open as public meetings.

Kennedy said he did not find that explanation acceptable.

“Just because it’s a committee doesn’t mean it can’t be open to the public,” he said.

Solicitor Joe Zator said under the Sunshine Act, there is no requirement these meetings must be open to the public, and the decision to open the meeting was at the board’s discretion.

He also said due to the way the Sunshine Act works, the committee can meet at any time, at any location, with no requirement the public must be allowed to attend.

Kennedy asked whether the board could vote on opening the finance committee meeting that evening.

Kelly said opening the meeting to the public would turn it into a workshop and change the dynamic of future committee meetings but added the topic was worth discussing.

Wolk said he was in favor of “open transparency” and holding the meeting publicly, though he added effective member communication was necessary and, “we must get work done.”

Zator said if the meeting was held publicly, with all commissioners present, it would need to be publicly advertised, which Morgan said would add an extra layer of complexity.

Kennedy said he was not asking all commissioners must be in attendance, only for public access.

Long asked Kennedy, a member of the Parkland School Board, whether the school district followed a similar process as South Whitehall in terms of committee meetings.

Kennedy said the district’s committee meetings are publicly held.

“They are open to the public,” Kennedy said. “everything is open to the public.

“We’re transparent, unlike South Whitehall.”

Morgan said she took exception to Kennedy’s comment, stating South Whitehall operates transparently, and she did not have a problem holding the meetings publicly.

Commissioner Joe Setton said he would need to learn more about the matter before making any firm decision.

Morgan said further discussions can be held, and the topic can be revisited at a future meeting.

No further action was taken that evening on the subject.