Additional funds have been approved for stormwater mitigation in and around William H. Laubach Memorial Park in eastern Salisbury Township.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to approve a motion to award a bid of $217,229.01 to Columbia Excavating LLC, Berwick, Columbia County, for the Lehigh Avenue Stormwater Improvements Project.

The motion was brought to a vote by township Commissioner Alex Karol and seconded by township board of commissioners Vice President Rodney Conn.

In answer to a question by a reporter for The Press after the March 10 commissioners’ meeting when the vote was taken for the Laubach project, Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer said, “The work is for stormwater system improvements along Lehigh Avenue.”

Residents in the vicinity of Laubach Park have complained to commissioners about stormwater runoff, which also limits use of certain areas of the park by residents and the Salisbury Youth Association.

The bid, in addition to a previously-approved bid, brings to $463,984.71 the funds allocated so far for the Laubach Park and vicinity stormwater mitigation.

The project is seen as a first step toward possible fulfillment of the Laubach Park and Franko Farm Park Master Plan.

“Eventually, we would like to improve Laubach Park. But we have to do something about the water issues first,” board of commissioners President Debra Brinton said before the vote on the project bid.

Commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent Feb. 24, to approve a motion to award a $246,755.70 bid to CMR Construction, Inc. for the Laubach Park Stormwater Improvement Project.

Construction, which could begin in late March or early April, will take six to eight weeks to complete, according to Tettemer.

Laubach Park is south of East Susquehanna Street and Lehigh Mountain and north of East Emmaus Avenue and South Mountain. Lehigh Avenue is along the north boundary of the park. Fairview Avenue is along the west boundary of the park. Private residences are along the south and east boundaries of the park.

The unveiling of the Laubach and Franko master plan at the April 18, 2016, township meeting brought a flood of stormwater runoff complaints. More than 50 people packed the meeting room of the township municipal building, including an estimated 35 residents who live in the vicinity of Laubach Park, which contains a pond, a creek and a flood plain.

Salisbury commissioners voted 5-0 at the Jan. 26, 2016, township meeting to accept the Master Site Development Plan for the 14.25-acre Laubach Park and the 93.72-acre Franko Farm Park, Black River Road, which proposes an estimated $5 million in improvements for the parks.

Salisbury commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent at the Dec. 8, 2016, meeting to accept a $32,000 proposal from Gilmore & Associates, Inc. for a hydrology study for Laubach Park.

In other business at the March 10 meeting, commissioners voted 5-0 to approve:

•Resolution to designate township officials authorized to execute Local Share Account statewide gaming grant documents. Commissioner Heather Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Karol.

“We used to apply for gaming grants through Lehigh County,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

“The system for applying for those grants has changed. This is a statewide grant,” Bonaskiewich said.

According to the website for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act (Act 2004-71), as amended, provides for distribution of gaming revenues through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to support projects in the public interest in Pennsylvania.

The CFA has developed program guidelines to distribute LSA funds generated in Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton and Washington counties, the website states.

Eligible applicants include counties, municipalities, municipal authorities, economic development agencies and redevelopment authorities. Projects are for the public interest, community improvement and economic development, states the website.

The DCED website states projects are to improve the quality of life of citizens in the community. Eligible projects must be owned and maintained by an eligible applicant or nonprofit organization. Grant amounts vary based on a project’s requirements.

•Motion to authorize contract settlement of $35,000 with Stratix-Lynx, an information technology firm, Wyomissing, Berks County. Conn moved to bring the motion to a vote, seconded by Commissioner Alok Patnaik.

“I believe this is something we discussed in executive session,” Brinton said before the vote.

•Motion to accept the resignation of Tricia Dickert from the township Recreation Advisory Committee. Conn moved to bring the motion to a vote, seconded by Karol.

•Motion to appoint Tammy Campbell as Second Ward representative to the township Recreation Advisory Committee. Karol moved to bring the motion to a vote, seconded by Conn.

In the courtesy of the floor segment for public comment on non-agenda items, two township residents complained about an alleged group home at 1415 Gail Ave., in which they claim a woman lives who is allegedly causing vandalism, aggravation to residents and danger to children in the neighborhood.

“I think I’m the most damaged house on the block,” Krista Makhoul said, who claimed the woman has caused an estimated $4,000-$6,000 in damages to her house and property, including a hole to the front window and damage to vehicles.

“She’s a danger to herself. Shes a danger to us,” Makhoul said.

“I work in mental health and I have empathy for people with mental health problems,” Rachael Legath said.

“I don’t want her to get arrested. I want her to get help,” Legath said.

Salisbury Township Chief of Police Kevin Soberick said concerning the woman accused of the vandalism, “We’ve taken her to every facility.

“We have not had success. You can’t get a hold of anybody. It’s just very frustrating for us,” Soberick said concerning the owner of the house.

“This is a prime example of being caught between law enforcement and mental health,“ Soberick said

“There must be something that can be done,” Brinton said.

“Don’t we have any controls?” Lipkin asked.

“Zoning-wise, you can’t not allow it [a group home],” Salisbury Township Assistant Manager Sandy Nicolo said.

The residents’ concerns underscore the need to pass a proposed disruptive noise ordinance, Bonaskiewich said.

“We have to pass the ordinance,” Conn said.

“We have to advertise it [the proposed ordinance] before it’s acted on,” Bonaskiewich said.

Discussion of a proposed disruptive noise ordinance was discussed at the Feb. 10 commissioners’ meeting workshop.

“It turns out that we have a lot of problems when there’s not a lot we can do,” Soberick said at the Feb. 10 workshop.

Soberick and Nicolo are drafting an ordinance, to be reviewed by Salisbury Township Solicitor Attorney John W. Ashley, for consideration by commissioners that could help township code enforcement and police curtail alleged disruptive conduct by tenants in rental units and apartments in the township.

Nicolo indicated an ordinance or amendment to an ordinance could hold landlords responsible for the conduct of their tenants.

According to the website for apartments.com, as of three weeks ago, a three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom house is at 1415 Gail Ave.

According to the website for redfin, a 1,092-square-foot house on a 8,250-square-foot lot at 1415 Gail Avenue sold Sept. 25, 2013, for $133,300 and is valued at $280,316.

The Salisbury Township Planning Commission meets 7 p.m. March 23 and the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners meets 7 p.m. March 24 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.