Salisbury Township is seeking a grant to help fund the Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Swain Station project.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners received an update on funding possibilities from Salisbury Township Director of Finance Ziegenfus.

“I met with USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] officials regarding financing of the Western Swain project,” Ziegenfus said at the June 9 township meeting.

Ziegenfus said it appears Jerdon Construction Services LLC can be included in the project under the concept of a design-build contract. Ronald Jerdon, president of Jerdon, did the site plan and artist’s rendering of the Swain Station project, presented at the May 12 commissioners’ meeting.

Salisbury would seek a $2.7 million USDA grant, financed at 2.5 percent interest over 40 years. The township budget impact for principal and interest is estimated at $110,000 annually.

“Over $700,000 in savings over the course of the life of the loan is possible,” Ziegenfus said.

USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced in a news release April 27 the department is expanding access to loan guarantee programs that provide funding to help rural communities create jobs and improve local infrastructure. Portions of Salisbury Township are considered rural.

“We’re going to try to seek more funding,” Ziegenfus said, citing other possible Pennsylvania funding sources to a reporter for The Press after the meeting.

Commissioners at the May 26 township meeting voted to approve the Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company land development plan, 950 S. Ott St., as recommended by the township planning commission; deed revisions and a $2.7-million loan guarantee repayment. The township zoning hearing board voted to approve the plan. The land development plan was reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

Western Salisbury officials have said they are in discussions with two financial institutions to obtain financing for the $3.1-million project. Western has raised $400,000 for the project.

At the June 9 township meeting, commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent, to approve:

•Bills payable May 21-June 3 totaling $614,895.35. The payment approval report is on the township website: https://www.salisburytownshippa.org.

•A resolution amending Section 8.3A of the Civil Service Commission rules and regulations to reduce the length of service with the township police department from four years to three years for the promotion eligibility to corporal or detective ranks. Commissioner Heather Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Vice President Rodney Conn.

“How many officers does this affect?” Commissioner Alex Karol asked before the vote.

“Several,” Salisbury Township Chief of Police Kevin Soberick said.

•A block party request, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 25, for the 800 block of East Tioga Street. Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Karol. The party, held by Leno Scarcia, is for his son Anthony, a Salisbury High School graduate.

•Authorize execution of a revised Fountain Hill Sewer Agreement for a 30-year term, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2051. Karol made the motion, seconded by Conn.

•Approve Change Order No. 2 for a $15,663.36 increase for the Laubach Park Stormwater Improvements Project. Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Conn.

“We unexpectedly came across a stormwater pipe that conflicted with everything else,” Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., said before the vote.

•Approve Change Order No. 3 for a $23,730.59 increase for the Laubach Park Stormwater Improvements Project. Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Karol.

“The second one [change order] is design-related, having to do with the soil,” Tettemer said before the vote.

•Approve Payment No. 2 for $90,517.08 to CMR Construction for the Laubach Park Stormwater Improvements Project. Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Karol.

•Reject bids received for the township municipal building HVAC system upgrade project. Karol made the motion, seconded by Conn. Before the vote, it was noted a stipulated amount was allocated for the project and the three bids received were each higher than anticipated. Township officials said they will reevaluate the project.

•Accept the time extension request to March 31, 2023, for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, Inc., Land Development, 2638 W. Rock Road, for Adventure Place at Mountain House. Conn made the motion, seconded by Karol.

Before the vote, Commissioner President Debra Brinton said the time extension pertains to delays in approvals from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

•Accept the time extension request to Sept. 30, 2022, for NuVision Properties LLC Land Development, 1493 E. Emmaus Avenue, to convert a group home to a 12-unit apartment.

In other business at the June 9 meeting:

•Lipkin, the commissioners’ representative to the Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Committee, said the committee, which has not met for several months because of a lack of a quorum, is being reorganized.

•Salisbury Township Assistant Township Manager-Director, Community Development Sandy Nicolo said the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission sent a letter of commendation to Salisbury Township Planning and Zoning Officer Kerry Rabold for her work on the township cluster houses zoning amendment.

•Rabold received the George Fasic Outstanding Planning Education Award from the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute for completing a 40-hour planning, zoning and subdivision course program.

During the workshop after the June 9 meeting, commissioners discussed the township tax collection certification fee and duplicate bill.

Following the workshop, commissioners met in executive session.

The Salisbury Township board of commissioners is scheduled to meet 7 p.m. June 23, in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The Salisbury Township zoning hearing board is scheduled to meet 7 p.m. June 22 in the meeting room of the municipal building.