By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-132nd, gave a presentation during the Aug. 4 Upper Macungie Township supervisors’ meeting.

Schlossberg started by explaining he is now the state representative for part of Upper Macungie Township, “roughly east of Route 100 and the area on the new Air Products campus,” due to redistricting.

He said two of his biggest priorities are education and mental health.

Schlossberg has worked to increase funding to education first to benefit students in the Parkland School District, whom he represents, and to benefit taxpayers.

He spoke about his experience before becoming a state representative working as a member of Allentown City Council.

Schlossberg has experience with local government and urban revitalization, but the flip side of the coin is land use and proper planning for development and growth.

He wants to make sure local municipalities have the tools available to them, so they can offer growth, but also control it in a way that isn’t going to burden the quality of life.

Following a question from an audience member, Schlossberg defined what quality of life means to him.

“ I can define what quality of life is for me,” Schlossberg said.

“I can’t define what it is for other people.

“When I think of quality of life as it comes to development. I think on one hand, people must understand reality.

“If you’re moving into a new development that was a greenfield on a previous farm that’s surrounded by farmland, you’re going to have to understand there’s going to be more houses.

“It’s going to create more noise and more traffic in the long run.

“At the same time, in the long term, it becomes not just an individual problem, but a community problem because you can’t get school buses from point A to point B and kids can’t get to school on time.

“People can’t get to work on time, and that’s when things become an issue in my mind.

“I don’t know if I can define quality of life. I can say what I think the role of government is, which is to try to maintain quality of life.”

Another resident asked about fireworks.

He said voting for that bill was part of a budget compromise and it caused nothing but grief and tumult.

Schlossberg said the bill extended limitations and gave municipalities additional tools in terms of limits to where fireworks could be set off. The bill increased fines and gave police departments back the ability to see if fireworks that were shot off in the middle of the night were in the possession of someone firing them illegally.

He said once signed, bill would take 60 or 90 days to become effective.

In other matters, supervisors set Trick or Treat Night for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 28. Rain date is Oct. 29.