By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

The 537 Plan was on the agenda at the Sept. 11 North Whitehall supervisors’ meeting.

This plan requires municipalities to identify problems and to correct them in public and private sewage facilities.

North Whitehall will be updating its sewage planning efforts over the next 18-20 months and has engaged Barry Isett and Associates to help with the process.

The public will be notified of meetings regarding the planning process and are encouraged to attend.

Township Manager Randy Cope said Andrea Martin, from Barry Isett and Associates, and Liesel Gross, from the Lehigh County Authority were on hand to answer questions about the 537 Plan.

Cope said the plan would look at the township’s sanitary sewer system as a whole and throughout the township, because there is not just one system.

There are a number of privately owned treatment plants, and the township owns and operates the Timber Ridge system.

He said part of this effort is planning for the future growth.

Cope also explained that the township has a cost sharing agreement with the LCA.

“We felt that they were a good partner to help us through this process,” Cope said.

Distributions to EMS and senior clubs were also listed on the agenda.

Chief Jim Steward, of Neffs Volunteer Fire Company, requested an increase in the contribution to $15,000 for emergency services.

The additional allocation to this organization will support expenses for rescue equipment that are important operational tools to the service they provide, he explained.

In other matters, Cope said in his report there was a meeting with a company called Aqua Lake to discuss a multi-year proposal to get Johnson’s Pond Wildlife Park treated.

“The goal for this project is really to provide better water quality and more recreational opportunities for fishing in the park,” Cope said. “We are going to be focused this year and over the next few years to try to get that park up and looking good.”