Lower Nazareth Township Holds Board of Supervisors Meeting on Zoom

On Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. the Lower Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors held a meeting to conduct routine township business. The meeting was held through Zoom, a video communication app and website, due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. 

 

As of April 8, Pennsylvania has 16, 239 cases of the Coronavirus and 309 deaths; Northampton County alone has 857 cases and 17 deaths, according to Hugh Harris, vice chairperson of the planning commission. 

 

Harris also reported that some areas are struggling with respirators, but Northampton County looks good on them at the moment. 

 

Further, the Memorial Library of Nazareth & Vicinity is shut down and the staff is working from home. The staff have been providing virtual programs and are looking to launch Hoopla, a library media streaming service, on April 10 for their library patrons, said Amy Templeton. Finally, the book slots are closed and there will be no fees until they reopen. 

 

Gary Asteak, township solicitor, then talked about the Newberg Road and Route 191 intersection improvements. The board voted to acquire the closed Newberg Inn property; the deal will be closed once the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak is over. 

 

The next step in this process would be to look at demolition costs for removing the building. 

 

A few motions were made in regards to the 2020 Livable Landscapes grant and improvements to Surrey Glen Park; the board voted to approve the design, submittal of the grant, and sharing of the plans with other committees and groups involved in its creation. 

 

The park improvements will include playground equipment with an aquatic design and a trail around the area, said township manager Lori Stauffer. 

 

The township parks will be closed for public use until further notice. 

 

Both the community yard sale and clean-up day were rescheduled to Saturday, June 6 and Saturday, June 13, respectively. These events were rescheduled due to the uncertainty of the current Coronavirus outbreak. 

 

The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.; the meeting will most likely be held on Zoom.