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Township reports new CDBG eligibility, pursues FEMA grant and reviews insurance options
Summary
Manager Alice Rehrig said updated county census data opened CDBG eligibility for parts of the Township; she is pursuing FEMA generator grants, collecting phone-system quotes and comparing insurance options including the PIRMA municipal pool; yard-waste totals and Fire Tax receipts were also reported.
Lehigh Township’s manager told supervisors on Jan. 28 that updated Northampton County census data for 2024 increases low- and moderate-income counts in the northwest and southwest parts of the Township, opening eligibility to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for infrastructure projects.
Alice Rehrig said she had received the County document but it did not specify the income thresholds used; she will follow up with county officials for the exact figures. "Based on this information, the number of people with low to moderate income in the northwest and southwest areas of the Township has increased which will now allow the Township to apply for CDBG funding for projects in those areas," Rehrig said.
Rehrig also reported she is preparing to apply for FEMA generator grants, which require a notice of intent to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) before receiving an application link through FEMA. She is obtaining multiple quotes for a new phone system included in the budget and is also collecting competing property and liability insurance quotes from brokers; the Board discussed the pros and cons of rejoining the PIRMA municipal insurance pool versus a traditional insurer.
She provided 2024 yard-waste totals from the FRCA: 6,031 cubic yards of brush, 1,280 cubic yards of leaves and 3 cubic yards of grass clipping. Residents received 653 cubic yards of mulch and 431 cubic yards of compost. Rehrig reported the Township collected $375,208.64 in Fire Tax receipts for the year and said she would check the pension-account bank-fee schedule on file after a supervisor raised concerns about fee levels.
Board members agreed to consider all comparable options for insurance and asked Rehrig to check with the County for the CDBG income thresholds before pursuing specific projects.
