UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — When residents found out they could no longer get a 5% discount on their sewer bill for paying it in full before March 31, some were concerned.
“That 5% helped us a lot as seniors, and a lot of us in Upper Macungie are seniors,” resident Marine Yutz told the township Board of Supervisors at its meeting Thursday.
But that change may help seniors save money in the future.
- The 5% sewer discount is no longer an option because the township soon will charge residents based on their sewer usage rather than a flat rate
- Supervisor James Brunell said the change likely will lower the bill for seniors
- In other news, supervisors granted preliminary/final approval to plans for a small warehouse on Glenlivet Drive
Township Finance Director Bruce Koller said that starting next year, the township will begin to charge residents based on the amount of sewer usage from their address rather than charging everyone the same flat rate.
“Everybody is going to be paying their fair share for sewer,” Koller said.
Koller said that although the flat rate still is in effect this year, the township has started to use the quarterly billing system to acclimate residents to the process.
Residents still can pay the bill upfront, but there will be no discounts for doing so.
“The seniors who are not doing ten loads of laundry and only taking two showers are not going to be billed at the same rate as a family who’s doing that."James Brunell, Upper Macungie Township supervisor
Supervisor James Brunell added that the change likely will lower the bill for seniors next year.
“The seniors who are not doing 10 loads of laundry and only taking two showers are not going to be billed at the same rate as a family who’s doing that,” Brunell said.
Koller said about a dozen people had spoken with him over the phone about the changes, and more called the township office.
Warehouse approval
The supervisors granted preliminary/final approval to a plan for a small warehouse at 1001 Glenlivet Drive that would be about 40,000 square feet.
The property is along Route 100 just north of Interstate 78.
The property is in the township’s Light Industrial zoning district, which allows warehousing by special exception. The township Zoning Hearing Board granted the applicant’s request for a special exception in 2021.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Upper Macungie Township soon may create a new plan for the future of recreation.
Supervisors authorized township Recreation Manager Mike Kukitz to pursue a grant that would fund the process of creating a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
“This plan will look at everything in our parks and rec department, from the facilities, equipment, programming gaps — you name it,” Kukitz said. “It’s going to be an all-inclusive plan.”
Kukitz said the township last updated the plan in 2011, and townships typically update them about every 10 years.
North Whitehall Township also is in the process of creating a recreation plan for the township, called the Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan.
North Whitehall planners voted to recommend the plan for adoption at their last meeting.
Other business
Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong visited the board to answer any questions it had for him. Armstrong visited South Whitehall Board of Commissioners last month.
Armstrong said the county soon will provide a $150 tax rebate for volunteer firefighters because of a shortage of volunteers.
The supervisors authorized the event Paws in the Park to take place at Grange Park on May 7. The event will be a fundraiser for The Sanctuary at Haafsville, an animal shelter in Upper Macungie.
The supervisors appointed resident Neeraj Sharma to the Parks and Recreation Board. They also appointed Parks and Recreation Board Chairman Matthew Bernard to be the board representative on the Upper Macungie Township Community Fund Committee.
