Mar 17, 2011 By Alix Kunkle For The 3 min read

EAST BETHELHEM TWP. – The Board of Commissioners discussed purchasing a new defibrillator for the East Bethlehem Township Police Department this week, but ultimately tabled the discussion for further research.

The discussion, which was initiated by Chairman Paul Battaglini, was in an effort to assist the township’s police department with emergencies.

“If we can save one life with this, it’s money well spent,” Battaglini said.

Commissioner Tim Sepsi added that the department currently has a defibrillator but said it was “out of service,” citing its age.

Discussions took a turn after commissioners recognized the possibility of coordinating their defibrillator with the East Bethlehem Fire Department. The departments would then be able to exchange pads, a necessary part, if needed.

“The pads on defibrillators don’t last forever,” secretary Maryann Kubacki said.

Commissioners agreed to table the matter until the April meeting when Commissioner Mike Packrall, who was absent at Tuesday’s meeting, could provide further information on the fire department’s defibrillator.

The board also approved a request from Jason Withers, a resident in the township, to grade a township access road for use to get to a section of property off Sokols Hill Road.

Withers recently purchased three lots of land in the area, stating that two of the lots are adjacent to the main road, but the third is located off the property and can only be accessed by the township road.

Withers told commissioners that the township would not have to provide any labor in grading or maintaining the road.

“Everything will be done by me,” he said. “There will be no cost to the township, and they won’t have to worry about maintenance.”

Withers also confirmed the commissioners’ assumption that the alley, when completed, would become a public alley. He did not provide a date to when work would begin.

The commissioners also approved a motion to donate the street department van to the East Bethlehem Fire Department for use in entrapment demonstrations. The van, which road supervisor Pete Hayges said would fetch roughly $300 if it were scrapped, would be returned to the township by the department after its use, where it would then be salvaged for scrap.

It was also announced at Tuesday’s meeting that bids for the library renovation project were set to open April 15. Battaglini stated that after bids are received, progress could move quickly on the library.

“Hopefully by September, we’ll have a new building with handicapped access,” he said.

Battaglini said they expect groundbreaking to begin on the project in May.