A committee has been formed to strategize how to build biking/walking trails in Penn Forest Township.

At their March 4 meeting, supervisors approved Talon Fogal, Walt Bevilaqua, Dr. Daniel Plavin, Chelsea Cosslet, Mark Zakutansky, Christian Bartulovich and Dr. Pat Holland to serve on the committee.

They will begin to search for funding to build the first phase, a trail from the township park to Penn Forest Streams.

• Supervisors lowered the speed limit on Forest Street from 35 mph to 25 mph in Beltzville Lake Estates.

• The township will upgrade stop signs by adding reflectors on the posts.

• Greg Loftus and Josh Kash were appointed township zoning officers, effective immediately. Funds were set aside to provide the Zoning Office with a second vehicle - likely a used police SUV bought via Municibid.

• Jessica Kohutka returned to ask supervisors to allow the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce to host a corn hole tournament at the township park, including music and beer. The idea got tabled last meeting. Township rules prevent alcohol at the park. This meeting, board chairman Roger Meckes told her again that he was opposed to having alcohol at the event. Other supervisors supported Meckes, in a 4-1 vote opposing alcohol (but welcoming the Chamber). The event will be held elsewhere.

• Three Automated External Defibrillators will be bought and installed around the park. Cost is $11,548, plus $1,139 for wiring.

• The park will buy a 10-foot by 10-foot storage shed for the Jim Thorpe Youth Soccer program to store equipment on a 4-1 vote, with Holland opposed - he wants to see a JTYS match for costs.

• Payments of $442,948 from the general fund and $287,000 from liquid fuels paid the H&K Group for 2023’s paving work in the township. Titan Tree Service received $118,535 for their continued tree cutting work along township roads. Titan will also receive an additional $22,330 to trim eight tenths of a mile of Weiler Road - which was not in the current contract. Total general fund bills were $852,691.

• Electronics recycling events are scheduled for July 27 and Nov. 16 at the transfer station.

• A senior citizen who had approached supervisors last year over the cost of the garbage permit returned. She pointed out that $150 is a lot of money, especially for a single person who brings less than a bag a month to the transfer station. She figures her costs are over $14 a bag, versus a property owner who brings four bags a week paying less than a dollar a bag. Holland was sympathetic, as his family also generates minimal trash. In discussion supervisors discussed an idea to create some kind of senior citizen card with one bag a week as a limit. The topic will be on future agendas.