The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners recently approved the Lehigh County Property Assessed Clean Energy Program.

The program, known as C-PACE Program, will apply to building owners within Lehigh County.

The C-PACE Program is designed to “facilitate low-cost, long-term financing to owners of agricultural, commercial and industrial properties for energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy projects.” These include energy-efficient equipment, low-flow plumbing products and renewable energy.

Brad Osborne, outgoing commissioner, voted against the measure. He said he was concerned that since it “requires follow-up work from a committee,” the C-PACE Program should be approved by the next board of commissioners.

The county will seek a third party to administer the program.

Commissioners approved the distribution of a $309,507 grant from Pennsylvania’s Emergency Solutions Grant Program for street outreach, renovation or rehabilitation of buildings used as emergency shelters, rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention assistance, homeless management information system reporting and administration costs.

Distribution of money is as follows:

• Catholic Charities — $25,216 for homelessness prevention;

• Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley — $40,000 for rapid rehousing;

• Lehigh Conference of Churches — $25,000 for street outreach;

• New Bethany Ministries — $20,555 for homelessness prevention;

• Salvation Army — $45,000 for emergency shelter and $60,000 for rapid rehousing;

• Third Street Alliance for Women and Children — $65,000 for rapid rehousing and $17,130 for homelessness prevention, and;

• Lehigh County — $11,606 to administer the program.

Commissioners approved a contract with Etowah Dialysis LLC, a subsidiary of DaVita Inc., to provide hemodialysis services to residents of Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation.

The Lehigh County Historical Society will continue its professional services agreement to provide management for three county museums or historical sites. Commissioners approved a $96,000 payment to the historical society.

The historical sites are the Saylor Cement Museum, Coplay; Lockridge Furnace Museum, Alburtis; and Haines Mill Museum, Allentown.

Due to the county’s appeal of the suit seeking to remove the Christian cross from the county seal was ruled in the county’s favor, $100,000 was set aside in the 2020 budget for expenses.