--------- Are these already on? >> We are recording just so everybody knows. Good evening everyone. I'll call to order tonight's committee the whole meeting. Tonight we're gathered to review the 2026 through 2030 capital improvement
plan. >> I don't have my notes with me for this. You call the role, right? >> M. Miller, call the role on the committee, please. >> Mr. Callahan, >> present. >> Miss Grahamy Smith, >> present. Miss Quac, Miss Leard >> present, >> Miss Leon >> present, Miss Wilhelm
>> present, >> and Mr. Cologne >> present. >> Bear with me one second everybody. >> Thank you. >> So just for our YouTube audience, if you start after 6 and we'll watch live, feel free to schedule ahead. So tonight again
we only have one agenda item the 2026 through 2030 capital improvement plan. I remind everyone this committee meeting is forformational purposes only. I will accept public comment after discussion of our one agenda item. As is typical
we'll have a fivem minute time limit. We'll begin with a presentation of the capital improvement program from the administration will make a presentation. I I will have I will note a memorandum was received from Kathy Fletcher, our
director of planning and zoning, advising that the city planning commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of the 2026 through 2030 capital improvement plan at its September 11th meeting. In accordance with article 121.06
06 of the city's codified ordinances. The 5-year capital improvement plan may be modified by an affirmative vote of five council members. The proposed 2026 non-utility capital plan that is incorporated in the 5-year capital improvement program will be reviewed by
council again during the upcoming budget meetings as part of the proposed 2026 non-utility capital budget. First reading of the 2026 non-utility capital budget will be at the November 18th council meeting and our final
reading will take place at the December 16th council meeting. I'll turn to the administration to present and then and I'll start with whoever wants to lead off and let's just go through everything. We do have full counsel at 7. I would like to try to start full
counsel at 7. Everyone received the full plan in our packets to review prior to tonight's meeting. So, don't feel like you have to read everything dollar by dollar, but I will get started, then I'll open it up to members of council for comment. And I will note
Councilwoman Quietch has joined us, so the floor is yours. >> Good evening, everyone. We just wanted to do a quick round of introductions. I am Kathy Fletcher. I'm the director of planning and zoning. I'm >> Eric Evans, business administrator. And
>> I'm Basil Yandom, deputy director of public works. So to start um just wanted to remind everyone of the capital plan, what it is and the process. Um so it's really the plan for capital expenditures. We
anticipate meeting over the next 5 years. Not everything is guaranteed to happen, but it helps us prioritize projects, lines up funding, and allows us u to show the public what's coming up. So um it first goes to the planning
commission as as Mr. clone already mentioned, they voted on it and made a recommendation and then eventually comes back around to city council uh to adopt it in in the full budget. So, this year's capital improvement program covers the years 2026 to 2030.
Only the first year, 2026 in this case, is really being voted on. The outy years show the direction that we're we're going. So, as we're reviewing this, just keep in mind that the plan is still flexible. many projects to depend on grants and outside funding to really
make it happen. So, as part of your packets, um you received a uh spreadsheet in table form as well as a document um narrating each project.
So, the tables o are an overview of the monetary needs across the projects and then the narrative is just more information on each of those projects. So I will just highlight uh each of these sections and then kick it over to
my colleagues um to go project by project. Um public safety is really looking at things like vehicle replacement and equipment upgrades. Public works has a number of subcategories
uh traffic, streets, storm sewers, facilities, grounds and other. I just wanted to highlight some um safety based improvement projects. We've officially kicked off our complete streets planning process which will
really further inform these projects in the upcoming years. So, I just wanted to highlight isolated intersections, the street overlay program, the Lynen Street 2-way conversion, as well as the Center Street 2-way conversion, as well as East
and West Broad Street are all projects that really fall under that type of category. Um, storm water management has really come up a number of times in land development, uh, and the city is really determining where to best approach those needs citywide.
There's also facilities investments um mostly regarding maintenance and then within grounds and and uh recreation the 40 and 10's parks plan is really wrapping up expected to be complete later this year. Um and that's really
laying out the capital investment needs across all parks over the next 10 years. Specifically in this capital plan, um there's projects such as the Rose Garden as well as improvements at pools, ice rinks, and sand island. Um are examples
of projects that would fall under that category. And then other is really projects that don't fit nicely in any one of those buckets. That's kind of a catchall. So things such as um the bridge and ramp improvements, trails, Monoxy Way, South
Bethleam Greenway as well as some multimmodal infrastructure like Gap Street, Getter Street sidewalks. And then the last category is under the Department of Community and Economic Development. Those are also um to advance other broader initiatives. You
know, the city is working on housing solutions for the community. So looking at family shelter, emergency shelter, and then we're also looking to support the community otherwise such as through the South Bethlehem Community Center. So that's it in a nutshell, and I will kick
it off to you. >> Thank you, Kathy. Um as most of you aware this is an annual exercise we move through that there is no vote on the capital plan itself but the non-utility capital budget will
look strikingly similar to what you see in front of you there will be few minor changes but for the most part what you see here tonight you we will also be talking about when we get to that Thursday I think it's the 20th of November and at the third budget hearing following public works. Um that being said um my from my
position before I turn it over to you you can see a lot of our departments are represented behind me that will work walk us through each of the sections is to speak to the lefth hand margin of the spreadsheet. Um the way this plan is presented I think it's very helpful that spreadsheet shows you how it's being
funded very specifically each project the spending schedule if it's something that might be funded in one year but spent through other years. It reveals that and it's accompanied by the the word document that has a nice explanation of each project that goes on. Uh for my role tonight, uh I'm just
going to speak to the lefth hand margin moving from top to bottom to explain which each of those funding source and give a little bit of a history and then I'll turn to our public works officials who are here just to speak to the um their sections and then we'll turn to Basil Yandum to lead us through most of
the projects which are public works related their streets, their roads, their bridges and then Laura Collins is here this evening to talk about the community and economic um projects are listed at the um tail end of the report tonight. So, when you look at the top uh
left hand box in the spreadsheet, you'll see the word bond 2019. For a series of years, and some of you have been around a couple years on council to know we have historically borrowed money in the form of a bond every other
year to fill up the buckets, the funding buckets that allow us to to take on these projects, whether it be an acquisition or a project. These are things that fall outside of the operating budget. They're large and scaled. They're tens or hundreds or even sometimes millions of dollars and they're done or they because
of the size of the projects they need to be done or planned over a period of time. So when we look at the five-year grid in front of us, uh you'll see that um the bond 2019, that's what's left. When that showed up in the year 2019,
the 2018 budget hearing that was at five or nearly $6 million. That's just showing what's left of that. that's been moved around. Most of it's been spent off. Some money has taken on uh in other forms. So 77's left from 2019. If you go back five, six years ago, there was a 2013 bond, a 15 bond, a 17 bond, a 19
bond. The 19 was the last bond that the city took on for the general fund. The line behind underneath that is LR. That stands for loss revenue um replacement 2022. Um in 2021, actually the fall of 2020, it was, you
know, in the pandemic. So we didn't move on anything. Everything was paused. It was there normally it would have been a 21 funding but since everything kind of stopped for that year in the pandemic that year plus uh we didn't do anything that turned into even years. So in 2022
the loss revenue replacement um provision of the of the ARPA placed $9 million to fund all of the projects that the city needed for two years and that took care of 22 and 23. The remainder there are $664,000
in 2024. Uh nine I'm sorry 8.992 from the lost revenue provision was used to take care of all the projects. The less than $4 million now remains. You'll see the $4 million mark in the 2026. That is also expected then to be spent.
So you'll see in the following years after 26 that's no longer there. So when the funding runs out there's, you know, it's time to find another way to source it. And you'll see the next one is a new line item. It's called capital reserves. The last couple years when we presented
this plan, it said bond/c capital reserve. We weren't sure which one we would do. The plan A is if we can use capital reserves and avoid a borrowing just like at home. If you don't need to take on debt, if you're able to pull that off, that's a great thing. It's not easy to do, but if you can, you avoid
the debt service and the interest that you pay on it. So at this point um we are set up and the proposal we're going to bring forward at the budget is to fund four years of capital projects from the years 26 through 2029. This is
a 5-year plan but for the next four years uh capital reserves will be used to fund all the projects that we're going to be speaking about tonight. The one bel the line below that is bond I'm sorry reserve/bond 2030. The 21
million is expected to last four years and that's revealed in the spreadsheets and the narratives at the end of four years as that that round of funding and just like the $18 million in the 2022 and 24 is winding down. We then get to 2030 and if you look way out on the
right side you'll see $5 million of needs that we have identified by the year 2030 and we have then moved to the line item called reserve/bond. We're not sure we don't have enough to fund more than the four years. The four years is what's set which we're going to propose
to you during the budget. Uh but in 2030 we'll have to make the same decision. Hopefully we reserve. If not then we'll be looking to a borrowing in order to to make the purchase and acquisitions that we need to do to keep the city moving and invest in our infrastructure. From there below it's pretty standard.
The CDBG is an annual allocation you're all familiar with. Some um projects are funded with federal dollars, some with state, and you'll see some a very large one there in 2026 with a blend of federal and or state funds working together on the same project. Moving
down the line, you'll get into the county. We do have county grants. You've seen them. Liquid fuels is a state allocation that's used for specific projects or specific eligibility requirements. And we we see liquid fuels is our part of our operating budget as well. Below that SWF stands for storm
water fund and in the year 2020 we introduced and it rolled out in the year 2021 our uh storm water plan and program. Uh the fee is attached with that and uh that allows us to take on you'll see across all the lines of $12 million between now and 2030 with all
ideas all ideas about the storm water fund is to reduce storm water runoff. So all the improvements into the infrastructure of the storm water will be taken care of with that specific fund. And again that's just like our golf course or our water or sore fund. This a specific fund. The funds go the
fees go into that fund alone. It does not mix with general fund dollars and is used specifically for projects associated with storm water. The one below that cash reserve is the UGI reimbursement. You see in the parenthesis that's when the UGI road work gets done and Basel will talk about that when we get into the primarily
streets. The next line down, wreck fees is the the the fees or the funds that we uh generate by development when development occurs and through developers agreement fees are generated. Typically, we see two to $300,000 a year based on the amount of development going
on within the city. So, that regenerates and that's often used to supplement grants. If we have a DCED grant that may need a matching funds when it has something to do with recreation, this is a perfect use for it. appropriation from general uh is primarily the police
vehicles and the last uh row is other and that encompasses anything that does not fit on top and as you look to each project that's identified sometimes it's something other than these but it's funded in other instances it's it's a a
situation where we have identified a project that's needed but we have not really come up with the exact formula of how it's going to be paid for yet. So it saysn't other till it's otherwise defined in one of the categories above. So those usually are the categories
you'll see through the plan. And when I when we turn into I think at this point turn to the public safety projects. I'll turn to fire chief first to handle items one through four and then police chief for items five through seven.
>> Hi. Hi, good evening everyone. >> Good evening. >> Uh, please excuse my ignorance. Would you like me to read through the items one through six or >> I mean you could name them just so we're following along. Okay. >> But if if there's anything I mean some of them like some of the vehicle and ambulance replacement pretty
self-explanatory. I think everyone on council has enough experience to recognize the fuel or new to the department if you want to get in greater depth. the things that are sort of routine, just bring an old vehicle offline, bring a new one online. We don't need to get in the weeds on on
some of those things. >> Okay, great. Thank you. >> And then at the end, I will open it up to council to um elaborate on their own questions. So, I I would say give us the general overview. >> Perfect. Thank you. Uh so, basically what we're covering within this this
request for the capital budget is the standard ambulance replacement. Uh our goal is to replace and equip one ambulance per year. Uh because basically at the end of that 8 to nyear life, the ambulance is basically coming out of service and uh increased maintenance issues and working with the mechanical
bureau. Uh we're doing the same thing with item number two with fire apparatus. Uh however, here this year we're doing something a little bit different. Uh what we're proposing to do this year is um shortly the new engine one is going to arrive which was
purchased in 2024. That engine one is going to go on the our southside station at company 1. The current engine one is going to be repurposed temporarily to go to company 5 on Eastn Avenue. We have what's called a quint which is engine
five right now that has a ladder on it. um that is running as an engine 99% of the time and not functional as a ladder. What we're proposing to do is take engine five, replace the current ladder one on the south side, and then
eventually replace the old engine one with a new engine for engine five. Um that's the only difference we've identified. We have a couple million-doll piece of equipment that we're not fully utilizing to the best of its capability. Engines are a lot cheaper to replace and they come in from
the manufacturer a lot quicker. Right now, aerial devices are running about four and a half to 5 years. Engines are about four years. Um, so we feel that we can it can be more cost-effective and benefit the community greater to reallocate engine 5 to the southside to
serve as a ladder. Uh, we're also proposing to purchase a new command vehicle to replace what we classify as utility 2. That is the vehicle that is utilized by the shift commander, the assistant chief on duty. Uh we're currently operating a uh Ford Explorer in the fleet. We tried to
downsize several years ago and unfortunately downsizing that command vehicle is presenting a problem for us because it's not large enough to carry everything it needs to carry and it's causing some maintenance issues for us. Uh so again, what we're proposing to do since that's a 2020 rather than purchase
another new inspector vehicle, we would repurpose the current OIC's vehicle to be utilized by one of our uh fire inspectors who can benefit more from a smaller vehicle. It's more fuel efficient, easier to get around the city. Um so basically we're we're looking to uh to replace some apparatus,
but we're doing things a little differently this year. Just trying to repurpose some things to find a better use and be more cost effective. Uh we also have our SCBA, our air packs. Our air cylinders are coming to the end of their
life in 2032. Uh and we brought this to Mr. Evans attention because it's going to be a rather large uh costly expenditure for the city at that time. And basically, they're reaching the end of their 15-year life. We're going to have to do a purchase of of new cylinders and air
packs at that time. And uh we wanted to put that in the capital budget because we're looking at based on cost increases over the last 15 years, by the time we get there in 2030, uh we could be looking at approximately $2 million for that replacement of all that equipment. >> I'll say let's continue. We'll progress
through as chief cot and then what we could do council is once we had through every department so we'll finish public safety I'll open it up to questions we'll go through public works I'll open it up to questions just so we don't have to wait till the very end so
we'll we'll do it that way >> good evening chief >> good evening >> over yours >> so the first item for police under public safety is the police vehicle replacement. Our vehicles are on the road 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. So, we are looking to replace approximately 5 to seven police vehicles here with the capital budget. The next item, item six, are public safety cameras.
So, this project is to expand our already robust public safety camera network that we have. And that funding is utilized to add cameras in places where there are no
existing cameras as well as replace outdated antiquated cameras um that we may have in service. And the project's funded through the Norcco Grow grant. So there's matching funds in that obviously
that's why um it's here in the capital budget. And then finally is the police armored vehicle replacement. The current one that we have, the rescue vehicle is 17 years old. Um so that is another hefty
purchase that we're working towards. Uh similar to the fire apparatus, it takes several years for the vehicle to be built and delivered to the department, but that is uh been a a very useful tool
for our department throughout the years. >> Thank you, Chief. Excuse me. So, I will open up to questions from council as it relates to public safety for either chief or Mr. Evans. Does anyone have any questions
related to the public safety capital items? Counciloman Quitech. >> This is a quick question for uh fire chief. Um about the engine 5 engine one thing. Um you when you mentioned uh engine 5 h being having a ladder, you
said it wasn't in use. Did you just mean that they aren't using it or did you mean that there's some cost involved in getting it up to speed so it can be used? >> Uh, no. The way we're currently operating on the north side of the city, that that vehicle, although it has an aerial device on it, is not in service daily as an aerial. It is perfectly
capable of doing the job. We're just using it as an engine and we're not using that piece of apparatus to the the best of its ability or what it's intended for. It's it's >> not being effectively and efficiently used as we could possibly do. >> Got it. Thank you. That was all.
>> Anything else? Councilwoman Cra Smith. >> Um Chief Griffin, I just had a real simple question. Um regarding the air packs, um and I'm not sure, but I'm just wondering, so they're all going to reach the end of life at the same time. Is that how you buy them that they have to all be at the same time or can it be spread out so it's not one big cost at
one point in time? You know what I mean? >> Yes, I I do. Uh we've actually looked at a lot of things in the budget and tried to spread them out over the years. Um, unfortunately in the past this was made as one large purchase and and a grant was involved. So unfortunately, for example, the cylinders are good for 15 years. They have to be tested every five
years. And now we're nearing the end of the life on all the cylinders that were all purchased at the same time. Um, yes, there is the opportunity to to break this down and and uh, you know, do things in increments of course. Uh, but unfortunately that's just not the way this was done because of the way it was able to be funded partially through a
grant. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions or comments from members of council? Councilwoman Leard, >> just a comment. Uh I do appreciate the, you know, creative look at at trying to repurpose things and think through uh the best placement for vehicles instead
of just giving up on ones that that uh could still be used somewhere else. So, thank you for that, >> Councilwoman Leo. >> Same. I appreciate your uh your flexibility there. Um again, more comments. uh wanted to thank the administration, Basil, and you all for
sitting down and speaking with some of us. Um I'd love to see a precinct. Uh but granted, this is more facilities, but I did talk with them about the entrance to the police station after dark and they've been very agreeable to better signage and making it a little
bit easier for people to access um at night. And I I like to see the continued investment in what's going on down there. >> Anything else from members of Council? I just had one quick question for Chief Cot. Chief, for the camera um the camera upgrades, can you give me a rough number
of how many cameras are operational now and what this would take us up to in terms of how many cameras? >> So, we roughly have a hundred or so cameras here in the city right now and it would take us up over a hundred if we
added to various intersections. Again, that funding is critically important for us to replace some of the older cameras that are are currently in use. >> Oh, thank you, Chief. >> You're welcome. >> We will continue on to public works,
>> right? >> I know there's a a a number of sort of subcategories for public works. So, we'll go through the first couple and then I'll open it up to questions, then we'll finish them up. But same if it's things are routine that we see every year you don't have to I'll let you use your own discretion on where you want to
elaborate. >> I'll I'll try to cover the major project and the major purchases and if I skip anything that you would like to discuss feel free ask >> to discuss it. >> Uh I'll start with the traffic the isolated intersection. Usually we try to
do two traffic intersection every two years. One year we do the design, the second year we do uh the construction. Right now we are working with last year we completed Lynen and Gap Street. Uh right now we're working on Club Avenue
Boulevard and the major intersection at Pennsylvania Avenue, Ethan Avenue and Union Boulevard. This is being designed hopefully uh for uh club and union. Construction will start end of this year, early next year, and
construction for the other three intersection will be completed definitely next summer. As for traffic safety improvement, this is just a maintenance item for our 128 signal signalized intersection. We make sure that they stay working all
year round. Uh we're adding we're work looking into adding a paint truck to improve the efficiency of our line painting for our roads especially after pavement or where whatever it's required. And our electric bureau is looking to purchase a new aerial bucket
truck which has a longer span that will help in installation of all our street light and all our electrical maintenance in the city. Move to streets. Uh we've been talking about Lynen Street for a while. Uh it's
being designed right now estimating this is converting the London Street to two-way. Construction should start in spring into summer of 2026. Currently we are finalizing the preliminary design and going into the final design. The project is about $2
million. Uh we got a grant to complete that project and we're working with Spendot to finish it. Sen Street is kind of related to Lynen Street. They were both used back in the days during Bethl Steel. Now I guess it's time to convert them to two-way for better access to all
the neighborhood and the businesses. Center Street will be looking in the near future in the next few years to find funding for it and hopefully we can find a grant to complete it as well. The street overlay program is one of our major program and under public works
where we try to maintain our street as much as possible. We require 2 and a.5 million each year to keep up with our roads which is hard to fund. Uh especially unfortunately with with UTI excavating and digging our street over
the past few years. The only benefit getting out of it is whatever street that they are digging, they are paying the city. They're we are working on it under a cost share agreement with them. Where if they're only working on one side of the street and we want to pave
the other side, they'll pay their portion. The city will benefit from this money and pave the whole street, which can expand and be more efficient in utilizing the money to pave more roads in our city. uh we used to fund before when as uh Mr.
Evan mentioned we used to fund a million for every two year beside liquid fuels during the 2022 funding and 2024 funding we were able to fund 3 million for two years and now we're looking to fund four and a half million over the next four
years. If you add to it all the liquid the cost sharing and the liquid fuel money, we should be able to improve our saving and try to keep up as much as possible. Uh I'll mention later that we are purchasing a new paver. We're
looking to purchase a new paver next year which will make our pavement more efficient. This year we and most of the year we have done over 11,000 ton of pavement. There's we're purchasing a timeco street
sweeper which will help with the MS4 our storm water program and this is this is coming all out from the storm water fund milling machine will be looking to purchase it in the in 2027 as I
mentioned the paper in 2026 for better efficiency and we have the our two major project happening over the next few There's east of Broad Street which currently is being under the preliminary design and we are anticipating construction into spring
into summer of 2026 uh where we would be adding median possibly bike lanes and improvement to that corridor. On the other side we have West Broad Street which we got the SS4A grant for $10 million grant. We started looking
into the surveying and prey design for this project too. This will be happening over the course of the next two to three construction season starting in spring summer 2027 storm water.
We have the Stefco drainage swale currently is being under design. improvement to this swale. It has been in a bad shape. There were there has been some illicit discharge into this swale that we are controlling right now and there will be improvement which will
save some uh flooding on Market Street. East Boulevard detention basin. This is the big detention basin on East Boulevard. This is a coordination project with Bethlehem Township. This does connect to the Johnston Drive where
it leads to always the flooding by the Keystone pub over there. So, we've been working with Bethl Township. They were supposed to get a FEMA grant for about $5 million. Unfortunately, they may not get this grant anymore. So, we were
going to save we're going to save over like a million dollar. We may not be able to save that anymore, but we will be looking into we're looking into other grant to support this project and we will continue collaborating with the township
miscellaneous drainage structures. Usually every year we try to repair all these catch base and the small repairs that we do. We started with 100,000 couple years ago. Right now we've been doing making big progress with these project. We're spending approximately
$200,000 a year on repairs for this catch basin. We have the Bridal Path, Minoxy Street, and East Market Street. Bridal Path and Minoxy, they were just awarded for construction. They will be starting soon. They are still under plan because we may not spend all the funding and
they may not be fully completed by the end of 2025. They may roll over into 2026. East Market is being designed and construction will take place next year. I'll move to facilities. >> We could break here real quick and then go through the other ones. So, I'll turn
to members of council. Any questions as it relates to public works for traffic, streets, or storm water? Councilwoman Camy Smith. >> Hi. I just have two quick questions. The uh the center street conversion, it's down for 2028 at 2 million. Is that what
you're foreseeing it to be or will it be possibly more given that it's going to be you know two years from now? >> It it definitely could be possibly more. This is a estimated cost for now. >> Okay. >> If we get a fund earlier, we might do it
earlier. We put it in 2028 but hoping working toward trying to find find fund for it. So we kept it at 2 million for now and especially that it is not a city like it's not city allocated money right now. We're trying to get a grant for it. That estimate is around $2
million hopefully after we bid out Lynen Street. We'll have a better estimate how much Center Street will be. >> Okay, great. And my only other question is um related to the you talked about Eastern Avenue and the flooding and the township didn't get their grant. Are they is the township still going to be
sharing the cost of that project at all or? >> Yes, we are still working with them. So, under that project, there's six detention basins that are taking place. Four of them are in the township. Two of them are in the city. 31% of the project is city. We because we have the biggest
detention basins. >> We are still working with them. They are still trying to apply for grants and hopefully whatever grants they get, we'll utilize it toward our project too. That because they are also benefiting when we improve the condition of our detention basin. They are avoiding
flooding in their township and this is where the common interest that led to work together. This is continue. We just met with them two weeks ago and we're still planning on doing that. >> Okay, great. Yeah, I mean it's great. I just want to make sure they're paying their fair share. >> Yes, they will. >> Thank you.
>> Sure. Any other questions or comments related to these categories? Councilwoman Leard. >> Um, for the roads, uh, Lynen and Center, I forget in what context they came up, uh, at one of our meetings, but we, um,
talked, uh, briefly about that Church Street would likely need some changes as well since both of those, uh, are changing. I don't see that on the plan. Um would that indicate that even if Lyndon and center are both
converted in the next five years, Church Street would not be within the next 5 years or is that outside the capital plan somehow? >> So within the London street design right now a study is being done on Church Street how it would need to be converted
and it is part of our plan to convert it at certain point within the conversion of Lynden Street and Center Street. >> Okay. So that funding is rolled into those two >> in a way at at least for now the study of what needs to be completed it is part of the Lynen Street project right now.
>> Okay. Um and then for the storm water um drainage and swailes and all of that uh are there the changes that are being worked on? Um are these made with historical data
only or are we also looking at projections uh as precipitation changes and climate changes and development happens and there's more runoff and all of that. Are we looking ahead as we um work on those projects to
try to get ahead like ahead of some of that? >> Yes. So when we started when they started doing the study for the program in 2020, they definitely put a future plan for those projects which we still utilizing. At the same time, we use new
data and what we see through the years for a higher priority project that they're coming up depending on development on any changes happening. We adjust accordingly as we go. what where we see priority we priorize the project that needs to be addressed as soon as
possible. It's not just what has been planned four or five years ago. It's with the changes exactly to what you're saying. This is how we change the plan. And one of them is the Eastern Avenue to Stefco Boulevard uh storm sewer system
upgrade in that area. It's all gravity flow. Uh we are trying to put a system in there. We're doing a study for the this whole area and we see how we can improve it. This was not put part of the plan four or five years ago. This was just added recently. Where we see that
an something we need to address, we are addressing it. >> Um and I assume that that would also include like we're looking at volumes being held in the different >> areas as things are more extreme um in either way. Okay.
>> Uh right. That was it. Thank you. >> Any other questions or comments from council? We'll continue with the remaining public works items. >> All right. We continue with facilities uh capital improvement for facilities where we do major improvement and
support to all the city facilities. We usually put a million dollar for every two year. We continue doing the same. Uh we have 519 carryover adding to it the million for the next two years. Additional project has been happening u
major and through all these project we're always looking for efficiency and part of our climate action plan how we can address and install more efficient equipment. The Eastern Avenue fire station. This is
just a a study for an extension for the Eastern Avenue fire station to make a to let a big apparatus fit in that building and store it there. Right now there's no area for it to park it. So hopefully by extending that building that building
engineering is looking into it and we'll see how we can improve that. The underground storage tank we were working to complete that project this year. We are installing a new generator at city hall because we it was not delivered yet.
That project might be carried over to 2026. The city hall chiller replacement happening in 2026. This is also is going to be a high efficient chiller replacement and the mechanical room water pump replacement
undergrounds. Similar to the our facilities capital improvement, we have the ground capital improvement to cover all the city properties, all the park in the city. We usually put 400,000 for every two years. Those for all our repairs at all our parks. Also, some of
this funding is utilized to do improvement and major improvement at park based on the 40 and 10 park study. Rose Garden improvement. This project has started a few weeks ago. Uh we completed the trail. We're just waiting
for the for the light poles and the benches and the receptacles to be delivered and they'll be installed. Most likely it will be completed this year, but it's still on here just in case some of the items carry over into 2026 and it will be completed. The tree inventory assessment we have to
do per our cap and the forestry master plan we have to do every five years an inventory for our tree. Uh this is will be completed in 2026.
Recreation we have the general pool improvement. We usually put a 100,000 for every two years. 50,000 a year. We have some recck fee. This the rec fee money was transferred into this account when we did the improvement at Starkpool when it failed and we had to repair it
quickly before the summer and we opened that summer. similar if anything like that comes up we we utilize this money for all the improvements the ice rink usually put 100,000 for every two years similar to the pool and this is all for
the improvement at the ice ring that comes up that like unanticipated issues that comes up at those facilities the 40 and 10 park and recreation master plan as Kathy has mentioned earlier
here. >> We're looking to put 2 million to spend $2 million on this improvement of the park in the next 10 years. As you can see, there's 2 million for each year for the next five years. Under others, bridge repairs, we have 10
bridges owned by the city. As you all know, there's some bridges in the city owned by the city and some of them are owned by the state. We maintain 10 of them. the money in here and they are inspected by the state every other years in case we receive any issue or anything
that comes up that's unanticipated that that money is to take care and repair those bridges. The main street ramp improvement and spring street ramp improvement these are part of the hilltohill bridge improvement. Uh the hilltohill bridge
improvement new lead date is early August of 2026 and we're looking to find funding for these two project. They are being they were designed within the hilltohill bridge design and hope hopefully the
contractor who takes the hill tohill bridge can can complete those construction. They're not cheap. We're looking at 6 million for Main Street ramp and 2 million for the Spring Street ramp. Hopefully we can find some funding or through Pendot or the state get some
funding for it. The 378 light replacement, it's a Pendot project. They are managing that project. It's their project. It is anticipated to take place in 2026. Minoxy Way Trail phase two. It's a continuation of phase one. Uh this
project design was completed. It's going out to bid within the next week or two and construction will start maybe end of this year early early spring and will be completed next year. South Bethlehem Greenway
I believe you have heard that we have received grants from Tessa. We received grant from DCNR and from Northampton County. This project we sent out the RFP. We got proposals. I guess it was in front of you a couple weeks ago to award that
project for the design. Right now we're finalizing the agreement and it will will start design again anticipating construction to take place spring summer of 2026. This this section will connect a 14 or
13.9 miles trail. It goes all the way to Quakertown. connected to it is the first portion of South Bethlehem Greenway right by South New Street and West Third Street. It's behind like the Zest building or between the Zest building and the garage.
This we're looking we applied for a grant and we're looking to complete the project also by end of 2026. Gav Street, Gter Street, those are uh sidewalk improvements where we support an area with low income. We submit for
grants, receive the grants and we'll be working on those improvement. And then lastly, we have the CED project, the non- congregated family shelter, congregated emergency shelter that and South Bath Community Center, which Kathy already has mentioned and
talked about. You want to talk about it more or if there's any question. >> So, we'll we'll open up to comments for the rest of the public works. We'll close with the community and economic development projects, but any questions
or comments related to the last couple of public works categories? >> Councilwoman Wilhelm, >> I don't have any questions, but just to thank you for the presentation, but in particular for taking the time to sit with us prior to this meeting for an extended period of time and sort of talk
through all of these in in detail. Um just yeah thank you for putting it together and for your time in in um walking us through it so carefully. >> Thank youelcome. >> Any other questions or comments for members of council? >> I just had a couple quick questions. The
first being for the 40 and 10 uh parks and recreation master plan. What when do we expect that to be released or or did I miss something? It wouldn't be the first time, so I don't want to pretend like I may not have, but when do we expect that to be made
released and made public? What the what the recommendations are going to be? >> The end of the year. We're we're looking at, you know, late November into December, that time frame. >> Okay. >> Um we also are going to be having a community meeting on November 12th where
we will be um talking about it a little bit more in draft form before it's fully finalized. So, that's another opportunity to talk about it. >> Okay. Thank you. And then I just had a quick question for Mr. Evans. For 2026,
uh, the plan we have uses 800 a little over 870,000 in WCK fees. Does that exhaust that entire account or what can you give me a rough number of what is in the rec fees account? >> I don't have the latest update. Um, that builds in escrow the w fees, right? as
are developed, they're put into their escrow as into the escro account and anytime we wish to use them to match them, we'll bring them out of escrow and we do that by coming to city council with a finance memo to add it to the budget. So, I don't have the latest
>> I get that number during budget season. >> Yeah, it's grown. Sometimes it's 600 700,000 then as we as we apply to grants, you know, for grants, we apply, bring it to council and it goes back down. so I can um before the next meeting we'll have the the exact number
where it stands. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Before I continue on, anything else for public works? >> Councilwoman, >> I forgot you brought up the 40 and 10. Uh one of the things I've heard the most from community members is about the state of our parks. So, it's just really
good to see the reflection of like the investment that we're going to be making in the parks because it has been such a point of discussion. So, it's really good to see investment coming from the administration to really deal with parks. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anything else for public works? >> Thank you. >> Sure.
>> And then we'll we'll finish up with a couple community and economic development projects that are listed. >> Sure. So, the three projects that you're seeing under community economic development are three projects we've talked about previously. Um
the first the non- congregate family shelter that is um the Packer Avenue project that we are working with Lehigh Conference of Churches. Um currently the Conference of Churches owns that property. Um but we have committed our
home ARP allocation and also secured an additional um home ARP allocation through the state um to fully fund that project. And so the idea would be that the you know the city would take ownership of the project. Um we've completed the environmental review
that's required for the the um state and federal funding sources and uh have drafted or or in the process of drafting an RFP for final design and engineering and would be putting that out shortly um and then looking to start the work in 2026. The second project, the congregate
emergency shelter. Again, we've talked about this a number of times. Um, working with Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering at the um, Christ Church UCCC facility. Um, we are moving over from the general fund the roughly $2 million that were previously in the um, civic
expense account for homeless initiatives. Just indicating that that's money that is allocated for this project specifically. Uh we do have uh preliminary design for the total project costs. That's the number that you're seeing there. We are still working with BES. There's plenty of fundraising left
to do. Uh we have a pending ARCAP application as well as um an LSA application to fill in some of those gaps. And Bees is also working on um building a capital campaign um for the remainder. And then the South Bethlehem Community Center, we completed our
feasibility study earlier this year. And you know, our next step, we're looking for um a preferred operator. So, we put out an RFP um about a month, a month and a half ago, and the deadline for responses for that is at the end of this month. And so, you know, from there, we
would be looking to identify that operator who would work um with us to put together um an RFP for, you know, final design and engineering. And you know, simultaneously, there's going to need to be plenty of fundraising for that, you know, and a lot to be worked out in terms of, you know, what the
relationship would be and a lot of that's going to depend on who responds and and what kind of structure, you know, we're talking about. There's a number of different ways that that could go, but um, you know, we wanted to put it in here as, you know, we are anticipating putting, you know, city dollars in into that project.
>> Thank you, Miss Collins. Any questions or comments from members of council about the few community economic development projects? Mr. Callian, >> Miss Counsel, is the is the site of the um Southside Community Center, is that finalized? >> So, there was a final recommendation,
yes, in the plan. So, there were over, you know, a dozen or so sites evaluated. Um, and then ultimately the recommendation was for one of the uh Mechanic Street parking lots. It's currently owned by the parking authority. So, it's still owned by the parking authority, but you know, the the proposal at this point is to move
forward with that site. because I'm I I don't know if you've heard it, but I'm just telling you I've heard a lot of push back on the on the suggested site that a lot of people on the south side do not like uh the site preferred site of the administration. So, I don't know if you've heard any feedback or push
back on the site. >> Yeah. I mean, so the the feasibility study was a a a very um comprehensive community engagement um process that was involved in that. we had a a committee of stakeholders as
well who participated in the development of the of the plan. Um and then ultimately if you if you read through the plan as well you can kind of see the analysis that went in both from like community engagement standpoint and also from site feasibility standpoint. So, um, you know, obviously it's not a 100%
of people across the city would agree with that site, but it is, um, you know, for a variety of reasons, the one that was ultimately recommended, um, through that study. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments?
>> Councilwoman said, it's more a comment than a question. My concern with with all of these, except for the fully funded one, which is great. um but is the general snapback of funding that we're seeing and the the toll that is taking on our nonprofit partners and I'm
concerned about the future of some of these um some of these projects. It's good to still see investment in them. These are all areas that we had shown interest in as a council with especially when it comes to the sheltering. Um so it's just a general sense of unease when it comes to um our
nonprofit partners and what they can shoulder and what we can shoulder as a city. Thank you, Councilman. Any other questions or comments from members of council? Thank you, Miss Collins. So, before I adjourn, I will recognize
anyone from the public who wants to make comment. This comment period is strictly for this committee of the whole meeting about our u capital improvement plan. So, I will no one had signed up. So, I'll just go around the room. Did anyone want to make comment about the capital
improvement program? Seeing none, thank you everyone for your presentations. This meeting is adjourned. We will get started in five minutes with full counsel. Here's Part: 2
We are recording everybody. >> Yeah. >> Good evening everyone. We're get started. I ask we all rise for the pledge to the flag. >> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible with liberty, justice for all. >> Mr. Miller, please call the role. >> Mr. Callahan >> present. >> Miss Crampson Smith >> present. >> Miss Quiet >> present. >> Miss Leairard >> present. >> Miss Leon >> present. >> Miss Wilhelm >> present. >> And Mr. Cologne
>> present. Thank you. Approval of minutes for October 7, 2025 council meeting. Any comments on the minutes? Minutes stand approved. Moving on to public comment. As is custom, our first
public comment is for any subject not being voted on this evening. I will remind everyone we have a fivem minute time limit. We do have six people signed up. So I'll start with our list of those who have signed up in advance. Starting with Harry Faber
>> if you'd like to. I just ask you do your best to speak into the microphone. >> Hello Harry Faber. This past weekend was historic for many reasons. On the one hand, tens of millions of Americans organized and
demonstrated all across the country, thousands in the Lehigh Valley. Given the circumstances and opportunity costs of such a demonstration, it is safe to say Americans are fed up with the status quo. It is a known fact that our tax dollars and resources are not being
spent and invested in the sustainable well-being of the working class. But yet on the other hand, the No Kings rallies were a historical failure in affecting change. Millions were told to take this energy to the ballot box. Quote, "All we can do is vote." End quote. More
specifically, vote for the Democrats. I stand on this side today because I recognize what our predecessors recognized over a hundred years ago, that the duopoly represents two sides of the same coin. That coin being capital and capital accumulation. Eugene's Debs
gave his famous speech in 1912. We have two parties, but one problem. Slaves did not vote themselves out of slavery. The subjects of colonialism did not vote away the colonizers. Hitler was not defeated in the ballot box. How
foolish we must be to think now is any different. We must be able to vote in elections or we might be able to vote in elections. But my experience attending these council meetings has confirmed my understanding that what we have now is not democracy. I don't even like the
term bgeoa democracy. We live under the dictatorship of the boogeoisi, dictatorship of capital and dictatorship of growth. Thankfully for the working class, we have a way out. There is an alternative. The working class has organized and overthrown the grip of
dictatorship in the past. We can do it again. We cannot let this revolutionary moment burn out. To quote climate leninism and revolutionary transition by Kai Heron and Jod Dean, quote, "The challenge of transition thus pushes us toward that form of political
organization that endures, scales, supports a collective consciousness, and enables coordinated action." Lenin's theory and practice point to such a form, the party. When a strong party base is established and a period of political upheaval is underway, growth
can be rapid and dramatic. The Bolsheviks grew 10 times in size between February and September of 1917 from 20,000 to 200,000 members. I've seen this with my own eyes in Lehigh Valley, DSA. I would encourage anyone who recognizes the form of fascism we are up
against today and has the time, energy, andor resources to join us and get in contact. Our next general meeting is November 17th, 6:30 p.m. at the Church of Nativity. You can be reached at lehigh valleysa.org
and on email at dsa lehiaggmail.com. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Favor. Our next speaker is Reverend Bruce Stevenson. >> Remember me? >> Welcome back. You don't. After 40 years as a parish pastor, I've
come to the conclusion that people are more apt to complain than they are to praise. I have a hunch that's been your experience on council. I am not here to complain tonight. I am here to praise.
I came to this council twice before tonight asking that a safety line be painted on Pennsylvania Avenue where I live because of all the cars that had been hit on the side of the road. And I
was delighted one evening, one morning as I was going off to work to see that there were some public uh servers or service folks who were measuring the side of the road. And I ran up to them
and I said, "Are you going to paint the line?" And they said, "Yes, it'll be there by the end of the week." and low. And behold, I got my line. Thank you.
Thank you for hearing us. Thank you for listening to us. And thank you for the line. Um, my neighbors and I have noticed a decrease in speed.
We've noticed that cars are not hubbing or hugging the curb as they once did. Um, let's just hope it continues that way. So, I believe that what you did
made a difference for us and I thank you. And if it's okay, if it's allowed to do so, I would like to approach you and shake your hand out of gratitude. you feel free to >> Okay. Well, I didn't know how allowed
how how close I was allowed to get to a little under the weather. >> I understand you're the That's our public works director. >> Our public works department deserves >> the majority of all the credit. >> You shake the you shook the right hand
and Mr. [Laughter] >> for another two minutes. >> That would be a first. We would love it though. >> Thank you, Reverend. Our our next speaker is Merza Figueroa. And I'll just
reiterate Mr. crowd call our public works director. None of us were painting any streets. It It's the public works crews that goes out and handles our potholes, our snow removal, our street painting. So they not only Mr. Alcohol, his department down to the crew that was
out there deserves all the credit. >> Definitely. I'm just kind of piggyback by Mr. uh Bruce. Um I'm more than ecstatic. So happy. um makes me feel a lot better and then even uh we feel more safe uh in a way that we could actually
park in front of the house without thinking that somebody's going to hit us or even at night actually because obviously the lights hit it and and it kind of glows. Um so we noticed a huge difference. So I just want to say thank you and I appreciate for everything that
you guys do. And I just uh like I said the first time that I was here a couple years ago, I love Bethlehem and I want to still stay here for as long as I can. So, thank you so much. Just appreciate everything. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Randy
Rice. >> Good evening. Um, thank you for this opportunity to speak. This is my first time here. I've worked as a teacher and lived in Bethlehem for the last 5 years after growing up in the surrounding counties. I'm a retired teacher, professor of 30
years. I've also worked in area hospitals and I'm a graduate of Penn State and Arcadia universities. Um, I love the state and I love the city. I still have many friends, family, and colleagues in this area. All of us have the same concerns about the future here.
Every time I cross the meny trail bridge, I'm reminded of how lucky we are to have the old steel mills and stacks to remind us of how very important this city was in a very important time in our country. And they're just a few examples. In the past, the city has
become a shining example of the blending of different cultures, ages, ethnicities, religions, political views, and socioeconomic groups. It's a testimony as to what can be achieved with hard work and cooperation. It's how our country has survived two
world wars, an explosion of migration of 18 million people nationwide in the last few years and drastic changes in the job skills needed in this new information age. This cooperation was built on tradition.
In a successful model, the old teach the young. It has been demonstrated all over our country and globally. There is, however, a current imbalance in our city. Like many cities, the elderly in Bethlehem make up a large
proportion of citizens with healthcare dollars to spend. They already struggle with the shortage of affordable housing and the same they suffer from the same transportation problems we all have. That's just one issue. They're leaving the city at an alarming
rate to seek a better life. As the information age continues and evolves, we are seeing technology continue to replace unskilled jobs. This is a trend that will grow. Unskilled labor has been forced to adapt and take other jobs.
Other skilled labor as well is in need of efficient, well-maintained roads and highways. This is a problem requiring careful planning for our roads and highways. Additionally, many of those with computer skills are working from homes
if they can. The intersection of GE and Maple Avenues is a perfect example. There must be a way to divert traffic from this area of town every day. Despite a crossing guard for the school children, a flashing light, signs, and paintings on the road.
I see drivers speeding through this intersection. They will not stop, nor will they slow down to allow people to cross gap. I myself was involved in a very bad car accident two blocks from my house in May, just hitting at a stop sign. The driver was driving double the
speed limit. And as is the case with many younger drivers, they are six times more likely to cause accidents and be involved in DUIs. I see drivers speeding through these intersections on these back streets. They will not stop.
Many are trying to find alterate ways to access US 22 and 78 as well. And they're using once quiet side streets like Maple Avenue where young children play and neighbors walk their dogs. It has caused many accidents in my neighborhood and has made it especially difficult for the
elderly just to get out and do their grocery shopping and get to their doctor's appointments. My neighbor across the street has had two cars total just in the last two months. Even on quieter Sundays, I have seen horrible accidents at this intersection
due to a large number of young drivers who are texting and speeding. Anyone with significant driving experience knows that in a town like Bethlehem, even if you don't have a stop sign, you need to slow down at these intersections on these back roads.
It's a known fact that cars park on both sides of the street in many neighborhoods and visibility is poor for other drivers who are trying to cross. Other cities with these issues have already made changes. This isn't the only issue with this location. Many drivers beep and swear at
each other, demonstrating other road rage as well instead of just slowing down so that others can cross occasionally. Additionally, citizens living in this area have to deal with the deafening noise from motorcycles and trucks. It's an area already burdened with the noise
from ambulances and police sirens. Understandably, it disturbs the peace, wakes us in out of sleep, and is forcing many homeowners to look for the quieter neighborhoods who used to have. I ask for your talent, attention, and innovative ideas to solve these problems
in the short term as well as the long term. We have so much history and so many memories of our beautiful city that will be lost as the population changes when prosperity leaves. will become like many other cities. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Our next speaker signed up is Mike O'Hare. Hello. Mike O'Hare, 632 4th Avenue in Bethlehem. Unlike the reverend, I will uh do a little complaining, but not so much about city council, but about the Bethlehem Co-op. and I wanted to talk
about um some of the situations that I see going on there. So, I'll just start. Back in November of 2019, the city council voted to approve $105,000 in a community development block grant
to the Bethlehem Co-op. Then in July 2021, the Bethlehem Co-op was awarded another $2.9 million in a federal grant which was administered by the city as a pass through from my understanding.
In September 2022, there was another $100,000 awarded to the co-op in a state grant. Uh the co-op now reports that they are $1 million in debt.
They were to open in 2022 and they have no idea when they're going to be opening. Three, three years later. Um, no plans anytime soon. So in the um third class city code, the way I read it
is city council has the obligation or the ability to to perform to have oversight over any uh department office agency of the city government. Uh seems to me like city
council should be overseeing what was done with this public money. These were all public monies that were awarded to the co-op and I really feel that we need an explanation of what's going on there. Um, so city council I believe has the
oversight power to do something about this and to make sure that the citizens are aware of what's happening with the co-op and where that money went. But the issue that I that I'm seeing here is that a lot of the folks in this room, city council, the mayor, others were
very strong proponents of the co-op. So, is it is it wise to have some independent body look at it, controller, whatever? I don't know. I leave that to your to your wisdom. But I do feel that uh we need to do something to and I'm not trying to say that there was
anything illegal or wrong done, but they obviously need some help. And I think maybe the city could provide that expertise that they need to get to where they need to be. Or is it something that's just not workable anymore? Um you're $1 million in debt. You have no
plans to open the store. Is it time to look at a different use for that building? Maybe a warming shelter. Maybe something else. I don't know. U so that that's what I wanted to bring up about the um the co-op. Is it recoverable? And I was thinking to myself, if this is an
example of a government-run grocery store, we're all going to starve. So, uh, the other thing I wanted to talk about was the 540 Democrat club. I'm reading a lot of reports in the newspaper every month, every other month about a shooting, a stabbing that's
going on in that in that uh in that area, in that club or outside the club. And I know the city's on it. I know things are being done, but I'm asking for just for continued vigilance in that area because uh bad things are happening and I'm afraid worse things could happen
in that area. So, um thanks to the city for, you know, monitoring and doing what they can do there, but is there something else, some other remedy that can be exercised against that club? Lose their liquor license, do something like that. I don't I don't know if that's the perview of the city or not. And then I
do want to thank the Bethlehem Police Department and the public works uh agree with the reverend about uh the great job that they do in keeping our city safe uh and livable. Thanks. >> Thank you, Mr. O'Hare. Our next speaker
is Arty Curl. >> I'm sorry. Is Mr. Curuto here? She's coming to us. >> Hi, I'm Arty Kola, 813 Lford Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Um, you're all doing well tonight. Um, I like to say
I served my country. I got out in 1968 as most of my family served the country. It took me until 2015 to be able to talk right again. Now, it's hard to shut me up. But the thing is really it I'm still
kind of getting into focus. I mean after all these years. But uh however the thing is I gave I gave what I could to serve my country. Many of my friends gave the all. Many of my family gave the
role to go for a country that we're paying our taxes to have attorneys in Congress give raises to elected officials
when we're supposed to be a country in God we trust, one nation under God. But we do not tied our 10%. If we did, we could have an organization that will rectify the situation of the homeless
people so they can be geared to not be homeless. We can have money that will be able to go towards the American Indians so they would have not be wanting for
anything. they would have what they need because God gave this land to them before we took it from them with Harrison and Tyler saying who owns the land. Do you own the land? No. Nobody owns the land. The chief said God gave
gave the land. The great spirit gave the land for everyone, every living creature. Oh, so you don't own it. Will you sign here? We'll see what we can do for you. And we took we took and we took and we took and we're still taking and we're not
tiding our 10%. We should do that if we're not in some cities if you do not pay pay the uh uh percentage to the wait
wait wait wait waiters and waitresses you don't tip. They take it they put it right on the on your ticket. They take it out. Maybe we should be doing that in Bethlehem and being an example to other cities to tide
that 10%. Now maybe I'm just fending but however vetting enough that actually the Republican party wanted to back me in a city that's Democrat. I said you guys are crazy. you know, you want to back me
to be on a Republican ticket in a Democratic city. I'm Democrat. They said, "Well, you got to switch to be Republican." No, no, no, no. That's not going to happen. If you want any kind of chance, you let a Democrat that you're pushing to be in to the mayor's
position, then you have a chance of winning. I should not be switching to be Democrat. I wasn't going to. So, I'm at the right and I won't be elected. I'm sure even though I am offering to give
all my money back to the city and do just as hard of a job, if not harder than any mayor that was ever elected. But nobody want to back me up but the Republican party who wanted me to switch to be Republican from Democrat. That is really crazy. That is one of the
craziest things I heard this millennium. It made my millennium when I heard that. But however, it is what it is. And all we can do is keep on rocking and keep the faith and keep with God. Be be
one nation under God and trusting in God. Think about tightening that 10%. I'm sure the reverend's behind me on that one. God bless you all. Peace. >> Thank you, Mr. Keratollah. That exhausts
our list of who had signed up for the meeting. So, I'll go around the room. Again, we're on anything not being voted on this evening. Is there anyone in the wide center who wants to make comment? Mr. Sh [Music] 1890 Eden Avenue. Uh, I want to thank
the pastor for providing a lead in. I assume he was talking about Pennsylvania Avenue. Um, I've talked to Mike about getting white lines on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue. Uh, although there's not a parked car
problem there like there is on the east side, but there is passing on the right. It's happened to me once and to a friend of mine once and I've told her when she comes down, drive in the middle.
Otherwise, you might get surprised on the right. Sim same same problem, just no part cars. And I think white lines would help. Uh mainly tonight, I want to follow up on some economics.
I mentioned that the interest on the national debt is now 10% of the annual budget. And the way we're going, it's going to be increasing until we reach a tipping point. and the country will have to
default. And because of the way we're going, we're still running big deficits, partly because of the continuing the tax cuts for the wealthy. And so I have a proposal to put forward
tonight about taxation in this country. The highest tax bracket on the income tax is 37%. That's kicks in at about 600 and some odd thousand
which means that any income above that amount, those extra dollars are taxed at 37%. I would like to propose that we establish an additional tax bracket that kicks in at $1 million and that's 50%.
By the way, for historical comparison, after World War II, the top tax bracket was 90%. Because of the need, of course, to pay for the war. So 50%. Now, this would mean that say somebody earned $2
million, which I can only dream about, but the second million would be taxed at 50%. So the government would get $500,000 in taxes and the taxpayer would retain $500,000.
The interesting thing is that because 50% is exactly 1/2, the if this taxpayer were to don donate that second million dollars to a bonafide charity
and would only be losing $500,000 because otherwise that would be all that was left. The charity would be gaining a million dollar. And where's the other $500,000 coming from? is coming from the government because that would be lost
taxes to the government that was going to the charity. In that way, the taxpayer would be making a five a million dollar donation to the charity, but in effect only losing $500,000. And
the government would be making a matching grant to that charity. and that would perhaps stimulate philanthropy because that'd be kind of a cool thing. In any event, uh we got to
do something because this uh present regime and it's um again to to echo Harry, I mean it's something that the Democrats and the Republicans share, although there are differences
between the two parties, important differences. Um, we can't go on like this and these tax cuts for the the wealthy. Well, as Jimmy Carter has said, we are, and he said this some time ago, we are living
in an oligarchy or maybe you pronounce it oligarchy. I'm not sure, but it means controlled by the wealthy people. And that is certainly the case today with Citizens United where the wealthy people can inundate the airwaves with their
messages. Repetition breeds familiarity and familiarity makes things seem more truthful. So there we are. I'm going to stop with 29 seconds to go. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Shy. Was there anyone
else in the center to make comment? Mr. Alex, excuse me. Very good. Stephen and Alex 77 Ridge. When local laws required city workers to live in the city, those who made the
decision decisions had good knowledge of the city and rarely look to outside consultants to aid in their decision making. Namely names like the Ceso, Grub, Brown, and Delgraso come to mind.
Today there in the local government there's a great reliance in outside consultation in major decisions. Does this mean a lack of knowledge or a lack of confidence required by local officials to make these important
decisions? Generally speaking these outside consultants are highly qualified and intelligent persons. But the question that is that is raised is what is the full extent of their knowledge of key facts and history that
is required to make the most intelligent toward the solution of the city's problem. Ignorance of important data or knowledge in the final decision might make for an inferior result which in some cases can
be judged as simply as being stupid. This statement is rather harsh. But but then when intelligent individuals are ignorance of key facts in decision making, then those decisions
can be simply evaluated as being stupid. The recent decision to make Lynen Street one way and ignoring Center Street, in my estimation, is simply stupid. Why? By possibly being ignorant of or
having ignored the history of the original reason for both original becoming one way. Here we have a classical example ignorance leading to stupidity. This is a public meeting and people speaking should conduct it as
such. But I've observed city council members engage in what I would call tata tate which is onetoone discuss conversation not a disc conversation
ignoring the public that microphone is a disservice to people sitting here. Why? Number one, when someone from the city is addressing a problem raised by
someone on council, that person at that m turns the council away from the microphone and the person at that table turns to the person speaking, turns to that person away from their microphone.
So public comment becomes ted totally ignoring the public. This is a public meeting and you should speak with a public voice, not a titate voice. You're here to service us. We want to
hear what you're saying. Also, your microphones technically speaking, and I looked into this, should be more than 3 in from your mouth, which is the source of your of your voice. So,
let's be responsible to our citizens. >> Thank you, Mr. Nitalics. Was there anyone else in the wide center who would make comment who hasn't had a chance? Anyone to the right? That concludes our first public comment. So, we'll move on to second public
comment. This is for any ordinance or resolution that's going to be voted on this evening. We did not have anyone sign up premeating. So again, I'll start in the wide center. Anyone want to make comment on anything we're voting on tonight? Anyone to the right?
Okay. Thank you. Old business. Any old business from members of council? Any new business from members of council? Councilwoman Leo. >> Um, Mr. Alcohol, it's not it's not a question. No worries. Um, but I I did
want to It's It's three inches. Am I not speaking loud enough? Is that better? >> I'll just one time ask everyone use their microphones. Not going to bring it up again. >> So, Mr. alcohol when it uh the intersection that was spoken about G
and Maple Street. Um I'm looking at it and there is some signage, look right, look left, look right, and the stop signs, but I'm just wondering um if maybe some additional line painting or the refreshing of the crosswalks that
are there might be helpful or anything that could be done in that area. it does seem to be it's right near that kind of offshoot. So, it's it's just a difficult area. So, I'm wondering what your suggestions might be to handling something in that area. >> We'll definitely we'll take a close look
at it. >> Um and if there's anything that we feel would um help the situation, we we certainly uh follow up and execute it. >> Awesome. I know that we're close to the end of line painting season and all that stuff, but
>> we are and >> we're struggling to finish a few things, but >> certainly if it's important enough, we would we would jump on it. >> Yeah. Or even just looking at it for the for the next year of like line painting and all that stuff. So, thank you. >> Sure. >> Any other new Oh, Mayor, did you want to
piggyback off of that? >> I did. I just wanted to add to one of the things that's going on now with our complete streets plan is the idea that we're essentially distinguishing our streets from the type of traffic, how many cars, like are they move are they essentially cars that streets that are in middle neighborhoods or are they um
streets that have been traditionally designed to move traffic through the city as quickly as possible? I mean, it's the kind of the precomplete streets. It was kind of the idea that grew out of Lynen Street um and is growing out of Center Street when we have when we have that funding to be able to move forward. Um, and this is a
classic example. I grew up down the street, so I used to have to walk this exact intersection. And the way the street is set up, as I was walking to Thomas Jefferson 30 years ago, was when you're coming around the bend, there's a challenge there. And some of it is the way the street is designed. So ultimately when we take a look through
this complete streets plan and we make a determination about what these different type of streets are, what we want them to be because we have some safe streets in Bethlehem. We have streets that have a substantial amount of traffic but people don't feel as if they're dangerous because they're not. So essentially looking at what's working
and then this would be the type of place where ultimately the city will have to make some type of infrastructure decision. As Mr. alcohol and we talked about linen street. I mean that's going to be a project that has been years in the making that has been supported by our um LVTS money that comes through the Le Valley Planning Commission like
related to it. But that was a project where we had neighbors show up. We had North Side Alive and things like that. That's going to be $2 million to turn that oneway street into two-way street for probably about I'd say a little bit less than half a mile. Probably about
point4. So, the price is going to be substantial, but it's going to be an opportunity for us to take a look at what some of these streets are. I mean, it's what we're doing with Broad Street and this area there when you're coming around the bend on GP Street and you're passing past Elm, like you go past Elm first, then you go past uh Maple and
then you get up to Lyndon. Um, and if people hit that light, they just keep going. So, it is an opportunity for us to take a look at it. But that's like one of those streets that we're going to be able to make some real decisions about that aren't going to be cheap, but ultimately would move to fix this problem because it's not going to be just an enforcement situation or signage
and things like that. It's going to have to be some street street changes. >> Yeah. And I I do appreciate like the the more comprehensive approach to it. I it is not good practice for us to like wait for people to come to council or to like drive around and say obviously this is this is an area that needs repair. And I
appreciate the flexibility of public works to always like rise to the occasion. You you guys have shown up um for the Indian Hill community, for the community over at Pennsylvania A, but obviously we do need a more comprehensive approach than just nitpicking. >> And obviously, we will do everything we can in the short term to see about what
are the type of measures that can be used to be able to cut down on the speed and things like that. I'm just being completely transparent, honest with you. It's like the solution for the most dangerous streets in the city is to take away the opportunity to speed. >> Yeah. like it just it's car culture is
out of control everywhere including in the city of Bethlehem and a big big piece of that is how we view our streets and how we build our streets. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Any other new business from Evers Council? Councilwoman Crazy Smith. >> Um yeah, regarding this if it's the same intersection I'm thinking of is Skep and
Maple where there's um a three-way stop and then one is right through. Um, I actually emailed, I want to say about two or three months ago, I emailed and included pictures of accidents because I've had several people come reach out to me, um, some that live on Maple with
real concerns about this intersection. So, I believe I emailed um, Tiffany and I thought I emailed public works and I'm not sure, but I don't know if anybody recalls that email, but it was specifically regarding this intersection. Um, so I have to just say I've had in addition to people here
tonight, I've had several people come to me because they live right there and they've seen a lot of accidents as well as had neighbors whose cars have been total. So, um, I'm great that we're doing a big street plan and everything else, but I think that I would really appreciate it if we could prioritize
this and look at it because like I said, I did send an email out because of the concerns. Um, and I think it it's obviously a street that really needs to be looked at. I know I go by there myself and it is like people fly down Gap because they don't have a stop sign but then the other three um there's a
stop sign at the other areas and even the visibility is a little tough leaving Maple. >> So I'd appreciate that. >> I'll just note councilwoman and I don't know the full scope of who you emailed but are you referencing Tiffany Wells? >> Yes, I did definitely include her. >> Tiffany Wells left the city to go work
for the parking authority. I just know that through general practice. So, that's just something that I don't know if that could >> But I didn't just email her. I did email I I think it was public works and perhaps the police. I'm not sure. I I can look back and resend that email. Maybe there was a glitch, but I know I
definitely sent it because of concern. So, just wanted to bring that up again. Um I had some other things under guess old business and and new business. I'm not sure where we are. Is it okay to go? Okay. >> New business. Go ahead. >> I was just wondering I know I missed the last meeting the meeting prior. We
talked a lot about housing and the crisis, especially with the um the folks down by the river. And I was wondering if there was any followup administratively as far as we talked a lot about Martin Tower and and trying to look at um connecting with the people there, the developers again about getting the residential part going and
considering the lura for that area. Has there been any followup with that? >> I think we had sent some information to city council about what kind of the history was and the current position there uh moving forward. Um, as I've said, you know, we've spent a lot of time, I know we're currently working on
things having to do with the CRIS increment for the medical office building. So, we're having ongoing conversations uh with the owners of the property. Um, but I'm not sure if Miss Collins wanted to add anything to that or not, but that was part of the purpose of the email that Miss Collins had sent
a while ago, basically stating what we were looking for from planning type purposes moving forward. um and that if the property owners were looking for a zoning change that's within their power um to be able to move forward um but our
kind of public policy position on the development of that site and doing something that is neighborhood appropriate um is consistent with that lengthy email that Miss Collins had sent to everybody. >> Okay. Is there anything else? I mean I'll have to I don't recall seeing that email. have been out of the country for
a couple weeks, but I'll have to see if I find that email. Um, but I guess I will just say again, as I said at the other meeting, um, I think especially we're in a real housing crisis even more so, um, given, you know, the increasing number of the homeless that I think it would just be really a a viable option
to sit down and consider, you know, especially the Lura because I think it already is designated as a blighted area. Um and we can not only get more residential units, hundreds, which you know I keep being told that we need, but also get multi-millions in affordable
housing from the Lerta. So, um my only other the other question I had is I know there was some discussion about um the police and the compliment at the last meeting, but I was wondering um um Chief Griffin, not to put you on the spot, but I'm just wondering where we're at with the firefighters. If you can just give
us an idea on, you know, the numbers we have and what the compliment is and how many um firefighters are we at compliment or are we down firefighters at this point? Uh so currently when we're fully staffed our number is 104 firefighters including the deputy fire chief and myself. Uh
currently we are eight positions down as we stand here today. >> Okay. And do we have anybody I I know we've had a lot of people that we've gone through the academy. Do we have anybody at the academy now or are we look what are you doing as far as trying to fill those eight positions? >> So we currently have four recruits in
the Allentown Fire Academy that are scheduled to graduate on November the I believe 13th. Don't quote me. I'd have to check my calendar. Uh, but they have about a month left of the academy will be graduating four. Uh, all four are doing very well. We don't expect any problems with them graduating and
they'll be joining us uh toward the end of November on the street. >> Oh, okay. Great. Um, as a result, so for down eight, are we seeing a lot of need to use overtime in the department more than usual given the uh vacancies?
Uh yes, there's been a good amount of overtime in the department um throughout this past calendar year. Uh we we've we've done our best to hire. Unfortunately, when we put those four individuals through the fire academy, uh we were scheduled to actually put six individuals through the fire academy.
Two of the individuals um made an error in judgment, didn't show up for necessary appointments that were required, and unfortunately we were left with with two vacancies. We could not fill those spots in time. Uh so that that put us in a tough spot for this entire academy class. It's going to be
one year until we can fill those spots. >> So when so we have to wait a whole another year for the next academy. I mean till we can fill the other four >> from that point that they were hired. So the next fire academy is scheduled to start in January. So this would have been last January. We have to wait till this January to fill them.
>> And do we have four people slated to go in January? >> Uh so we are currently in the process of interviewing. We're working with human resources. Captain Small, the training captain, is conducting background investigations and background interviews now of individuals. Uh, and the deputy chief and myself will be doing the
formal employment interviews with all of those individuals throughout the week next week. >> Okay, great. Thanks so much. >> You're welcome. And to add to that in the budget, so once again, the plan is to send two classes next year. So if we have eight vacancies in December, then we can hire eight people. They start to
be on the payroll, but obviously then they have to go to the academy. So then if that's the number that we have as far as vacant is concerned in December, then we send eight people to the academy, then they get here in June. But then as we've talked about over the past couple of years and as we're putting in the budget, we're expecting to send a second
class in the middle of the year. So we are actually putting in the budget, the number is, I believe, 15. So to put send those eight to the academy in January with the idea that because additional retirements occur in February or March or May or whenever it might be. So like
we can't send 15 people in December because then you're double paying people and people haven't said if they're going to retire or not. You're just assuming that they may. So once we get through this next particular year, we are going to be based on and Chief Griffin could tell you this much better than I could
is that there's a period of time about 25 years ago when for about three or four years like a whole bunch of people retired and we hired a whole bunch of people and now over the past couple of years there's a whole bunch of people that are retiring and we're hiring a whole bunch of people. So, Chief Griffin might know the exact number, but we've
went from a period where the majority of our officers were probably over 15 years to now the majority of our firefighters are probably, I don't know, five, six, I think we just were talking about this the other day, like 30 in the last three years or something like that. >> Upon this graduating class, we all have
33 firefighters with under three years of service in the Bethlehem Fire Department. That is a huge number. >> Yeah. >> We we >> we've gone through a lot of firefighters. We've had a lot of retirements as the mayor said. >> Yeah. And if you go back, we had 30 some firefighters under three years of experience in 2003 because it was
essentially the same part. So we are but that's the plan um councilwoman is that we are going to send the maximum amount that we're able to send in January, but then we also are putting in the budget once again for two classes to be able to send that, you know, potentially up to seven. As Chief Griffin said, sometimes
things happen where you go through the process. In this situation with those two particular um applicants, we spent all the time, all the money, all the backgrounds to get to the point. They had to do something. I mean, it's it's America. It's their choice. They chose not to do that. It was the week before the academy started, I believe. Is that
correct? A week or two before. So, there was no way for us to then hire six and take two and put them there and so on and so forth with that same class. Um, so that's why the six and four, but in the budget for next year, we will have enough to send 15 people to the academy. >> Okay, great. And do you have any idea um
anticipating require uh retirements what number that will look like for next year? >> I really don't. I can look at the number of years of service and I can tell you how many people are eligible but I have no idea what people's personal intentions are and nor are they required to share those with us. I ask but
>> yeah and I can't exactly figure it out either. But there were less retirements actually when there were more openings. But now as the openings are being filled um and now there's less openings. Um and I'm not sure whether or not it's connected to overtime at all or not. I couldn't imagine it would be that people
then are choosing to retire um rather than staying rather than stay working. So it actually turns out that like as you fill more positions you actually get more retirements. Um like I said I've never been able to conclusively figure out why that is. Um you know people have
theories about that. Um, but as we fill these positions, you'll probably see some other people that make the determination to go sooner rather than later, which is why we're putting seven additional in for next year, but like we said, as of this period, I believe we're at eight for the vacancies. >> That is correct. >> That's correct. Yeah. So, we're going to
send the maximum amount that we're able to send. >> We also have other individuals who are out longterm with health issues that that do play into the overtime issue. Um, unfortunately, we have some individuals binging battling some pretty severe health conditions at this time. So, u unfortunately they're not able to
be with us right now, although I know they wish they could be. >> Are they included in the eight or is that above and beyond the eight? You mean >> the eight is the number we're short, right? Those individuals who are out sick or injured are on our roster. They're just not able to report to work at this time. >> Okay, great. Okay, thank you so much. >> You're welcome. Any other new business
from Councilwoman Leard? >> So, um at our last meeting, I uh and this isn't for you. Uh thank you. Uh, I think this would be for um either Mayor Reynolds or or Laura. Uh, Miss
Collins. Uh, so um at our last meeting I asked a little bit about the food co-op question that came up from a different um member of the public um and did get answers for um basic oversight
of grant funding. Um so I'm recalling that um the federal grant which is the largest that that particular organization received is a reimbursement grant and that the expenses uh being
asked for reimbursement are reviewed by I believe you said HUD and the controller is that correct? So, uh, the question was raised tonight of if there's, um, an independent person reviewing expenses, and the answer to
that is yes, there there is. I just want to, even though we went over that last time, I want to reiterate it since someone else brought it up today. Um, is the process for oversight of that funding for the food co-op different than any other organization that we pass
through funding for or grant CDBG dollars to? >> Uh, no, the process would be the same. >> Okay. So, every every year we have, you know, as city council knows, there's a a list of organizations that receive funding through the CDBG um allocation
and, you know, there's a robust process that applies to all grantees, which includes both, you know, city review, but that is all CDBG is also HUD money. So, that also um has oversight and monitoring from HUD as well. >> Okay. And the controller,
>> right? And so so anytime that that dollars go out the door from the city um whether they're grant dollars or general fund dollars you know whatever the case may be like there is a process by which the controllers's office reviews you know any anything whether it's a grant or otherwise. >> Okay. And um is there a requirement
within for any organization then if it's all the same that they are successful in their project timeline etc. is that like so I'm thinking of I mean something that we all want to see open the the emergency shelter right and
we're carrying over some funds for while they get their act together in terms of staffing and not that they aren't doing a ton of work but like while they uh transition to potentially a year- round model etc. Um so those dollars are
carried over. Is that in my head it seems sort of parallel but is it the same process? >> I guess how I would answer that is with respect to grants generally each funding source is different but almost all funding sources have you know a grant period which you know the end of the
grant period would be the time within which you know you or the recipient is expected to complete a project. Um, you know, there are many situations where, you know, depending on the project and the situation, you might go back to the grant funer and say, you know, here are
the reasons why this project wasn't done within the timeline. Can we have an amendment to our grant agreement, you know, to extend the time by which we can complete this project. Um, but really it is pretty much grant, you know, and and project specific in that regard. Um,
have there needed to be any amendments to the funds that were approved for the food co-op? >> No, we're still within the timeline for the community project funding or the congressionally directed spending >> aka congressionally directed spended for for this >> okay project. Um, and then recognizing
or clarifying, um, I believe the, uh, commenter had indicated that it it's a government-run grocery, which, um, it is not. It's a community-owned grocery store. Um, but is the city working with
the co-op board uh, and members to assist while not owning the co-op or the funding for it? uh can you describe a little bit about you know what you've done if uh in that process? >> Yeah, so I would start with the obvious the and I think everybody knows Mr.
Vidoni, he has been the one that has been working with um the co-op as far as their HUD reimbursements are concerned and things like that. So the majority of what our assistance has been has been obviously is like we are the ones that the grant passed through as we are with
CDBG and HUD with all sorts of different organizations. So that's probably if you look at the total amount of time that is spent I would say that his time is probably number one as far as that is concerned. Um we have had other conversations with the co-op and as you know as you know a for former board
member like the co-op model was um and there were things that Mr. O'Hare said that some of which I agree with but when he talked about being a million dollars in debt what they have said publicly is that a co-op by definition relies on their members for member loans and member supports and things like that.
So, it is a community-owned grocery store and things like that. Where the co-op has asked us for strategic kind of advice about um and this is my number not there is like I believe that they're about 95% of the way there as far as like the funding is concerned to be able to get it open based on what they have
spent over the past several years as far as fit out and things like that are concerned. Um there are I mean we've had conversations with them when they have you know asked us for what our advice is. Um, I would be lying to you if I said there weren't moments of frustration that I think that they're
not necessarily they haven't necessarily shared with all of the members and all of the the community to the extent that they could about what are some very legitimate reasons why that project has slowed down. Um, including things having to do with materials, including things having to do with personnel, things that
just happen when somebody is trying to get a business up off the ground. like I and we do not believe that that has necessarily been laid out in a way that gives all of the members the opportunity to understand what some of their different pressure points have been. Um
it as you know you know it is a situation where it is a lot of work to be a member of this of this board. None of us are members of this board. They are a co-op. We have tried to tell them that they need to recruit more members. They need to recruit more people to be
honest. they need more people to be able to volunteer, to be able to specialize in different things and things like that. Um, so I would tell you that both it's a project that has gone through all of the same requirements as far as you know purchasing this fit out for or
purchasing this and then sending it to the federal government and then they check it's okay and so on and so forth. So they are trying to start a business that obviously is difficult like any business right now. With that being said, I think that it is at a time where they need to be a little bit flexible in
the manner in which they're going to open this grocery store. And I think that is shared by a lot of people. It's shared by a lot of members. And I don't say those words lightly. Um, but it is a topic that obviously we get questions about as well. And we are not the
decision makers. We are not the board members. the city going back to when Mayor Donz was around and then the $2.9 million that Congresswoman Wild helped to get was when the Donz administration, but this has been a project that has gotten a lot of public funding and it's also gotten a lot of money from people
within the community. So, we have tried to get across to the co-op that they need to set a date to open their grocery store, that they need to be honest about what the different challenges are, and that they need to recruit more people and tell people this is what we need from our cooperative members in our
community to be able to make this project happen. Um, I've also been honest with them that quite honestly I think that their current board structure that has term limits has not been conducive to building confidence with institutional investors and things like that because it makes people leave that
are good people and sometimes very it's a lot of work. I think if you ever look at any board this is more work than I think you would find in just about anywhere else. So we have both communicated that verbally, we have communicated that in writing where there has been a question of like what do you guys think we should do? We have said
like this is what our this is what we think is the best way for you to move forward in this way. This is what we think is how you should talk to you know institution A or institution B and things like that. Um but we are we can only provide advice. They need to take it and at times they have and at times
they have not. And you know, we share some of the frustrations. With that being said, I do honestly believe that that the project is like 95% of the way of the way there financially. They're dealing with the same cost overruns we hear about in housing that we hear about in business that we hear about
everywhere else. So we are hopeful that they come forward with a plan in the near future to be able to announce a start date which we don't think is that far away that will allow them to open the doors and continue the confidence that everybody has built over the last 15 years in being part of that project.
>> Okay. Thank you. I uh I think that at this point that's that's all the questions I have. if there were specifics about like um you know what sort of things where they're at with reimbursements and uh
from particularly the the largest of the grants. Um that would be Mr. Vidoni is the person overseeing yeah all of that. Okay. Thank you. >> We do think that like I said I think about the 2.9 million I think it's like >> it's almost fully
>> 2.8 8 something that has been spent, reimbursed, and then um approved I'm sorry, spent approved by HUD and reimbursed. Um so I think that that >> that's correct. >> That I think it's just that's that's just about done.
>> Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Mayor, I couldn't agree with you more as far as the uh their their bylaws, as far as uh the term limits on the people that are leaving there. I mean, I I I was really surprised to find out that u
Carol Ritter, who was who was, I guess, a president here for a while. Uh I thought she was doing a great job, but you know, I found out that she wasn't going to be on the board anymore because she, you know, she she was term limited. So, I you know, I I think everybody uh in the city wants to see that open up,
but it's time that they, you know, get moving on it. So, I couldn't agree with you more on it. As far as the tower site, um most of you know that I know Mr. Bronco very well. Uh I've had numerous discussions with him in the last year and a half. There is no um there's no
plan. They do not have any uh plan to go to zoning and ask for any type of zoning variances. Um they're allowed I think what 1080. >> Yeah. That they did what they were thinking at one point uh maybe two three
years ago to go to 1700 units. They're not doing that. They haven't ha had that in their head for over a year and a half now. Um, from what I understand, it's it's it's even under 900 units, which they're already zoned for, so they don't need any additional zoning. Uh, I will
say this, there is absolutely no plan in that they will they've submitted nothing to you guys. Correct. And there is nothing uh that they will submit because the financials don't make sense right now. um it's going to sit there for four more years until um there's
um leadership, you know, on all levels that are going to understand that that is a very difficult project. It's not like they walked out and bought farmland and they could just start building. Um I did they get our cap money? Yeah, they
got I think eight or nine million, but they also have tens and tens of millions of dollars invested in the property. And I I think we should be I mean if people knew the total amount that they have in it, it's probably the most expensive land uh in eastern Pennsylvania per acre
and um it's a shame that it is going to sit there for another four years. Uh but um especially I think if we if we sat down if everybody knew what the numbers were and this is off the top of my head. I mean, I don't um there there was an
article today in the morning call about the Glendon, what was it called? The uh the Glendon hotel. That project, affordable housing projects not going through at all. And the person, the people that owned it cited the same reasons that nothing's
going to go on at the tower. Interest rates are extremely high and more importantly, the cost of all the building materials are extremely high. That was the reason why they they decided to move away from the 1,700 units there because the only way they could do that is if they uh dug holes on
the ground and put all the surface parking underneath the new um apartment buildings, which is astronomically expensive. So, that's when they just decided, you know what, they're it's it's not feasible. So, they will they're
they're not even interested in going to zoning to ask for uh zoning changes for more additional units there. I'm just I'm just being honest with everybody. I'm I'm not I don't I don't know if it's an FYI or if people want to um see what we can do, but the same reasons why the
Glenn Hotel is not going through is the same reason why they're not going to submit any plans for um at least four years until things change. And and we we can sit here and say they they had enough. You know, they had
Chris Acorage, which could be part of a of a negotiation. Right. Some Chris acreage which they have to sign off on. Correct. Right. Um there's the inlu fee. I wasn't
on council at the time. Um most everybody else here was except for myself and Miss Leairard. Um but I don't know what that that letter from Mr. Heric was. I think that was based on the 1,700 units that they wanted to do at the time. So I don't I don't know what the number would be. I think at that
time was $78 million they were throwing around it, you know, as far as in Louis fees. So maybe it's like four now. I don't know. I mean, just I'm just throwing out the numbers, but it's just not the in LA fee. It's the uh the wreck fees. How much are WCK fees around? 1,500.
>> That calculation is >> Yeah. So it's wreck fees, it's additional, you know, you've said it, Becky Bradley has said it. I think I think the number that was brought up is Betham's a thousand units short. That's if if that's the number they wanted to
do. 8 880. I mean, that's a huge chunk off of releasing some of the um the pressures off of the um off of the housing uh rental unit pressure. I mean, in my mind, and and I'm going to get a phone call in a couple days when he
finds out about me talking about it again because every time I talk about it, you know, he drops an Fbomb at me. Stop talking about it, you know, because he's uh there's nothing going on. And and and Mr. Reynolds, you know, that and and so does Miss Collins. They have they have not brought it up to you guys at
all at all within the last two years. There's been no discussion at all with the with the remaining property. I just think it's a shame that we we have that property uh the affordable housing property that's going up on on the south side right on on Fourth Street. How how
many units is that? >> 120. >> 120. And it the land was donated. So the land's free and we just got a what was it? $15 million grant you got from Miss Boscola. >> I'm sorry. From who? >> Miss Bos, you know, from the state >> from PHFA. It was it was the low-inccome
tax credits. the 16 the $16 million percent. >> Yeah. But I think that >> I'm sorry. $16 million 9% tax credits that ran through Penrose's application that Sarah and Laura put together over a period of months. >> Yeah. So, how much money isn't that like an 80% of the t of the tax rate or whatever?
Don't don't we get like it comes out to like $13 million or $14 million? I thought >> 16 million. It's 1.8 over 10 years and then with the Yeah. I think it's like a 90. Yeah.% >> and how much money do we need total to
do thoseund and what 130 >> 120 there's two different phases but and Penrose is the developer that is that is partnering on doing that >> and what was the total cost we know >> uh roughly each phase I think is around $25 million >> for each phase. >> Yeah.
>> Looking at 250 million >> for what? >> 50 million. >> 50 million. >> Two times 25 50. >> Yeah. So, so I mean I mean everybody can see how expensive it is to do affordable housing. >> Yeah. >> And >> so, so one of the things Mr. Calli and I would tell you is just as a general if
you take a look at when lurers have been used, they've been lo used in areas, blighted areas, whether or not it was South Bethlehem or North Side. >> So like the kind of intellectual merits behind one has been the idea that like this is an area whether or not it's old steelside or whatever it could be as a
concept and I believe Miss Collins put this in her email as well, didn't you, Miss Collins? about the idea of somebody saying I won't do anything here until I get a tax incentive becomes very very dangerous in the sense that like nobody will then do anything under the idea
that I will sit here and allow this to happen. But to your point though, moving forward, one of the things that we are actually looking at as like another option there if you were going to create a one-off lura is like is there a way rather than just taking money out as far as like a payment in lie of is like
could you sign a master lease with somebody like New Bethany or somebody for a certain percentage of units to be able to create mixed income units in the same spot by subsidizing those rents with money that comes in as far as the
payment in lie of or or not or just basically say like you're going to create a percentage there. But the requirement then is is that you however long the tax incentive is 10, 15, 20 years that there is a complimentary master lease to be able to essentially
create a different version of gateway on fourth in what were previously going to be market rate only units. >> So I think I think you've had the discussion with them already that they've already said it's a non-starter, right? >> Why is it a non-starter? because they aren't putting affordable housing units
there. They will pay the enlu fee. >> Yeah. And and and I find and we find that that concept the idea that like I can pay out of what my affordable housing is. Many of us choose to live in and this is I think this is just an ideological difference Mr. Callian that people have and I would tell you that I
don't know what the percentages of people in the city that necessarily agree with this. It could be 66 67% almost 70%. I'm not sure what the number is, but like that think of the idea of living in mixed income neighborhoods, especially when you look at what the restrictions are now for us to be able
to build things such as we were talking about with Gateway and Fourth, the amount of work that it's going to take is like how are we able to design other mixed income type of neighborhoods. Now, nobody is saying that you have to do that. You have the ability to be able to go out and do what is your legal American property rights to be able to
build whatever you'd like to build on your own property that fits into zoning no matter the income limits. Like we live in America, you can do that. But in exchange, if you're going to get a public benefit, like these goals that we're talking about as far as affordable housing and things like that, we want
them to be met. And >> are there any other lures in this? I don't think there's any other lur where we put >> uh um constraints on. We are we're looking at the model. That's what I that's what I started this conversation with is so like if you were going to have a one-off lerta
>> rather than a blighted area alert such as the former Bethleam steel site and so on and so forth. If somebody was going to come forward with a with a lera and we were going to present it to the to you know city council and present it to the school district and present it to Northampton County and so on and so
forth. And you ask the very legitimate question that some people would say is like why would you offer a one-off to them and not to them over there? So what the idea would be is that we would be creating an incentive that somehow like if you want a one-off lura that doesn't fit into another regional kind of area based on Bethlehem steel or whatever it
might be. This is what the deal is going to be and it's going to be a good deal for people of mixed income throughout the city of Bethlehem. And like I said, so we're researching that. So all I'm saying is like we have concerns about oneoff because the moment that you say no to them and you say yes to them, other people are like, I'm not doing anything because that person waited. So what we're trying to do is get around
that by coming out with something that skips all these intermediate steps and just creates the outcome that we're looking for, which is that you're gonna if you're going to take public tax dollars, you're going to create a long-term commitment to people of affordability. Now, if they choose not to do that because they don't think they can market that way and so on and so forth, that's their that's their right.
>> I don't I don't think it's that they they won't. I think it's that they can't because the the numbers don't the numbers don't make sense. And I think that's part of the equation to work out is like whether or not if somebody is is giving cuz if somebody just builds market rate housing like what they're paying in taxes like you could always
take as the city like whatever that number is and just take that delta between what the lura was going to be and just take that and put it towards housing. So like the idea of not doing that and you're going to give a reduction in that or a payment in lie of if we're trying to find a way for
affordable housing to exist what better way to be able to then say okay if you're building a 100red units that we're going to be able to make 10 or 15 or 20% and potentially even it could be a sliding scale as far as like what your and I don't know what the numbers are. That's what I'm saying is like maybe you
do 10 units and like then we take the money that you were paying a payment in lie of and like work with another nonprofit to be able to lease these out and so on and so forth. Maybe you want to take more tax dollars. We extend how what the percentage of people are that are living there whether or not they're 30 or 50 or 70 or 80 or 90%.
>> I I agree with you, but what I'm saying is that discussion is not even going on right now >> because we're still researching what that model is. I'm being completely transparent about that. Yeah. >> Is that something that M >> Collins and myself and Mr. Spur are trying to determine before we're we're able to bring it forward?
>> I appreciate that because I it's brought up all the time about the housing. And when I sit there and I think of the amount of money that we're losing, the city's losing because we're not doing and it's I know if you want to call it a one-off, it that's not a one-off. That's
a that's probably the most undeveloped land in the city right now. And we have luras all over. Uh we we've the whole point of the alert is to try to uh stimulate projects getting done in very
difficult um areas and that's already been it's already been blighted that it is a blighted area already. The the city blighted it you know I think Miss Collins I think it was in um I think your predecessor had it blighted the Tower site.
Yeah, I yeah, I believe so. And then also we blighted it under an affordable housing LERA equivalent um through the state probably about two years ago. >> I'm just throwing the numbers out there off the top of my head. We're losing about 5 million. It's not I know you had
said before that it's a tax break. Well, it's not a tax. They're not getting a tax break. They're getting a uh it's new revenues. there. They'd pay 50% if they had alerted because it's 10, you know, it's it's 50% over 10 years. It's
10% the first year, 20% the second year, 30, 40, 50 for all the continuous years. It comes out to 50%. They'd be paying 50% of the taxes um over a 10-year period. And that is an enormous amount of money that that we
will not get the way things are going right now. just it's sitting there and it's going to sit there for another four and a half years until you know uh the economics change on it and we all know that the economics aren't changing right now. So we either sit there and let it
sit there for four more years. They've already sat on it for I think what 15 years and and and I don't know if everybody knows this but uh especially the new people on council that project has changed numerous times. Originally when when they when the developers
bought that project, it was all going to be residential. It was all going to be residential. And then in 2010, I think it was um the the housing market collapsed and the financial chaos and uh residential units were no longer um
marketable. You know, there were a dime a dozen. You couldn't even sell your house. So that's when they came into council. I think Mr. Evans, I think you were the one that um and I was on council at the time too. We changed the zoning to allow more commercial collapse
and you know and people were um a lot of malls were closing down. So the the the life of that whole property has changed multiple times and I'm just saying it's going to sit there for it's already paid for. So, we either let it sit there and it does nothing to help us uh for the
next four years or we try to come up with a plan that's workable for the developers and for the city. And I just think if we can add 880 units to the to the um uh city's uh uh supply of of
rental units, that's a huge plus. It's a huge huge way of going towards the thousand that you know, you said you that we're short of. There's probably about four and a half to$5 million in in lie of money coming in. There's wreck fees at, you know, $1,500 a unit if
there's a,000 units, that's $1.5 million. And then you got the um you got the EIT tax. I mean, someone's going to be living there. I mean, if they're making, let's say they're making $65,000 a year, that that that that's uh
$650,000 a year extra to the city. That's I mean count all the all the school district taxes and the county taxes. So we either try to work something out and and we get all these benefits and we get all this money or we don't try to
work it out and the property sits there for four more years until things change. I I don't know. I'm I'm not I I've told a couple people on council already. not pushing it, but I'm not going to sit here and just let let and not discuss it
because I think the city taxpayers are losing millions of dollars and the city's actually losing millions of dollars that we could use towards affordable housing. I mean, it's it's I mean, off the top of my head, it's like $6.5 million when you add everything up. And that doesn't even count all the
additional um pros of of of trying to get a uh a plan together over there. Otherwise, it's just going to sit there. So, I don't know. I don't I don't know what the answer is. I think I think someone's got to step up and um and look at the
hard numbers and and and come back and report this so we know what amount of money we're talking about that we're losing on a yearly basis. Someone's got to do that. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Callahan. Any other new
business from members council? Councilwoman Quitech, >> I would just like to um thank the Bethlehem Health Bureau for a great trunk or treat last night on Payroll Plaza. There were hundreds, more than a thousand little kids.
>> Uh the Moravian uh cheerleaders, the Lehigh uh women's basketball team. It was a great event. I'd never been to one of these before um in in my capacity as a board member uh for the library. um uh two other fellow board members and I um
staffed the table and gave away books and candy, mostly books um to all the kids and it was just an incredible night and um I know Mayor Reynolds, you were there with um Leo and he was having a hard time picking a book um but very
adorable. Uh and uh and just to remind folks what a what a treasure we have in the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Um, having the privilege to serve on the board now has really given me uh a window into the services and and uh how they serve every part of our community
and um and outlying areas as well. It's been a really educational um experience for me. Um and then um Mr. Evans, I recall the first couple of years, and I know this was still postco and everything, we had to move extra
money into overtime for the fire department, didn't we? >> Yes. Both police and fire. If overtime budget becomes something we need to look at, >> right, >> it moves inversely with a salaries line
that if you have overtime, it's because you have open seats. So you move it. >> So we have money in the salaries account that we move into the overtime and we plan to do that this year with both again both police and fire. It's something we've done through through time. We budget that at every seat is full. That's what we do for every
position throughout. That's standard policy. But when we when there are openings that does drive the overtime it typically will balance and we'll bring a memo to you. We did request a finance meeting for December 2nd. I I don't know if that's been confirmed or announced yet.
>> It has. Yeah. um for us for for an opportunity for us to present the budget f the not the budget but the audit which is near completion. It's almost signed off to have that completed. We'll do that December second as well as the public safety memos to square it all up for the year. >> Great. And um so do you anticipate it's
going to be about the same as it's been in the last few years or is it more or less? >> I think I think it's a little less than last year as we continue to work through Yeah, we'll have the numbers. >> Feels like it's coming later than it did the that time. There was one particular time when it was a big it was kind of a big
>> we usually wait towards we know what it is versus making transfer transfers. You know we we know what the number is now. We track by um each payday. We're looking at all the payrolls the accounts the overtimes and finding number one what that number might be. We call it like the burn rate like how what is the
average overtime or for each payroll? What's what we call the vacancy factor you know salary budget divided by 26 which is a number. or if it's less than that, we know it's creating savings in the salaries line. So, we'll run those calculations as late as we can with maybe one or two payrolls left. That's
why we wait till December because then we we have firm pretty firm numbers. We're near the end. >> That's the reason for that. Sure. >> And I I want to also thank uh you and your team and Mr. Al Call's team, uh, the public safety team, um, everybody who, uh, who has sat down with us and
run through the five-year capital, uh, program, and and and really, um, helped us understand how those numbers add up. It's a tremendous undertaking, and and, uh, I just want to reiterate my appreciation for that. And, Mr. Alol, I will be sending you an email. Another
constituent does does request a line, so I'll be in touch about that. I don't need to bring it up to you now, but um people are the word is getting out that you're responsive and uh and people are coming up to me and saying, you know, there's this street. So, um anyway, but I'll be in touch. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councilwoman. Chief Cot, can you come to the microphone, please? I just have a a question as you approach. I'll start by comment. So, it came up during public comment about a problematic establishment. Uh I know it was reported in local media. I know these come up from time to time. Can you
just briefly re-educate me about as it relates to nuisance bars, what the process is with the liquor control board or liquor control enforcement and the challenges that your department has and that we have as a city in terms of shutting down an establishment.
I know the state plays a role in them. And I mean, we've heard tonight and other nights about problematic places. There's been different ones over the years that come up. Can you just speak on what has to happen for there to be some kind of intervention like a liquor
license being um revoked or anything like that? >> Absolutely. So, we cannot revoke an establishment's liquor license. That has to come through the liquor control board and we are actively working with the liquor control board LCB in regard to
the 540 club. And there are two ways that an establishment can be designated as a nuisance bar. It can come through the liquor control board through that avenue or it can come through the district attorney's office. Um it it's
usually easier and more common if it comes through the liquor control board. Um but we this is something that we're actively working on with outside parties. It it can be very frustrating just because we're we're working with another agency that's on its own timeline and has its
own factf finding and and procedures in place uh to go about revoking that liquor license and to go about you know trying to work with ultimately their goal is to try to get compliance and try to get the establishment to start
following the rules and and to tighten tighten things up so there are no issues. So, we're we're currently working with the liquor control board to try to to make sure that establishment cleans up its act. >> If there's an incident outside of an
establishment, let's say that, you know, I run a bar and there's some kind of fight or vi violent event in the parking lot, but we know it originated inside. Is is the establishment dinged for that? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Absolutely.
>> And then can you speak to what the threshold is? Are there so many citations that a place has to receive? Is there a point system like you know uh you know heaven forbid something like a shooting elevates it to here right away
versus repeated noise violations or fights. Can can you just speak to sort of what what puts them at risk? >> It's all of the above. >> Okay. They will take anything from noise complaints to DUIs to um fights to these
aggravated assaults, you know, involving firearms to citizens calling to complain. That's another huge factor. When when individuals reach out to my office to complain about nuisance bars, potential nuisance bars, we always tell them, make sure you reach out to the L
control board and report that because you know the citizen weight behind those complaints is very very heavy and can help speed up the process. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Chief. I appreciate the the
background on that. Okay, >> Councilwoman. If I could just follow up on that, I every liquor license there's a regular renewal period, right? >> Which I believe is coming up in May. Okay. When last I spoke to the LCB agent that we've been dealing with, >> okay? Um because it seems like we've
been hearing about this for a while now. And I don't know, is it every two years? I mean, every how often is the the renewal? >> I believe it's every two years, but don't quote me. >> Good. Okay. Um yeah, it's it's really beyond time to do something. Um, and I
understand why they, you know, their their incentive is compliance because they don't want to pull liquor licenses because we make money off the taxes of, you know, um, I get that. Um, however, you know, public safety should always
still be paramount and, um, uh, so thank you for again, you know, continuing and I know that the the neighbors in the neighborhood know that that the city is trying, but I can understand their frustration, too. Absolutely. >> Any other new business from members of
council? So before we continue, we have to talk about rescheduling the Tuesday, November 4th, 2025 city council meeting. That's election day. City Hall will be closed. So to reschedule to Wednesday, November 5th, and I will accept a motion
and a second to reschedule our first meeting in November to Wednesday, November 5th with the 7 p.m. start time due to the general election. >> So moved. >> Second. Motion by Councilwoman Quiet, second by Councilwoman Leon. Any
discussion? >> Mr. Miller, please call the role. >> Miss Leon, >> I. >> Miss Wilhelm, >> I. >> Mr. Callahan, >> hi. >> Miss Crampy Smith. >> Hi. >> Missk. >> Hi. >> Miss Leairard. >> I. >> And Mr. Cologne. >> I passes 70. So, the first city council
meeting in November has been rescheduled to Wednesday, November 5th at 7 p.m. here in town hall. And that is custom that we do every year. Moving on to communications 6A >> an October 14th 2025 memorandum from
solicitor John Furke Jr. with an attached use permit agreement and resolution. Permitity is Arts Quest and the event is the 2025 Chriskindle market. Activities will be held Thursdays through Sundays November 14th through December 21st during the
following times. Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am until 8:00 pm and Thursdays and Sundays from 10:00 am until 6 pm. Premises will include First Street from Founders Way to the Eastern Terminus. >> And resolution 10A is on the agenda 6B.
>> An October 14th, 2025 memorandum from solicitor John F. Spark Jr. with an attached use permit and resolution. Permit is the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation by and through with Citizens Christmas City Committee and the subpermites are
Country Club Brewing LLC, Franklin Hill Vineyards Incorporated, and Social Still LLC. The event is the 2025 Christmas Trees Lighting Ceremony. Events will be held on November 28th from 4:30 to 700 p.m. Premises will be Payroll Plaza and
the southside lane of Church Street in front of City Hall and the library complex. And resolution 10B is also on the agenda tonight. 6C, >> an October 14th, 2025 memorandum from solicitor Johnsburg Jr. with an attached use permit agreement and resolution.
Permit is the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce by and through its downtown Bethlehem Association and the joining party is the redevelopment authority of the city of Bethlehem. The event is the 2025 Christmas city village. Activities will be held Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 8:00 pm and
Sundays from noon to 6 pm between November 14th and December 21st. >> Resolution 10C is on the agenda 6D. >> An October 14th, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from Steven Palone, superintendent of water supply and
treatment. Mr. Plone recommends an agreement with JCI Jones Chemicals Incorporated of Sarasota, Florida to provide chlorine cylinders to both the water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant for disinfection. Total cost for a year supply is $24,490.
Four annual renewals are offered at the same annual price, which would total $817,960 if all contract renewals would be exercised. Vendor was the low bidder. Resolution 10D. Also on the agenda tonight, 6E,
>> an October 14th, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from Superintendent of Water Supply and Treatment, Steven Palone. Mr. Palone recommends an agreement with Univar Solutions USA LLC of Morrisville, Pennsylvania to provide
sodium hydroxide to the water treatment plant. The cost for a one-year supply is $146,645. for annual renewals are offered at the same annual price which would total $586,580 if all contract renewals were exercised.
The vendor was the low bidder >> and that's resolution 10E tonight 6F >> an October 14th 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from Steven Palone superintendent of water supply and treatment. Mr. Dr. Palone recommends an agreement with Wind River Environmental
LLC doing business as Frank Environmental of Ivy Land, Pennsylvania to provide screening disposal service at the wastewater treatment plant. Cost for one year is $54,922.60 for annual renewals are offered at the same annual price, which would total
$219,690.40 if all contract renewals were to be exercised. vendor was the low bidder. >> Resolution 10F is on the agenda 6G. >> An October 13, 2025 memorandum exhibit and proposed ordinance from public works director Michael Alcohol. Mr. Alcohol
recommends this ordinance and its exhibit describing the legal cartway and right-of-way widths of all city streets affected by Lynen Street two-way conversion project and the Broad Street corridor improvement project. The descriptions are necessary to meet a Pendot requirement. And ordinance 9A is
on the agenda tonight. 6H. >> An October 7th, 2025 correspondence from Norris Mclofflin, PA, a law firm representing Cigar Page Bethlehem LLC, requesting approval for an intermunicipal transfer of Pennsylvania retail restaurant liquor license number
R61034. The applicant seeks appro approval of an intermunicipal transfer of license which was previously issued to Spring Mineral Restaurant and Bar LLC for licensed premises located at 702 through 706 Main
Street, Northampton Burough, Northampton County to the new licensed premises located at 1010 Harvard Avenue, Bethlehem, Northampton County. I'll accept a motion and a second to schedule public hearing on this proposed intermunicipal liquor license transfer
for Wednesday, November 5th, 2025 at 700 p.m. to start our next meeting. >> So second >> uh motion by Councilwoman Lair, second by Councilwoman Leon. Any discussion? Mr. Miller, call the role. >> Miss Leon, >> I. >> Miss Wilhelm,
>> I. >> Mr. Callahan, >> I miss Smith. >> Hi. >> Miss Quiet. >> Hi. Miss Leairard. >> Hi. >> And Mr. Cologne. >> I pass 70. So the public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5th, 2025 at 7 p.m. Then a corresponding
resolution will be placed on the November 5 council agenda the same evening. Moving on to reports, there two things. One, the committee of the whole met earlier tonight to discuss the administration's proposed 5-year capital capital improvement program for
years 2026 through 2030. The meeting was for information only. There were no actions or votes taken. The proposed 2026 non-utility capital plan that is incorporated in the 5-year capital improvement program will be reviewed by
council again during the upcoming budget meetings as part of the proposed 2026 non-utility capital budget. And then I just wanted to state I won't be at the next city council meeting. So, I thank our council vice president Leon in
advance for presiding over the first council meeting in November. That's all I had this evening. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Uh, just a couple quick things. One is I did want to provide an update as it related to um uh the unsheltered individuals that are
living on um in the area uh where Norfolk Southern has their property. Um you know we had received the notice uh letter now I guess about two months ago and as we had said at the time one of the things that we were going to do is going to continue all of our outreach as far as um our healthier was concerned
work with the other nonprofits be able to gather some information about what people's intentions are and things like that. Um and you know so we have gone out you know a couple different times to essentially um be able to take account of how many people are living in the area try to get some information from
them. many of them we have extensive information because we have ongoing case work with them. We have them connected with different people um you know in our nonprofit community. But just a couple numbers I wanted to share. Um in the middle of September uh uh September 16th is when I have the report from uh we had
a report of 75 people living um in the area. Um when our health bureau went out last week uh that number was reduced to 53. Um so that was a reduction of 22 individuals in the past month or so. Um 75 was uh you know honestly a bit higher
than it had been previously. We think it may be a little bit connected to what was going on in Allentown at the time. Um as far as people going to a a place and I'm certainly not going to go through and connect everyone's individual story. Um but we have and by we I don't necessarily just mean like
our administration but working with the nonprofits, working with Lehigh Valley uh regional housing advisory board. Um, you know, some of these individuals have been able to get long-term housing. Um, which is which is a real positive. Um, not everybody has. Other people have
left. You don't necessarily know where they are. Um, and but as far as like some of those individuals have been very interested, have worked with nonprofits to be able to help establish some permanent housing. Now obviously permanent is a difficult word um but
it's the intent of long-term long-term living and things like that. Um in the middle of September um we had tried to gather some information from the individuals. One of the questions we had was like what is your interest or your intent more like was the word we used to go to bees when the emergency shelter
opened. um and 55 of the 72 individuals um said that they were interested um which we view as a large largely a positive number. Now whether or not some of that 55 also is the people in permanent housing like we don't have that level of data. Um but just that's a
a number that we were we were comfortable with. Um the number that's a little bit more tricky to think about moving forward is that a third of the people almost 23 out of the 73 said that they had no interest in housing assistance. That they weren't looking to
be a part of a program. They didn't want necessary, you know, housing assistance from anybody that we were able to look to offer it to. Um and I say that not to say that we're not going to keep trying. Like as we have said, our health bureau and our nonprofits and everybody within
Miss Col's department will continue to work with people a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, um whenever it is. It is just that there are there are some unique challenges with some individuals and that number is not going to go 53 for 53 as far as permanent housing is concerned. Um but
we are spending a lot of time. We have staff members that go down into the areas multiple times a week between the health bureau and the police department and our connections with the nonprofit community. It as it is as specific as this person, you know, Jane or Joe like,
oh, that's the person that's got the strong connection with New Bethany or that's the person that has the strong connection with Lehigh Conference of Churches. So, like that's the level that we're going on. Now, things obviously could change in the next two months. Um, but that's where we are and we, as with most stories, and I'm just being completely honest, it's like there are some success stories and then there are
other people that are a little bit um reticent to look for any help or um at least from that is being offered. As I said, it doesn't mean we're not going to we're not going to stop, but I just wanted to we don't have we haven't necessarily presented a lot of data um as far as this is concerned. So, I do
really want to just say thank you to the health bureau um uh and the police who have very much worked together in being able to gather this very very important information and this very important data. So, as we get as you know two months from now is when Norfolk Southern
um had posted. So, as we get more information, I will certainly provide it. But I just wanted to kind of give you an update as far as where we are here right in the middle. Um you know, if you do have individual stories about individual people, I would just ask you please to talk to us offline. um just because we don't want to put people's
information out there. Um but we are more than willing to talk about any any any individual person if there's somebody that you know that is um living in the area. Um just a couple other things before we move on here. Um one is I do want to give Chief Cot and her
staff credit on the 540 club. They have been working a lot and they are frustrated to be able to go through this process, but that is something that they've been as responsive as they humanly can be. Chief Cot, Captain Lechman, um with both people that live in the immediate area, but also doing all of those things that they need to do
as far as the liquor control board. Um just a couple other quick things. One is uh Halloween parades on Sunday at 2 p.m. Hope to see everybody there. Uh we're also at that time where we have a lot of our um annual meetings that are coming up or kind of like annual, um updates. I know we're pulled in every direction
every night of the week. Um but if you're able to attend, North Side Alive is doing theirs uh their annual meeting on Thursday. um uh November 6th from 6:00 to 8 um at the YMCA. I think that's where it is. Correct, Miss Collins? It's at It's at the YMCA. Um so, a lot of
good news there. Um Friendship Park's almost done. Um and then also if you uh the next week on Thursday from 5 to 7 over at the Fowler Center, Southside tomorrow has their annual meeting uh which we will be at as well. and they have a lot of good news as well about
their um uh uh their neighborhood investment and all the wonderful things that Anna and everybody's doing over there. Um and just one one thing to kind of end on here um is just you know we talk a lot about you know housing struggles and I'll say something about the tax credits that Mr. Carolina
referenced before in a minute, but um that tenant advocate that we had helped to fund through um Southside tomorrow uh and I think we've shared this number with some some of the people, but um 70% of the you know potential evictions have been able to be prevented by that
individual who is working with people and the work there is truly impressive because it's not just how do we stop this motion in front of the court on November 1st, but it's it's a lot of case management. about, you know, is, you know, how do we help that stability?
And once again, city council helped to fund that. We had helped to fund it. We provide some staff support to Southside Tomorrow for different things, but Miss Smith and all of the people there at CADCB are really doing a lot of work. And like I said, we're not going to brag
about individual people's stories that they're not being evicted. Like that's not what we're trying to do here. But we are trying to talk about programs that work. Um, and that is one that we were able to fund this tenant advocate. And I think it's safe to say that the program, partly because the dynamic nature of the
individual and of the trust that they've been able to build, has been very very successful in keeping people in their homes. Um, and just to to finish then on the other good news, as Mr. Callian talked about last week, we did um once a year PHFA, which is the Pennsylvania
Housing Finance Agency, um, uh, gives out these uh, tax credits for projects. There were only two in Lehigh Valley. Um, and with the support of the city staff between Mulo and Miss Collins and everybody in their department, uh, LVIP Penrose, our state delegation,
Representative Samson and Senator Boscola, um, we had a fullcourt press about this, uh, the importance of this project, um, as far as what it meant for our community and what it meant as far as the type of project that we could get behind. Um and then they were able to
award it and it's going to mean approximately $60 million in tax credits. Um and in this round there were only 41 uh projects across the state of Pennsylvania and that includes Philadelphia and that includes Pittsburgh. Um so there were only two in Lehigh Valley. Um and I and I think this was the only one in Northampton County.
Um yeah and our first since 2013. Um, so we would all like those projects to be quicker, but that is a big big deal because it allows us to stay on our timeline as far as um being able to start construction. I believe it's next year with the idea that people would be
able to hopefully move in um in about two years I believe it is um which is what has been what we have been saying from the beginning. But this was a big this was a big big deal for us and our ability to be able to complete projects like that just further like is able to
um create the confidence in both the federal government, the state government and locally. And like I said, it was a real team effort um as far as people crossing all the all the tees, dotting all the eyes. Um and then having, you know, our fellow elected officials, the school district, everybody else get
behind it as well um with the kind of fullcourt press about the advantage uh and the value of this program. Um, but one of the things that was quoted in our application a lot was opening doors and the work that we did as a community to be able to create this. And that was
communitydriven. That was a process that city council largely supported. And it is something that led us to be able to get this $60 million tax credit to be able to build these units. And I just want to thank all of you for that process because while we're doing this
and I think we're down to four or five citizens here like sometimes like the work that makes these things happen doesn't necessarily always get attention to it. But this was a real group effort from dozens and dozens of people and now people are going to be helped at the end of the day which is always what should
be the goal for everybody. I'm not saying that it is but it should be the goal to help people. So I just want to thank you for that and that's my report. Thank you Mr. Cohen. >> Thank you Mayor Reynolds. Moving on. We don't have any ordinances for final passage this evening. So new ordinances Mr. Miller 9A
>> ordinance of the city of Bethlehem counties of Lehi and Northampton Commonwealth of Pennsylvania listing carway and right ofway wids for certain city streets. Bill number 44 2025 is sponsored by Miss Wilhelm and Miss Leyon.
>> Discussion on the ordinance. >> We'll call the role. >> Miss Leyon >> I. >> Miss Wilhelm. >> I. >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi. Mr. Prampy Smith >> I >> Miss Quiet I >> Miss Leard >> I >> and Mr. Cologne >> I pass 70. Moving on to resolutions.
I'll accept a motion as second to group 10 A through 10 C together. Those are the three use permit agreements. >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion by Councilwoman Leair. Second by Councilwoman Wilhelm. Any discussion on the motion to group them? >> Mr. Miller, please call the RO on the
motion. >> Miss Leon, >> I. >> Miss Wilhelm, >> I. >> Mr. Callahan, >> I. Miss Grahamy Smith >> I. >> Miss Quuitech >> I. >> Miss Leairard >> I. >> And Mr. Cologne. >> I pass 70. Please read resolutions 10A through 10 C. >> Resolution 10A. Be it resolved by the
council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller andor such other city officials is deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with Arts Quest for the 2025 Priskindle market event. Resolution 10B. Be it resolved by the
council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller and/or such other city officials as deemed appropriate by the city solicitor were hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the 2025 Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
In resolution 10 C, be it resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller and/or such other city officials is deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce for the 2025 Christmas city village. These
resolutions are sponsored by Miss Wilhelm and Miss Leon. >> Any discussion on the use permit agreements? >> Call the role. >> Miss Leon, >> I. >> Miss Wilhelm, >> I. >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi. >> Miss Crampy Smith. >> Hi. >> Miss Quiet. >> Hi. Miss Leairard >> I >> and Mr. Colum
>> I pass 70 10D >> it resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller andor such other city officials as deemed appropriate by the city solicitor. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Wilhelm and Miss Leon. >> Discussion call the role. >> Miss Leon
>> I. >> Miss Wilhelm >> I. >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi. >> Miss Grampy Smith. >> Hi. >> Miss Quac. >> Hi. >> Miss Leard. >> Hi. >> And Mr. Cologne. >> I pass 70E. It resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller and/or such other city officials as deemed appropriate by the
city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with Univar Solutions USA LLC to provide sodium hydroxide to the water to the water treatment plant. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Wilhelm and Miss Leyon. >> Discussion. >> Call the role. >> Miss Leon.
>> I. >> Miss Wilhelm. >> I. >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi. >> Miss Crampy Smith. >> Hi. >> Miss Quiet. >> Hi. >> Miss Leairard. >> Hi. And Mr. Cologne, >> I pass 70F. >> It resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller and/or such other city
officials is deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with Wind River Environmental LLC doing business as Frank Environmental to provide screening disposal services at the wastewater treatment plant. Resolution is sponsored
by Miss Wilhelm and Miss Leon. >> Discussion. >> Call the RO. >> Miss Leon. >> I. Miss Wilhelm. >> Hi. >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi. >> Miss Grampy Smith. >> Hi. >> Miss Quiet. >> Hi. >> Miss Leairard. >> Hi. >> And Mr. Cologne. >> I pass 70. I'll accept a motion as
second to consider 10G through 10M as a group for the certificates of appropriateness. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion by Councilwoman Wilhelm. Second by Councilwoman Leon. Any discussion? >> Call the RO. Mr. Miller. >> Miss. Leon. >> I.
>> Miss Wilhelm. >> I. >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi. Miss Crampy Smith >> I. >> Miss Quiet. >> I >> Miss Leairard >> I. >> Mr. Cologne. >> Motion passes 70. Please read G through M. >> Certificates of appropriateness under the provisions of the act of the Pennsylvania legislature Bethlehem
resolution are hereby granted for 10G. 46 East Wall Street to replace an existing picket fence, install a wood arbor, and replant existing landscape beds. 10H. The Bethlehem Historic District Plaque Program to relaunch the plaque program with a newly designed
brass plaque. 10 I 108 through 110 Wesley Street to remove an existing stair and construct a porch stoop, a sidewalk from the porch to the southwest facing yard and a sidewalk to the north facing yard. 10J for 239 East Wall
Street to replace existing roof shingles with GAF Lifetime Timberline HDZ shingles in Peter Gay color. 10K 438 Center Street to paint trim around the front door and install a classic antique style gas lantern on the front of the
house to the left of the entrance way and front door. 10L 450 Main Street to install 40in x 31 12 in MDO sign panel for lovely by brianna and 10m 36 East
Wall Street to install a 12in x 14in bronze plaque on the front facade to commemorate Joseph Hger and his contributions to the city of Bethlehem. These resolutions are sponsored by Miss Wilhelm and Miss Lem. >> Any discussion on the group?
>> Call the role. Miss Lem, >> I >> Miss Wilhelm. >> Hi, >> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi, >> Mr. Ramsey Smith. >> Hi, >> Miss Quietch. >> Hi, >> Miss Leard. >> I >> And Mr. Cologne, >> I pass 70. That concludes tonight's agenda. Get home safe, everyone. Stay
hydrated. The commentary.