Council - Regular Meeting

this meeting. So we will all rise for the pledge to the flagg to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

We're going to start with citations. I'm going to turn to the administration for a citation for roll call. Thanks, Mike. Uh, the clerk will call the role. Mr. Raymond, present. Mr. Callahan, present. Mr. Cologne, present. Miss Daniels, present. Miss Quiet, present. Miss Leairard, present. And Miss Leon, presente. Uh, turning to the administration for a citation honoring Lin Rothman.

Uh, yes. Uh, we have a citation here honoring the retirement of Lyn Rothman. Before I read from it, I just want to say um I think I like a lot of people in this room have had the honor of knowing Lynn for a long time. And Lynn has been uh with us not just from the beginning of the climate action plan, but in all the years leading up to um when we had the conversations at EAC meetings and uh personally about what the value of a climate action plan would be, the focus on sustainability, uh the idea that focusing on a sustainability manager in the city in city hall was a good idea. And I I would I'm going to read this um from about Lynn, but I just want to say is like Lynn truly represented this idea that she was a part of something and she still is a part of something that was bigger than her individually. She did not come to any meeting looking for credit. She didn't come to meeting because she wanted to be about herself. She really wanted to do this thing for the community. And it is um it has been an honor to work with her. Um and I will read from uh this uh citation here. Uh for more than a decade, Lynn Rothman has exemplified dedicated public service and principal environmental leadership through her work on the Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council. Uh first appointed in 2014 and serving as chair since 2016, M. Rothman has guided the council with clarity, professionalism, and a collaborative spirit that has both strengthened its effectiveness and its relationship with city council, city staff, and the broader community. An environmental scientist and former former EPA professional, M. Rothman brought deep technical expertise and a balanced perspective to her leadership. One that respects environmental protection while thoughtfully considering development and property rights. As chair, she led efficient, wellorganized meetings. It's not always easy. Fostered respectful, consensus driven dialogue and presented recommendations in a clear, constructive, and non-confrontational manner. Her leadership style emphasized preparation, documentation, and mutual

understanding, earning trust across departments and governing bodies. Miss Rothman played a pivotal role in advancing Bethlehem sustainability goals, most notably by spearheading the research, documentation, and drafting of amendments to the city's solar ordinances. These reforms enacted in 2022 remove barriers to solar adoption by allowing solar installations as permitted by right use in most zoning districts and introducing greater design flexibility, significantly advancing the city's commitment to clean energy. She also led environmental reviews of development proposals and authored formal EAC correspondents advocating for more sustainable building practices as a city standard. Throughout her tenure, Miss Rothman has been instrumental in shaping and updating Bethleam's climate action plan, promoting sustainable land use policies, engaging the public on environmental issues, and ensuring continuity through thoughtful leadership transition planning. Her service reflects an unwavering commitment to the long-term environmental health and resilience of the city of Bethlehem and her legacy will continue to inform the city's sustainability efforts for years to come. And I would just finish by once again saying is like she truly was a model for being involved in the community in a positive facing way. She didn't come out because she was angry about something in her neighborhood. She didn't come out because she thought that there was something that was going to be in for her. She came out understanding that you need people to work as a team to move things forward. Um, and we all have a lot to learn from Lynn. I told her this the other day throughout America. This idea that when you sign up to be about something, when you go to a meeting, it's about the grind of progress and not about looking for credit for yourself. And, you know, we've said it many times, there's a difference between helping people and feeling like you're helping people. And Lynn was about helping Bethlehem. And u, you know, we're honored um to to have worked with her. Um, and we wish her nothing but but the best moving forward, but as Lynn says, she's still going to be involved in true Lynn fashion. Um, so just on behalf of uh the administration and the city, we want to say thank you

to Lynn Rothman.

Thank you. And I I know Lynn is watching tonight and also I would like to express council's deep appreciation for all the work that she has done as well. She truly is a a stellar member of the community. Um, we also have a citation for Charles Script, who is uh not here with us, but we will make sure that we mail it out to him. And we're thanking him for 30 years of service with our wastewater treatment plant. So, thank you to Charles Script for all of your work with the city. Moving on to the approval of the minutes. Any comments on the minutes or anything? Okay, the minutes stand approved. Moving on to public comment. First, we'll have public comment on subjects not being voted on this evening with a 5m minute time limit. Uh, first I have signed up is Keith Dao. Keith, it's actually the second.

Good evening everyone. Good evening everyone. Uh my name is Keith Dao. I live live at 350 West Lehigh Street and I work at Lehigh University. A little over a month ago, I emailed many of you about an issue that I'm passionate about. And based on your feedback, it seems like a lot of you are as well. And it's not so important that I'm just passionate about it, but everyone I've spoken to cares the same way. and that is the lighting over at the steel stacks or to be more specific the broken lighting over at the steel stack site. So, I'll just read for you the message that I had sent to get into the record and then hopefully rally some support to have something done about it in the future. Dear mayor and members of the council, either by carrot or by stick, can you please encourage Wind Creek to restore the lighting of the steel stacks at the Betham Steel site? The stacks on their own represent the rich industrial history and cultural history of Bethlehem's past. The lighting of the stacks represents our present celebration of that heritage, our commitment to transformation, and the artistic marvels that are Arts Quest, Musicfest, Chris Kindle Mart, and more. Please continue this celebration for years to come by having Wind Creek make good on their obligations to this community. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. D. Second signed up. I have Mark Wber. Uh, thanks Mark Will Weber, 66 West Elizabeth Avenue. Um, here to talk about water apps. Some I know you're surprised by that. Uh I just want to keep um the issue visible until you know we the haze in the barn. Uh

recently communications with uh councilwoman uh Leair uh leaves leads me to indicate that she put language in the bill that was passed that it seems to be that uh we'll have downloadable water apps. Am I interpreting that correctly at some point or that's the goal? Uh and I hope that's the case. Um uh that would be fantastic. It's it's uh it's long overdue and I hope it it does happen. Uh for from my perspective, I'm still in kind of Ronald Reagan mode like with the Russians. Let's trust but verify. And um this is weird for me, but I actually trust council because I've seen council ask the the right questions that needed to be asked. Um and and they deserve a lot of credit for that. Um but uh I still am leerary of it because we don't have a timeline which had this uh these water apps been part of the project from the beginning with the smart meters like they are in thousands of other places. It's not like an afterthought that gets interjected halfway through the project. They're a cornerstone of the project to begin and and that's probably why there isn't a timeline and then it feels like things are going to be done on the fly. Uh sometimes you got to play the hand that you're dealt and if the end result is we have a downloadable water app uh that benefits the people of the city with early leak detection and the ability to save water which is going to be good for the city. Um then then I'm all for that. So hopefully that's in fact what happens. Um, but I'm I'm leerary because he could get up here 6 months from now and go, "Well, you know, we got this glitch, we got that glitch, and uh it may not happen this year. It might be next year." And the whole time that that happens, people are vulnerable,

especially um the people that are already challenged e economically in this city. When I got jacked up for 600 bucks, I had it. Uh, and one of the awful days was calling into that office and hearing this voice on the other side, would you like us to put you on our payment plan? And I and it that really hit me hard. I thought, I wonder what that's like when you have to call in admit to these people that you don't have four or 500 bucks to pay your water bill and you have to go on their uh Mr. Boscola's payment plan for two or three years. So, um, that's a great thing that the app will do. It's going to keep people off payment plans. Okay. and we should all be on board with that. And so hopefully that happens. Uh, as I said, the financial benefits to the consumer citizen are going to be great. They're going to they're going to detect leaks early. uh studies from Riverside, California. They they studied uh three and a half thousand people that had these apps and they saved 6% water from the people that didn't have the apps. So, you're going to see a savings of at least 6% big users probably closer to 12%. That's not good for his cell line, but uh I I don't care about that. It's about time that the people got protected uh from these getting ambushed by a big quarterly bill. And uh you know, if we're going to talk about sustainability, let's start with uh I think clean access to clean affordable water should be part of that, right? Affordable being the the important thing. Affordability and sustainability, they may not be the same thing, but they're kissing cousins in my book. So, we should the mayor should be on board with this, too. Uh, as I said, there are mayors around that that really push this project. I

mentioned uh Toby Barker from Hadesburg, Mississippi. I mentioned um Sean McCascal from South Lake, Texas. Uh Cherry Wood from South Salt Lake City, Utah, first female mayor of that place. Big proponent of the apps, is often on her Facebook page saying to her fellow citizens, please load download these apps. I'd like to have a mayor that does that, too. Uh, so let's do it. Uh, thanks very much. I'll I'll uh fold my tents when I'm sitting in an airport somewhere going to fly to see my uh 2-year-old grandson and I have Aqua Hawk on my phone and know that I'm not getting stabbed in the back while I'm on vacation. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Wber. That exhaust list of people signed up to vote or signed up to comment. So going to open the floor for anyone to comment on things not being voted on this evening. Is anyone in the center? Mr. Sh back from Wisconsin. Um I was going to talk about the post office tonight and how they treated me while I was gone, but there's so much negativity these days. I decided I want to say something positive to start off the new year and that's snow removal. I want to compliment the city for my positive experience. I live as you know on Eaton Avenue and it's an unnumbered state route. I understand. I don't know if that makes a difference or not, but because Homestead Avenue behind me is purely a residential side street, and that seemed to be doing better, too. Uh, in days gone by, the snow plow would come along, push snow up against the side of my car, push snow in the back of my car, and push snow in front of the car. And I would be tasked then with not only cleaning off the car, but the side of the car as well and digging out the front of the car so I could get out. And then when I would come home, I would parallel park. I don't have to do that anymore. There's no snow against the side of the car. There's no snow additional snow behind the car and no additional snow in front of the car. All I have to do is clean off the car and drive away. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

Thank you, Mr. Shy. Anyone else in the center wants to speak on things? Uh, I I saw Mr. O'Hare first. Hello everyone. Good evening. Congratulations to all those on council. Um the new council people as well. And I just wanted to talk tonight a little bit about the Bethlehem Co-op. Still not open after five years. In November of 2019, the city council uh voted to award $105,000 to the Bethlehem Co-op. In July of 2021, the co-op was awarded $2.9 million in a federal grant that was administered as a pass through by the city. In September of 2022, another $100,000 was awarded by to the co-op as a state grant. All of this is public money, taxpayer money, and the co-op is still not open. It was supposed to open originally in 2022. And now they report that they're in significant debt. And the latest uh I read was that uh they're not going to declare an opening date as if that's a good thing. They're not going to guarantee that at all. So uh the co-op in 2026 is still not open. They re recently pledged not to have an opening date. Uh none of this would really matter to me because I don't really shop at a co-op. I shop at a regular grocery store, but this is all public money. It's all taxpayer money that was used to help support this organization. It's six years late. There's no there's no projected date of it opening. And uh

I think city council has an obligation to at least start the process of finding out what's going on. I I'm sure that they're all good people. They're trying to do the right thing. They're trying to get this thing going, but they need some help. I think they need I think the city maybe has some expertise that that they could loan to the co-op to find out. I I'm reading about the refrigeration. They can't get that hooked up for some reason. I'm sure there is lots of expertise in the city that may be able to lend some ideas to the co-op to help them. Or if that's not possible, is it is it an idea that should be just dismissed and maybe use that space for another purpose? It's cold out. It'd be great to have a warming shelter in the city for the homeless to go to. Right now, they have to go to the Bethlehem Public Library to to warm up. And I was there today and that's not always an easy task for the people in the library. So, maybe there's another per another purpose for that for that space. Beautiful space that's not being used. And um thanks for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Roer. Anyone else in the center that would like to make Mr. Antalics Stephen Antalics 77 Ridge since my comments at the last meeting were recently supported by a strong letter to the editor which appeared in two local papers. Also, since the last meeting, I received new information which I will share with you. I was told a fireman upon completing a 15-our shift was called out to assist on a fire in a third street apartment. He then was required to stay on duty to complete a second 15-hour shift. Could this fireman's ability to be impaired by lack of arrest and thereby resulting in a serious incident? Because of fireman staff reductions by the last administration and contained by the president. A supervising officer of the of the force while on on duty is required to be in two places at the same time. If an incident occurs at both places at the at the same time, could this officer's absence at one of these sites result in an incident because of lack of supervision? And here's what's got concerned me. Could these incidents possibly result in the loss of life? And could a city be re liable through staff negligence for these losses for not meeting established guidelines for fire department minimum staffing.

The president of council has recently stated her selecting the late Miss Casy as a role model. Those who knew Miss Casy would agree that Miss Casky would be a a heartbeat would in a heartbeat put public welfare and safety well above revenue. Council President has recently voted against the replacement of the four dismissed firemen, but voted for to approve a budget which would permit the Department of Community Economic Development to permit the economic development to hire two code enforcement officers to its roles, which would increase revenue. clear votes that this president placed revenue over public welfare. Might the president now emulate the late Miss Casy by presenting a motion to replace the fireman and hold funds that would compensate the code enforcement officers? If the president fails to make this motion, this might be a golden opportunity for one of the two newly elected council members to do just that and demonstrate to the voting public that they made the wise choice by having elected them to office. Remember, as a council member, you do not belong to a select club with its own agenda. Remember you are not an extension of the administration. Remember you ask us to select you as our public servant. Repeat servant and not master. What a time to shine and assure your

independence. Uh in a public meeting, proper decorum for the public to hear is for people who use the microphone to be heard to have the microphone at a minimum of 3 in from from their vocal source. That way we all can hear what they have to say. And um it is a public meeting which implies that everything should be heard by those who are responsible to the public to let us know what's going on with the city. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Analex. Anyone else in the center want to make public comment on things not being voted on this evening? Turning to the right. Moving on to public comment on ordinances and resolutions to be voted on this evening. I don't have anyone signed up, so I'm going to turn to the center. Does anyone want to make public comment on things that are being voted on this evening? Anyone to the right? That concludes public comment. Moving on to old business. Do any council members have old business that they would like to address? Okay, moving on to new business. Before I open it up to council, um the committee of the whole will meet on Tuesday, February 24th for ethics training provided by the state ethics commission. This training session will be open to the public and will meet city article 104. The meeting will be forformational purposes only and no actions will be taken. So again, that's February 24th. Do any council members have any new business that they would like to address? Councilman Callahan.

Thank you. Um, Chief, can you you got a minute? Yeah.

During during the during the budget hearings, we I guess we're talking about possibility of of um um charging Lehi students M. Raven students in the city uh like a $50 set fee, you know, for um services rendered, you know, from the city. So, I I had some firemen that that that I was talking to and apparently I don't know if this is true, so if it isn't, I apologize, but can you start giving us like a monthly uh list of the calls, you know, just the number of calls that are going to Lehi and Moravian on a you know, monthly basis. Is that possible without doing a lot of work? We can certainly try to do that. Unfortunately, a lot of the addresses associated with both universities aren't necessarily on university property. So there would it wouldn't be an exact science, but we can work on getting you some of those numbers. Yes.

Yeah. Because I mean they're they're they're telling me what they're telling me. They're there every single day. sometimes two to three times a day and and you know smoke alarms you know a variety of things you know but so I I would just appreciate if we got some some real data on it on how many calls uh on a monthly basis are going how how many times we're being called up to Lehi or to Lehigh students you even if they're off campus um off campus is going to be slightly more difficult to calculate and get those numbers for you because we don't keep track or or know who the tenants are in rental properties based on the physical address in the city. That That's going to be a little difficult. But

I thought we track that though through uh community economic development. We track uh regulated rentals. Yeah.

But there's no guarantee that that's one for one as far as necessarily a regulated rental being associated with just Lehi. I mean, if you had a property and you were renting to more than three unrelated people and that becomes a regulated rental, it's not like a regulated rental. It's not like every regulated rental is a Lehigh University related off-campus housing. There's obviously some overlap there. Um, but it's uh I mean like we could we could look into it as far as trying to determine what it is, but we can't just look at like where they're regulated rental properties because you have raving kids, you got the sales kids, and you just have people that are just living there that are 25 or 30 years old or older. I think I I think the ones I'm talking about are the ones that, you know, they're they're very identifiable with the with the signs out front. You know what I mean? You know, with you know, with the student housing,

the they're owned by Amicus, but not all of those properties are rented just to Lehigh students. They've been branded with those terrible signs where it's like, you know, Myrtle Beach and like, you know, Cancun and whatever the heck they say in them, but they're not all they're not all Lehi students. So, I mean, it is one place that we could take a look at. Um, but it's not, once again, I'm just being honest. It's not as easy as just going and counting there like 400 properties. Yeah. Because they've rent they've started to rent some of them to people that are not students as well. I mean, if if it's I mean, at the bare minimum, the number of times that we're being called up to campus, you know, the you know, to the dorms and a variety of things.

Absolutely. That information is easily attainable. We can run reports to get you that information. uh when we step off the footprint of the campuses, it gets a little more difficult. Yeah. But campus-wise, I can get you that information. Yes.

Yeah. And and if there's any way that we can identify um the the ones that are off campus, which are Lehigh kids, because I mean my my main goal here is I'm starting to do I just want to do a little bit of research. I want to find out uh the legality of it and but I I want to get the number of calls of because if their if their students are using our our city services on a a daily basis which I'm being told they are sometimes two to three time and that's what I was told by firemen not one but several firemen that they're up there on a regular basis every single day and sometimes two to three times a day and that kind of shocked me. So, I just think if they're if they're using their services, they and and again, I don't I don't know if there's another if there's another way that we can also and maybe this is from the mayor's office, find out um what what is Lehi providing to the city in in in lie of fees, you know, so we can we can definitely put together a list of kind of what they've contributed to Southside Arts District Ambassadors and things like that. I would say just on one more point about the properties is like the idea of a payment in lie of or the idea that like they're not paying property taxes as you know it would extend then to other nonprofits as well because under the same idea the same legal concept and I'm not not a lawyer but I I've had enough conversations about this topic over the past 19 years is this idea that like it would also the same concept as far as like Lehi not paying property taxes, which is the main source of what pays our firefighters. It would extend to the school district. It would extend to Moravian. It would extend to NCC. It would extend any nonprofit that doesn't pay property taxes. And the people that are living in the off-campus housing, those properties are on the tax roles. So, those property owners are paying taxes. So, like if you're renting to five Lehigh students and if there weren't five Lehigh

students living there and there was just a family living there, you still would have the property owner still would be paying property taxes that goes to pay for it. So, I do think the framing and like I said, we certainly can put together kind of a kind of an explanation of what, you know, Lehi has helped to contribute, but I I do think as far as the framing of the conversation, like from a legal point of view, it comes down to like nonprofits that aren't paying property taxes rather than people that are living somewhere in the city that might be associated with a nonprofit. I got So, but we can we can, like I said, we can put together what information we have,

right? And then the other concern was too is that uh St. Luke's in Fountain Hill, we're going up there police and fire sometimes. No sir, that hasn't been happening for a quite a number of years. What for fire? For fire. Fire does not respond to St. Luke's. I can't speak on behalf of police, but

the police does from what I heard. So, and that's those are not I don't know why we would be going up there. Uh that's in it's in Fountain Hill. So, the Fountain Hill Police, I mean, if we're going up there that we should be getting some type of um um a call log every time that we're being called to outside the city because it is outside the city limits and someone has to pay for that. I mean, I I don't know why we're going up there anyways. It's it's in Fountain Hill. Fountain Hill Police Department should be if they can't handle it and they need us to go up there, then there should be some type of fee. I mean, I I I want people that are using our services outside of our taxpayers. If you're paying tax in the city and you're using it, I have no problem with that's that's what you're taxpaying. But if you're if you're outside of the city limits uh or uh a nonprofit and you're using on a regular basis our city services and and paying zero, that that's got to be researched and looked in. And the other thing that we were talking about during the budget season is that in Oklahoma they started charging the insurance companies of cars that were in accidents that needed fire and police services. They started and and it went through the legal process and it and I guess I don't know if it went to the Supreme Court, but it went to the state supreme court. And I and it's something that I would like to look into. If you're in an accident in the city of Betham and you are a city resident, you you shouldn't have to pay. But if you're outside the city and police or fire are being responded to an accident that you were at fault for, then uh in Oklahoma, and I'll get you the information for it, but they they were charging the insurance company for the call. So, all I'm trying to do is I'm trying to generate money

for the four firemen hopefully, right, and next year's budget. And I want to start now. I don't want to wait till the end of the year. I want to start generating the money now or trying to come up with a way to generate the money to $500,000 for four more firemen. That's what that's my goal. And I want it I I don't want the people that are already paying tax in the city paying for it because they're already paying their taxes. I want the people that are using the services and aren't paying anything that are that are in the city of Betham. And I'll get I'll send you the information. I'll I'll send it to Tad and I'll Tad send it to you. But there's um um a law now in Oklahoma where they're they are now charging people uh that live outside of the of their limits and their tax base that are need you know if you get in an accident and it's your fault and you need fire police to respond. You got to be paying for that

and that's my goal. So if you can just start getting us as much information once a month I will work on starting to get some of that data together. Yes sir. Thank you.

And Mr. Kelly, just add to that if you remember like uh we pay that LST, the local services tax at $52. So for those people that work in the city like you that lives in the city and works in the city, you pay your $52 and I think city gets 47 and I believe $5 goes to the school district. Is that correct? And you probably remember it was about 20 years ago. I think it was about 2005 when that was that used to be $10 and that was raised to $52. So theoretically, people that work at some of the nonprofits, so if you work at le work at Moravian, work at any nonprofit, but you're in the city, and I think the exemption is like 10 or 12,000, like you pay that $52, which is why it's called the local services tax. Now, where am I going with this is that there's a movement in Harrisburg, not just because of Bethlehem, but because of other cities as well, to raise that $52. And I have Mr. Evans looking it up and I think we get somewhere in the two two 1.9. So we got $ 1.9 million in that and you've heard me talk before about how like we're limited by earned income tax because we're in a better financial position so we're not able to raise it like other places are. Um, so but like there's a movement in Harrisburg and now just last week um I took over as the president of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and one of the priorities of the Pennsylvania Municipal League is allowing Harrisburg to authorize cities to be able to go above $52 because it hasn't been changed in 20 years. and other municipalities have a similar problem where essentially you have there's other you know Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Scranton, they have huge parts of their city where they have nonprofits. So one way to be able to capture revenue from that is without getting in the way of their kind of like federal tax status is the idea to be able to raise that local services tax. So then our money would go up as well. But I mean if you adjust for inflation whatever it is and so on and so forth. So, one of the things that we are pushing this year, and I mean they shouldn't look at it this way, but people look at even allowing cities the authorization to be able to go above $52

as they're going to get hit with some level of like I'm raising taxes or not. Um, but the point though that that's a number by which people that work in the city that don't necessarily um they're not paying property taxes, their earned income tax is going back to whatever their home municipality is. It's really a potential source. And there's different talks that could give cities the authorization to be able to raise that to $80 or $90 or $100 or phase it in or whatever that might be. But even going from $52 to like $75, which would work out to, you know, 50 cents a week or something would give us another like, you know, million dollars. So, it's one of the priorities that we're going to work on to be able to allow us this opportunity to capture some of these people. So, we'll see what happens. But, I just wanted to put that out there. And at some point I may ask I may ask us to weigh in with our own local elected officials to be able to give because like I said the state hasn't done that in in 20 years and we only have so many as we've talked about before revenue options.

Yeah. I I appreciate the information but I'm just trying to get get the ball rolling in in in trying to find out where we can come up with the additional money for people that are using the services who aren't paying anything for. That's all I want to do. So if you can get us like maybe once a month whatever you can get us and Mr. around if you could check and and and and maybe find out um no rush um what what services Lehi is providing to the city uh in you know in le of fees. Yeah, I I I will, like I said, I think it's I think it's obviously Lehi is the biggest one, but I think to be fair, we should be looking at some type of standard of nonprofits above a certain amount because like I said, it's not it's not different than the school district owns a lot of property or other people that are nonprofits as well. So, we'll think about that part and we'll get back to you. Um, but we will try to put together um, and try to ask for it as well because I'm just making this part up a little bit, but like there's things that we don't know that people are investing into the community that are also kind of indirect benefits that then save us necessary money and things like that. So, it might take a little while, but we can try to put together something.

I appreciate it. Yep. Uh, Chief, thank you. And and the last thing, Mr. Can you just check with um Wind Creek and find out what's the gentleman that was bringing up the lighting? Yeah, because I'm that lighting has been out since uh I think musicfest. Yeah.

Earlier and and I we can and we're having a little conversation here is that between Mr. Alcohol and Mr. Spur who were obviously here when the original TIFF and everything went into place and those kind of agreements were passed 20 years ago and like we don't believe there's anything that forces them to keep them on like we don't think anything was written in but we can take a look at it. Um, I will say that, you know, the cost associated with fixing that system, as we've talked about, like I thought it was a little bit of, um, when some of the lights went back on, that was last year, two years ago, um, I thought there was a little bit of a just kind of communitywide like this was fixed in a way that can be sustainable moving forward when I just thought the infrastructure cost associated with that lighting system on the Wind Creek side and we have told them that this is your responsibility. This is something you should do. This is a promise that you made. I I think that we should keep our expectations kind of minimal right now until we get a better idea of what the actual long-term financial cost is because getting some of the lights to go back on sometime over the past two years has only raised expectations that somehow there was an easy fix to what was a lighting system that was installed there that has had a lot of problems from the beginning. So this has been a priority for us at telling them to like when you're looking at the rest of redevelopment around the site. Like it's important by starting by keeping the promises that you made to our community. Like there's only so many carrots and sticks that you have when they do when it is their responsibility to be able to force them to do something when we don't have a lease or anything from the original agreement that way. But it is something that we will continue to push because I think everybody agrees that not having them lit is a negative for the city of Ethan. I think too that uh I I think uh last year when the lights went out um I forgot the name of the electrical firm that went down there that does a lot of work down there, but they actually went

down there and they got majority of the lights on for less than 5,000 bucks and I think they they they sucked up the cost. They didn't charge Wink Creek anything. So, um so yeah, it was like a continuum on the percentage of how many lights were on. So, if you were going from like 20 or 25% up to like 45% or 50%. But it just like I said, I've been it it was

they were on and off like and this was nothing against them. It was nothing against them. It was just it's it wasn't a it's not a long-term infrastructure fix. That's that's going to take a lot more. Like I said, everybody appreciates the fact that they volunteered to take on whatever kind of minimal maintenance they could do in the short term. It just wasn't it wasn't it's it was never going to be a long-term fix. So, but we're after them to to come up with it.

Mr. Spur, I I think you were the uh solicitor at the time. So, uh from what I understood though, in the written document, they were they had ownership of it, but they were also uh according to to what I'm being told, they had to maintain the the steel stacks. Yeah, I think it was with the redevelopment authority when the redevelopment authority was governing the tiff and I think the redevelopment authority building the Hoover Mason trestle did a document with the Sands. I think an easement that sort of allowed access to the property and I think it was something in there. I think it was in the redevelopment authorities contract or easement with the Sands

to maintain. That's my That's my best recollection. Yeah. I'm not sure if the city was a party to it or not. I don't know. Can you check on that for us? Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you. Absolutely. And then it just becomes the legal conversation about whether or not maintaining involves keeping lights on or not, which is not there's not probably not a lot of, you know, case law about maintaining including decorative lights, which just becomes part of the challenge. Yeah. I I don't know um what the relationship is with between you and the owner or president over there, but I think a phone call would just yeah would help.

We meet with them regularly to talk about redevelopment over there and and potential ideas and plans and Miss Collins who's in all of those meetings as well and Mr. Ziller. Um, we very much talk about the idea that like if you're going to look for some type of public support, whether or not it's state support, federal support, local support for anything that's going on here as far as redevelopment, it's going to start with keeping the promises that the Sands had made 20 years ago. And a big one is about lighting steel stacks and it is it is it is at the forefront a lot of those conversations. Um, and I don't want to speak for them, but I think it is something that they understand and that they've talked about and are thinking about how they can roll that into other development there to be able to pay for it. Because look, to take it to a next step, like the lighting obviously is important, but we also want the literal maintenance of those to stay up. Like if you didn't have those anymore, the Hoover Mason trestle suddenly wouldn't be too too too nice to walk on.

So like it is a larger conversation not just about the lights, but it's about destructal integrity for a long time. And you know, we've we've basically said to them is like that's where the conversation needs to start with a commitment and they say, which is fair, is like there's going to be a financial cost. So, we need to figure out how to pay for that in a way that's not going to be cheap over the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years. Um, so it is but it is absolutely one of the things that we talk about on a regular basis. I appreciate it. Thank you. That's it. Right. Thank you, Mr. Callahan. Any other Councilman Colum?

Thank you, President Leon. I I would just for a little bit of a history lesson ask Mr. Miller to grab. I believe it was the first council meeting in December of 2012. Council passed a resolution supporting uh then the administration I believe council passed unanimously at the time a resolution to seek a payment in lie of taxes from nonprofits in the city. So I think just if we're going to this is the second time I've heard it brought up on the floor if we're going to continue to have these conversations is important to know kind of what conversations were had in the past. Uh, so I would ask Mr. Miller to share the minutes from that meeting along with the resolution that was passed. Um, just for everyone's reference as we look at at that. I mean, this is a very nuanced conversation. we can apply a discussion from almost a decade and a half ago, but I think it is relevant to if we're going to bring up some of the same things that had been uh advocated for previously, we might also revisit some of the reasons that, you know, it was hard to implement a program like that at the time. So, while definitely each conversation has its own nuances, this is something that had been brought up before, visited before. Um, so Mr. Miller. Yeah, if you could pull the the resolution and then the minutes from that meeting to share with full counsel for reference as we move forward. Thank you.

And I will turn to Go ahead.

I was say there is an article on Lehigh Valley live that I was able to pull up by a very respected journalist named Sarah Satulo. I recommend everyone if you just Google Bethlehem payment in lie of you could read the article that Mr. Tulo had wrote at the time. And and again, there's certain things that I think are cyclical to a degree. Not that that's a onetoone comparison or conversation, but there's definitely and different avenues or ways as the mayor shared. There's already conversations about looking at, you know, one of our handful of act 511 taxes that we're looking at raising that revenue line item given um by giving us greater power, how to do that. So, I think just more information is important for everyone to have as we talk through it. Um, especially if we're going to lead up to the end of the year, I think a challenge is that we get to the end of the year, then we're trying to educate ourselves or bring all these moving pieces together. So, might as well start getting some of that information together now.

Yeah. And to that point, I will turn to Attorney Stewart because we did have a couple of questions presented to the solicitor during the budget season, and I believe the question about the $50 kind of payment um was brought up. So if you could uh recap uh your answer to that question please.

Yes. Generally the question uh regarding whether a charge um can be levied upon a particular institution or individual. Um my response was that while fees may be charged uh for a particular service for use of that service u the assessment of a fee to a person or entity absent the uses of a service would be an illegal tax. And there's a lot of case law on that. The other thing I wanted to mention um that uh Councilman Callahan brought up was Oklahoma um here in Pennsylvania because that's that's a really interesting idea. Here in Pennsylvania, many of the municipalities have fire service recovery fee ordinances whereby they charge insurance companies for the costs of equipment and personnel

um after an emergency response. So that is something I'm familiar with. That's something I've drafted those ordinances. Um, and I can provide further information should you be interested. But but that's for non-residential people, right? We wouldn't be doing that to residential people, right? That's Yeah, for emergency response for non-residents.

Right. Right. So, uh, thank you for that, Attorney Stewart. I guess the whole point to that is just like um although there are certain things that are not available to us, there are other avenues and I think we as a council are more than willing to entertain other avenues that are going to generate revenue in order to cover the cost that we need for emergency services. Does anyone else on council have Councilwoman Lar?

Uh yeah, just to add a couple more legal questions to look up. Um, is it it might I I thought we looked into this during budget season, but I I do want to continue the conversation, so the information would be good to have refreshed. Um, is it legal to charge for a fee to only certain nonprofits, uh, as the mayor mentioned? And if not that, is it where is the line? Like can it be charged? Can you charge a fee for something to a class based on size, based on type like residential versus non-residential or um for nonprofits? Like where are the break points that you can apply? And I hear what you're saying also about you can't charge for something that's not used. So, um, you know, it will be a nuanced conversation, but if we could just look at like where those categorical lines are. Um, that would be helpful. Um, and also I is it I wasn't sure if it's actually legal to charge like sometimes when we've had this conversation, it's been institutional conversation. Sometimes it's been like, oh, charge the student or the person. Um, and I wondered about the legality of charging a person for an individual for emergency services. Um, there's I also have a lot of thoughts on like the ethics of of that, but uh legalitywise I I wondered where that stands. So, um, I don't need those answers right now, but if you're looking into things and we're going to continue the conversation, I'd appreciate that.

Thank you. I mean broadly I will say that there are situations where say a non-resident is charged a higher park rental fee or something. There there are circumstances where you can differentiate differentiate fees but it is it's a very narrow line. So we we can talk more about um what you might be interested in and the nuances of those particular situations I think outside of here. Thank you. Any other two business from members of council?

Council. Uh Mr. Ali. Uh so um I I'm um looking at the weather reports and I guess on Sunday they're expecting uh one one uh weather association is expecting 12 to 15 in for the Leah Valley and then Monday another 7 in. Are we going to um make any announcements with the downtown residents as far as the parking garages or anything?

Well, it's going to be a it's going to be a longer conversation. Mr. Al and I have this conversation about whether or not we declare a snow emergency. So then if it became clear that we were going to have a uh that level of a storm. Um we've not had to declare any snow emergencies. Mr. Alol and I had this conversation today that we actually don't think we've had to declare one in all four years that I've been here. Um but with the amount of snow that we have and also if you take a a look back if you just give me a second to help explain the storm from last week. um you know when we have a snow emergency we um are streets workers it's basically mandatory that they have to come out to be a part of this the operation. Now you don't want to just declare a snow emergency because people got to move their cars, they got to get off the main roads. You got to handle that. So it's like not a singular situation. Um but the challenge as we had last week as in a couple days ago and the guys that took the call that came out like they did a great job. our main roads look great and stuff like that, but it is absolutely part of the calculation that Mr. Alcohol and I were just talking about actually before the meeting was, you know, if we believe there is to be a substantial storm, the ability to call the snow emergency as early as possible is helpful, but you also don't want to pull the trigger if you don't think that it's going to be something and it ends up with like 3 in and then everyone has to move their cars and things like that. But it's something we're going to we're going to continue to talk about for the next uh next couple days.

Yeah. Thank you. Is that all from the members of council? That was my biggest question is were we going to pro be pro how proactive can you be about declaring a slow emergency to get vehicles off the road and into the parking decks? Um but it seems like the conversations are already being had.

Yeah. And it it is you know it is a balancing act. I think a lot of us know this or we either live in those neighborhoods or you know moving everybody moving their cars off the snow emergency route is not an easy thing for people to do. People don't have garages. They don't have places. So then it just puts pressure on those arterial streets. So it is it is a conversation we'll have, but as soon as we have clarity there and I think we all know it's going to get cold over the next couple days. So the areas that were not able to be plowed because once again it's voluntary for us to get many as many people out as possible in when we when there's not a snow emergency, those areas are going to get packed down. And even though it's going to get up to like 40 on Thursday, we still will have some limitations as far as like how much snow is there with a potential storm on Saturday into Sunday or potentially Monday to come. But, you know, we're we're on top of on top of that.

Thank you. And my last This is three, so make it your last. No, I know. I No, I I I I wanted to say this also, but I it's it's on chief chief. Uh the the uh situation that Mr. and Alex had talked about with with the fireman with with that specific fire. Is that is that true or is that uh as far as the amount of hours that was I'm not familiar with the specifics that were referenced tonight. No, I'm I can't say one way or the other. I'd have to research that. All right. Thank you. All right. If there's nothing else from council, we're going to move on to communications. Communication 6A

December 18th, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from business administrator Eric Evans. Mr. Evans recommends an agreement with Lehigh Valley with Love Media of Bethlehem to serve as the city's information officer and provide communication support. Cost is $18,000 per year and the contract would run from January 1st, 2026 through December 31st of 2029. There are no renewals. Resolution 10A is on the agenda. Communication 6B.

The December 17th, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from Edward Boscola, director of water and sewer resources. Mr. Buscola recommends an agreement with CHA Consulting Incorporated of Bethlehem to provide engineering and inspection services associated with replacement of the wastewater treatment plant's primary digtor PD3 membrane gas cover. Cost is $66,700. Work is to be completed by December 31st of 2026. There are no renewals. Resolution 10B is on the agenda. Communication 6C.

A December 23rd, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from Laura Collins, director of community and economic development. Miss Collins recommends an agreement with Calabo Planning and Design of Chicago to collaborate with other agencies to prepare and submit a Choice Neighborhoods implementation grant application by March 9th of 2026. The cost is not to exceed $40,000. Work is to be completed by June 30th of 2026 and there are no renewals.

Resolution Sensei is on the agenda. Communication 6D. A January 5th, 2026 memorandum and proposed resolution from Edward Boscola, director of water and sewer services. Mr. Boscola recommends an agreement with Kier's Engineering and Design Incorporated of Allentown to provide engineering services to assist the city in evaluating the feasibility of upgrade to the waist wastewater treatment plant to improve efficiency of existing steam boilers and the hot water circulation system. Cost is not to exceed $59,900. Work is to be completed within 100 days of the notice to proceed and there are no renewals. Resolution 10D is on the agenda. Communication 6E.

A January 5th, 2026 memorandum and proposed resolution from Edward Boscola, director of water and sewer services. Mr. Boscola recommends an agreement with Emerson Power and Water Solutions of Cranberry Township to provide software support to the city's water and sewer facilities. The annual cost is $66,225.30, which will be split evenly between the water and sewer fund accounts. The three-year contract is for the period of January 1st, 2026 through December 31st of 2029. Resolution 10 is on the agenda. Communication success.

The January 8th, 2026 memorandum and proposed resolution from Edward Buscola, director of water and sewer resources. Mr. Buscola recommends an agreement with Ganette Fleming Valuation and Rate Consultants LLC of Mechanicsburg to provide a wastewater rate study to project appropriate rate levels and charges for the next 5 years. Study will form the basis for future sewer rate adjustments. The cost is $19,000. Work is to be completed within 180 days. There are no renewals.

Resolution 10F is on the agenda. Communication 6G. January 13, 2026 memorandum with an attached resolution and associated intergovernmental cooperation agreement from city solicitor John of Spurk Jr. Solicitor Spur recommends amendment number two to the agreement already in place between the city and Hanover Township, Northampton County involving the usage of the city's yard waste facility. The amended agreement would run from January 1st, 2026 through December 31st of 2026. Resolution 10G is on the agenda. Communication 6H

January 13, 2026 memorandum with an attached resolution and associated intergovernmental cooperation agreement from city solicitor John Spur Jr. Solicitor Spur recommends amendment number two to the agreement already in place between the city and Fountain Hill involving the usage of the city's water waste correction city's yard waste facility. The amended agreement would run from January 1st, 2026 through December 31st of 2026. We're at 6 I 6 I and resolution 10H is on the agenda. Communication 6 I

January 13, 2026 memorandum from Mike Simson, chief code official. Mr. Simson recommends amending article 1701 to adopt the Pennsylvania uniform construction code requirements 2021 international code suite as amended. Ordinance 9A is on the agenda. Communication 6J. A January 12th, 2026 memorandum and proposed resolution from Michelle Sihawki, director of human resources requesting the destruction of records from her department. The Saiyah hockey has in reviewed the municipal municipal records retention act and the records listed on the exhibit accompanying the memo fall within the categories where destruction is permitted.

A resolution will be placed on the February 3rd, 2026 city council agenda communication 6K.

A January 14th, 2026 memorandum and attached resolution and lease agreement from city solicitor John F. Spurk Jr. Mr. Spur recommends approving the agreement to allow Bethlehem Tempo LLC to serve food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages to patrons of a hotel located immediately adjacent to the lease premises as shown on exhibit A. And for use as a driveway area for the pickup and drop off of hotel guests. Term of the lease would be 50 years from the signing by the city. Rent shall be $100,000 for the first 25 years and $4,000 annually for years 26 through 50. Additional rates apply if the term is extended.

Resolution 10i is on the agenda. Communication 6L. A January 14th, 2026 memorandum and proposed resolution from Robert Vidoni, Housing and Community Development Administrator. Mr. Vidoni seeks authorization to execute an agreement Michael Baker International of California to provide technical assistance and professional services required for HUD administered federal funding related to the CDBG and home programs and other potential funding sources. Cost is $112,49. Two one-year renewal options are offered totaling $242,000.

Resolution 10J is on the agenda. Moving on to reports, uh, council present reports. Um, before I go on to other things, we have a couple council manic appointments, but I will accept the motion in a second to consider 7 A1 through 7 A4 as a group. I'll make the motion. So, second. So, Councilman Co, Councilman Callahan, thank you. So, turning to or discussion on the motion, clerical call the role. Mr. Raymond I Mr. Callahan Hi Mr. Cologne. Hi, Miss Daniels. I miss Quuitech. I Miss Leairard. I and Miss Leon.

I clerk will read the appointments. Item 7 A1, Councilman appointment, Megan Lysowski to the Environmental Advisory Council. Item 7 A2, Councilman appointmentar to the Environmental Advisory Council. 7 A3 Mandy Toino to the ADI environmental advisory council and 74 council manic appointment Steven Ochevski as chair of the environmental advisory council. All are sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quuite. The clerk will call the role on the appointments. Mr. Aman I. Mr. Callahan. Hi.

Mr. Cologne. Hi. Miss Daniels. Hi. Miss Que. I Miss Leairard I and Miss Leon I motion passes 70.

Um a couple of other things that I wanted to talk about very quickly. The council committee assignments and council leazison on uh positions have been um given to council members and they were also available online for anyone who wants to see who is going to be assigned to um what committee. And the other the only other thing I wanted to talk about is um there's been a conversation about how stuffy city council meetings are and I I do agree, but our agenda is our agenda. So, in order to have a space for more dialogue between council members, um or at least the council president and the public, uh the council president will be holding president hours, so to speak. I'm not naming anything official right now. For right now, it'll be the hour directly before a city council meeting. So, if there is anything that anybody wants to address just with me and is uncomfortable coming to the podium, I will be here from 6:00 to 7:00 as long as the meeting start at 7. Um, if a meeting starts at 6:00, I will be here from 5 to 6:00 and we'll test this out and see if this is something that the the community needs or if there is another date and time that works better. Uh, moving on to the mayor's report.

Thank you. Uh, a couple things. One is I just want to uh thank everybody um who had participated yesterday in uh uh several of the great MLK events throughout the day. Um we had the march uh in the morning and then there was a great event over at uh Cathedral Church and it was just a I know there was an event at Moravian as well. Um I think Lehi did something as well um that it was just uh it was a a real sign of uh where a lot of people are within our community. Um, and um, I know I saw several people there. Um, and I just didn't want it to go by without thanking those that organized those events because they're not easy to organize, especially in this day and age. Um, and but they were a reminder of uh of uh uh of the message and also the purpose that we all have. Um, couple other things. Um, one is is on Thursday this week we have our next uh opening doors meeting at 6 PM. uh I think is when the doors open I believe no pun intended over at NCC. Um so we'll be giving some more updates on uh the the progress that we have made where all those different initiatives are. I also wanted to mention, I don't know if there I think there had been a article about this, but uh we did um we were able we were awarded uh another $250,000 grant from DCNR um to help to pay for um the construction of the portion of the greenway there um uh off of New Street uh kind of at its terminus next to Comfort Suites. So that area there between uh the new street garage and the uh current building that is there at third new and then also the building that will be going up next to it. Um we were able to we applied and we got another $250,000 from DCNR to be able to pay for that construction. Uh I think many of you probably remember when we had the uh community meeting after some of the initial designs and concepts were done. I think we had that mini adventure X now a couple years ago probably it was um because our thought process there was the idea that we wanted to be able to go

through that initial design with the community um uh input included so as the construction of the um hotel ended up going up that we were able to create as efficient timeline as possible there um to make sure that once that was done because that's going to be the staging area for the hotel going up it would then allow us the opportunity to start construction construction relatively quickly afterwards. Uh that's been an area that I know several people in city council have asked over the years like what is being done to clean that up. Uh and the timeline has been a little bit clunky because you don't want to pay to improve that area until you know that it's no longer going to be upset by construction vehicles and things like that. Um, but once again, just very proud of uh uh Lori and everybody that worked on that application with public works to be able to once again be awarded um uh that $250,000 that will help with that construction for that that portion of the greenway. So, that's uh that's more great news. Uh and I believe that uh concludes my report for Oh, one more thing. I know Mr. Herod asked about the co-op. I would just uh repeat what I had said. I guess it was probably a couple months ago is we we do meet with them on a regular basis trying to talk to them about you know getting their doors open about that they should announce an opening date that people have invested in the co-op for now going back I think 13 years. I think the first members actually joined in July of 2013. Um and you know as I've said before you know we have both been working and we helped to be able to make sure that the grant was administered through the federal government. Um, and that's basically all paid off if you drive by there. Uh, they do have a store that's essentially ready to go. Um, they're working on putting their deposit down to be able to pay for the refrigeration unit on the top of the building. That should allow them to then to set a date. Um, and we have offered all of the assistance we can as far as our

expertise is concerned with whatever we can do. Um, but at the end of the day, they need to kind of make the leap and announce an opening date and have the community come up. That is the co-op's model. Um, that the support is there. Um, I think a lot of people have seen their communications that they've asked for member loans, that they're looking to get to a number. Um, we feel that they are there, that they should be willing to announce that they can set an opening date. Um, but we're not the board and you know, despite what I'm not saying Mr. hair thinks this is despite the fact that people think everybody just listens when we suggest something, they do not. Um, so we will continue to have conversations about the idea that we think that it is time to be able to set an opening date and put down their deposit and allow the community to come shop at the grocery store. Um, so we will continue to meet with them and we will continue to offer advice. As I said last time this topic came up, sometimes that advice is taken, sometimes it is not. uh sometimes months later it turns out that that advice probably should have been taken which they have admitted. Um so we will continue to offer what we believe is the best advice as far as moving forward in this way. Um but we can only offer advice in many ways. We can't make them take it. They're a board that doesn't answer to us. They are a board that answers to their members. Um but it is not something that we have forgotten about or we're not on top of. And we have several people that are working um with them to make sure that they close out all of their grants correctly and things like that. And I think the good news is is if you talk to them or if you go there, they're really about 97 98% there. They just need to kind of get over this last last uh last hurdle to be able to get open. But it is something that we are actively working on. Um and there is uh you know, Miss Collins and Mr. Reveni meet with them on a regular basis as do I uh to try to help them uh get over the finish line. And we are hopeful and optimistic despite my comments. Um, we think they're going to get there and we are hopeful that at some point and I know we've heard this before, we are hopeful that in the next couple of weeks they will they will have

some good news to report and we will get a date and we will be able to uh uh look at the finishing line for this. So, thank you. Thank you. Moving on to ordinances for final passage. Ordinance A ordinance of the city of Bethlehem counties of Lehi and Northampton Commonwealth of Pennsylvania amending the general fund budget for 2026. Bill number 01 2026 is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Wilhelm. Discussion clerk will call the role. Mr. Aean I. Mr. Callahan. I. Mr. Cologne. I. Miss Daniels. I. Miss Quiet. I. Miss Leairard. I. Miss Lamb.

Ordinance passes 70. Moving on to new ordinances 9A. An ordinance of the city of Bethlehem, counties of Lehi and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending article 1701 of the codified ordinance is entitled Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code by adopting the 2021 Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code. Bill number 02206 is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quiet. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aman, I. Mr. Mr. Callahan. Hi, Mr. Cologne. I Miss Daniels, I Miss Quac, I Miss Leard, I. And Miss Leon,

I passes 70. Moving on to resolutions. Resolution 10A. Be 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 are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with Lehigh Valley with Love Media to provide information officer and communication services. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quitech. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aean, I. Mr. Callahan, I. Mr. Cologne, I. Miss Daniels, I. Miss Quiet, I. Miss Leair, I. And Miss Leon,

I. Resolution passes 70. 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 are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with CHA consulting incorporated to provide engineering and inspection services resolution sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quitech discussion. Madame President, uh, consistent with Bethleam ordinance uh, 2022-24, I will recuse myself from this vote due to a campaign donation in excess of $500 from an employee of this company. Thank you. Were you have you been given the recusal paperwork and all that? Yep.

Any other discussion? The clerk will call the role. Mr. uh, Mr. Raymond, abstain. Mr. Callahan, I. Mr. Cologne, I. Miss Daniels I Miss Quitac I Miss Leairard I and Miss Leon I passes 60 with one abstension resolution Sensei 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 hereby authorized to execute an agreement with Calabo Planning and Design to provide grant application services. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quietch. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aean I. Mr. Callahan.

I. Mr. Cologne. I. Miss. Daniels. I. Miss. Quiet. I. Miss. Leairard. Hi. And Miss Leon. Passes 70. Wait. Did I say I? I. Passes 70. Um, attendee. 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 Kier's engineering design incorporated to evaluate the existing steam boilers and the hot water circulation system at the wastewater treatment plant. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quuitech.

Discussion clerk will call the role. Mr. Raymond I Mr. Callahan I Mr. Cologne I Miss Daniels I Miss Quitac I Miss Lar I miss Leon I passes 70 10E yet resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller andor such other city officials deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with Emerson Power and Water Solutions to provide licensed software support. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quitech. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aman I. Mr. Callahan. Hi. Mr. Cologne.

I. Miss. Daniels. Hi. Miss Quietac. I. Miss. Leairard. I. And Miss Leon. I passes 70f. 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 Guanette Fleming Valuation and Rate Consultants LLC to provide a wastewater rate study. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leyon and Miss Quitech.

Discussion just as Bascola, are you still here? Can you just give us the the background? I know that this was something we discussed during the budget season, but um if you could just um explain what part of the process this is.

So, uh the last time we did a sewer rate increase, someone council will remember, was uh 2024. And at the time the council recommended that before we do the next sewer rate increase um that we do a deeper dive into how we set the rates um there hasn't been a rate study on sewer side for many years and the purpose of the study will be to take a look at our revenue stream how we aortion the rates amongst our different rate classes residential commercial industrial and also how we charge our tributary municipalities because that was a big point of contention if if you recall the last time. So this study will help evaluate that process so that the next time we raise sewer rates which is not proposed right now

but we're preparing for that um eventuality and that's what the study will do. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Any other discussion? The clerk will call the role. Mr. Raymond, I. Mr. Callahan. Hi. Mr. Cologne. Hi. Miss. Daniels. I. Miss. Quiet. I. Miss. Leard. I. Miss. Leon.

I. Passes 70. Be 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 are hereby authorized to execute amendment number two to the intergovernmental cooperation agreement with Hanover Township, Northampton County involving use of the city's yard waste facility. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leyon and Miss Quitech. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aman I. Mr. Callahan. I Mr. Cologne I Miss Daniels I Miss Quiet I Miss Leairard I and Miss Leon I passes 70 10H.

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 or hereby authorized to execute amendment number two to the intergovernmental cooperation agreement with Fountain Hill involving use of the city's yard waste facility. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leyon and Miss Quuatak. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aean I. Mr. Callahan. I. Mr. Cologne. I. Miss. Daniels. Hi. Mrs. Quitec. I. Miss. Leard. I. And Miss. Leon. I. Passes 7010. I

it resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem that the mayor and the controller andor such other city officials is deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute a lease agreement with Bethlehem Tempo LLC. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leyon and Miss Quitech. Discussion. Councilwoman Lair.

Um yeah, Miss Collins could I saw you getting your stuff ready. I think you you knew I have questions. Um, so I I appreciate that we had some conversation about just like the plans that are uh in the works for this space and overall, like I said, I I think the plans are looking great. Um, it it will be exciting to see that last portion of the greenway finalized and some opportunities to activate it. Um, one thing that we had talked about and I was wondering where it landed by the end of business today is in the lease if there's the opportunity to um, guarantee in some way uh, the ability for the public to still to use this drop off area um, for the occasional quick drop off. Um, you know, I'm envisioning somebody's got their bike on a bike rack and wants to take a ride down to the other end of the trail. Um, is there a way to say, "Hey, you're allowed to drop off here, too. It's not only for hotel guests since it is public land that we would be looking at leasing."

Sure. So, since we talked earlier, you know, we did speak with um the developer who's who's uh there's a representative here as well who has um confirmed that, you know, the area is not going to be signed with anything that says hotel guests only. It'll just say this is a drop off area and no parking. And so, they would enforce like nobody can park there, but they, you know, do intend like if there's situations like that that arise, you know, somebody could certainly circle in through that that driveway area. and then also spoke with the law bureau about just what the language of the existing lease says and how that could be accomplished just to ensure that it's you know to council's satisfaction um you know that that arrangement is reflected

yeah I believe that there's nothing in the lease that prohibits that at all I think the lease allows for it uh under purpose it says the leie shall control possess and use this area solely as a driveway area for pickup drop off of guests at the hotel solely for that. Now later there's another provision that says that the leie will have the right to exclusive possession and control of this property except as otherwise provided in the agreement which in my mind refers back several paragraphs before to say they can possess it but solely for the reason for use by hotel guests.

So That's what they got. No, cuz non- hotel guests can pull in and drop off. Their exclusive use of this under this agreement is only for their hotel guests for that purpose. The purpose is to accommodate their hotel guests. Nothing with a city individual pulling in and dropping off is going to interfere with their ability to use it for hotel guests. That's the way I read it. I sort of enough. Yeah.

Then the resolution that's proposed for you says that you'd approve the city to sign this lease and any other document related there too that in the opinion of the city solicitor would be necessary. So I'd be happy to have a subsequent letter agreement that I would give them that they could sign that. But I don't think it's necessary under this agreement. But it's not going to hurt. If it makes you feel better, I'm all for it. the cynic in me uh would would love to see an additional the lawyer indeed doesn't think it's necessary, right? But pretty cynical as most lawyers are because we've seen things go wrong with documents.

Um yeah, I just I you know it but that's my interpretation of the contract and the representative of the hotel has the same interpretation of it. So to the extent that your solicitor would tell you that contracts reflect meetings of the minds, these two minds are meeting. But still, I'll do a one pager for you. Makes you feel better. It

it would make me feel better just to, you know, ensure to our our public that yes, we recognize the importance of this public space, especially where it adjoins to a significant road in the city. um you know a significant entrance point like it will be the gateway of the greenway right like that's important um I mean a gateway of the green yeah a I would I like a better because I think it's not built yet but once it is I mean

the city owns property right there at Mechanic Street right adjacent to the greenway as well that may well be the preferred place to drop somebody off put a driveway there or something just not built yet so I don't know but maybe they'll want to drop off there too where you're suggesting and I think they can and we can make doubly sure. Thank you. And I suppose to make tripley sure we've also um discussed even putting it as well in the developers agreement which is you know will be finalized before the land development process begins.

Great. Um and then the only other thing uh that we had talked about prior was uh looking at the drawings which like I said to me look really nice. Um it went down to the detail of like flower pots, but there was nothing about uh bike racks, which is a pretty important mode of transit along that path. Um so that's for like the whole drawing, not just the the least portion. Um so, you know, as you revisit that, I' I'd like to just remind uh that please include some bike racks down on that end of the the greenway.

Yeah, I I think that's a great idea. The concept plan is pretty detailed to include even flower pots, but certainly as we go into like a final design phase, we can we can add bike racks into that plan as well.

Yeah. And that's I just checked with Mr. Al calls like when we put out when we put together like the construction bid documents for that part of the greenway, that's an easy like add-on like if we feel that we want the contractor to do that. But I think it's safe to say and I would just say from the public's point of view, we probably are going to want the bike racks on like continuous public property um like moving forward. So it probably would be adjacent somewhere in that area. But I think to Mr. Spur's point too is like we can also look at where is the most effective place to do in on this corridor of 200 yards and so on and so forth. But yeah, absolutely. Right. It was just something that stood out to me looking at because it it did go into pretty granular detail and I was like,

"Wait, where where is this?" So, um, yeah, I think that that was all of my questions. And again, thank you for taking the time to talk about this uh even on a city holiday yesterday. Well, a national holiday, but holiday yesterday.

Any other discussion on council? Um, I will Everybody's got a villain origin story. Mine is third and new. Mhm. Um, so I would like to see the project complete. If if you feel like that language is strong enough um about the public private land and how that works out, I have my feelings about public private land and private land or public land for private development. I have concerns about what we've already asked the business owners on third and new and fourth and new to um endor. But I also think this is a really good project. I've come a long way with this project. I was initially not against not for two inches of a raise. So, um in the spirit of that, like I I don't want to hold this up. It was my initial intention to at least ask councils to consider to table this. Um I will support it with a very strong encouragement to the administration to continue to have conversations with the property owner and the surrounding businesses to discuss how that development is not just going to affect uh the greenway. as it's known, I am on the greenway all the time. It is heavily utilized. It was jarring to see a fence along the greenway. It is a space that is utilized a lot at night. Um there are aderondex chairs, so a lot of people stay there at night. So I just with a strong encouragement to the administration to continue to have conversations with the property owner to discuss how their development is going to affect the surrounding properties and businesses. Uh if there's no other discussion, the clerk will call the role.

Mr. Aman, I. Mr. Callahan. Hi, Mr. Cologne. Hi, Miss Daniels. Hi, Miss Clec. I miss Leairard. I Miss Leon. I passes 70J. Be it resolved by the council of the city of Bethlehem, the mayor and controller and/or such other city officials as deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute an amendment to an agreement with Michael Baker International to provide technical assistance and professional services required to receive HUD administered federal funding. Resolution is sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quiet. Discussion. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Aean I. Mr. Callahan. I. Mr. Cologne. I

Miss Daniels I miss I flair. I and Miss Leon I passes 70. I will accept a motion and a second to consider resolutions 10K through 10M as a group. So moved. Oh god. Second I think it was u by seconded by council leard. Uh discussion on the motion. The clerk will call the role on the motion. Mr. Raymond, I. Mr. Callahan, I. Mr. Cologne, I. Miss Daniels, I. Miss Quiet, I. Miss Leair, I. And Miss Leon. I. The motion passes 70. The clerk will read resolutions and call the role.

Certificates of appropriateness under the provisions of the act of the Pennsylvania legislature. for Bethlehem resolutions are hereby granted for 55 East Church Street to construct renovations and additions to install an elevator and associated shaft within the existing rear stairwell, expand the rear porch, and install new copper gutters and downspouts for 441 Lynen Street to install GAF slate line shingles in the antique slate color. Install three sets of wood shutters on the Lynen Street facade, Lynen Street facing facade and paint the front door and 443 Center Street to construct a 250 square foot raised blue stone and clay brick patio off the west side of the residence. Install a two-ft high retaining wall around the patio that is faced with clay brick and capped with blue stone. Install a 67 square foot blue stone and clay brick pad off the west side of the property and install new plantings in the rear yard. The resolutions are sponsored by Miss Leon and Miss Quay.

Discussion on the group. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Raymond I. Mr. Callahan. Hi. Mr. Cologne. Hi. Miss Daniels. Hi. Miss. Miss Leairard. Hi. And Miss Leon. I. The resolution passes 70. That concludes our meeting tonight. Get home safe, everyone. Thank you.