City Council - Regular Meeting

when we get the solicitor's report. We're gonna start our meeting tonight with an invocation by a former council member who I am proud to say is now a reverend. He has a higher calling. He doesn't just answer to the 31,000 people in the city of Easton, he answers to a higher calling. So Roger Ruggles, will you come up and give us an invocation and then we'll follow by the pledge of flag.

Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for all the gifts that you have given us. We thank you for the gift of wise and compassionate leaders who work diligently to ensure a bright and prosperous future for our community. We thank you for the gift of city workers who bring safety and services to all within the city. We thank you for the nonprofits working throughout our community to bring services and aid to those most in need. And we thank you for all the citizens of the city who have worked together to enhance our community. We pray that you guide us as a community that is filled with compassion and love, always seeking to uplift and support one another. Grant us the wisdom and courage to use the gifts that you provide to us for the betterment of our community and the glory of your name. May we be good stewards of all the resources that you have given to us, using them to alleviate poverty, promote education, bring safety, and foster a spirit of inclusivity and acceptance. Almighty God, we humbly ask that you continue to pour out your abundant blessings on our community so that we may flourish and be a shining example of your grace and goodness in the world. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

I 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 and justice for all. Roll call, Madam Clerk.

Mr. Brown.

Here.

Ms. Zonda-Dennis. Here. Mr. Pinnabone.

Here.

Mrs. Rose. Here. Mr. Graziano. Here. Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger. Here. Mayor Panto.

Here. Rule of the agenda.

So moved. Second. Any additions or corrections? Just a note, Mayor. Under Bill 22, I will be refusing myself on that. Okay.

All right. Roll call.

Ms. Sando-Dennis? Aye. Mr. Pinnabone? Aye. Mrs. Rose? Aye. Mr. Graziano? Aye. Mrs. Hartroff-Bittinger? Aye. Mayor Panto? Mayor Panto?

Do that first. Say aye. Aye.

Thank you. Mr. Brown? Aye. Thank you.

Okay, we'll go into the action or minutes on July 22nd meeting. Move to approve. Second. Any additions or corrections or deletions? Roll call.

Mr. Pinnabone.

Aye.

Mrs. Rose. Aye. Mr. Graziano. Aye. Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger. Aye. Mayor Panza.

Aye. Mr. Brown. Aye.

Ms. Sando-Dennis. Aye.

Okay, there's no presentation to council, so we'll go right into public comment. Public comment on agenda items only. Is there anyone who would like to address city council? Seeing none, we'll move on to consent agenda. Is none available? Nothing. Nothing on the consent agenda. So reports received by council. There's no reports received by council unless there's any council chairman who wants to say anything. We'll move on to reports of committees.

Mr. Brown, Finance Committee. Yes, Mayor. We met last evening and... OUR DIRECTOR TOOK US THROUGH THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR. AND HE DID GIVE US A PRINT OUT OF THAT. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL, HE'S HERE THIS EVENING. IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TOWARDS HIM.

NEW SPEAKER Okay. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARK? MOVE ON TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. No report, planning and code committee. Planning and Code Committee, Councilmember Rose.

Thank you, Mayor. Tonight, Council is being asked to authorize a contract with THA Consulting Inc. for phase one of the citywide parking system evaluation, so therefore a parking study that will give us better data. The study is intended to provide an inventory and analysis of our parking system and identify operational improvements before considering any future investments or policy changes. So this request will be for phase one, which is going to look at existing conditions and give us an assessment, parking occupancy analysis, utilization review, residential parking review, stakeholder engagement, and also recommendations. If that all goes well, plan to come back next year with a proposal for phase two, which will include future parking demand projections. a pricing strategy, technology review, enforcement review, zoning recommendations, public engagement, revenue optimization, and implementation planning. So phase one, if approved tonight, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, December 2026. So if there's any questions, please let me know on that. Additionally, I've met with our new planning director and zoning director, Samantha McLean. I think she's doing such a great job. And I know I've heard from other council members who've met with her along with some stakeholders on our commissions and our zoning hearing board. I know she's continuing to meet with representatives from both the community and those boards. Already we're seeing the packets, the full packets online, which I think from a transparency perspective is fantastic. And then I also just wanted to mention next week. We have the zoning hearing board coming up Monday, August 7th 17th at 6 p.m The agenda and meeting packet are all available on the city's website. That's all I have.

Thank you Okay, councilman Graziano public safety. No report this week Public works. How many miss Julie Zando Dennis Thank You mayor

Today I'll be introducing for approval four resolutions and two ordinance changes. Three of those resolutions address development at 364 East Berwick Street. We're entering into standard agreements, essentially saying that they're responsible for storm water runoff and other infrastructure. The fourth resolution is to approve a cooperation agreement with the Carl Stirner Trail in which we would manage, the city would manage construction for a project for which the trail received a $25,000 hotel tax grant. The two ordinances, one has to do with a recommendation that the utilities who excavate the streets are held accountable for their repairs. And finally, the last one is a recommendation that on-duty city vehicles may be exempt from parking regulations while engaged in city business. Thank you, Mayor.

Administration Committee, Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger? Bittinger? No, Mayor. I have no report. Okay, Mr. Pinnabone, you ready for your report? I am.

I apologize, Mayor. Our director of DCD is on vacation. I got the email from one of his staff members. Some updates. We applied for a few grants in the last two weeks. The hotel tax for Eastern Summer activation materials for $50,000. PCCD for police body cam upgrades for $357,000. DCED MTF for the Canal Street bike lane and 611 safety improvements for eight hundred thousand dollars FH LB 8hp 21 North 7th Street rehab plus construction through for the RDA for five hundred thousand dollars and we closed the LSA for Nesquahoning Park Nesquahoning Street Park one hundred and forty three thousand dollars Mayor, that's all I have.

Okay I have no report other than the Memorial Park on Naskahonee Street, which was a black cemetery. We will be dedicating that on September 26th and 27th. 27th will be a rain date. 26th at noon and 27th at 1. Reporter solicitor.

Yes, good evening, Mayor. The council did have an executive session this evening dealing primarily with the potential acquisition and sale of various assets, which included consultation with the solicitor's office and outside counsel. As far as other reports, the solicitor's office is engaged in a variety of ongoing litigation, none of which have significant updates at this point in time.

Mr. Campos, do you have anything? No mayor, no rapport, but other than it's budget season, so we're pretty busy doing budgets. It's always a bad season.

It's necessary. We'll go on. There's no correspondence.

Can I question the last few?

Sure.

I didn't hear, has there ever been a report about the additional parking spaces

Well, I mean the only the only thing just for clarity If there are no there are going to be no updates per se to to the parking system until we can understand the capacity of the system specifically in the garages But with regards to new lots, we did bring on board a few weeks ago, or maybe a couple council meetings ago, a new parking lot that's the Housing Authority parking lot with 16 spaces. And then most recently, the St. John's lot, we had to pause on using that for public parking until the county made a decision in which it will allow City to engage with st. John to offer that for public parking So we have to just get together with st. John's again and reissue that lease That we had in place if st. John's wants to move forward with that lease Okay bill number two under these reasons madam clerk Thank You mayor Bill number 23 an ordinance amending chapter 176 affordable housing second moved in second discussion

Roll call.

Mrs. Rose? Aye. Mr. Graziano?

Aye.

Mrs. Hartroff-Bittinger?

Aye.

Mayor Panto?

Aye.

Mr. Brown?

Aye.

Ms. Sando-Dennis? Aye. Mr. Pinnabone?

Aye. New business, Madam Clerk?

We have a resolution reappointing to the authorities, boards, and commissions.

So moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? I will excuse myself, Mr. Solicitor. My wife serves on the zoning board, so I will excuse myself. Roll call, Madam Clerk. Sure.

Mr. Graziano?

Aye.

Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger?

Aye.

Mr. Brown?

Aye.

Ms. Sando-Dennis? Aye. Mr. Pinnabone? Aye. Mrs. Rose? Aye.

I don't understand why I have to excuse myself. I appoint the person who is going to go on the zoning board To avoid any appearance of a conflict. Okay. Thank you for clarifying that.

We have a resolution approving renewal of OpenGov for the Code Department.

So moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? Roll call.

Mrs. Hartroff-Bittinger. Aye. Mayor Panto. Aye. Mr. Brown. Aye. Ms. Zondo-Dennis. Aye. Mr. Pinnabone. Aye. Mrs. Rose. Aye. Mr. Graziano.

Aye.

A resolution authorizing execution of a developer's agreement with ABDA Properties for development of a property at 364 East Berwick Street.

So moved. Second. Any discussion? Mr. Hopkins is here if you have any questions. Roll call.

Mayor Panto?

Aye.

Mr. Brown?

Aye.

Ms. Sando-Dennis? Aye. Mr. Pinnabone? Aye. Mrs. Rose? Aye. Mr. Graziano?

Aye.

Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger?

Aye.

A resolution approving a developer agreement, stormwater runoff control facilities operations and maintenance agreement for 367 East Berwick Street. So moved.

Second. Move to second. Any discussion? Roll call.

Mr. Brown.

Aye.

Ms. Zondo-Dennis. Aye. Mr. Pinnabone. Aye. Mrs. Rose. Aye. Mr. Graziano. Aye. Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger.

Aye. Mayor Panto. Aye.

A resolution approving a developer's agreement and stormwater runoff facility operations and maintenance agreement with ABDA for a property at 1123 Center Street.

So moved. Second.

Second.

Moved and seconded. Any discussion? Dave, I have a quick question. Just if you know, these two properties, Berwick and Center, Do you happen to have an ETA on groundbreaking? Is it still going to be this year, or is it going to be next year? I was just wondering if you heard. So this year? All right. Thanks, Dave. No, no, I'm just kidding. Thanks. Yeah, yeah, no, I get it. Thank you. I was just wondering. Yeah, I was just wondering. Thank you. We're voting on it.

Oh, I'm sorry.

No. Roll call. Roll call on 1123.

We did. You and Julie.

What did you just ask for? We did the motion.

We didn't do the vote. Yeah, we didn't do the vote.

Roll call. Okay, I'm sorry. Ms. Zondo-Dennis. Aye. Mr. Pinnabone. Aye. Mrs. Rose. Aye. Mr. Graziano. Aye. Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger. Aye. Mayor Panto. Aye. And Mr. Brown.

Aye.

A resolution authorizing the execution of a cooperation agreement with Carl Stirner Arts Trail Inc. for administration of hotel tax grant funded improvements. So moved.

Second. Dave, you want to just explain what we're going to do down there at the arts trail?

Yeah, so the arts show board was looking to create an amphitheater style seating in the hillside. So we're going to do a lot of the work in-house as much as we can. They received a hotel tax grant for $25,000. There is some work involved that we can't do in-house. And for that, we're going to go out for public bidding contract for it. Basically, a new path with sort of a pervious paver material. and so the county wanted us to have a cooperation agreement just so we could be the contracting party. Thank you.

Exciting project.

There was a motion on that. Yes, I got it. Roll call.

Mr. Pinnabon. Aye. Mrs. Rose. Aye. Mr. Graziano. Aye. Mrs. Hartrath-Bittinger. Aye. Mayor Panto. Aye. Mr. Brown. Aye. Ms. Sando-Dennis. Aye. A resolution authorizing Easton DCED to apply for a Northampton County Public Safety Grant.

So moved. Second. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? Roll call.

Mr. Pinnabone? Aye. Mrs. Rose? Aye. Mr. Graziano? Aye. Mrs. Hartroff-Bittinger? Aye. Mayor Panto? Aye. Mr. Brown? Aye. Ms. Zondo-Dennis? Aye. A resolution authorizing an agreement with THA Consulting for professional services to complete parking system evaluation phase one. So moved.

Second.

Move to second discussion. Roll call.

Mr. Graziano.

Aye.

Mrs. Hartruff-Bittinger.

Aye. Mayor Panto. Aye.

Mr. Brown. Aye. Ms. Dondo-Dennis. Aye. Mr. Pinnabone. Aye. Mrs. Rose. Aye.

Okay, we want to do an introduction of new bills, Madam Clerk.

Bill number 22, an ordinance amending Chapter 560, Vehicles and Traffic.

So introduced.

Bill number 24, an ordinance amending 435-15, Stop Work Orders. So introduced. Bill number 25, an ordinance amending sections of chapter 515, refilling excavations. So introduced. Bill number 26, an ordinance amending sections of chapter 560, parking in prohibited areas. So introduced.

At this point in our meeting, we have a public comment on any item facing the city of Easton. Artie. You got to go to the microphone because we're streaming. For all of the thousands and thousands of people that are home watching it.

Marty Ravitz, 144 Church Street, Easton. I would like to know if there's any progress on making an extra parking space on 2nd Street.

We looked at it and we're working on that. And you were right. Anyone else? Seeing none, we'll move on to...

I'll make a motion to adjourn. I'll second that. I third it. You want to stay?

Huh? You want to stay? No, you had no report.

No, Mayor. Okay. Okay.

We're adjourned. We're adjourned. We're adjourned.

Thank you, everyone, for coming out.

Mayor Panto? Aye. Mr. Brown? Aye. Mr. Dennis? Aye. Mr. Pinnabone? Aye. Mrs. Rose? Aye. Mr. Graziano?

Aye.