City Council - Regular Meeting

Yes, sir. How are you?

How you doing? How are you? I don't know.

Start crying. Lean on my shoulder. Hi, how are you? You want to lead us in prayer tonight? Was your last meeting, so I figured I'd ask you?

I can. would like to address the um call the stated session of city council to order. Please rise for the invocation by our council member Reverend um Roger Regals who's studying to be a minister and is actually has a couple churches that he does his pastoral care for. I'd like to at least let him say the invocation for the last meeting that he'll be attending.

Almighty creator, we thank you for the many gifts that you have given to this city, we ask that you guide us into the future. keep us mindful of all of the needs of our res residents and allow us to make wise decisions. We thank you again for the many things that you have given to us. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Madam clerk, [clears throat] [clears throat] Mr. Brown here. Mr. Edinger here. Mr. Pinnabone here. Mrs. Rose here. Dr. Rugles here. Miss Sultana here. Mayor Panto here. Approval of the agenda. Move. Move. Second. Second. Is there any addition or deletions? Roll call. Madam clerk. Mr. Edinger. I. Mr. Pinnabon. I. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Ruggles. I. Mr. Sultana. Hi. Mayor Panto. I. Mr. Brown. I.

Action on the minutes of our November 25th meeting. So moved. Moved. Is it seconded? Second. Moved and seconded. Roll call. Madam clerk. Any [clears throat] additions or corrections or deletions? Roll call. Madam clerk. Mr. Pinone. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Rugles. Hi. Miss Sultana. Hi. Mayor Panto. Hi. Mr. Brown. Hi. Mr. Edinger.

Hi. Okay. At this time, we have a They're not here. Do I see Bill? No, I don't see Bill. So, they're not here. So, we'll skip over presentation. Council go right to public comment on agenda items only. You will have time at the end of the meeting to talk about uh anything any situations with uh I was I'm sorry Olga I should have introduced you to speak. No that's okay. I'm here to speak on the first public comment. So go ahead. Is that okay? Yes.

Uh, Miss Negron, Olga Negron, as we know her affectionately, Olga is also the executive director of the Latino Commission under the governor Josh Shapiro. So, it's wanted to make sure I introduce her appropriately since I'm the chair for the go for the commission under Olga and the governor. So, I wanted to do a formal introductions. Thank you. We welcome her.

Thank you. That's half of my speech already. Louise [laughter] and nothing else to say. Uh so I'm here to speak on the uh resolution establishing language access for the city of Eastern. And I am going to start by saying in the work that I've been uh leading with Governor Shapiro's uh Latino Commission on Latino Affairs, which like you heard Louis says, he is the chairman of my commission. uh we have uh addressed language access as a priority and uh and I'm just going to read some brief of what we have accomplish uh in order to better support what you are trying to do here. Uh every Pennsylvania should have the freedom to chart their own course and a real opportunity to succeed by delivering services in multilingual languages. We are efficiently and effectively supporting all our residents who speak languages other than English and are looking for good jobs, opening business, raising families, and contributing to their communities. There should be no wrong door in Pennsylvania to access government services. Residents should be able to get important, timely information from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, just like in the city of Eastern and all the other municipalities in languages that are easy for them to quickly understand. Some examples of our accomplishments uh since this this administration, the department of revenue have introduced a Spanish language online filing option in 2020 since 2023 for personal income tax returns. The Office of the Administration and the Department of Labor and Industry has launched a bilingual pay incentive pilot in April 2025 where individuals that work for the

Department of Labor and Industry and their job will benefit for uh someone that is bilingual. After several tests and approval, they will have a pay raise because they will serve the Commonwealth with two different languages. Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority published its statewide broadband plan supporting documents in 13 languages. The Department of State launched a Spanish and Chinese version of its voter registration website. All 76 Pendo driver license centers have language light services available via phone for over 300 languages. The Department of Human Services has its website and compass application available online in 16 languages just to name a few. But the work continue as we move forward. The office of the administration hired a language access manager and this is directed to the work that uh Luis uh campus led with uh the governor advisory commission on Latino affair. So now we have a language access manager who is working in coordination with all agencies with language access coordinators and has has launched a website of language access resources for the public. Luis has the QR that we'll share with all of you so you can have access to this information because it's open to the public free of charge. I would like to thank my Gakla chairman for recommending the Shapiro administration to take a closer look at language access to better serves Latinos and immigrants across Pennsylvania and for taking a bigger step to make sure that the city you help lead is doing the

same. Thank you, Mayor Panto. Thank you, Luis Campos. I am proud to work for the Shapiro administration as the executive director of the Governor Commission on Latino Affairs. And as such, I will continue to work with my commissioners across the Commonwealth to make sure that the one two 1.2 million Latinos in Pennians know that no matter what they look like, where they come from, who they love, or who they pray to, there is a place here in Pennsylvania. And as a side note, not directly to language access, but important to you and me, next year I am also the vice chair of the Pennsylvania Latino Convention, uh, which, uh, Luis is part of the committee, and next year the Pennsylvania Latino Convention will happen right here in Easton. So, I hope I see everybody then. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Olga.

[clears throat]

Mark Rosenwag from Governor Wolf Building on North Second. Um I'm speaking as a member of um Lehigh Valley DSA and I'm speaking to the resolution on U welcoming city. Um, I speak tonight in support of the revised welcoming city resolution because the moment demands more than symbolic reassurance. It demands clarity, courage, and a firm line draw against the expanding climate of fear that has settled over immigrant communities across the Lehi Valley and in cities around the country. For months now, families in this region have lived under the threat of stepped up ICE enforcement. These are not rumors. These are not political talking points. These are lived realities. Parents who've built their entire lives here, who work in our restaurants, care for our elders, raise children and our schools, work on our roads, build our houses, now live with the constant anxiety that the next knock on the door could end everything. We hear that people of white hospitals, even when sick, fearing their information could be shared. Others skip reporting crimes or unsafe conditions because they worry any interactions with law enforcement could expose them. This is happening not in distant border towns, but right here in the Lehigh Valley. And we would be dishonest with ourselves if we pretend that the renewed aggressiveness of federal immigration sweeps has nothing to do with the national political climate. We're living in the shadow of an administration that's made good on promises of mass deportations, expanded raids, and broad dis uh discretionary enforcement. These policies do not distinguish between long-term residents and recent arrivals, between contributing uh community members and imagined threats.

Everyone who lacks secure status is swept to the same net. Under these conditions, a city like Easton can't simply declare itself welcoming and hope that kindness alone will protect people. The previous pre-Trump2 era welcoming city resolution expressed admirable intentions. But intentions do not hold up under the pressure of an emboldened federal apparatus. Without clear guidance, immigrants are left guessing about whether city employees can ask about their status, whether police can act on ICE detainers without judicial warrants, whether cooperation with federal enforcement might expand quietly in the background without public oversight. That's why Councilwoman Sultana's amendments mattered so much. The additional clauses do something the older resolution never did. They acknowledge the real and ongoing escalation of ICE activity. They recognize that the federal government's posture is no longer neutral or predictable. And they assert that Eastston has not just the right but the obligation to draw boundaries around the use of its own resources. These amendments gave the resolution coherence. They give it moral weight. They give it the beginnings of enforcability. The beginnings of enforcability. This is not about obstructing federal law. It's about ensuring our local government is not drafted into federal immigration enforcement in ways that break trust and endanger families. It's about making sure that when a resident calls for the police for help, they're not setting themselves up for detention. It's about guaranteeing that our city workers focus on serving the public, not screening the public. It's about stating plainly that we will not allow our schools, hospitals, shelters, libraries, and city offices to become informal extensions of immigration policy and policing. It is about resisting fear

because fear is the quiet destroyer of community. It isolates people. It drives them into the shadows. It creates a two uh a two uh faced uh uh standard for populations at which some are safe and others are left to navigate life in a state of constant jeopardy. No city that allows such a divide to deepen can call itself healthy. Some will say this goes too far. Others will say it does not go far enough. Some will warn without evidence that federal funding could be threatened. These arguments are unfortunately familiar. They've been raised in city after city, year after year. They rarely stand up to scrutiny. What they do accomplish, however, is delay. Delay means inaction. And inaction in the current climate has consequences measured in human lives. The revised welcoming city resolution is not a cure all. It will not change federal law, but it will set a standard for East. It will tell our residents, "If you live here, you belong here. If you live here, your city will not turn its back on you. If you live here, the services your tax dollars support are yours without fear. And if you're targeted unjustly, you won't face that danger alone. We postponed this long enough. The ordinance that once offered uh stronger protections was blocked as an ordinance before it could even be debated properly. The earlier resolution was watered down until it was little more than an aspiration. But these amendments restore purpose. They restore clarity. And they give us something real to vote for. Tonight, I ask this council to act not out of symbolism, but out of responsibility. I ask you to look beyond the rhetoric of fear and focus instead on the reality faced by thousands of your neighbors. I ask you to pass this resolution with the strengthened language intact so that Eastston can meet this moment with integrity. Let's make it plain that Easton won't be a pipeline feeding our families into federal def detention. Let us affirm that our city won't be used as an arm of immigration enforcement. Let us build

the kind of trust that strengthens communities rather than fractures them. A welcoming city is not a slogan. It's a commitment. And commitment means nothing unless we're willing to stand firmly behind them when the political climate shifts. I urge you to vote yes on this revised welcoming city resolution. Our immigrant neighbors deserve nothing less and our city deserves nothing less. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mark. Good afternoon. My name is Ronald Byron Johnson. Uh good afternoon, mayor, members of East City Council. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak tonight. I want to begin with sincerity. I appreciate the work each of you has done for our city. EN is a complex community with diverse needs, and I recognize that balancing those needs takes time, energy, and a willingness to listen. I'm here this evening to ask for something simple, but meaningful. The passage of the welcoming resolution. This resolution is not a sweeping policy change. It is and it does not alter pol policing practices, does not create new financial burdens and does not impose new mandates. What it does is clearly affirm who we are as a city and what kind of community we want to be. Easton has always prided itself on being vibrant, diverse, and forwardinking. We talk often about our city where people come from different backgrounds and come together whether through business, culture, neighborhoods, or faith communities. Passing a welcoming resolution is a natural continuation of that identity. It simply puts into writing what many of us already know. East values every person who calls this city home. In the past several months, many residents, including myself, have stood here to express why this matters. And I want to acknowledge that we've felt

heard at times. We've seen council members ask thoughtful questions and show interest in understanding our concerns. We appreciate that engagement. It builds trust and demonstrates that dialogue is possible, even when opinions differ. But dialogue reaches its purpose when it leads to action. So tonight, respectfully and diplomatically, I am asking this council to move the welcoming resolution forward. The community has shown patience. We have come here meeting after meeting offering constructive input and clear reasoning. Now, we ask that Eastn City Council demonstrate that this public participation truly matters. Passing this resolution sends a message that Eastston is committed to being a safe, stable, and inclusive place for all residents, longtime Eastn families and newly arrived families alike. It tells our local businesses, our workforce, our community organizations, and our youth that Easton stands by its values, even in a time where national rhetoric can be divisive. Importantly, passing the resolution does not force your hand on future ordinances. It does not obligate the city to adopt further measures. It simply signals that Eastston acknowledges and values the contributions of all its residents and it creates a foundation upon which future policy discussions if and when this council chooses to engage in them can be built. I want to emphasize that this resolution is a baseline. It is a minimum step but minimum steps matter. They establish clarity. They prevent mixed messages. They affirm

belonging. And they demonstrate that when residents show up to participate in the democratic process, Eastn City Council shows up, too. So tonight, I'm asking, please bring the welcoming resolution to a vote. Let us move this forward together, respectfully, collaboratively, in a way that reflects the best of Eastston's character. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh, Luke Downtown East. Mayor, council, neighbors, thank you for hearing me speak again tonight. I want to begin by acknowledging something that we will likely hear this evening. That we have been a welcoming city since 2017. And that's tonight's resolution simply reaffirms our long-standing values. I wish that were fully true, but tonight's agenda contains something that forces us to confront a contradiction. The proposed the proposed licensing agreement with Flock Safety, a private license plate reader company whose data systems directly feed into the same national surveillance pipelines now being used to target immigrants, both undocumented and documented. This action is also directly harming American citizens born on US soil. If you are hearing or reading my words tonight, your rights are at risk. We cannot claim to be a welcoming city if we simultaneously expand tools that make it easier for ICE to find, track, and detain people in our community. Over the past day, I've read deeply disturbing reporting from the Financial Times and the American Civil Liberties Union that makes clear how dramatically ICE surveillance has escalated and how flock safety is directly enabling this practice by design. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security, an agency younger than me, is being transformed into what experts describe as a vast immigration drag net built on data collection and minimal oversight. Former ICE and DHS officials describe technologies originally intended to track terrorists now being used, in their words, quote, to track down grandmas to deport, end quote. They warn of a system with less oversight, more rulebreaking, and tools being used in ways no one ever intended. These are not activists saying this. These are the AY's own former leaders. These articles reveal the scope of this

drag net. License plate cameras, geoloccation data, credit reports, utility records, and vehicle registries purchased from data brokers to bypass constitutional protections. ICE's own data shows that twothirds of people arrested under this program have no c criminal convictions. This is not about the worst of the worst. It's about mass identification and removal at scale with minimal oversight and with tools that cost cast a very wide net. [clears throat] One federal judge ruled just last month that I illegally detained a man simply because agents were randomly running the license plates of vehicles traveling around them to find targets. In another case, a US citizen was pulled from her vehicle because it was registered to someone ICE considered a priority. She cried on video, "I'm a US citizen. Why are you doing this?" It was the third time ICE had stopped her. This is what license plate data enables. And here is the uncomfortable truth for our city. Flock safety is foundational to this ecosystem. Flock's business model is to collect and store plate reader data and integrate it into national networks for profit. Flock markets the system to police departments as tools for real-time intelligence. And once that data leaves our city, we do not control how it is used or who queries it. Even if we have internal policies, we cannot control what federal agencies do withorked data. We must ensure companies we invite to our city are here for the right reasons and match the identity of Easton we all seek to succeed in. Flock is not that company. They do not align with us or our beliefs or our goals. Increased traffic safety or the assumption of it should never come at the risk of resident safety. A welcoming city does not invest in surveillance tools that undermine the very protections we claim to value. A

welcoming city does not quietly expand data pipelines that can and will be used in the type of immigration drag net detailed in the Financial Times and ACLU articles. A welcoming city does not tell immigrant neighbors, you are safe here while installing technologies that make it easier for federal agencies to track our cars, our movements, and our addresses. Tonight's vote on the welcoming city resolution is not symbolic. It is not redundant. It is just it is not just reaffirming the status quo. It is clarifying who we are in this moment when national policy is shifting toward unprecedented surveillance and mass deportation. It requires more than words. It requires aligning our actions, including our technology choices with our values. If we pass a resolution declaring ourselves a welcoming city while simultaneously approving a contract that expands the exact kind of data collection feeding ISIS's national drag net, then the resolution becomes a statement without substance. It becomes a contradiction our residents will feel most intensely in the immigration in the immigrant community is already living in fear. As Senator Ron Weiden said in the article, ICE is using these tools to quote short circuit due process, avoid seeking court orders, and get around Americans Fourth Amendment rights end quote. We should not help them, not intentionally, not accidentally, not through systems that are proven to be abused by ICE. And if we want to protect our residents, all of them, we cannot separate the welcoming city resolution from the flock safety vote. They are linked. They are about the same thing. Whether our city chooses to protect civil liberties or to participate even indirectly in the expanding immigration surveillance state, I urge you pass the welcoming city resolution and reject technologies that undermine it. We cannot call

ourselves welcoming while building the infrastructure of fear. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Anyone else like to address city council on any item on agenda items only? Hearing none, we'll go on. Uh there's no consent agenda. There's no report received by council. So, we'll move on to a report to the committee's finance committee. Vice Mayor Brown.

Thank you, Mayor. I um I don't actually have a report this evening, but I do want to talk about two things as we go forward. Report my information. I want to report on park. Uh that is going well. Uh we're into the final stages of right now. Comedian has been talking in reference to a former opening. Uh we're looking maybe in spring because of the weather. Uh the work over there has slowed down somewhat. Um in about two weeks the apparatuses will be in place. Uh but it will take into spring for the saw and the uh rest of the things to be planted. So we're looking at some time in spring for an official um dedication uh tonight. Uh mayor, um I have the resolution that council passed for the park and I want to read this out loud and unfortunately um Kevin Ketcher could not make it this evening. He called me lady. Uh but uh Mr. Boyer is here and it reads as such. Whereas the city of East committed to recognizing the contributions of his citizen and historic significance of a public space and whereas the city of East recently completed a renovation to the Nesonian Memorial Park as a historical black cemetery located on eastern southside. And whereas the city desires to rename the park in honor of two trailblazers, Eastern resident Clarion Ber and Francis Ketchin, who have made a significant impact to the city of East and its residents and whom

have met them. And whereas Clarion Ber a longtime Eastern resident was a community activist, a volunteer, Miss Ber worked with many of the eastern civil rights pioneers fighting for greater representation of area black community. She is the founding member of the Southside Neighborhood Center as well as a longtime member of the Eastern Branch of the NACP. She has was an advocate, a for racial equality and a exemplary role model for her family and those who knew her. And whereas Francis Ketchin was a person of many firsts, the first black cashier downtown East area, a coordinator for the Ingro Trade Union, leadership, a council uh committee relationship specialist for the Eastern Redevelopment Authority, a family case worker for family counseling of Eastern PA. Miss Ketchum was very much involved in her eastern community, sharing their talents on several boards such as operating committee on the Northampton County Vocational Technical School, the Southside Neighborhood Center, Lehi Valley United Way, and the youth council of Lehi Valley Manpower Program and Shalom Manor. And now therefore be it resolved and council and the city of Houston County PA accepts and approve the following. Official name of the park currently known as Escon memorial park is hereby changed to read a claring board and Francis Ketcher memorial effective immediately. The city of eastern staff as directed update all official records, signatures on the line

and information reflecting the new name of the park and the city of East ensures proper signatures and suitable plaques and memorial to be installed. If Martin is here today, I'd like to present this to him. We got city council in the city. Well, um, first of all, good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of city council, and, uh, fellow neighbors. On behalf of my mom, she would be, and Mrs. Ketchum as well, very honored [clears throat] and pleased with this. I think as a young boy back in the uh 60s uh how involved both these uh trailblazers and uh foot soldiers in the fight for equality were involved. Sometimes I find myself talking with family members and recalling my mom, all the work that you did, taking a bus uh from East to work in a sewing factory in Allentown at 6:00 in the morning, work uh walking from Southside to catch the bus and um during the Christmas season and uh Easter, how she uh got gifts for all the kids in the family uh how she formed a Girl Scout troop and Delaware terrorist

when her two daughters were rejected because of their race at a uh Girl Scout troop on the south side. After working a full day, coming home and uh mentoring these girls uh in the evening and sometimes working two jobs to support the family. And I thought to myself, how how the hell does she do all this? You know, and Francis Ketchin also another trailblazer. So, um, they both, uh, certainly be very pleased. Uh, they were exceptional women. My mom was a very opinionated woman. Sometimes I would tell her, "Mom, [snorts] you need to, you know, tone it down a little bit." And she says, "I am who I am."

That's what she said. [laughter] So I mean uh it's just amazing when I think back of it. So it's a wonderful honor and I am very pleased on behalf of uh the family to accept this and thank you Ken. Thanks uh for the uh commission that that you're heading and I look forward to this spring as far as being there uh for the unveiling of this wonderful park. So thank you all. Thank you again. If there's any council member that would like to say something, please.

I would just like to say that I knew both women and I feel that I'm a better person because of that. Um, I grew up in Delaware Terrace. The the the Boyer family was my neighbors were my neighbors. I went to school with his sister Maria and uh still friends with her today. Um, and I just think that the one thing that I would like to say is that Eastston has always been, you can put in words anything you want, but actions are louder than words. And welcoming is what we are. And we welcome people of all colors, all nationalities, all religions, all backgrounds, and all it doesn't matter who you love. We welcome people. And I don't want to express my real opinion because Carlton Ketchin is my assistant and he's currently in rehab center out in Northampton Street um because he had a stroke while he was on vacation. And uh I just want to remember that Francis Ketchum was on the schoolboard when I was appointed as a teacher and Mrs. Boyer was a mentor of mine and I will always remember Maria and Teresa and Marvin and Joe and all those all the kids in that family. They were good people and Marvin is is now the the patriarch of the family and he is good people and that's what I hope all of you are good people and I hope I could be a good person too. So thank you and I want to thank Mr. Brown for identifying these two people for this um honor and bestow upon them. And I'm glad that I'll be mayor next year so that I can unveil the the sign that says the Claren Boyer and Francis Ketchin Memorial Park. Anybody else? I'd like to say something. Um, I had an opportunity to have both of

them as my boss at one point in my my career. Um, I remember moving from Philadelphia, moving into the Delaware Terrace, and my uh uh my sister wanted something to do and somehow the word got back to Miss Porter that we had a sister in the house and she came down and she talked to my mother and she put her in the Girl Scouts and uh that was a stepping stone for my sister to move on in their career. Uh, Miss Ber, I would tell you, was a trailblazer, a real trailblazer along with Miss Ketchum. Um, I can remember succinctly uh making sure that uh African-Americans that time was having their rights and and being heard. Uh, there was a uh people like uh Thomas Bright, but there was always women behind that scene always. And for me, I wanted to make sure that them trail beliefs came forward. Uh, as far as business catching goes, um, many talks about, uh, things as I was young, I remember she had a a place down here in the circle, I think it was called Ebony, where she would tutor uh, African-American uh, students, uh, help people with resume, show them how to prepare to do an application. And when I was younger and full disclosure, she caught me taking candy from the candy thing and at Mohiggins [laughter] and she said to me, "Mr. Brown, wouldn't you like to put that back?" And I did. But uh no, it's just is a real honor for me to be able to do this. I thank them both. Um I know they looking down from heaven and thanking each and every one of us. Thank you. and very upset that you did that.

Oh yeah, because they were humble. Very humble people. Very humble. Yes. Okay, we'll move on to um anything else you need to report. No, no. Economic development. Councilman Pidabone.

Thank you, mayor. A few uh projects that the department is working on. Um they're currently working with the city administrator to develop Lehigh Valley Community Foundation Fund, which will raise money for the Hooper House restoration. currently working with multiple entities in developing funding and content for the forthcoming local 250th celebration. The department also applied for a fair grant for uh the RDA, the redevelopment housing author uh authority for $500,000 and we closed a $145,000 grant for the Bushkill Drive pump house. Um some other activities. Uh recently the department onboarded a new part-time trolley driver to support the winter village uh event that we're having this year. Mayor, as you may recall in the summer, I brought a a resolution or a bill forward um holding council members accountable for their attendance. Part of that bill was uh at the end of every year, which this would be the last year of uh last meeting of 2025, um every council member's attendance would be read out um to hold all of us accountable. So, I have that. I'm going to start at the left side of the deas. Councilwoman Rose had one absence in 2025. Councilwoman Sultana had three absences in 25. Councilman Rugles had six absences in 25. Mayor had zero absences in 25. Councilman Brown had two absences in 25. I had zero absences in 25. And Councilman Edinger had three absences in 25. That's all for my report, Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. Pinter. Uh, planning and coach committee. Council member Rose.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, we have two upcoming zoning meetings. Um the regular monthly meeting is um on December 15th and there is a special zoning meeting to um review the the proposed development at 74 North Fourth Street. I know any downtown residents especially have reached out to me about that uh project. So if anyone has any concerns or any any um feedback they'd like to share, they should uh attend the meeting on December 18th. Um, I also attended the last the meeting the last meeting for the planning commission where the warehouse rebuttal for what the Wood Avenue warehouse proposal was, um, denied at that meeting. And I just wanted to thank the planning commission members for spending over the last year um, late night meetings um, really it was very evident that they put a lot of their own time and you know, as community volunteers, I'm very thankful for their work on that. That's all I have. Thank you.

Thank you. Public safety Councilman Rebels.

Thank you. Um I do want to report that um I did meet with the police chief this past week. Uh we discussed the uh uh possibility of having a relationship between the police department uh and Lafayette College. uh and uh there are capabilities there of of using LAR and uh bringing those capabilities uh expertise to the police department and the expertise of the police department to Lafayette College. I think it'll be a very good uh relationship. Uh I think that's going to be moving forward and uh I think it'll be something that'll be beneficial both ways. That's all I have. Um, Councilman Edinger, uh, public works.

I have no report. Mayor, Mrs. Sana, administration. Thank you, mayor. Um, we just heard a presentation from um the um what's her name? My god. Olga from the from the Governor Josh B's office. So, there is a new business uh coming from the administration. And there's a resolution establishing a language access policy for city of eastern. Uh there is another resolution F approving an agreement between the city of East and Tracy Wernner. Um and there is unfinished finished business which is we are approving the budget 22 629. That's all I have here.

Okay. Moving on we to reporter solicitor. Thank you. I I guess you don't push the light itself. Um the uh we did have an exact pusher says P US.

Yeah. [laughter] Oh, it's not very clear. Um the um at any event we had an executive session in which we covered a broad number of uh of topics that are appropriate in executive session which would include then uh employment issues uh and property issues and litigation issues. Um, I just want to make one other observation uh because I I appreciate the resolution that you're going to be voting on about the language access policy for the city of Eastston. Uh, but I I just to share with the commission members uh the I'm sorry, commission I I spent too much time with the planning commission. So, excuse me. Um, the council members um and the public. One of the one of the practical problems is that you have you have a plan here for interpretation and that's going to rely on an outside vendor and we just had a chance to look at uh one of these vendor contracts. I mean, I just had a chance to look at it this afternoon and only because of these comments, it just triggers the observation that unless the government could somehow come up with some protections for municipalities, when you get a vendor who wants an indemnification provision and wants some privacy provisions that make butttheads directly with the right to know request and and a and a uh choice of law that's in California, the solicitor's office is not going to recommend signing those. So there's a real there's ultimately depending on what that vendor is willing to negotiate because we don't know. I mean maybe they won't but you do have a problem when you rely on third parties. So unless we could come up with 25 local interpreters who will help administer this there could be some real practical problems of bringing this into compliance without without creating some huge financial exposure because that's what these indemnification provisions do. And these are and these vendors are

third parties that that you know are are business entities that can disappear tomorrow. So when they give you an indemnification, it means virtually nothing. Uh but for the taxpayer, you know, as long as as long as you can raise taxes, the the exposures uh uh um you know, totally open. So I mean that process is just beginning. But I I did I just did want to share with you that you prepare you pass something that has a great goal, but then you got to rely on an outside vendor. if you don't have the negotiating ability. So, I mean, the answer really would be for the Commonwealth to create a contract that's available to municipalities and the Commonwealth is the one if they need indemnification, we'll indemnify them somewhere along the line or somehow expand immunity for everybody doing these programs. So, it's just just an observation and uh I have nothing else to report.

Thank you, Mr. Shear. The reporter I'm sorry, Councilman Rose can pass it down. throw it like a dart. Oh, uh my report um I want to mention that uh last meeting we put Lewis campus on the housing authority. The housing authority has taken the position that they are independent and don't have to listen to the city. Well, we had many phone calls and Lewis was able to take care of that and Jackie and the phone calls were because we had no elevator service in a multi-story building

again for for senior citizens and we have one person who I know who came in my office in a wheelchair because she's wheelchair bound has been placed on the seventh floor. Those are the types of things that we're correcting. And I want everybody to know that the the the uh elevator is back in service. I believe.

Yeah. We had an interesting case and I asked this Mr. Shear to uh uh rule on it. Uh this board is the elected body of the bo of the city and we approved a obelisk down at the Scott Park for the um 100th anniversary of Alpha Fi Omega fraternity service fraternity and they are a service fraternity the world's largest fraternity and they're on just about every campus and um last night at the historic district commission they they voted it down and I just want to mention to the and I will have this looked at tomorrow. But it's a 15 foot obelisk. There's no doubt about it that that but it's not 100 ft. And they passed around this um this um picture that shows it. I would be against it, but it takes over the whole Scott Park. I mean, 15 feet doesn't take it. As a matter of fact, it's it's it's half of it is the level of the of the lights that are in Scott Park stage. So, I know it's not it's out of scale. So, I wanted to just bring that up. And um also, uh they're they're we have a groundbreaking for Diablo next week. We have a um gala coming up. We have they're donating this public art to the city. By the way, um last night we had a discussion about the budget and we had discussion about the pools. And as you may know, we all know, we have two pools, one at Eddie Side and one at Hy Park. Hyle is in desperate need and will probably be closing. We we brought it up the subject to the city council last night. It's probably gonna be closed for at least two years and that gives us Eddie side will be open every day. But Eddie Side and

Hy need work and most municipalities are just closing their pools and not reopening them and they're not putting the money into them. Eddie Side will need about $2 million worth of work and and and Hy needs about three and a half million and we will probably be discussing that in the next few weeks. So, I wanted the public to recognize that I will be giving my state of the city in the next couple of weeks. Uh, I guess it's in March. So, it's not a couple weeks, couple months. And in last year, I announced that we would make a priority the Eastern Suburban Water Authority, what we're going to do with it. Now, the water authority was started by the city to circumvent the public utility commission. So, we didn't have to go to public utility commission. We created an authority back in the 50s and it was um parking or that's another problem, water authority. We we couldn't charge the um suburbs, the area, suburban water outside the city. We couldn't charge them more than we charge ourselves. So, it was uniform or paruh across the board. Um we're negotiating with the water authority. My problem with the water authority being a separate entity going up every year at least 4%. I believe that the citizens you all and I put up of the money to build the water treatment facility and we're paying the same rate. I don't I don't think that's right. So we have done an appraisal of an back before I became mayor. they they they privatized or they leased the water facilities to the to to the water authority, which was great. I concurred with it. As a matter of fact, I spoke in favor of it at the um city council meeting because with all the other responsibilities we have at the city and all the other facilities that we own and the fleet

that we own, we just bought $3 million worth of uh fire department vehicles. We were letting the water plant go and it was beyond, you know, we don't we don't we should do all the preventive maintenance and we weren't doing it. So, we had to put a lot of money into it. But you and I put all that money into building it and getting it approved and and it was millions of dollars back in the 50s. It shouldn't benefit the suburban residents and it is. They're they're we [clears throat] have the lowest No, we are in on the low end of the water cost per person per family. I just don't think it's fair. I I'm all in favor of working regionally. However, it should not impinge upon the city residents, especially we have 18% on senior senior residents that are on fixed income and their water going up every year. They got to take it from somewhere. They're getting the same amount of money. and I don't just don't think it's fair. Um, so the water authority, we've been back and forth with them for the last 12 months and um, you'll hear more about that in the next few months, but the new council members that are here, I see Mrs. Herbert Benager and Mr. Graziano are here tonight. That'll be a big issue next year. What we did was we were we were leasing the facilities for $1.2 million. And I'm not saying anything against Mayor Bitman. He's a good friend of mine and I'm not saying against him. And why they made that decision, I don't know. But we had an appraisal done. That lease is not worth $1.2 million. It's worth $5.4 million. So the city's losing $4 million for the last 20 years. So I think we need per year per year. So I think we need to do something about that. And so we will either lease it for

$5.4 million a year or we will sell it. and that's up to this council to make that decision. I just want to thank um Madame Mrs. Rose, thank the um planning commission. I just want to remind city council that the next step in the process may come to us and be prepared to be here long hours as the planning commission was and that'll be in January. Um, also tonight's the last meeting for three of our three of our council members. And I just want to say, Mr. Edger, it was a pleasure having you on on city council after you served on zoning hearing board with my wife. So, I appreciate your service to the community. Um, Miss Miss Dr. Rugles is moving on to a a boss much higher than the mayor. He he he will answer to the man up above. And uh I wish you luck in your um pastoral ministry and um that doesn't mean we don't have to have lunch every breakfast every morning but and Mrs. Sultan, I would like to just thank you for your service to the council and for things you tried to open our eyes on. However, I will say that some of the publicity wasn't necessary, but I really appreciate your your your your service.

Thank you, ma'am. So to all of the rest of you, you will be here in January along with Mr. Graziano, Mrs. Mrs. Harraper, and Miss Julian Julia. Xando Rose uh Xando Dennis, excuse me. [laughter]

Sorry, Rose Crystal. And that's the end of my report. Um Mr. Campos, Mayor, I have a um a few items. Um so I'm I'm just gonna try to make this quick. Number one is the uh public financial management report that was presented to city council is now on the website. So I just want to make sure that that's public so you can access the PFM report. Um we have a tenative agree agreement with the ASME union. Um so we should have an agreement coming to council in January for approval. um until that contract is approved.

Since this is our last meeting, you're going to have to ask them to accept that. We won't vote on the raises and everything until after the new year. So, we want to The raises will be given to them in January 2nd because that has to be loaded into APA ADA. Yeah. I I think there's there's a few moving parts. So, that's part of ADP. There we go. Yeah, we'll talk to them about that. Mayor, good point.

Um the uh next item that we are in the interview process um for a new solicitor. Um so I'll just keep council um posted as u as we progress through that. a new a new assistant, excuse me, assistant. I mean, you can I'm not I'm not telling you you can't do both, but I just want to be clear there before I get any messages. When your card doesn't work, you'll know. [laughter]

Thank you. Thank you for the clarity. Um I was abbreviating it for the public, but it's the new assistant solicitor. All right. And then, um next, uh zoning and planning. Oh, excuse me, Mr. Gibbons. I forgot someone else's last meeting. That's Jeremy Clarks. Jeremy will be moving on to the top bench, the the judges quarter count, please. And I want to congratulate you again, but I also want to thank you for your service. It's been a pleasure having you as assistant solicitor. I'll see you in chambers. Um, and and that's another reason why I don't mind if you find two people.

Mayor, I I don't know if I had briefed city council. I know I've talked to you, many of you, one on one, but zoning and planning meetings will be broadcasted now live. So, I just want to make sure that that's um Thank you so much for doing that. Um and then the last item I just I want to take a moment and do a one minute presentation, but it may turn into a few minutes of talking. It's regarding parking because there's a lot of discussion on parking. So, we're trying to make um parking data uh more transparent. So, if you will look onto the board, Mark is going Madison, would you mark this? This this monitor does not work. It says signal lost.

Nope. Nope. No signal. No signal. Just as long as everyone can follow if there's folks at home following this and we can record this.

Um so, in the future you can find how to get this data. Um there's a lot of discussion there was a lot of discussion during the um summit um on different recommendations. One of them was to make the uh parking data transparent. So over the last year and a half, two years we've been working with different vendors and I think um this is right now a this is version one if you will. So we'll show you what we have. So Mark is at our website. So if you and Mark if you could start at the landing page like that way everyone knows because there's a a few clicks that we have to go through. So when you go to our website um you go up to government and there you can um find parking you scroll down there it is the parking department. a couple ways of finding. As you scroll down on the left side menu bar, well, first of all, don't don't click on that mark. Um, on the left side menu bar there, there's going to be a uh parking garage permits. But even before you get to the left side menu bar, you'll see that there is parking availability. This is by garage. All right, this is updated every 15 minutes. All right. So, you could sit in front of this computer or in front of your screen and every 15 minutes go ahead and log and record um parking availability in both of the garages. All right. And then we give you a a more a broader view over a larger period of time by clicking on the the parking garage metrics. So, if you click here, scroll down,

Mark. All right. This will give you um the last the last 30 day view. So let me a couple things here that I want to note if you just leave it there. Perfect. Um number one is so what this is not going to what this is not going to tell you specifically is the reasons why we went over 100%. Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna narrow in on November 29th, right? November 29th and then November. Good day. November 30th. That's a good date. Okay. November.

People were born in that day. It's a very important day for the mayor because it was his birthday. But also um celebrating with him were a few thousand people downtown. And also um with that um council made a a decision to pass a res resolution to open up the um garages um at no cost. It's a in an effort um goodwill effort to invite the public into town

um to shop and um start off the um holiday season. But as you can see, what that did was it it created some spikes. And so when you look at the spikes here um in particular, not just due to the um to the the holiday season starting and the resolution passed by council, but if you look at the other spikes prior to that um to the left, um that's also due to the state theater. And then specifically what happens on those days is we open up the administration opens up the gates. So there's no there's no more record for the um the amount of vehicles that are coming in. It's just going to show plus 100%. I want to make sure everyone understands that. But at the same time it becomes a manual process because our public works folks have to keep a certain amount of spaces open um for our monthly parkers. The other um aspect that I want to also bring to your attention on that is that that's usually a window between 5:00 pm 5 pm till about 10:00 maybe 9:30 10 o'clock then the numbers dissipate significantly but you don't see that reflected in this garage per se until like the next day when we lower the gates and the counter starts again. I just want everyone to understand that when they look at this data, um that's what's happening with those spikes. Um so while this is better data than what we have in an effort to be transparent, um there's still some issues with it and and those are the issues and for right now I don't see us um overcoming those issues at least in the short run. We've tried um as recently as this this past weekend to leave the gates down so we could have the counter going, but what happens is with this influx of parkers coming in quickly and then leaving, exiting at the

same time, it creates a gridlock. So, um right now we have not only DPW but also um uh the police department controlling the um not only the outflow of the garage but then also the intersections so the traffic lights um are not creating a bottleneck. So we're we're we're trying to push people in and push people out. So I just wanted to make sure everyone understood that. Um and so this gives you a good idea. Now, if you take these off peak hours, as you all know, we have peak hour issues. Um, in between, you can see more of a realized like what what what our actual um experiences um with regards to the garage. The last thing I do want to mention is that um last weekend, and we're going to do the same thing this weekend, um St. John's uh church allowed the city to utilize their lots. So, I'm happy to report um that on Fourth Street um the uh both lots uh both St. John's which has about 50 uh spaces and then also the social security lot which has about 65 spaces. They they were seemingly about 80 to 90% uh full. Um, I drove by just so just to get a visual uh Friday night and took a look Saturday night and the reports back from our park and enforcement officers is that at least on uh Friday and Saturday there were minimal if any tickets violations um given most folks were actually paying um with with the app. So I mean that was positive. Um I expect in talking to St. John's that we're going to have a long-term right now. We just did it as a one-off for the weekend, but we're going to have a long-term then lease agreement with them starting in January. So, I'm going to come back to city council. We did have that on the uh on the council agenda. The press picked it up and reported on it, but we're diligently working with them, and I think this past

weekend and this weekend coming up um is going to be a good example and case study that um this partnership can work. So, um, that's my update on on parking. Mayor, just something that I noticed when I was leaving the other day is the social security lot still has a sign up there that says uh, permit parking only. I I think it's a sign from when they had it before. Yeah. And it's not It kind of predicts our city sign that's up there. that that's on. Usually our guys are pretty good for taking it down. Um I'll make sure they they they take it down.

We do have some um for ease of use right now some uh sandwich boards and we're updating those sandwich boards. I know what that is. I saw that there but then this one was a permanent sign that was stuck in the ground and I it was just confusing. Okay, I'll take a All right. So that that's different from the sandwich board. Oh yeah, it's defin Yeah, it was definitely different than the sandwich board was there but to the as you're entering where it said free and the signs said permit only. Permit only, right? Yeah. So, it it's just confusing. That's all. All right. We'll do we'll take care of that. We'll take a look at that. All right. That that's my that's my Are there any questions on that?

All right. Well, if if not, I I've already reviewed this um with the different departments. So, um this data is going to be available to planning and zoning. Um I mean, there's there's more information this doesn't tell you, but this is a a start. So, um, you know, that's my report, Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Campos, and welcome to the city of East permanently. [laughter] Okay. Um, going back to the agenda, um, we have no correspondent, so we'll go right into new business. Madam clerk, we have a resolution approving an agreement between the city of Easton and Key codes inspection agency.

So, move. Second move to second. Any questions? Mr. Thor, Mr. Tilman is here. And uh if you have any questions, he'll be glad to answer them. Roll call. Mayor Panto. Hi. Mr. Pinone. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Ruggles. Hi. Mr. Sultana. Hi. Mr. Brown. I. Mr. Edinger. I. A resolution establishing a language access policy for the city of East. So moved. Second.

Moved and second. I'd just like to say that the language access policy is more important to me than the resolution is on a board tonight. It shows again in actions that the city is providing for a language barriers are really bad right now. And for a person who has a language barrier, how many different languages we're going to have? I will I'm going to provide a report to the city on that. But there are multiple languages. the the dominant second language would be Spanish, but there are multiple languages that are spoken that are spoken um through the data that that we're collecting is through our website through the queries that are coming in.

And on our website, we also have 136 languages. That's correct. At least the information can be translated to to many different languages, more than we we have. So, I just want to point out that not only did we pass the resolution, Dr. Regels resolution 2017. We are putting into actions more than we're into words. So keep going, Mr. Madam Clerk. We have a motion. You can you can vote. Mr. Pinnabon. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Ruggles. Hi. Mr. Sultana. Hi. Mr. Brown. Hi. Mr. Edinger. Hi. Mayor Panto.

I. A resolution authorizing David Hopkins to approve reimbursement agreements within the PEND dots reimbursement system. So moved. Second. Moved and second discussion. Roll call. Mrs. Rose. I. Dr. Ruggles. I. Miss Sultana. I. Mr. Brown. I. Mr. Edinger. I. Mayor Panto. I. Mr. Pinnabon. I. A resolution approving a developer agreement with ABDA properties on West Nescooning Street project. Some moved. Second. Move the second discussion. Roll call. Dr. Rugles. I. Miss Sultana. I. Mr. Brown. I. Uh, Mr. Edinger. Hi. Mayor Panto.

Hi. Mr. Pinnabone. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. A resolution approving a license agreement with Flock Safety for the installation of uh LPR camera on a city-owned street light. I'm going to move it. And hopefully we'll have some discussion afterwards. Moved. Is there a second? Second with discussion. A second. Discussion. I I I I was wondering, mayor, if we could table this vote and get more of a a better presentation and bring it back later.

Going to ask the same thing. Um I have some questions about what our data policy is and how we address this. I also have questions. Um, and this might be um, this is a question for our solicitor. Um, I know that a judge in Washington ruled that police images taken by flocks AI license plate scanning cameras are public records that can be requested as part of a normal public record request. I'm not sure. I know it's a different state. Is that something that we have to dig into a bit more? That could really inundate us. And I mean, I also have concerns about I I've never seen our data policy in regards to camera images and data. I I I have a lot of questions and I I would agree that if we could table it and discuss it in January, I think that um that would be helpful. I I don't feel that I could vote on this tonight personally.

Mayor, if we could if we could bring it back to looking forward to the answer though. Well, I I don't know. Right. your your speculation is correct that the right to know laws for Washington are obviously likely very different from those from Pennsylvania and I have not researched this this issue because frankly no one no one raised it to me yet and I wouldn't be able to do it in January uh so you'd have to wait for the whoever the new right to know officer would be to review that but uh so I don't want to shoot from the hip as to whether or not that these documents would be uh releasable or not and I I think the retention policies are important

also who's who's using it. This isn't the one for the DA's office. They they requested one a while back. I don't know who's requesting the camera, which might also come into play as to who's the agency that request would go through. So, if it is for another agency, it wouldn't even be for the city to decide whether or not it's public. Someone else would have to make that fight with Office open records. Mayor, could we um bring it to committee next month and then we can start having the discussion chief, can it wait till January? That's not That's Dave Hopkins. Oh, that's Dave. That's Dave. That's the garage. Yeah, that's the garages.

No, it's what he what he talked about yesterday where they can they can look at potential accidents or potential hit and runs or pedestrian. That's the AI camera that's down at Larry Holmes Drive and Third Street, right? I mean, even for that, I'm I'm curious about what our data policy looks like. And there are I when I started digging into this a little bit more that there are a lot of lawsuits out there with other municipalities and I just want to make sure I know the intention is safety. I don't see a problem tableing it. No, it's a mixed committee. I'm also reading a report from Pendot already has it up. I mean they're already using it.

Mayor, I'm I'm looking at a report from from 2023 investigation that found block cameras misidentified or led police to stop the wrong vehicle in multiple states. uh and families have been held at gunpoints because of a camera error. A type of blade misread can escalate into a traumatic or even dangerous encounter. That that's the investigation report in 2023. Well, so that that raised some serious concerns. All right. So, we're going to table till next month. By the way, ju just as a consideration and of course there's a big difference whether the city's directly involved, which would be here in the sense of allowing the you know the pole to be used. That that's the reason why we're involved. We have no other I think they have it on their poll.

Agree. The a the AI cameras on their pole. That is a state intersection. Yeah. The request is for re to use our poll. Well, they're they're on they're on a traffic signal standard. Well, that's not what your res your resolution is. I know your resolution says our city. I don't think it is our I I mean I was just going to point out that that they could put cameras anywhere else and I I but I don't know who they I don't know who they're doing it for. I I you know this

Mr. Hopkins when he sent the agenda items to be approved, it says the uh introduced for approval resol resolution for license agreement with block for the installation of an LPR camera on a city-owned street light. The camera is being installed at the request of the county district attorney's office to monitor vehicles on Route 22. Oh, so it's not even Larry Holmes driving. Okay, mayor. Do we need to vote on the table? Yes. Okay. [clears throat] So, uh who has a second? Mr. Brown. Yes. Okay. Okay.

We're voting the table. Okay. Um Mr. Brown, I Mr. Edinger. Hi, Mayor Panto. Hi, Mr. Pinter. Hi, Mrs. Rose. Hi, Dr. Rugles. Hi, Miss Sultana. I resolution approving an agreement between the city of East and Tracy Warner doing business as blackmouth communications. So moved. Second. Moved in second discussion. Roll call. Mayor Panto. I. Mr. Pinnabone. I Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Rugles. I miss Sultana. Hi. Mr. Brown. Hi.

Mr. Edinger. Hi. That's all we have under new business. Unfinished business. Unfinished. Okay. Uh, bill number 81, an ordinance amending chapter 515, streets, sidewalks, and special events. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Roll call. Mrs. Rose. I. Dr. Rugles. I. Miss Sultana. Hi. Mr. Brown. Hi. Mr. Edinger. Hi. Mayor Pano. Hi. Mr. Pinnabon I bill number 83 an ordinance approving the 2026 budget. So moved. Second.

Moved and second. Is there a discussion?

I have um something I wanted to bring up. Um, so regarding I know last night we during the budget meeting we had the East 2 250th celebration um, presentation and I'd like to request that we roll that back from the 90,000 requested to 50,000. I I am in support of the fireworks and the projectors. We can use them again, but what I'm asking to be removed is the $15,000 towards the picnic. um the $10,000 towards decorations, $10,000 uh in banners and flags, 5,000 in the billboard, the 5,000 in a mural. I I just think we already have a celebration. We have heritage day festival. And when we had the executive director of the GDP here yesterday, one of the things he mentioned that could elevate the event was money for better music acts. Um as they, you know, better acts [cough and clears throat] are costlier. I I I just don't think it's the taxpayers's money. I think that we should be uh very conscious with that. And we're not party planners. Like we if if we're putting money towards something that is going to elevate an event, I understand that. But we really need to we may need the money for a comprehensive plan, which the city needs more. We we're on going on year two that we're talking about having a comprehensive plan. We know that a consultant is going to c be very costly. And I'm more of a fan of having that money go to something like that that we need um versus adding another event that they are going to have to fund raise for because last night I had also asked like who all each one of those items has um a sponsorship goal attached to them too and I just don't think that that belongs in the budget this year. Um and I'm hoping um others will hear me out on

that. Thank you. We have a form of a motion to delete um picnic decorations and decorations for small businesses. You're talking about the decorations for small business. You're talking about the banners.

The banner. The thing the two items I'd like to keep are the fireworks and the projectors because we could use those again at another event. But I I think the other items it just if and if anyone needs reference, there was a presentation that is available on the city's YouTube. I just don't think that there's a good good plan in place. It just doesn't seem fleshed out. And then we're also hoping that sponsorship dollars will come in and the heritage day already needs sponsors. The GDP is already soliciting sponsors for that. So to add on another event on top of that, I think it I think it's excessive. You need your microphone, please.

Mayor, what we what we want to do is put on the board put the um so far the uh amended changes um that uh Well, let's talk about Mrs. Rose's um comments first about the Do we want to make those changes?

Oh, mayor, if I may. Um, I agree with Councilwoman Rose. The 15,000 for the cookout and as it currently was presented yesterday, we're charging residents $2 visitors $10 for hamburgers and hot dogs along the river. I I just don't see I just don't it doesn't make much sense. Um if if we are going to if there's a majority decision to take that money, I would ask that one of my amendments puts $25,000 towards the comp plan. Um I would like to see us redirect that money towards the comp plan as well.

I concur. That's a good idea.

I I have no problem with the comp plan. Um we are trying to get $150,000 grant from the state. Um, if we get it, great. If we don't get it, we have to come up with the money. But, um, I don't have a problem with what they want to do here. What with I I believe that you only have one 250th birth birthday. And since we are the third public reading of the Declaration of Independence, we have a major role to play. And I think we should be doing something more than we're doing now. And if it's just fireworks and projector units, I I think we should do more. I think a community picnic is a good idea. We have the senior fest goes over very well every year that I host and Dr. Rugles helps me uh cook and so does Frank Pabone. But I think the community picnic is separate from Heritage Day. I don't think it's the same as Heritage Day. I think it's has to be a different day.

But I think it's and I wouldn't charge the [clears throat] $2 or the $10. I go out. I would go out and get the sponsors for it.

I I think it should just be a sponsored event in general. Um I it's it's just hard while we're, you know, Councilman Pinabone and I sat down for many many hours trying to find money for certain things and primarily for the comprehensive plan was probably one of the top things we spoke about. Um, I I I'm just I'm I really feel that it's the top of the list that we need to get that going. That's it's something that the community needs. And you know, $15,000 is tax a lot of the taxpayers money to have a picnic. We you do a good job with the pop-up festivals in the neighborhood. And I to me I think it sounds much like that.

I agree. I have no problem with it. But I think the money should be raised and I think I don't know if I have that with me. What do you need the presentation? Presentation. I just have the uh picture of the budget. You got to work this. I'm old, but I'm not that old. Oh, yeah. A new one.

So, the community picnic is in for 15. $15,000. And I think we could do it for 15. I think we could raise the $15,000. They have it for 30 15 bets. I think it's way too much. I mean, we do senior pets for like $5,000 a year.

Yeah. I just think it goes back to I don't think the plan is is in the place where I feel that comfortable voting on any of that. Um, and there are some lofty sponsorship goals with each one of these items as well. And we're already trying to gather sponsors for actual Heritage Day, too. So, I don't want to take away from those efforts. Okay. Well, we need a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Do we do we need second? Can we transfer that to the GR plant to my amendment or do we have to do two different votes?

Well, first of all, don't do it. Let's let's don't vote on it. just shake your heads that this is the direction you want to go because we we we have to add these up. There's more items to the amendment. This is just one item. So, in other words, let me help out. All right. So, let me help out like um we'll there's a $50,000 is it $50,000 reduction? Yes. Okay. So, there's a $50,000 reduction and then out of that $25,000 is you want to move it towards the comp plan because [snorts] um Mr. Pinnabones uh amendment slightly changed from yesterday. So although it's 25 yeah you but we're going to have to go through that. So then what do you do with the add the the balance of the 25,000 general fund

in the general fund just because we have it we don't have to spend it. So what we can do to your point is put it in contingency so in case something comes up we have that. I'm okay with that. Okay. Because that then keeps our our budget balanced. Um, so let's Mark, do you do you want to go through the changes again? If there's any any changes from last night, which there are a couple. So I my Mark presented this document last night. Mark is now going to go through the changes from last night. Are you going the ones in the white, Mark? No, the green. The green. The green. The Yeah, the green are the only ones that are changed. Okay. Correct.

My my my proposal proposed amendment yesterday. We He has some changes on it this morning. Let us go. We'll go through it. So, go ahead, Mark. Okay. So, the uh first line is the police parking fines. Um that did change and and now the the impact that we're expecting is is going to be 25,000 over what was uh in the the mayor's budget and that's by increasing 2%. Um well, it's it's increasing enforcement. Exactly. increasing enforcement that goes hand in hand with the hiring of either part-time PEOs or a full-time PEO for part of the year. Um, so that is also taken into account on the expense side of things.

Can I jump in that that position because we got to be clear here is for a full-time PTO position, but you Yeah, yesterday there was a discussion about having Yesterday we had a discussion to make it part because we need to know now. So, if I may, and and mayor, if if you want to ask the chief to come forward, my proposal was for full-time. Um, we're not keeping part-time, and I think a lot of it is. We have younger people, 10 hours a week, they're not making enough money, they blow it off, and we have a lot of times with no enforcement throughout the neighborhoods or or even downtown. My recommendation, I think, would still stand at full time. Um, if mayor, if if it's up to you if you want to call the the chief to

again, as I said last night, we looked at full-time. We we've looked at this with the chief and with the parking enforcement officers. Full-time means we pay not only the expenses of health care, which went up 20% this year, but we also pay for their uh full-time retirement benefits, 4%. And it becomes very expensive to have a full-time person versus a part-time person. And if we're looking at cost, I would suggest that we tell um Lieutenant Hamuki that he hires as many part- timers as he can rather than full-time. That's just my opinion. I mean, I don't like full-time costs us a lot of money. And full-time right now makes up about what, Mark? About 80% of the budget.

Yeah, probably close. With the 20% increase in healthcare, would you chief? Yeah, sure. Come on up, Chief. Put you on the spot. Talk about your favorite cop, your favorite word and my favorite word, the P word, parking. Good evening. Am I on? Good. Um, so you want me to discuss the the benefits between a full-time part-time? No. I think we know the benefits of a full-time person, right? But the problem is Mr. Pinnabone last night felt that we don't enforce close to corner parking and we don't in the neighborhoods and he calls Marcus and Marcus tells me he has nobody on

the just to be clear it's it's it's corner parking it's abandoned vehicles um we have one chief I spoke to you about it we had one Saturday they've called nothing has happened I called Marcus on Saturday we had nobody working but and as we spoke today more times than not we don't have a part-time parking enforcement officer working.

Well, yeah. Obviously, the difference is is obvious the difference between a full-time and a part-time. And we do have a lot of responsibilities as you well are well aware, Mr. Mayor, in reference to what what we're asking our parking a parking division to do. We're not an authority. So, we don't have like at Alltown Bethl, we don't have 10 or 15 full-time people uh dealing with a lot of the same types of problems. So, the challenge that we have is with part-time is that it's a very flexible schedule and it's flexible to them. So they come in but they can only work so many hours and then they figure out those hours. So we try to manage that the best we can to cover the goals that we do um or that we have put before us. So um again where it falls within the budget that's obviously for you to kind of figure out but what we do with our full-time now the flexibility that we have is great. It's a it's a great benefit to be able to say okay we need you here. We know we have you for eight hours. They're also flexible in their schedule so we can move them around as well. uh but having them there every day of the week and being able to move them to accomplish all the things that we we need to accomplish. I will say that parking has become a very extensive very large operation within the department. It's it's grown leaps and bounds and it continues to do that. So I do think um you know these conversations are very much warranted to determine you know exactly what we need to run an operation of this size. And so right now we have one full-time supervisor and one full-time officer and maybe five um part-time I would I would tell you that we do need a lot more challenging to find part-time. Um I I would say, you know, uh I [clears throat] I don't know how it would be looking for full-time, but challenging to find part-time, and when we do, uh we'll get college kids who go back to school, things like that. So, we're constantly turning this thing over. So, um so, as a city, I mean, it's um obviously there's a revenue generation side of this, which we as a police department want absolutely nothing to do with. Our oper our goal is public safety and we enforce parking for that reason. So when it comes to those numbers, when it comes to revenue, I want nothing to do with it. I don't I have no no interest in being a revenue generating

division, but we are we are public safety and so to cover the goals that we have before us um and to cover the operation that's being tasked to us, I do think that the the manning issues do need to be these conversations are very much warranted. One of the things we talked about and Dr. Rogo made a very good point. If you have people parking on the corners, it's because they can't find another parking spot. What do you do with those cars? If you give them tickets, who are they?

Right? And and that's one of the things I always discuss as far as reasonableness when it comes to enforcement. So, we try to, you know, we try to always make sure that again the public safety aspect of when we're writing tickets is in play. Uh so, we try to balance those two things with a city that wasn't designed for the number of cars that are currently in it. Um and and also we do have police officers. Every single one of them, you know, are have the capability of writing parking tickets as well. So, we try to use them as well. But they're not directed specifically, you know, as far as this area, that area. Again, the challenge we have, we have street sweeping, we have garbage collection, we have Lafayette College obligations um because they do provide us the funding for a PEO. Um so, so there are obligations that we have to meet when it comes to parking and it's um you know, it's a challenge for Marcus to try to meet them all. Uh we do have one of our PEOs out injured um and so you know, that hurts as well. So, um we're always just trying to kind of figure it out and trying appropriately, but I think it's not a matter of full or part-time as far as capability. I think it's just a matter of trying to get part-time people um can be a challenge.

Dr. Roles, um just just a quick question. I mean, it seems to me like if we hire a full-time person with benefits and all the other costs associated with it versus part-time people, if we have a pool of money for the full-time, right? Seems like we would get more hours with part-time. Is that true or

It is, but the the problem is that's created with part-time, there's a lot of rules that go into how much they can work in in a week and and how they work. So, on top of that, the flexibility that's presented. So, part-time hours, um, again, they have to take off so many hours. So, we're trying to manage when they come in, when we need them. Um, and so that becomes a real challenge. I I [clears throat] guess the um the quality of individuals that we're getting as far as, you know, being able to do the job. Uh because there's there's a lot of there's a lot of physical requirements when it comes to either the walking or getting in and out of cars, putting on boots, doing all those different things. So, we're a little bit more limited in who we hire. Um hours wise, it just really comes down to the reliability of saying you're going to be here from, you know, whatever time, 4 to 12. You're going to be here from 8 to 4. this is these are your hours and or you're working Saturday, you're working Sunday and there is flexibility in the full-time schedules. There is as well in the part but again two three four hours.

Lewis, why don't you and I meet tomorrow and look at the hourly rate. We just raised the rate to $35 an hour for trolley drivers. One item is so the the amount won't change. It doesn't make a difference whether it's full-time or part-time. We could approve the budget at that at that rate that you have there and then we can bring back this discussion January and it won't it won't if we decide to change it to a full-time the the assumption was to hire I think it was in the in the in the beginning of the second quarter so that it was budgeted for that so we would still be okay

and and this and this conversation isn't necessarily a it's not it's not a typical conversation of we're this again staying away from the revenue topic of this anybody somebody you hire full or part-time well well well pays for themsel through the through the actual enforcement actions that they take two or three three citations over the course of an hour those types of things. So when you look at the numbers you can't look at it as solely what's going out because with those additional hours and again having somebody here eight hours a day you will see uh that individual do a lot more enforcement and so therefore there's an offset there to actually what um their salary cost. So you really have to look at as an in and out and it obviously it benefits the city as my perspective from a safety point of view. I do think there is obviously it benefits the city too because

but my point was if if we can hire people who they are out on the street more hours than hiring an individual in a full-time position. Seems like that would be a better situation in enforcement. We they're out there more because we have part-time and we can hire more people. And the the problem is council, as I mentioned last night, we're hiring part-time, but we're not getting the coverage for whatever reason. The I maintain it's not

a significant amount of money and people something else comes up, they blow it off. I'm just not going to work today. And you know, to to the mayor's point earlier, it's not about just cars parking on the corner. I understand in the neighborhood specifically, it's hard to park. Parking close to the corner is one thing. We're having cars that are parking beyond the intersection, causing safety issues. Um, in the last two months, we've removed four abandoned vehicles in the west and south side. Those are parking spots that our residents don't have because cars are sitting there for five, six months. that that that's going to help alleviate some of the parking concerns, but we just don't have the people. And part-time hasn't been working.

Well, and part-time's challenging, too, because when you think about who a part-time employee would be, it's usually somebody who has another job. So, they're trying to pick up a few extra hours, so they come in when they can. It's somebody who's already retired, so again, kind of falls a little short as far as the physical uh, you know, requirements that we're looking for. Um, so we do struggle as far as getting the people as far as qualified people that will actually meet the needs of the city that can actually work in that capacity. It's not necessarily a job. I mean, they're putting on boots. So, you're looking for somebody who's who's got some youth and some some energy to be able to bend down, get boots on, take boots off, do those types of things. Um, and again, the younger people that we would get who are interested, even, you know, middle-aged people that we would get typically either have another job or um or something else where it's kind of just trying to pick up hours. So, we try to work around their schedules. And so, there's a lot of challenges when it comes to the part-time side of it. I I think when you look at the overall picture of what the parking uh what our parking division does and then you look at the resources that are put back into the program to actually do what they do, I I think you'll see that disparagement is pretty great. Like I said, the the parking authorities that you see in Bethlehem and Allentown, you're talking 15, 20 full-time officers. You're talking, you know, fleets of cars. You're talking a lot of resources. So we're and again we we're tasked with with with handling this for the city of e and I think we do it at a pretty high level but I just think the conversation that we're having now I think again because a lot of the changes in the city are very warranted.

Okay. Okay. So um so we'll decide on full versus part-time but we'll keep the rate in there. Keep the rate in there. Chief I wasn't dismissing you.

So I didn't want you to think I dismissed you. I was just thanking you. Mr. Pine, why don't you continue on your um your amendments here? Any other changes from last night that you want to note? So you So this we'll leave we'll leave the PEO uh line item as is um right now. We'll leave it as part time in terms of the um u the description, but we'll come back and change it if need. So, another one I guess it's pretty much the same is allocating that $7,500 to add to salary to hire a certified registered planner. So, that doesn't change anything from last night. Okay. So, that's the same.

That's the same. Um, mayor, your proposed parking meters were $3 in the prime places, 275 non-prime, and 250 in the garage. And last night I switched those around a bit. I took 25 off of the garage meter and added it to the non-prime. So it would have been three out $3 on the street and 225 in the garage. Um I've since we worked on those numbers and the only change I'm making is from your 275 non-prime to 280. So it's a five cent 5 cents difference and I needed that to add

Can we do 280? We did garage today. Oh, no. So, you're out the technical question. It's 280 on the meter. Meter, not the garage. Oh, the meter. Okay. Yeah. And Mark said, "Yes, 250 in the garage, which was in line with your uh proposal."

My concern, again, as I said last night, was I don't care if you make it $10 an hour, but the businesses will care. They They're struggling downtown. I mean, they have to work hard to make the little bit of money that they make. And the businesses will be in here in force. They'll fill this room up like these people have because you originally wanted to go to $3. And that would have been horrible. Mayor, if I What was What was the What are the parking meters right now for the hour in the circle? $3. $3. No, no, no, no, no. I'm talking about currently 2025. Oh, in the circle 250 250.

250. So your proposal is increasing them 50 cents and I'm just taking one of your proposals. I'm only adding a five- cent increase. So if we're hurting businesses, I would assume your proposal is more detrimental to the business than mine. My my my thing is once you get to $3, it's it sounds horrible. It sounds worse than it is. 250 doesn't sound as much. If I'm going to go in to get a a bite to eat, two hours is enough time. Yeah, but mayor, I don't think the people really care about what it sounds like. It's more what it feels like, right? And that's why I wanted to drop the parking garage down to 225. Parking garage, you could build 10 parking garages in East. People don't park in garages

if they're if they're going to save a significant amount of money. I think they would. That that's that's my opinion. But they don't. We residents want a new comp plan to address development, address parking for development. We know we need money. We're hoping we can get grants for it, but if we can't, we need to budget money for it. Yeah, we know we need a licensed certified planner to to help with the development and the comp plan and zoning changes. We need money to do that. Um I'm able to get the money with just a 5centent increase. So, from your 275 to 280. I agreed to 280. Um I agreed to 280 today when you asked me. Well, I don't I don't know [laughter] what we're debating. I know you did.

I'm not debating 280. I'm debating $3. It's been 280 this whole time. I I I just um I mean I don't know what that nickel is as far as total revenue is concerned, but it's about I think that uh when somebody approaches a parking meter and they see 280, it's

it's a different perspective than if they see it as 275. 275, you know, if I mean, yeah, I still put coins in the meter, you know, and 275, okay, I have coins here. I have quarters. Boom, boom, boom, boom. And, you know, I can put that 275 in. 280 just makes it more complicated, I think, um, for for people. And like I said, I don't know what how much was that? A nickel more is how much? It's about a hundred in the budget, $118,000. Yeah. I mean, we really we need that money. We need that nickel.

You need a certified planner and you need a new comp plan. From what I hear from residents, majority of the time is they're concerned with the development, the the the current parking requirements for the development and it's time to do a comp plan. It's been 10. It's going to be 10 years. So, it's just something we have to do. It's $150,000 for the um $150. Nobody's disagreeing about the comp plan. So for 5 cents, we're going to do the comp plan and hire a certified planner, which we desperately need. We're going to do the comp plan with a grant in addition to this nickel. Well, no. I nickel only raises $100,000, $150,000.

Well, the goal is to get the grant, but as you're aware, we just got denied last week and got zero and Whiteall got 80. So, we have to plan for if we don't have it, we still have a service that we have to provide. Well, I'll be in Harrisburg on what? Thursday. Well, if you're driving, I'll go. I invite him and you're paying for lunch. [laughter] All right. Um, Lewis, that's that's all I have. Um, and and just uh we talked about we went to 280 on all the parking meters except for center square and one spoke off the center. No. And the parking garage is still your 250. 250, right? Okay. We didn't change that either. Yeah.

I can I just make one other suggestion? I I think um the meters in the parking garage should also be stipulated as $3. Now, nobody's going to go to the garage for seriously. I'm sorry. We're supposed to encourage people to get to the garage. We got people in the garage. That's what That's why I dropped it originally to 225, but I the meters in the garage in four street on the first floor that first floor. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Fourth street. I I still don't see how spoke roads.

Yeah, but you put the the but you put them at $3 here because of the prime locations and you're saying people don't want to walk from the garage. Raising it to $3 isn't going to make them want to walk from the garage. Well, that those particular parking spots are prime parking spots. That's my point. And when we actually last year when we started off, uh they were at the the rate of the spoke roads. They were changed to that. They were when I noticed it, I I I brought it up because they were not in the ordinance at that time. they were back at the

and so they changed them back. But I think I think those particular ones because they are in that same area as the spoke roads. I I think that it's it's reasonable to have those at $3. So I'm I'm I'm extremely confused. So my original proposal people who parking in those spaces don't think they're parking in a parking garage. You did parking. It's like parking on the street, right? They're in a It's in a garage though. I think it's getting a little confus confusing. I think that that it's in the garage. It should have the garage pricing.

But my my goal, my my original plan was keeping the mayor's $3 prime, raising the non-prime to $3, but dropping the parking garage to$ 225. And nobody supported that yesterday. Now we want to increase the garage. $30 the meter's in the garage. No, I know. But it's still the garage. Yeah, it's the garage. It's still the garage.

What we're saying, what I'm My feeling is I don't care if you put a parking deck, a parking garage in the square, nobody uses it. But they go to New York City, they move, right? Or Philadelphia, they go right into the garage. Look at the look, you look at the um metrics that we have on the website and you'll find out. I get a metrics every Monday. We get it, Monday morning.

If if if we look at where the prime spots are geographically, whether it's a garage or not a garage, geographically, the metered prime spots, those those meters are in those within that spot. So, but but prime to me is where people want to be. Now, those are full all the time. I can tell you cuz I go in there and I park there. But the mayor's saying nobody wants to go to the garage. So, they're either prime or they're not. Not not up in the garage. But these are on the first level of the garage, which is very different than than in the in going up in the levels of the garage.

M. Dr. What you're saying is that when you go in a fourth street garage, the first two panels going downward, they're metered. So those who are parking in the garage that are up top and more are going to be charged accordingly to the hourly rate. Is that right? Well, according to what you're saying is recommending. I mean I that's I don't have any problem with you know people who are going into the garage and going up and parking. That first floor is just like parking on the street. That's how it is perceived. It's like parking on the street and people are in there all the time.

I don't I don't know anybody that perceives it that way. Whether you're parking on the first, second, or third floor, you're parking in a garage. Nobody says, "I'm going to go into the garage, but it's the first floor, so really I'm on the street." Everybody fighting to get that two separate entrances. It's it's it's it's not the same. It's not the same. Okay. That's why the meter's down there. That's why there's meters down there. It's not the same. And people were there all the time.

It's a service parking. You can call it a field if you want. It doesn't matter what you call it is what it is. Can we move on? We'll be on the P word all night.

Okay. So, let me see here. The only clarification I have So, again, Mark uh reviewed these with you last night, except for the changes right now that Mr. Pinnabone made we did crunch the numbers so we still have a balanced budget. Um you should have it on your screen, right? Um so the only clarification I want to go back to um is Miss Rose's um a reduction here in the contingency line item. So my math here is a $45,000 reduction. So it was so I I I propose keeping the 20,000 for fireworks and 20,000 for projection. Oh, okay. So then

50. Okay. So um that's 40 20 and 20. No, right. I'm sorry. 50 left. I'm sorry. Yes. All right. So no matter how slice how we slice and dice it, just still balance. We just wanted to just clarify it. All right. Um so then uh 25 of that uh $40,000 um is going to be moved over to the comp plan um that Mr. Pinone um is recommending which is fine and then the balance it's it's 50,000 so 25,000 over to the comp plan and then the remaining 15,000 goes to contingency. Oh

yeah. Yeah. So we're okay we're on we're on the same page. So that so we can make we can make these changes um for you. So the amendment is we can we can put this right now on the board and then submit it to to the clerk. Let's see if we can do that right now. We have to do it on we have to do it on the fly here. Apologies to the public. We have to approve the the charter says we have to approve the um budget for next year tonight. We don't have the we don't otherwise we would have our December 22nd meeting. Right now our December 22nd meeting is on hold. If we need it, we'll have it. We don't need it. We won't have it.

We can we can do it on. [laughter] Okay. May you want to take a fiveminute recess? Are you going to cry? Five minutes. Yeah. We just sit here. All right. If I let them leave the room, the council won't be back in 5 minutes. Okay.

Mayor, if I may, just to piggy back on my final amendment from last night, which it didn't it wasn't met with any negatives, so which is a good thing, but uh just for the record. So, we're going to take a h 100,000 from open space and we're going to create the special needs playground uh at Mil Park that I've been working on for two years. So, that that program, as we discussed, is going to have swings for for children with wheelchairs and children with walkers, sensory boards, um and it's going to be included in a current park. So, it's not segregated. So, that

I just want you to look at what park we put it in. I I no problem with the park. I think it's a great idea for we should be an inclusive society for all children and all children should be able to go to a park and play whether wheelchair bound or not. Right. To to your point we that point is only about which park to put it in because you looked at a couple. So we went through all the parks. Um the mayor you you you um mentioned Nevin Park. I I don't we looked at that. It's a hill. It's just one big hill. So we didn't for parking level it out. You're you're a man. No, I I know. I know. But but parking a a van or something with handicapped children on Nevin Hill to go to Neon Park just

No, what I said was where the highest concentration of physically handicapped children are. The reason we picked Mil and and it was myself, Dave Hopkins, and Kevin McCarthy. Hey, listen. I live on Mil Street. It's a great park. The reason why we did it is because I was there was a potato farm. There's bedula [laughter] 150 years ago. Speaking of the 250, David, that's right. David remembers. Speaking of 250, um, Marvin left. So, Milton Street has ample open parking, as you know, in a great area. It already has the pave access for ADA compliance for wheelchairs and walkers that are smooth in, and it has the most open space available.

My only concern is I don't want to spend $100,000 and see nobody use it. That's my only concern. I want to I want to provide a playground for kids with a physically handicapped that are physically handicapped. But if you put in a place where they can't get to it, what's the sense of spending the money? I I understand. That's the only reason. I'm all in favor of the the the playground for handicapped children. Well, that's what that was all taken in consideration. That's how we came up with Melanie. All right. But this city is four neighborhoods and if you put it on College Hill, the southside, people get mad. Put in the west order, College Hill, people get mad. I just don't want to make $100,000 and make people upset.

From the families that I've spoken to in the city, they were okay anywhere they put it considering the nearest place to Cedar Beach and Allentown. So, they were happy that we could potentially There's also St. Joseph Street. They've been complaining about not having a playground. The problem with St. Joseph Street is parking is a nightmare. Oh. So when you got to unload and load behind the church all the way down to the dead end by the dead end, but right before the dead end. Well, yeah. Yeah. The one on the right. Left. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Let's go to um I bought Lewis. Three minutes.

Bill number 83 minute. Madam clerk, we we'll come back to you. I'm sorry, not bill number 83. Resolution supporting and protecting immigrant uh communities. We have a resolution supporting and protecting immigrant communities. So move secondh moved and second discussion.

Anyone? I will vote in favor of this resolution as provided in our packet, but I don't want to call it a welcoming ordinance resolution. It's not a welcoming or resolution. It's not we are not claiming to be a welcoming city. A welcoming city has a lot of restraints. That's reason why the ordinance didn't pass in the first place. I agree with the current resolution. I think it was done by um Dr. in 2017. It was updated by council member Rose um this year uh in light of uh the ICE activities etc. But um I I'm I would just want to say that I am all in favor of protecting every person. I don't like what I doing. I don't like what the federal government is doing. But that will be changed hopefully in the near future. But that's the great thing about our country. We we get to change who we want to lead us. And if the people that learn now, they I don't know they'll ever learn,

but I'm sorry. Go ahead. I just wanted to uh You already have this titled. It's It's called a resolution supporting and protecting. I know. I wanted to eliminate people would come to the mic. That's what they're saying. Um no people, but it does not say welcoming city or resolution. I know. Supporting and protecting immigrant communities. No, I supported [clears throat] the way it's written. Yeah. Um, so it's it's I know that next next tomorrow I'll get up and the press will say we approved the welcoming city resolution. The welcoming city as I read it uh is an organization that is a non forprofit, right? And that uh you got to make some uh marks in order to be a part of that. We we want to be autonomous of that

and you have to pay you have to pay them for the designation. [clears throat] Yeah. All right. You have a first and a second. Mayor just did you want to say something? No, I I I mean I I was going to say just what was said as far as what's called, but I mean I'm thinking to myself that if I wanted to if I was making this up, I'm not on council. I would call this a resolution reaffirming the uh good faith of the United States government and as we enter the 250th year of our f of the declaration. You're gonna get bored here. [laughter] And if you take the first letter from each add means something. Mayor move the second and you have other discussion.

Mayor, uh, Councilman Ruggles added cities and federal government to send this resolution to. So I do applaud Councilwoman Rose for making the addition she made because I think the key is we do need to push for easier ways to citizenship, easier pathway. the the way it I mean it's taken people seven to 10 years something that [snorts] Mr. Trump really pushes and there's data to support how that benefits our economy and growth u moving forward but thank you so I'm glad you put that in very affordable I heard him say last night on the news what show would you we have let's say we're ready yes can I take the vote [laughter] Dr. Rugles

I missana hi Mr. Brown I Mr. Edinger. Hi, Mayor Panto. Hi, Mr. Pinnabone. Hi, Mrs. Rose. Hi. Okay, motion passes. Um, next one is um bill number 82. Dr. Ruggles, you want to talk about? Yes, it uh this bill was uh originally tabled. Um it was introduced and when it came up for a vote it was tabled uh to wait for our um

analysis of our finances for the city and we heard that um a couple weeks ago um we said that we're in very good shape uh compared to other cities our size. So I'm bringing this I want to bring this back forward. Um, this is an ordinance that uh would be implemented. I'll point out that it would not impact next year's budget because it would not be um implemented until the following year, following uh

it wouldn't be implemented until 27. Okay. And it is um a plan where uh we're we're not raising taxes. We're not we are we would be reducing taxes, but it's it's it's [snorts] a plan that is generated from savings that we have from switching our police cars. Our police cars currently, most of them, we we currently have two that are hybrids. And what happens is when police go out, they don't shut their car off. So if they're sitting doing a report or whatever, that that car is still running because of the load that is required, the electrical load that's required of all the equipment that's on the car. The hybrids have a large enough battery in them that they can actually turn the engine off. That is a savings in fuel. And that savings in fuel is significant. I don't know if we have that number, Lewis. Do we have it for

Well, we're going to we're going to Okay. chart it and track it next next year. But that that number by reports from outside have have it as a relatively large number. And since we have multiple police cars, uh it's multiplied by how many other police cars we have. So, um the ordinance is designed to take that money that we save on fuel and pass it back to um senior citizens in the community in form of a tax rebate. And Dr. on their uh

I believe I believe that you said also that um based on [snorts] as we change our fleet, we will see an an increase in that money too. Right. Yeah. We currently spend $250,000 on gasoline and most of that is used by the police department. Yeah. And and the other big thing out of this is the again the estimates are that it will reduce CO2 emissions from our police cars

for implementation by a million pounds per year. So that would be continuing on and on and on. So, uh, there there's dual benefit from this. Um, and we currently have two, uh, these hybrids, and it's my understanding that the police department really like them. They're they're they're really, uh, great vehicles. Um, and, uh, that, you know, they don't have any problems with them at all. So, um, I'm I'm sure that we're going to continue purchasing them in the You move that, Councilman Rugles. My I I love the idea. I love the concept. And I Can we get a motion first?

Well, well, he's I will move that off. I need a motion and a second for discussion. I will move that we bring it off the table. Oh, yeah. That's right. It was table. Okay. I second that. Second to remove it from the table. Roll call, please. Mr. Brown. Hi. [clears throat] Mr. Edinger. I. Mayor Panto. Hi. Mr. Penabone. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Rugles. Hi, Mrs. Sultana. I got a vote. Okay. Now we got to vote on it. Somebody want to introduce. It's just Oh,

yeah. It was already It was already um already introduced. It was already introduced and it it was up for the table. It's ready for So, can we vote on this ordinance? It was T brought off the table. So, it was introduced many years ago. Yeah. Okay. [laughter] Thank you. That that took I'm following I'm following procedure here. Need time to go to your library and check the books. Madame clerk, roll call. Wait a minute. Question. We need discussion.

Oh, go ahead. I love the idea of giving a rebate to seniors and I I' I'd like to expand it and give it to everybody. My concern is we did get the PFM report and they did say we were doing really well, but they also cautioned for the future um most importantly looking at a potential for deficits for the next five years and in year five approximately 2.6. We're looking at gaps, not deficits. It's back to the garage again. Call it a gap. That's what they call it. Call call it a gap. The issue The issue is a gap that has to be plugged. But they don't know about the Suburban Water Authority. If you get $5 million for that, you don't have to worry about a gap.

We don't know about the Suburban Water Authority, mayor. No. So, so we can't bank on that.

The the the My point is I just want to I wish we would have brought this up yesterday in committee to have discussion. And I'm not saying I don't like it. My concern is talking to to Lewis and others, parts have gone up on our cars, 10 15% on on all of our vehicles, different things. We give the rebates back and you know, if it puts us in a position we got to raise taxes next year or the year after or the year after, we're hurting those same seniors that we're talking about. So, so I I you know, I think we we need to take a hard look at it and see what other costs are going to come from these electric vehicles before we allocate those funds knowing that there's gaps that we need to that we definitely have coming up.

I I think I think you're absolutely right that we do have to take a look at it before we make a hard decision, but our seniors are being hurt every year on school taxes. Every year school taxes go up, their income stay the same. We got to give them a break somewhere. We're not getting it from the state. We're not getting it from the federal government. Um, and they voted us in locally. So, we really got to find some way to get them relief. So, I think a good segue into that is to really take a good look at this.

Absolutely. I I I agree that we should take a good look at it and I agree with with with the school district that is outside of our purview. My only concern is [clears throat] if if I give a resident a $100 rebate in 27 and raise their taxes, you know, $60. Now they're netting 40. And then if I raise it again, another 60 in in in 20 28. You know, my my my just my concern is what hurts them more or where the benefit is. So, I don't I don't dislike the plan. I just wish we would have brought this back for discussion and looked at everything before we we pull the trigger on it.

I also like the idea, but without knowing what the savings is exactly, um I think it's it's hard to vote on. Um I'm also doesn't we haven't raised taxes in almost 20 years, property taxes. So, there's already that piece of it. And you know it also I think some of the lowest income seniors are renting so th this wouldn't help them as well. So I I wouldn't I wouldn't feel I wouldn't I just I didn't quite the So some of our lowest income seniors are are renting take it off the table. So, I mean people who I know I don't I mean

if if I can make things easy as far as tonight goes um we've um this is why there's two of us here today so that I could be reversed after we didn't the question about taking it off the table and voting tonight. Um upon further review of Robert's rules of order um the there's mentioned that normally tableabling is something that happens for a very short period of time. This has not been a short period of time. So that the appropriate step would be take it off the table, but it has to then be reintroduced at the next meeting. You wouldn't vote you wouldn't vote at this meeting. You would you would basically be reintroducing the record and just let it show that we'll introduce the next. It was it was up for a vote at that meeting when it was tabled,

right? Yeah. But how long ago? Huh? How long ago? A year ago. About a year. More than a year. It wasn't a year ago. Oh, was it? No, it wasn't over a year. It was this year. No, it was this year. That was this year. It was this year, but a table was for a short time. So, it was tabled when we were It was up for a vote. Correct. Right. And it was tabled at the time it was up for a vote. Right. If it if the if the matter is not addressed by the next meeting, the matter technically dies and then it must be reintroduced and voted on again. Under Robert's rules, if you're applying Robert's rules strictly, a table is a short time one meeting uh continuence only. If if you postpone something, you could you could vote to postpone it for a date certain, but tableabling is merely a one meeting

delay. Yep. So, we're not tableabling this. This is being introduced. It it previously was t So, we're introducing under the rules to do this correctly, you would have to reintroduce it today, okay? And then vote on it at the next meeting of council. The chair corrects the record. It was introduced tonight. Let's let's just forget about the seniors and not think about them at all. I I I just you know again here we are delay delay delay delay and and you know I I this is [clears throat] this is really uh a a a situation where you find money for a particular program and people want it.

People want it. So and and I'm not saying they shouldn't get. I say I think we should do like we do everything else and do it the right way. It's not it should I would have liked to see it on the committee so we can have these discussions. Okay. I I I still think we should bring it back in January and have the discussions and and vet it out. Have fun. We'll give you credit when we vote for it. Yep. Have fun. We will. Did we vote on bill number 81? I have it crossed off. sidewalk streets and special events. Yes, we do. We just have to go back. Okay. So, we the only thing we have left is public comment on anything relating to this budget. Go back to the budget. The budget recess. [laughter]

All right. Mayor, can I before I do that, uh can I then reintroduce that particular thing? Yes. I said just correct the record. It is introduced. Okay. My concern is Dr. Ruggles bills and he will not be here next year. So is there any way we can work it around and we can Well, you can you can vote to have a meeting December 22nd. No, it's his wife's birthday. [laughter] Has nothing to do with the holiday. I I I I'll volunteer I'll volunteer to be here December 24th, Wednesday night, when we normally have our meetings. Well, um,

ho ho ho. [laughter] And you're getting some coal. Can we vote on it at the beginning of the reorganization meeting? We can vote on the beginning of the reorganizational meeting. We can do that. We could do that because the old and the new will be here. Yep. Okay. We'll open up the public comment. No, budget. I'm sorry. Budget. Mayor. So, um, it was actually not as complicated as we thought. So, we moved here. You can see in the highlighted yellow, we um reduced the contingency line item to u by $25,000. Why'd you reduce it? And we moved that $25,000 to um the comprehensive. Oh, okay. Compliment.

Okay. And then the within that line item, there's an understanding um that only um what is it? $50,000 would be used for the 250th um yeah 200 celebration celebration 250th celebration there there is a delta in there of um what is it $25,000 $25,000 that hasn't it's contingency so it hasn't been accounted for yet so I just want to make sure that's explicit yes all right um so a mayor you would have to make a there has to be a

a motion to um approve the amended. Yeah, exactly. I'll entertain a motion to for to approve the budget as amended. Motion second. Move. Seconded. Now we Dr. Regles. Dr. Regles. Second. Yeah. And all in favor? I call. Yes. Thank you. Roll call. Mr. Edinger. Hi. Mayor Paner. Hi. Uh Mr. Pinnabone. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Ruggles. I Miss Sultana. Hi, Mr. Brown. I budget approved. Okay.

At this point meeting, we have public comment on any matter relating to the city of East. Mr. Joseph,

folks, good evening. My name is Jeremy Joseph. Before I begin, I want to share where I come from. My family has been part of Easton for more than a century. My grandmother, Emily Bullis Joseph, was descended from the earliest Lebanese settlers who arrived here in Easton in the early 1900s. Her husband, my grandfather, Jacob Abraham Joseph, opened Jacob's Fruit and Produce in 1935. My story, my family story is Eastston's story. Immigrants who worked hard, built businesses, raised families, and believed truth and integrity were the only thing you passed from one generation to the next. So when I stand here tonight, I don't just speak for myself. I speak for the people who built this community and trusted that Easton's leaders would deal honestly with its citizens. And that is why what happened at the Christmas parade matters. At the parade, a freezing event I pour my heart into every year. I was publicly accused in the press and online of threatening and harassing Councilwoman Sultana. A police report was filed and everyone who was there knows the truth and so do the police, the press, and the public at this point. Within a single day, the Eastern Police Department confirmed the reality. You don't know this this case.

This case is this case is active. He has the floor. He has the floor.

This want to put it out there. This this case is active. I want another minute. You're interrupting public comment. Of course you will. Within a single day, the East Police Department confirmed the reality. No threat, no harassment, no crime, no charges. Their words, not mine, described it as a disagreement over political stances. So, yes, I became the latest person in this city to be publicly misrepresented by a council member on her way out the door. And I'll be honest, it stung. It was unfair. It was unfair. So, yes, this is when I realized something. I am not special. I am not unique. I am one of many. Because over the last four years, a long list of people have been accused, targeted, and dragged into unnecessary conflict. The mayor, her fellow members of city council, the Easta Police Department, Representative Bob Freeman, city staff, and countless residents, and now even a community band leader. So when it happened to me, I wasn't joining a scandal. I was joining a club. A club nobody asked to be in. It was created because basic disagreement kept being turned into danger, criticism into conspiracy, and public service in the public conflict. But here's the good news. This is the final month of that era. Your term ends in January, and when that gavvel drops, Eastston closes this chapter for good. So, let's be clear. We can't change the last four years, but we can certainly control the next four. And I think I'm done. We're done with conflict, division, drama, because this

moment right now is the moment Eastn gets to exhale. For four years, this city has been pulled into arguments that had nothing to do with progress. For four years, we reacted to drama instead of building momentum. But tonight, we stop looking backward. A new chapter begins, and we write it together. We have three new council members, Frank, Julie, and Susan. And they deserve a clean slate slate. They deserve a council that works together, not one constantly defending itself. They deserve a chamber focused on solutions, not social media. And we, the community, deserve the same. Eastston is a special place. People here still show up for one another. And let's say this out loud, Eastston has never been def defined by a one-term council person. It has always been defined by the people that show up without ego or headlines. Our teachers, police officers, small business owners, volunteers, organizers, neighbors, artists, and musicians. That is East. That's the East Worth building. And no matter what anybody says or posts, come January, we will still be here. So, here's what I plan to do to move us forward by turning frustration into action and doing what I've always done. Build something for East. I am starting a drum line for kids in the West Ward. No title, no salary, no politics, just service. If you're a drummer and you want to join my mission, I have the drumster to kids. Bring your own drum and help teach. Our open house is March 15th, 5 to 7:00 at the Eastn Area Community Center. And every kid who attends gets a free pair of drumsticks. I PROMISE like Councilman Saltenna did at the Westward Christmas lighting last week. She gave kids bar darts. Bar darts. Weapons. I'm going to give the kids

drumsticks. So I invite everyone in this city to do the same in your own way. Lead without holding office. Serve without seeking credit. Build without needing permission. If you love this city, the city will love you back. Let's all go build the city we deserve. Thank you. You forgot to tell your address. [applause] Public record. Oh, you could touch me. No, I want to give my address to you. For public record. [applause] For public record. Yes. For public record. Asking for my address. What is for public record? Miss

for public record. He doesn't have to give an address. The others didn't give an address. They just said they live in East. Did I get The others didn't give an address. They just stated that they lived in East. So they come here every single meeting and everybody I'm not saying I need address. I I don't need his address because I know he lives in New Jersey. It's It's this is not a problem. Jersey. We have We have real He doesn't live in New Jersey. We have real Eastern people who have been addressing the city of Eastern. It's his turn.

I live in Philipsburg. The love of my life is a Peabber girl. I had no choice. She had her dream home when I met her. Yeah. But I just got done telling you my family has been here for a century. And if you think you got to live in Easton to love East, I got another thing coming to you. And if you want to act like me not living in East has uh totally wiped out any contribution I made to East. Is that what you're saying? Absolutely. That not living in East means that you don't contribute. Do our small business owners always live in East? Do our volunteers live in East? Councilwoman. I'm so glad your term is over. And you have made somebody who is going to be mobilized against you in every future election. You have done a horrible job on council and I am disappointed in your behavior. And I can't believe you would try to have me arrested for just telling you the truth,

for harassing me, for harassing me. You accepted on social media that you harassed me and you accepted every And I'm not talking about it because there is a active pending case at the magistrate office. You shouldn't be actually here, but okay. Oh, I shouldn't. Wait, what are you talking about? Open. You had no evidence. You lied. You said I was racist. You said I was sexist. What's that order? Me? You're having an argument with her. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Yes, you are out of order. That's why [clears throat]

I'm appalled by what what I what I just said. Harassment is never welcomed. Never ever. really never ever to attack like this in a planned way at this uh at this open uh open meeting. a person who's a who's been a public servant serving the the community of uh of East as best as best she can and uh adhering to to her values and her and and her ideals in this matter is is nothing but uh appalling uh misogyny

RACISM who may please keep your remarks civil. keep my remarks after that demonstration. Five minutes. All right.

I I'm going to speak tonight in honor of Councilwoman Taiba Sultana because a moment like this shouldn't pass without some clarity. East is losing one of the most principled, courageous, and unyieldingly humane voices it's ever had on council. And anyone who's paid attention honestly and without prejudice knows exactly that she's worked hard to make this city fairer and more welcoming. And this in the face of considerable resistance that veered from petty to ugly. And this was ugly. Her record's been one of service grounded in conscience, not convenience. And that's why she's earned not only uh my respect, but but my trust. a trust that's very uh very rare for me in local politics. She's pushed ideas that required the council to stretch its understanding of what kind of community Easton could be. The immigration resolution that we just passed is only one example. She insisted that Easton take a stand rooted in dignity, legality, and moral decency at a time when immigrant families in this region live with fear, confusion, and vulnerability. Thank you very much. Taiba Sultana for your service. Thank you for your persistence in uh seeing that that welcoming resolution in a form uh that that had teeth was passed. And I I really want to apologize uh for the way you were treated uh at this meeting.

You don't have to. Thank you. Good evening, mayor and members of East City Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak again tonight. Oh, I'm sorry. I hard to introduce myself. Sorry, my apologies. Sorry, I'm trash. Ronald Byron Johnson. I live on Washington Street. Tonight, I want to be direct because the community has been patient and patience should not be mistaken for complacency. I want to be clear and honest. Eastston needs a welcoming ordinance. For months, Eastston residents have come here to this chamber consistently. We've spoken respectfully. We've offered testimony. We've shared personal stories. and we've made the case for why a welcoming ordinance is necessary. And yet, despite all of that, we've repeatedly watched delays, procedural mis uh side steps, and explanations that seem to shift from the from meeting to meeting. At some point, delay becomes obstruction, and communities deserve accountability. The reason we need a welcoming ordinance is simple. An ordinance is structural. An ordinance implements our values. An ordinance actually protects the most vulnerable and at risk people amongst us in our community. Families in Eastn, immigrant families, mixed status families, new residents, longtime residents still experience fear when interacting with local government. They still worry about calling the police when they need help. They still hesitate to access city services because they're unsure how

their information may be used. Symbolism does not fix that. Policy does. Easton is a growing city, a changing city, a city that prides itself on economic revival, cultural vibrancy, and community engagement. But a city cannot call itself welcoming if the people who keep its businesses running, who raise their families here, who volunteer in schools and churches, who contribute to the local economy still lack clarity and protection in their daily interactions with government. Let us be honest about what residents have witnessed. repeated deferrals, procedural confusion, shifting justifications, and political caution that overshadow overshadows moral clarity. I'm not here to attack individuals. I'm here to hold the process accountable because Eastston deserves consistency, transparency, and action from its elected leaders. If council believes the language of an ordinance can be improved, then improve it. If council believes it needs legal review, then do the review. If council wants community input, the community is right here. We've been showing up for months. But what cannot continue is the pattern of delays. What cannot continue is the sense that eastern residents have to beg for their values to be reflected in policy. What cannot continue is a political fog that prevents the city from taking a sensible, responsible, widely adopted step, one that cities across Pennsylvania and across the country have already taken. We need an ordinance

because Eastston's values should not stop at symbolism. If we say we are a welcoming city, then we must codify that commitment into law. Not for politics, not for optics, but for the safety, dignity, and trust of the people who call this city home. The time for action is now. Not another season. Not after another round of delays. Not when the political climate feels more convenient. Now. And the community will still showing will still keep showing up until East's policies match East's identity. I would like to make a final remark uh to our departing eastern city council members. I want to thank Councilwoman Syos Sultana for your dedicated public service to our eastern community, especially your courageous advocacy for the most vulnerable, at risk and marginalized working families amongst us in our eastern community. Well demonstrated through your support of the east eastn welcoming ordinance. I want to thank Dr. Ruggles for introducing the welcoming resolution in 2017 and your faithful service to College Hill and our Houston community. And I also want to speak uh to the fact that, you know, affluent big- moneyed interests are able to organize through political action uh committees. They're called packs, super PACs, and they're able to uh manipulate reality. Thank you.

One second. Excuse me, Ronald. Um, why don't you say what you said at the last Eastern rally that I approved or just say thank you. No, don't let him say no, Mr. No, Ronald. Ronald, I do have a question though. I I do have a question. Yes, Councilman. You you you talked about we delay and we do this and we do that as as you called tactics, I believe, but we just unanimously passed tonight. Now my question is you live in Wilson and I don't believe you have brought this to Wilsonboro one time. I talked to council members Wilson

but you haven't gone to council as much as you come here. Eastston let you come in here. You don't live in the city.

I used to because you don't you come to the you come here. We let you speak. We meet with you. You bash us. You bash the police department. You bash the council. You bash the mayor. You tell halftruths, you come back, we still let you speak. We passed a resolution that that we were very upfront and honest with and and in my opinion, this resolution is a little bit better than it was first presented. And then you still come back and and you you you you say we do this and we do that, but where you live, you still have not gone to their council and got them to pass it. But but you talk about us like we're horrible people when you talk about undocumented immigrants not having driver's license when the mayor went to bat for that before you when you were still in school. It's been documented. He was the first elected official to push for those driver's license.

We thanked him for that. But you continue to bash us when we're passing something and where you live hasn't even heard it yet. I don't understand the logic. I have talked to Wilson Burough Council. You've gone to their council publicly or you spoke to their council members in private. Okay. What does the matter? Because you're not presenting it there. No, I didn't ask you. I'm in New Jersey. I didn't ask you. I I'm happy to share my But my point is you're bashing us. I know where New Jersey is. It's right there. You were there before you came here, I believe. No, I'm I'm always here. I'm always [clears throat] here.

Oh, man. So So the bottom line is you bash us. We passed a resolution. It still isn't good enough, but where you live, you still haven't brought anything forward there. It gets harder and harder, Ronald to take you serious. I want you to know that. May I May I u do the speech that was referring to?

No. My point was you I approved a you you put the future rallies in jeopardy because it cost the city of East not the Burough Wilson but the city of East money to to make sure that you are all safe. So we've got to bring in police officers to be at that rally. And when you get there YOU BASH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. WHY? Because I didn't do what you wanted. Is that why? Because it took too long. Is that why? What was the reason? I I have the reason why. I can say it right here. I don't want to hear it. No.

I I don't want to hear it because what what you said already got back to me. Cool. Can Can we move forward? Thank you for your time, mayor, council members. I'm Aaron Pride. I'm an eastern resident on party street. Party? Right. Yeah. Again, I'm pride. Dr. Aaron Pride. I work at Lafayette. Okay. Um there's an issue with parking on my street. We have four handicap parking spaces. Four. Yeah.

On and within I think eight houses. One of them is in front of my house and the neighbor occupies two spots. This is becoming a parking issue for us and we would appreciate some consideration on the resolution to this matter. Uh, thank you for your time, mayor. Thank you, Mayor. I got the email from one of your neighbors and we forwarded on to Joe Gil in the health department along with some video footage for him to review. So, we're just waiting for him to get back to us. Okay. Thank you. They're only allowed two per block and anything else over that has to come to council. So, we would we would gladly thank you for coming tonight and bring it to our attention. Appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you, Paul. Oh, good evening. My name is Brian Kais. I'm a member of the Big Easy East Brass Band. Mr. I'm sorry I missed your birthday, Mr. Mayor. That's okay. I was noted though. It was July noted. [laughter]

Going to say I'm the only one standing between you and a German, but apparently there's more people in line. So, I will be brief. Uh, I joined the BE many years ago. Uh, an organization that Jeremy Joseph, who you heard from recently, uh, started in 2008. There's 50 plus members. He didn't mention the band at all, so I thought I would mention this. Um, most of them live in Easton. Many are from surroundings communities. I am not from East, but I got here as fast as I could. Um, I live in Hope, New Jersey, and I've been uh involved in the band for many, many years. Uh, the members of the band shop and play here. We support the city activities and businesses by showing up. The uh the band itself, the bead big easy eastern brass has more than 20 events here in town every year, including supporting the uh the beards for breast program, the Philisburg Eastern Halloween parade, the Manora lighting, the community center holiday party, the pride parade, the national night out which supports Eastn Police and Fire Department, the Masquerade Ball, which supports Friends of East, uh the Christmas parade, the College Hill Portfest, and the West Ward Mardigra parade. Uh, as you all know, last year the Gretchen Ren wrench award of community service went to Jeremy Joseph who was presented at the uh at the peace candle lighting. I would just like to say that he's a man of integrity with commitment to human rights and equality for all with uncompromised ethics, morals, and values. Thank you very much.

I I agree. I agree. Good evening. Uh my name is Steven Schmid. I'm up on East Wilsair. I've been a resident here for about 14 or 15 years.

Oh, I didn't want to talk today. [snorts] Um, uh, Mr. Mayor, um, I'm not sure that you really heard the words coming out of your mouth when you were addressing my friend Ronald before, but what you said was really incredibly embarrassing and really disturbing because he should talk about me. said what you said is you uh by the by your grace you approved a rally in center square and for some reason your name and quotes which ca which are in public record there is no denying he took word for word what was in public record did not misconstrue it and now you're saying he should be graveling to you because you gave him this opportunity that he should be thankful that You signed your name. So, and but someone spoke out against God forbid the police or god forbid city council or anyone else in the leadership. Did you did you hear it?

Yes. Okay, good. Are you embarrassed? No. Do you understand what that sounds like? Because you, a government official, signed a paper. Ronald should not have any say that's negative against you or the police. No, that's that's literally what you said. My point My point was it wasn't about me. It was about the federal government.

Made it about yourself and he is allowed to talk about anything related to government at any point in time because that's in the constitution isn't it now? Is it not? So by your threat, you are saying that anyone who doesn't agree with you politically cannot speak out against you. No,

that's what you said. I'm sure everyone else here heard the same words. And I will say that this at this this council at large here has been disappointing in many ways. Yes, you guys do a great job, but the criticism you receive here comes from your constituents. And if you come at them saying, "Oh, why did you Mr. Johnson is not our constituent? Why didn't you say thank you? He is a citizen of the country that we live in and he has a voice that he is allowed to express in a public forum. Is this a closed and private forum?" No,

it is not. And so that is what has distressed me this evening that you are taking this very personally when this is business here. You can't take that personally. You can't. If someone goes out there and says, "I think Sucks because he said this." Guess what? You're an elected official. That's your job to take that. And you don't get to say, "Hey, you don't get to say that. That's not what this is about. That's not how this works. I beg the difference. I beg the difference

from from a constructive from a constructive perspective. I mean, it's supposed to be comments dealing with legislation. And it was interesting the comments because it applies to every single one of the council people here. It is one of the burdens you carry as public officials that people can be critical to you at times that uh that that you you know, we'll it's one of the offshoots of a prior conversation tonight. But one of the things I would suggest is that you do have the right to limit comments to three minutes. You don't have to go five. And we one thing with the discussion about where you're from. City council does not have to listen to anyone who's not a citizen of Eastston or a I would say a business person taxpayer. I don't think going to McDonald's and paying a sales tax if you have a sales tax there um you know qualifies you. I'm not we've always been city council's always been open and I commend city council for being open to listen to everybody but there's a point here if it's all going to become personality event that uh it should be tried to be controlled and limited for the benefit of the other people who want to hear uh relevant business matters.

Hi, can you all hear me? With all due respect, I'm a citizen of East and I don't think you should limit public comment to three minutes. I think that five minutes is good and I think that everybody in this room was very patient and waited through a very long meeting to say their piece and for the most part the crowd was very quiet. Um, have your name please? My name is Katie Soer. I'm a resident of Easton. Thank you.

Um, I live in one of the evil new apartment buildings. So, hello. Um, I had wanted to prepare comments tonight and I knew that it was going to be a volatile meeting so I kind of didn't do that. But after the interactions that have happened, I did want to I did want to say something. First, I want to thank everybody for your public service. I do not think that serving on city council is easy. I think it's very difficult and I know that everyone here has strong personalities. They have strong opinions that a lot of the people here who I've dealt with personally love living here and that brings out a lot of passionate feelings and debate. Um, what I want to highlight is I know that the city altered the welcoming city resolution. I know that they passed something tonight that was meant to replace it. Um, I've been living in Easton for the last couple of years. I've only recently really started involving myself more deeply in the community and it's been really rewarding and I'm really happy about it. Um, I will say that in my experience in doing that, I've been a little bit horrified to see the impact that the current political climate is having on our citizens. We have many people um, we have people who may be here illegally. We have people who came here legally and went through all the right channels. I have many people who have said to me that they are keeping their heads down, staying quiet, that they have things in politics that they're very upset about, that they will not say a word about because they're worried about what will happen to them or they're worried about what's going to happen to one of their family members. This is not a small number of people. There are a lot of people that you serve that cannot speak up right now because of their safety or the safety of their family members. fears that I think are not only warranted, but as you acknowledged, Mayor Panto, we're watching play out on TV every day. And obviously, I mean, I know we've seen ICE

action in Easton and in the Lehigh Valley. Um, so I just hope that there's going to be a new council, there's going to be a new year. Many of you will be returning, some of you will not. And those of you who did serve the public, I we're grateful for the things that you did for the city or I know that I am. I hope that all of you remember that the people that are the loudest voices here are not the only ones. There are a lot of people who would like to be speaking who are being deliberately silenced on on a national level or a local level by politics that is not inclusive of everyone. And I know that all of you have that at heart, but I feel like maybe we need to keep more of a focus on it because it's so easy to get caught up in these arguments and personal disputes and things like that. And we all have reasons to be upset about different things that have happened in the city this year, right? But what I keep thinking about is all of the people I've talked to who I have encouraged to come to council meetings to come to meetings and they they they really just can't because they're so afraid of being targeted, having a visa revoked, having a family member who came here illegally 30 years ago who is a grandparent now being taken away and sent to a prison essentially. Um, and that's really all I have to say. I I I hope that the rest of the year is productive and I hope that everybody here tonight has something that they can leave happy about or optimistic about because there are a lot of good things going on. Maybe we wouldn't be focusing on that with this meeting, but there's there are things to be happy about. So, thank you.

Thank you,

Patty Hitzel. 424 Iron Street. Where's the gentle Is the gentleman still here that said about S? No. No, he left. Okay. Well, I'm just here to say that no politician should post especially on social media and blocked somebody that couldn't see it about calling me a dino because I didn't vote for your husband. And I would assume that you took the photograph that was posted of me that was put on it was No. So let me clear that out. It was not no because I don't want you to speak on something that is not true.

You called me a dino. It's bec not because you didn't support my husband. It was because you posted that on Democratic website on the page of the Democratic page and that's a general election and that's why it was removed and it was removed by the Democratic committee. It was removed. I'm a citizen. Yes, but it was removed by the Democratic committee because you are right. I believe that put me down for another month. She cannot block you. I was told that blocked for over a year. No. from my personal PS from my personal. Would you like me to bring up your coun from my personal because I do not bring your councilwoman page up

and show me your blocked people. I'm not here to sit and argue with you. I'm not you this is wrong. This is whatever you're wrong. No, this the thing that you are writing is wrong. This is inaccurate information. You were you were called a dino because you posted something on Democratic page and they had to remove it and they had to remove it. Then they should have came back. Could I could I go ahead brown? Council member Brown and all due respect, please yield her time back. Yes. She has five minutes. Thank you, Patty.

Thank you. also removing comments from the comment that you had put on about calling me a dino. Okay. My cousin had wrote a comment and then you deleted it. I don't do that. Can you bring Can you bring up your No, I don't. And I don't have I'm not going to sit here and clarify you everything. Do you want to unblock me until the end of You will always be blocked from my personal Facebook. Um you I'm blocked on your council. No, just so you know, Miss Mrs. Sultan, you cannot block her from any of your events because it becomes personal. That came right from that came right from Mr. Shear when I become

personal. If you use your phone, your personal page you post public. I I I share my personal my family stuff on my personal page and I do not appreciate anybody to go to my personal page and you're not a person. You are a council member. Mayor, I have two person I have two I have a council member page. Can we hear from the solicitor? You can tell us under under right hold on Pat talk under under relevant federal law and state open record rules.

If you have a personal Facebook account but you post you post anything for city business or about city meetings or about your your position as elected official. It becomes a public forum. If you keep a separate account and you keep everything separate uh you can you can control who can comment on your personal account. But if you post anything regarding the city on your personal account, you've you've violated you broke the seal and now it has to be open for everybody. Yep. Thank you. I knew that. You knew that. And that's why I have a different separate account for Councilwoman. I have a separate You posted it public. Excuse me. I'm not talking to you. I have a personal I have a separate

to talk to me anymore because I'm so glad that I don't have to deal with you anymore. I have a separate account for councilwoman and you will not be unblocked from my personal account. It's not personal account anymore. That's what he's trying to tell you. [clears throat] Public on your personal account. It's not personal. Yes. It is a is a public record. I have a council member council woman's separate page. You can go over there and do whatever you like. Because you have me blocked. No, you are not blocked. You are not. You are not blocked. Sher, are you able to have her bring up her councilwoman page? No, he cannot. No. No. No. Okay. You're a liar.

And I just want to say what are you talking about council that social media? I don't know what that means. I really don't. Her her council woman Facebook page. Well, I was getting beat up on council on Facebook. You told me I couldn't block Ed Regan or Terrence Miller. I told you that. Yes. And I couldn't. and mayor and mayor and the key if I was using my personal page or my mayor page mayor because you don't have a um mayor's page separate you it doesn't matter if he said mayor the record what Mr. Clark what Mr. clock said, which is really the key.

You could break that seal on your personal page so simply by referencing anything dealing with the city business. That's it. And that's and by the way, that is why I have no social media presence because I would I don't trust myself to you know and Okay, how many meetings did you miss here? Excuse me. Okay, Patty, you have a couple minutes left. Thank you. I would hope that after tonight's meeting, since council's not meeting December 22nd, that you delete your councilwoman page because you're not a council woman anymore in the city of East, nor will you ever be again. Okay? And I just have to say, ding dong.

Good evening. Uh Brett Weber um Marson Avenue in Easton. I'm a resident and a business owner here and want to take a kind of welcome pause for a moment to talk about some serious stuff. So um real stuff.

I Well, I just I just want to talk about civility and public service. I want to touch on planning, parking, parks, and water very briefly just as a response to what I heard tonight. So, um, as a as a volunteer, um, and as a citizen here, I just want to recognize city council for the work that you do and for the mayor's efforts in in managing the city with the administration. Um, there's a lot of serious and important work that the city and the administration and city council needs to do uh, now and in the coming year. And so, we've got some new council uh, persons to fulfill that role and planning. I wanted to touch on, you know, the discussion tonight regarding parking revealed a number of urgent issues for the city's consideration and I applaud Councilman Pindabone and Councilman Rosewoman Rose for urging city council to plan for a comprehensive plan initiative within our existing budget um or however it's obtained, but I think it's valuable to consider it within the existing budget. Um, I encourage the city to focus on supporting Heritage Day as perhaps the best and most authentic way for us to celebrate the 250th. Um, since that came up as part of conversations. It's an existing event that um, since it is so unique, it should be presented as the highest and best level with efforts made to attract as many people as possible um, to a really unique event. as we dialed into some of the parking issues. Um, as an architect, I just it's it's apparent to me that the city needs to revisit um consulting efforts that have been undertaken uh uh for parking and and traffic. Um the comprehensive plan obviously should be addressing those um and addressing parking within the context of current development that's happened here in the city and is and is uh continues to be planned. And although an independent parking and traffic consultant would help the city think about the best ways to maximize parking and parking facilities, I want to argue that well-designed parking integrated

into active urban blocks works well and is desirable. The city would do well to eliminate the cancer that I see in the city, which is street level retail and other spaces that are unoccupied due to reluctant or non-compliant property owners that kill the continuity of the public realm, especially uh from Center Square West to Sixth Street. The city should prioritize incentives on our historic downtown to support development in these areas and in these structures, as well as to impose penalties to owners who continue to block activity by leaving street level spaces, abandon or resist code improvements that would otherwise facilitate street level activity. That's the lifeblood of the city. That's what connects people from block to block. That's what encourages them to get to a parking garage wherever it's located. And the parking stats about the state theater are really remarkable. um it may be an anomaly but somebody should be addressing those and seeing is there an investment to help preserve um the future um activity at the state um is something that's really important I think uh uh to to also properly encourage its um fiscal health to to really enable that facility to thrive um and we see examples in the cities west to us um that are doing just that um parks I strongly encourage enourage council to address park planning within the comprehensive plan and within comprehensive public master space planning for the city. Um initiatives in the park should really be considered in the context of the whole. So Mr. Mayor I don't you mentioned the obelisk was not approved by HTC but you mentioned a groundbreaking is that actually approved then are you is it's a ceremony to do it.

Okay but it hasn't been approved by city council yet. It has been approved.

Oh it has it was okay. Forgive me. Um water probably one of the most important issues but really for the next uh next council. Um just briefly water uh used to be one of the greatest selling points in this city of the city of resources natural resources for the mo promotion of the city for um the various sort of emerging businesses in the 19th century. When we think about selling city water assets, which is not is only one of the considerations I understand, but it often leads to problems like skyrocketing rates, loss of democratic control, reduced transparency, and prioritization of profits over public service as private companies cut costs leading to service declines, cherrypicking profitable areas, and difficult buybacks, leaving residents with higher bills and less recourse. It's not a given, but it's a consideration. More importantly, publiclyowned utilities are able to prioritize health and safety to citizens and taxpayer requirements. There is perhaps no utility that more directly impacts individual health. With increasing threats to public health and public water supplies to the progressive intrusion of PAS chemicals and microplastics among many others, I think that cities should consider these issues very carefully and air on the side of public control for public safety.

Right. Just just for your information, this council has been against the outright sale to a private entity, right? That's why we're trying to deal with the suburban authority, right? So, I just I I'm adding my testimony to I appreciate that fully support that and uh to share those thoughts with the public. And again, thank you all for your service and if you don't have another meeting before the end of the year, happy holidays. Thank you. Thank you, Brett. Good point. Thank you.

Hello everyone again. Luke downtown. I got to go to the bathroom, so I'm gonna make this quick. Um, I just want to and I'm really cold. Um, I just want to thank uh Mr. Edinger, Dr. Rugles, and Miss Sultana for the work that you've done. I look forward to seeing where you all go next. Um, and uh, I also look forward to speaking to new council next year. Uh, I really think that um, we we need to circle back for a moment. Um, I thank everyone for keeping up with my speedy speech earlier because the words I shared on a deeply pressing subject need to needed to fit in a five-minute slot. Uh, despite the fact that the subject of surveillance in our backyard demands more than five minutes or a quick vote. Thankfully, we didn't move forward on one tonight. I appreciate Councilwoman Councilwoman Rose's mention of the burden on municipal government regarding right to know. It comes from a place of preserving taxpayer funds and city bandwidth. However, I think it misses the point. Once this data is gathered, AI systems will be able to scrape and merge this data through data brokers, removing the need to involve city government at all and removing city government's custody of the data entirely. This is the internet age we live in now. I have forwarded the articles to council members that reveal through journalism that adding any flock safety license plate readers from now until the end of time would be a menace to our city and these cameras should never rely on Eastn City approval to profit from the data collected at the expense of our residents. I look forward to speaking on the necessity to vote no on this matter in January after current and new members will have had the opportunity to bring themselves up to speed. I trust we will all see things similarly at that point. Thank you.

Very good, Luke. Thank you. Thank you, Luke. Anyone else want to address city council on city matters?

Mayor, I wanna Mayor, I want to uh just thank the council uh because it could be my last meeting if we don't have on the 22nd. Uh and I do want to mention some of the work that uh we did together as I casted my final vote. As a member of Eastern City Council, I personally do want to take a moment to reflect on the work we accomplish together. Work rooted in dignity, fairness, and the belief that the government should protect working families, not burden them. Um, over the past four years, I have been proud to champion legislation and puts people first. I introduced and passed the women's right resolution following the Supreme Court's attack on reproductive freedom, making Eastern one of the first small cities in Pennsylvania to publicly defend body uh bodily autonomy. I sponsor the declaration of June as Pride Month, affirming our city's commitment to equality for LGBTQ plus neighbors. I helped pass the resolution identify gun violence as a public health crisis because safety must be viewed as a community um responsibility. Mayor um as you know I also led on everyday issues that directly affect families sponsoring Eastern EN's anti-deing ordinance to protect pets from inhumane treatments. I also introduced an ordinance to help the city of eastern become the first city in the state to ban the sale of most animal in pet stores um including dogs, cats, rabbits and guina figs. Um I introduce an amendment and or uh ordinance to expand parental leave to six weeks and provide 5 days of brement bereavement leave for union and non-un employees. I introduce and as we and we as a council unanimously pass again uh women's reproductive rights bill um we honor um and pass the resolution uh to honor

black history month in the city of Easton. I introduce and we passed as resolution to declare gun violence as a public health crisis after the multiple school shootings across the US in 2022. I had the honor to supporting the successful passage of the city's affordable housing bill and voting to decriminalize small amount of marijuana recognizing the disportionate harm criminalizing causes for working families and minority communities and so many other bills resolutions and laws that I cannot even mention by beyond legislation. I'm proud to have presented Easton as a board member for Home Eastern and on the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission where I advocated for fair housing, infrastructure, equity, and development that respect both people and neighborhoods. Tonight, we pass a budget with no tax increase, a crucial protection for residents already stretched by rising cost. And we passed the welcoming city resolution pro- immigration resolution affirming that eons stand for safety, dignity, and belonging for all families, including our immigrant communities. I could not I could think of no better way to end my term than with these two votes. I want to thank Mayor Panto for the moment of collaborations where we were able to move this city forward. and I offer sincere appreciation to my fellow council members, past and present, who work alongside me, even when we did not agree. Democracy is built on debate, but progress is built on commitment, and I am grateful to every colleague who stayed committed to the people of Eastn. Most importantly, I want to thank the residents who trusted me, challenged me, and stood with me. You made me the fighter I became. Every bill, every vote, every stand I took was for you, the workers, families, immigrants, renters, small businesses, owners, and

everyday people whose voices are too often overlooked. My term ends, but my commitment to justice, dignity, and working families does not. So, thank you, Eastston, for the honor of serving you. Thank you, Mayor Panto. Thank you, Dr. Rugles. I appreciate your service. and um uh council member Brown Pintabone, Councilwoman Rose, and Council Member Jimmyer and Karen. Thank you so much for everything. That concludes Mr. Joel. Thank you for answering all the tough questions. Um Louis, sorry for calling you like any time and you responding to me right away. Appreciate it. And um yeah, and our new judge. So, thank you so much for everything. Thank you, chief, for for serving, for continuous serving the city. Appreciate it. That's all I have here.

Thank you, Miss Mr. Sultana. Um, anyone else? No, sir. I'll make a motion. I will move tojourn. Second. All those in favor? Motion by Brown, seconded by Rogals. Roll call. Mr. Brown. What? Mr. Edinger. I. Mayor Panto. Hi. Mr. Pinnab. Hi. Mrs. Rose. Hi. Dr. Rugles. Hi. Mr. Stan. Hi. So,

can you hear me erap? Yeah. But what he what he didn't tell you is that we signed him at the beginning so you could go All