Remarks by Michelle Stallings
270 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 7 of 11
- Play at 33:31
“OK. One concern I have with that is that there are some nonprofit organizations that are better Structured so they can have a lot of volunteer hours. I'm thinking the Arts Council with their their plays You know, they have the actors and actresses that you know, they're volunteers So they put in a lot of hours so that adds to it or things like the Hutchings Museum They for insurance purposes. They have to have paid staff on hand and you know to oversee the artifacts and that kind of thing so they They're less able to utilize volunteers not that they couldn't and I To me, it's ultimately I…”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 35:13
“Clarified so that maybe future councils can understand that.”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 35:30
“There's some places where you talk about what, and I think it's in the background that it wasn't included.”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 35:38
“There's cultural facilities performing arts facilities But yeah, so this we could use the park grant or sorry the park tax Maybe that's to do the thing is that the tax portion could go towards Yeah, so I pulled a couple things from the code itself that”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 36:25
“It wasn't in other places, and I just kind of wanted to drive the point home. No, I can make sure it's clear in the policy, but yeah. You know, if we... Don't want to use general fund money or bond as much. Maybe we can use the park tax money towards the Legacy Center.”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 36:45
“And then the other thing that I personally would prefer is not having a park grant committee. I think sometimes there's Well, there's a couple of reasons for that. And the first one and foremost, I guess, is because this is tax dollars that we're talking about. Even though it's set aside for specific purposes, it's taxpayer money. And as elected officials, That's kind of our purview and our responsibility to safeguard that money. So when we come up with budget discussions in a work session, we have the department heads presenting to the council. And we have the opportunity to ask questions…”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 45:54
“So my understanding is that, and I could try to pull it up really quick, try to find it, but state code from my understanding, specifies that it needs to be within the city.”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 47:05
“So I did pull it up, and it's State Code 59-12-12. 1402, sorry, I'm going to find it again, that the money, the revenue collected from a tax imposed, this tax, shall be expended to finance ongoing operating expenses of recreational fields. Number two, sorry. organizations cultural organizations within the city so the organization as I'm reading it has to be within the city not just the event has to be within the city and so a lot of this is just policy that we're deciding on but we do have to follow what state code specifies so it to me it's we need to fund only those organizations within the…”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 48:26
“Feel free to look at the code and see where it says. I mean, this is what we can spend the money on. It allows us to spend that money on organizations within the city. It doesn't say anything that we are allowed to spend money on one-time events within the city. Does that make sense? So to me, maybe Craig is the expert here, but we can only spend the money as stipulated in the state code.”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 51:15
“So Craig, this ballot measure was passed under law at a certain, whenever, 2021? 2021, yeah. Okay, so does it operate under code in place at that time, or if code changes, then it changes?”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 51:56
“CHRISTIE WOODARD- OK. Well, again, I want to honor the intent of state law To me, it's pretty clear I'm not seeing the word doing business in or operating within. I see organizations within the city. I think that is what was in place when the residents voted on it. So my position is to honor that. It would save us a lot of time. I mean, I think we have too many organizations just looking at the list of the the last list of applicants, there's some that are really pushing that envelope on what a cultural organization is, whether if they're doing something substantial in Lehigh, have a…”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 1:03:53
“kill these programs. I think the message has been sent loud and clear that they can't depend on funding from the city or even the grants. And the ones that I'm working with are working hard towards becoming self-sustaining. But if you make that change now, that undercuts them at this point without giving them time to adapt. So I'm absolutely fine keeping it so that it's not their sole source of revenue, but to change it so it can't be their primary source of revenue at this point, I think is very premature.”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 1:08:14
“So I would like I said, prefer it just come to the city council. But I'd love to have public comment on it, public input, and open that public input to all the residents, just not a few appointed people. So yeah, I definitely want to have the public weigh in on this, like we do with budgets and everything else. But I do see a problem. I mean, it was said that committees aren't political. I probably would disagree with that, because they have opinions and they have preferences of their own. And I would rather just open it up to all the public to be able to weigh in to the council, because this…”
City Council · Aug 10, 2026
- Play at 11:08
“I just assumed we were going forward with it, just because there is a long lead time, correct? Yes. Like if we get it going now, then we would get it in a few years or that sort of thing?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 21:02
“So if the library is going to be moved out of City Hall, what are you going to do with the first and second floor where the library is now? Are you expecting them to?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 23:35
“So any thoughts on the, would you keep the Literacy Center and the Historic Society where they're at, or leave that?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 26:35
“That's a long walk from the parking structure to the library. People think this is a long walk.”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 26:45
“I guess. Steps with little kids don't challenge.”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 33:48
“Jason, do you know what American Cork did? They didn't go with us, but did they go with the county? They went with the county.”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 34:58
“So my thoughts on this right now, yeah, definitely know the cost, but it seems like the court and the fire station are the priorities. How soon we do that, you know, I don't know. But I don't like this current plan. There's a lot of empty space, and that will end up costing us a lot to have to build the parking structure. I also kind of worry, you know, Main Street, there's, we don't want a ton, there's backed up traffic, we don't want a ton of traffic on there. So I don't know, I don't like the cost of the parking structure, I don't like the empty space, and the Are you referring to the…”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 42:23
“And they used to be, some of them used to be departments, right? Part of the city. So I know other cities like Springville, the city runs that under the city, you know. So it's, again, it's what you want, right?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 42:41
“So Steve, while you're up here, can you refresh my memory? We did allocate money to study the Legacy Center. That included the fire station as well, correct or no?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 43:11
“We did talk about putting money towards looking at it, right?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 43:35
“For the art center? library combo, would that include a theater or?”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 1:25:48
“Yeah, I agree with that idea that if you make it more visual and maybe a raised crosswalk a little bit, you know how they have those? I just got back from a road trip, so I've been looking. I took pictures of bike lanes. I do that now. I don't know. You pay more attention, I guess. But that's one thing I noticed. There's a painted crosswalk. Versus, you know, when it's up and there's lights and it's like, I'm going to that one.”
City Council · Jul 28, 2026