0:00Okay, if anyone would please stand for the invocation.
0:22I plead the leading United States of America.
0:27And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God.
0:43I think we can dispense with the roll call.
0:55President, everybody's here.
0:58And we'll begin with courtesy of the floor.
1:01I don't have any cards.
1:08Begin with contract approvals.
1:11Beginning with R 194.
1:15R 184 is an authorization for a contract with Barry Is it and associates in the amount of 49,920 to provide detailed consulting and engineering services for a feasibility study, including cost estimates for the city of Allentown for the proposed MLK Trail Phase 3 project.
1:37This was done as RFP 2025-38 MLK trail phase three physics feasibility.
1:43It was advertised on public purchase on October 8th, 2025.
1:46There was a public bid opening on November 6th, 2025.
1:50The city received three proposals.
1:52An evaluation team consisting of four members conducted both technical and cost evaluations.
1:57Proposals were evaluated based on IBE preference, ability to meet RFP requirements, firms experience, project plan, and cost.
2:05After evaluating the proposals, the evaluation committee decided not to move forward with oral presentations.
2:11Committee is recommending awards to the highest scored vendor, Barry Isett and Associates Inc.
2:18I want to make a note.
2:21I have a family member who's employed by Barriers.
2:25Any comments or questions?
2:28Yeah, just real quick.
2:28Uh, what are they going to do different than the contract we approved uh last meeting for 200 some thousand dollars?
2:35I believe this is a different part of the trail, but you'll come up and give you some more detail there.
2:47Okay, yes, that's correct.
2:51It's a different section.
2:52So this is um the section that goes near Auburn Cross where the new um where the development is across from the parquet over there to across the river connecting to Bucky Boyle.
3:04So it's a completely different section of trail.
3:07Okay, all right, thank you.
3:12Any comments from the public?
3:16Hanlin conduct the vote.
3:26Hendrix has recused himself.
3:28I have six years in remains.
3:34R195 is an authorization of a cooperative contract, the amount of 11875 with multi-pro 5800 for geolink.
3:47This is just being purchased through a source well cooperative contract.
3:51It's a sprayer for the golf course.
3:55Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
3:59Any comments from the public?
4:03Hanlon, conduct the vote.
4:16President of seven years and no nays.
4:19Moving on to minutes of the previous meeting.
4:22First set of minutes is for November 19th.
4:35And the second set is uh December 3rd.
4:49President 7As and no A's on that.
4:54Oh, um, regarding uh visitors of city council.
5:08City council passed a resolution approving a transfer for fire overtime at a previous council meeting.
5:14The transfer contained an error.
5:16The account mentioned the transfer was going into premium pay for EMS.
5:22The account should have been around an account for fire premium pay.
5:33Moving on to reports.
5:37The next council meeting will be the organizational meeting, and it will take place on January 5th, 2026 at 6 p.m., where the newly elected council persons will be sworn in, and the election of council leadership will take place.
5:54Moving on, budget and finance.
5:58The committee has not met since the last council meeting.
6:01There are no future meetings scheduled.
6:04Community and economic development.
6:08The committee met this evening, and there are no future meetings scheduled.
6:13Human resources administration and appointments.
6:19The committee has not met since the last council meeting, and there are no future meetings scheduled at this time.
6:25Parks and recreation.
6:26Chairwoman, Miss Gerlock.
6:28The committee hasn't met since the last meeting, and there's no future meetings scheduled at this time.
6:37The committee has not met since last council meeting, and there are no future meetings scheduled.
6:45As the President of the Committee.
6:47The committee met this evening, and there's one item on the regular Jennifer voting.
6:53Rules Chambers, intergovernmental relations and strategy.
6:57That is my committee.
6:59The committee has not met since the last council meeting.
7:02There are no future meetings scheduled.
7:09In light of how much business you guys have to accomplish this evening, I won't give you any reports, but as um the court mentioned, I forwarded four reports to council over the past few weeks.
7:21Before the end of the year, I assure you that I will forward some additional reports.
7:26And starting in the new year, I'll have plenty of reports to report on to council.
7:36Mayor, you have not submitted anything for tonight.
7:40We will move on to ordinances for final passage.
7:45Bill 84 is an ordinance of the city of Allentown, County of Lehigh and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania establishing the general fund, administrative order fund, risk management fund, debt service fund, equipment fund, and Gough Fund budgets for 2026.
8:03Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
8:08Any comments from the public?
8:10Here was there was that notion up there if you want to ask for a minor change to the title.
8:17You see where it says note.
8:22Oh, would somebody like to do that?
8:33A change to the title.
8:34Yes, so this would be a request to uh for common consent to change the position of council's proposed uh position in council's proposed budget, like you change the name for the DEI and sanitation uh titles last time around, and you would change the name to public affairs and policy officer rather than legislative and community engagement specialists.
8:59All right, I'll make that motion to do just that.
9:03And I will second that.
9:06Seconded by Miss Moto.
9:07All those in favor, please indicate by stating aye.
9:14Now you're on the bill itself with that amendment.
9:21All right, moving on to Bill 85.
9:25Oh, so I would say you got a vote on Bill 84.
9:28And so just for I'm sorry.
9:32Just for the record, I was saying Bill 84 contains that.
9:37It contains a uh reduction of the tax rate, or say a reduction of the tax rate, a no increase tax rate to take 1.5 million out of the closing fund to account for that.
9:53Um part of the amendments on this budget include the 100,000 to the health department uh for the homeless for the unhoused.
10:04You had multiple changes, uh, sort of typos that you made in regard to the solicitor's office and some other changes.
10:13Uh you created the position of deputy director and changed the senior HR generalist position to operations specialist and you approved multiple changes in the CD department.
10:33Those are all approved by you and are part of the budget.
10:40Okay, just for the record.
10:42So you want to bill you want to vote on bill 84 as amended?
10:45Are you ready for that?
10:51Santos as amended, correct?
10:55So this this is a bill that uh contains all the amendments that you passed, which includes the your proposal to have no tax increase.
11:07So this re this bill as it stands in front of you has no tax increase.
11:32Yes, it's four to three.
11:45Okay, the next one is Bill 85.
11:48It's an ordinance of the City of Allentown.
11:50Uh establish and adopting the building code fund for 2026 for the uh community and economic development department for chapter 270 of the city code.
12:03All right, any comments or questions from my colleagues?
12:08Any comments from the public?
12:12Hanlin, conduct the vote.
12:30Bill 86 adopts the liquid fuels fund budget for 2026.
12:36Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
12:40Any comments from the public?
12:43Conduct the vote, Mr.
12:54President 78 and no nays.
12:59Uh establishes and adopts the rental unit licensing fund budget for 2026 and amends the landlord and rental fee by maintaining current rental fees.
13:11Any comments or questions from my colleagues?
13:16Any comments from the public?
13:20Conduct the vote, please.
13:32I have 70s and no nays.
13:35Bill 88 establishes and adopts the solid waste fund for 2026.
13:44And amends article 1131, municipal waste storage collection disposal by increasing the solid waste fee to 740.
13:55Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
14:00Any comments from the public?
14:03Conduct the vote, Mr.
14:17Red H 70s and no nays.
14:23Bill 89 is an ordinance that uh establishes and adopts the stormwater fund of for 2026 and amends Article 393 15 stormwater utility fee by maintaining the stormwater utility fee at $20 per 500 square feet of impervious surface.
14:44Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
14:48Any comments from the public?
14:51Hanlon, please conduct the vote.
15:07Bill 90 is an ordinance of the city of Allentown that adopts the trust of fund budget.
15:14Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
15:18Any comments from the public?
15:22Hanlon, please conduct the vote.
15:3997 adopts the uh chapter 455 property rehab and maintenance.
15:44Um article three pre-sales inspection of residential and commercial properties by establishing a commercial inspections program.
15:55Any comments or questions from my colleagues?
15:59Any comments from the public?
16:00Seeing none, please conduct the vote.
16:19Bill 98 amends the general fund to provide for supplement appropriation of 1 million dollars from uh DCD local share account grant.
16:27It's a pass-through grant for the bomb school of art.
16:32Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
16:35Any comments from the public?
16:39Hanlon, please conduct the vote.
16:55Bill 99 amends the capital fund budget to provide for supplemental appropriation of 3,125,825 and 97 cents from the uh aqueous filming foams class action awards to offset the cost of any PFAS remediation systems the city is required to install.
17:18Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
17:22Any comments from the public?
17:26Hanlon, please conduct the vote.
17:38Reddit of 78 and no nays.
17:46Amends the 2025 general fund, building code fund budgets provided for a transfer of 25,000 to uh for disbursement to the Y for the early warming shelter opening.
18:00Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
18:03Any comments from the public?
18:08Hanlon, please conduct the vote.
18:22President 78s and no nights.
18:30Bill 101 amends the 2025 risk fund by transferring $2,500,000 from the general fund unappropriate balance to the risk fund for the payment of health care claims, drug prescription benefits, and other employee medical costs for the remainder of the year.
18:48The health care claim amounts are significantly higher this year.
18:53The administration is requesting that you vote on this this evening and that upon the affirmative vote of six of seven council persons.
19:06This would go into effect then with the mayor's signature and negate the 14 days between introduction and final passage.
19:16Any questions or comments from my colleagues?
19:20When we uh transferred the nine 5.9 million a couple weeks ago or a month or so ago, well, that was for the same reason, correct?
19:30Yes, it was for the same reason, but it was moving a budgeted amount from within the risk fund.
19:37So now we don't so budget to budget transfer.
19:40This is taking money, actual cash from the general funds unappropriated balance and transferring the cash to the basic fund.
19:48Okay, so how I mean I could say that was a month ago.
19:53How's it just I mean I'm just blown away that we under budgeted that kind of money?
20:00Um I wouldn't say under budgeted that health care expenditures are uh we are self-insured, and when we have um a couple of high claims, uh we cannot predict uh you know we are going to receive higher claims in a year.
20:15So we uh we have some higher claims to see.
20:19I'm sorry, I didn't interrupt you.
20:20Uh also isn't a lot of this have to do with the uh the uh diet injections that uh employees have been getting.
20:29I understand they're between ten and twenty thousand dollars apiece, and you get like four a month, I think or something, one a week.
20:36Um I don't believe that's accurate information, but uh again some of those accurate information.
20:41Some of this are covered under HIPAA, so I am not able to share that also.
20:47Um but um not necessarily all for weight loss program.
20:52Yeah, but what the weight loss drug is unless it's for diabetes or whatever is a volunteer program.
20:57Is that fair enough to say?
20:58Without without violating HIPAA, we do cover the costs, a portion of the cost associated with the use of GLP1 drugs, which help people lower their weight and have a much healthier lifestyle.
21:09But yes, there's a cover under the agreement that we have with our employees.
21:13Okay, and is that with the non-bargaining employees, or is that with all city employees?
21:18Uh uh all city employees.
21:20Okay, all right, thank you, Mr.
21:23Anyone else in the dias?
21:26Any questions from the public?
21:30Hanlon, conduct the vote.
21:44But I got 70 agents for a thank you, Mr.
21:50Uh you've got two items on the uh consent agenda.
21:55One is a sewage planning module uh for the police department at 425 Hamilton Street, and the other one is for uh work at um 231 North Fulton Street.
22:13Do we know what that work is?
22:18Oh, this would just allow.
22:19So if you pass this, it just carp has approved it.
22:23This just allows building permits to allow them to get term.
22:34Comments from the public, or you just want to vote?
22:36Any questions, comments from my colleagues?
22:38Comments from the public.
22:43Hanlin, conduct the vote.
22:57Resolutions for final passage.
23:00R one R 198 approves 140,000 transfer for the purchase of salt for treating streets and a transfer of 22,358 and 75 cents in finance uh to pay for actuarial services by Chiron.
23:18Any questions or comments from my colleagues on the seeing none?
23:24Any comments from the public?
23:42We have no ordinances for introduction and no resolutions for introduction.
23:48Is there anything for new business?
23:53Anything for good and welfare.
23:57Yeah, uh, I believe that this is our last meeting of the year.
24:00And um, if that correct, and I just wanted to wish um two colleagues well that um their terms are ending, and uh it was a pleasure serving with Mr.
24:10Hendricks, and uh just want to wish you well.
24:13Thank you very much.
24:14I do on behalf of the administration, I want to thank both of you for decades of service to the city of Allentown prior to your time on city council and for your dogged pursuit of the good for the residents of the city of Allen Town.
24:26As I said, even though we disagreed at times, I would appreciate both of your willingness to look for common ground.
24:33And I know that neither of you will be withdrawing totally from public service, and we expect to see you helping and showing up for the city of Allentown for years to come.
24:40So thank you and enjoy enjoy uh some freedom on Wednesday nights.
24:47I would like to say a few words.
24:49Uh I want to thank you both for your service here, both ex-police officers.
24:54So you've been serving uh this community for a long, long time.
25:00So you've been serving uh this community for a long, long time, and I I thank you for for that and for your I know we didn't always agree on things, but uh I uh it's gonna be weird for me to come here and not see uh Mr.
25:11I've as long as I've been on council, he's been here.
25:13And I just want to know uh you have lost uh we're losing two really good council people, and I hope the ones that walk into your shoes can do the job that you guys did.
25:24Good luck to both of you.
25:26Thank you very much.
25:27And thank you for the for to the both of you for your years of service.
25:32And I'm gonna be missing you, and I don't know who I'm gonna be hanging around with, you know, every time that there's an event, you know.
25:41So um I wish you both the best of love.
25:45Thank you very much.
25:48Okay, this meeting is adjourned.
