You guys are going to just go over a little bit of the concession lease part of it and then we'll get into the uh the uh SOAR upgrade.

Yes, sir.

Uh we uh I'm sorry, before you start.

Mr.

Hamlin, could you do a roll call of the uh board?

I would just say for the record.

So uh Mr.

Napoli, Mr.

Zucal, and Tinku are here.

I don't see Mr.

Lictee or Joe.

Okay.

Is Mr.

Lick the online?

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

And also Mr.

McMahon is not present as well.

Nope.

Okay, go ahead.

Okay.

Um Liesel Gross um uh was gonna be presenting.

She's on her way, but we're gonna just proceed.

Um so uh we wanted to do a quick update.

We've got uh a very important program that we're running for the lead and copper um replacement of the service lines.

That's an EPA order, and the city uh with LCA is um complying with that.

So I'm gonna click here.

Okay, so we're gonna do those three things.

I'm gonna try to go as quickly as possible because Mr.

Zipel's giving me the evil eye.

Okay, as you now we kind of went over this previously that there's a lead and copper, we're required to replace the service lines.

Um the service lines real quickly run.

The water main goes down the center of the street, you'll have a public service line from the water main to uh the curb, and that's public side, that's the utilities responsibility.

The property owner picks up from the curb to the home.

Um we have to replace all of them within 10 years.

Um this is a nice diagram that shows you um the outline responsibility.

These this information is on Granicus, it'll and um it's also gonna be on our our website, the public works compliance.

This is a map of the known interactive map.

If you've been seeing, we've been trying to to perfect the inventory to determine uh what the service line material is so that we can begin the process of correcting it.

Um we really depend on the public to participate in this, and there's many ways they can do that.

LCA has a very good website on this and talks about what you need to do to contribute your information to this and to find out where they are with uh with uh the service line program.

Some happy people helping out.

Um here's some things what to do.

Um if um it it's important to run your water through the system.

If you run it for uh about two minutes, then you're gonna get everything from your house.

You'll be you'll be at the main and pulling the water from there.

Um this is a partnership event.

This isn't just a LCA responsibility or a public works responsibility.

This is a a citywide responsibility to make sure that we can get these um pipes replaced.

So we really appreciate everyone's help.

Um this is an outline of what we need to do uh to get through all this, and again by 2037, we must be in compliance with the law.

Um so that's not part of it.

I'm really happy to answer any questions.

Ryan and I are both happy to I I think it's really important to note that it's it's very difficult to get in and and meet with these people that's you know, to inspect to check what they have as a service line because it it's difficult.

I I guess they're having difficulty you know finding out what it is on the private side.

The public side we can do pot holding, etc.

to see what it is, but on the public side or the private side, it gets very difficult to you know to get into the residents and have these service lines changed out.

So it it has to be, you know, that people are asking, you know, especially if they're reaching out to council people and that it is a big program and it's a program that needs to get done.

Okay.

So far, have you well obviously too then?

You're gonna dig up their sidewalks, they're gonna have to replace that.

Have you found so far up to date whether there's been an issue more so from the city side or the county water side or the private side?

It's both.

It's both sides.

So it whatever was done prior to 1950.

54 or whatever was lead was allowed in 1954.

There was an ordinance to say, hey, going forward, don't use lead.

Gotcha.

So any questions from my yes, go ahead.

Uh oh, just sorry, out of curiosity.

So if a uh if a homeowner does allow you in their property to inspect and it's discovered that they do have lead pipes, the homeowner is responsible for replacing those lead pipes.

Correct.

Oh, that's why they're not letting you in.

Well, um, we are also there is grants available that we've been using initially, so we do have PEN VES grants that are assisting in the replacement of these private side.

Full replacement, like full covering all cost.

Okay.

Hmm.

And then oh, so that was a question I had.

Um I didn't know that that was a thing.

I always think like the error raters, if there was a grant for that, but it seems like there's a grant for full replacement.

We need the full replacement of the line.

Okay.

How how much money is available for private full for homeowners?

The um government, um, the federal government just sent down, I think four billion dollars that money goes into the state revolving funds.

Pennsylvania uses it through PEN VEST to um, and then we put together a program, whether it be public and private, or uh the next program we're doing is just uh LSA is doing, I think cycle three is all private lines, so they're working on all those and they're getting money to replace them.

Interesting enough, and and you this is good for you all to know, but we're not seeing a lot of money come down for paving.

So this money through Penn Vest is is perfect for helping us replace the lines, but if we open up the street and we get involved with our street uh rehabilitation ordinance where we have to they have to pave curb to curb, there's not any money for that.

Um the public works department, LCA.

Um, we're all working together to try to come up with um street improvement projects we're doing where we can work together and we can share those costs, but I would like to see um Pennsylvania come up with a better way to help us with paving costs.

Okay, what just out of curiosity?

Is that a that seems to be a very intensive process?

Like it would take a while.

So if a homeowner were to say yes, come in my home, I want the grant to replace uh my pipes, um how long would that take?

Like we're talking months, weeks, days.

Oh, well, what we'd like to do is put together a program that makes sense.

So look at um areas of the city.

We're working in center city now for um cycles one through three, and then if we get a pocket of people on the east side, then we would put together a program there that makes sense to um cost effectiveness.

Oh, I see, so not just like one person a block, like get a couple people so you can do it all at once.

Okay, yes.

Um, and uh if there are so it would only so the grant only covers the replacement of the leads specif uh the the the pipes specifically are there other uh issues that could arise as you're replacing them that wouldn't be covered.

Um like I don't know.

Um that's a good question.

Yeah, I I haven't seen anything, um, but that's it that's a good question.

Yeah, like if you I don't know if you hit something, I don't know.

Um yeah, um and then also with the grant, do you get the money before the replacement, or do you does the homeowner have to put the money up front and then they get reimbursed?

The program's usually designed that it's the homeowner doesn't have to outlay any funds for those.

Um the the utility will do the work and then they'll ask for reimbursement from the grant.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, that needs to be put out there more.

Um, all right, thank you.

And I just have one more quick question.

Um, does that grant money depend on your income?

Uh no.

The the EPA rule did ask that we approach neighborhoods um the financially sensitive fragile areas first, but no.

Um when we apply for PEN Vest loans, they sometimes can have a different flavor for each quarter you go to them.

It might be more where they're gonna specify a certain area, and you'll have to pay attention to that, but typically it's not dependent on on income.

Okay, all right, Ms.

Yeah.

How does it affect uh a landlord, landlady?

Yeah, uh it's a rental property.

Uh do you get the same grant in the same yes, ma'am?

The same.

And also I didn't I wasn't clear on uh the the sidewalk, the sidewalk it will be our responsibility.

Um the sidewalk's the property owner's responsibility, but as part of the grant, we do work on replacing that fixing that.

Seeing if you can help us out with that too.

Yeah, um no, that seems to be we we have uh because we're not um cutting into that as much as we are the street.

Our street ordinance says if we have so many cuts, and Mark Shada knows it by by route, but you have so many cuts that you have to pave the road, um, and that's where we're we're um getting into difficulty.

On one hand, we want to preserve that road asset, right?

You you know, we've broken into it, so you want to maintain that.

We don't want to have that fall behind.

So it's important that we keep up our ordinance to say we have to pave curb to curb as well as um getting in the service line.

So if you get a letter, which I did, um it it's best to contact somebody for all the explanation how they get the grants and you know how these homeowners can go about doing it.

Well, they absolutely um the and the grants aren't specific to the homeowner, the ones at least that we've been applying for lately that LCA has been gathering, they're um program driven.

So um the information will go in the inventory, and then the engineers at LCA will develop a program around a certain neighborhood or area and put push that out, get it um bid for um replacement, and then the money will be and in total will be used for that.

Okay.

Thank you.

You have another question, guys.

Yeah, this should be my last one.

Um if a homeowner were to take advantage of this grant, um, the only is there are there like any inspections that um the homeowner would have to go through, like would the city come in and and inspect uh some people might not like that.

Well, um the the you determine the material lasal gross is here, and then you're gonna check me and see if I'm saying right, but um as part of the inventory process, once you've determined that your line needs to be replaced, then it'll just be a matter of scheduling and communicating with the homeowner that the um utility or or the contractor is gonna be in doing the work.

Okay, all right.

Sounds good then.

Thank you.

LCA's taking great steps to make this as easy and and communicating as much as they can with with our our residents about this.

And if there are any suggestions, they're very open to all of that.

We're just really getting our feet under us for this, wouldn't you say, Liesel?

Um so um but while we appreciate we we we need all the communication with the residents, um, the feedback is is is additionally important to us.

Thank you.

Okay.

Any other questions from uh the dais on here?

Any questions from the public?

Go ahead and miss thank you.

Um I was just curious on the communications about the program and the grant.

I I think uh Ceci's uh question is was very much on point from what I mentioned.

There's just a good deal of confusion out there on what how does the program run?

What what what what am I gonna be responsible for?

How do I know for sure that I'm not gonna end up having to pay anything?

So I'm and then and then there's the Spanish speaking um population that just feel like they're completely in the dark on a lot of things.

Um I'm just curious on what what kind of output is.

Okay, if you're gonna explain it, you gotta come up because otherwise the system doesn't pick it up.

Sure.

Thank you.

Remember that like hi everyone.

Liesel Gross from LCA.

I apologize for being late uh this evening.

Um and thank you for going through the slides on the lead program.

To the question about communication, this is a really really important component of the program.

So uh we are preparing all materials bilingual so that whatever goes out to the community, we have um accessibility for all customer bases.

It is a complicated program, so we need to touch just about every home in Allentown, whether it's for an inventory inspection or for replacement or follow-up communication or water testing.

So we're trying to be very clear and do direct communication.

So if you receive something from us about the program, read what you receive from us because we're giving step-by-step instructions in that communication, whether it's to call us for an inspection or to call us for a replacement when we're in that neighborhood.

So there's a lot of information, a lot of misinformation out there, but the best advice is to look at the mail that we we send you or the phone calls that we send you directly, because that's gonna have the specific instructions for your home.

Excuse me, Lisa, how many uh Spanish speaking customer service representatives do you have?

We have um three uh Spanish speaking customer service reps and um and actually uh several in our field services department that are out there doing the the inspections.

Our entire community canvassing crew is bilingual.

Thank you.

All right, any other questions?

Go ahead.

Sorry.

Um so you sent letters out um already, or will you be sending more letters?

Um because a lot of people when they get something, they just it's a bill, so they just toss it.

Yeah, so the the the key to this communication is gonna be repetition.

Um we are required by EPA to do the annual notice.

So everyone who has a lead galvanized or unknown service line material will get a letter every year until we get all the lead out.

So you have that annual chance to get communication out, but we're also doing um interim communication throughout the year about how to get an inspection or um how to get your line replaced if we're working in that neighborhood.

All right, thank you.

Yes, you bet.

Okay.

Any other questions from the community?

Okay, then part two, if you would, please.

Uh I can just stay here.

I know we're short on time.

We just have a few minutes to to talk.

Thank you.

Talk about the the remaining topics and uh thank you for covering the lead topic because that's my favorite one.

Um, the water and sewer rates I'm going to review pretty quickly.

And uh this is a presentation that I give every year, so um, I'm not gonna belabor the point of how we come up with the rates, just know that in the lease agreement with Allentown, LCA is uh following a formula in terms of how the rates are are managed and increased annually to cover expenses.

So we have some base rates that increase, and then we have specific rates that are charged for projects as they're completed.

So we're getting cost recovery on major projects.

We've got um a cost comparison here, 25 2025 to 2026 rates for an average residential bill of 15,000 gallons of water per quarter.

So we'll see total customer impact on that quarterly bill of about $18.

And uh, you know, that works out to about six dollars a month.

Um when we look at these rates and compare them, it is a lot.

There the water bill is a significant bill that every home uh receives, but if we look at that, how it compares to other communities in the Lehigh Valley, this graph um tells kind of tells you the picture without uh you can't really read the the fine print at the bottom, but this chart represents 26 communities across the Lehigh Valley and what customers pay for water and sewer.

And Allentown is right in the middle.

So very average type of water bill, water and sewer bill that we receive or that we bill for Allentown customers.

This kind of condenses it in into a simpler format.

So we have the lowest and the highest, and you can see Allentown is right in the middle.

So and just a key point that I always like to make is that um we're not alone.

Every city across the nation is facing the same issues with lead pipe replacement with new regulations with aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced.

We've got um hundred-year-old pipes that uh we need to deal with.

And so um this report card is from the American Society of Civil Engineers giving the uh drinking water systems across the nation a grade of C minus, not great, um, but it's better than the the wastewater system, which got a D plus.

So across the nation, all of the water and wastewater systems are requiring significant investment, and that will have an impact on rates for the foreseeable future.

We're um very much focused on providing relief wherever we can, whether that's for pursuing grants as Jenny was discussing about the lead program or providing direct customer assistance.

We've got a number of different ways that we do that through our own programs by pursuing grants, offering payment plans, and the last one is important too legislative outreach.

We do a lot of legislative outreach to uh to support water assistance programs and funding.

Um you've seen some of these before in prior presentations.

These are all the various grants that have been awarded or are in progress to try to offset the project costs for water and sewer, and that will have a long-term impact on uh reducing rates.

And then last but not least, our customer assistance program is a fairly robust program whereby we provide small grants to low-income households based on eligibility, and um you can see we we've um been able to award almost a thousand grants, totaling almost half a million dollars over the past couple of years through these various programs.

Unfortunately, the top two programs, LIWAP and PA HAF, those programs have expired from the federal and state programs, but LCA has its own customer assistance program that we're offering grants, and we've done um almost 500 of those.

So our website just to give you the the path to find that um information about the the support it is in English and Spanish.

Anyone have any questions from the committee?

Any from the DIES?

Any from the board?

Go ahead, Ms.

Can you come up?

Thank you.

Thanks.

Thanks for that presentation, Lisa.

My question is on efficiency, water efficiency measures.

Do any of these grants help customers to uh get you know low flow shower heads put in or you know new new kinds of toilets put in so that their overall water use can go down and uh it can become more affordable for them?

That's that's a great question.

Um the LCA customer assistance grant program right now is focused solely on low-income water bill assistance to make sure that the water stays on for properties that have a high bill and can't afford to pay that.

Um but that program is flexible.

If there were uh funds and a need to do uh water efficiency grants, that program, the way we're running it, um, could be modeled to do that.

We're just not currently doing that.

Okay, anyone else?

Okay, well, thank you for your explanation and do your best in the future to keep our taxpayers' rates down, and they don't have to worry about that assistance program.

Thank you.

All right, that'll join this meeting.