Allentown City Council Meeting - February 4, 2026

The Allentown City Council met on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers. Six of seven council members were present (Cynthia Mota absent). The meeting included contract approvals, public comments on parking authority and snow removal, approval of the Allentown Parks Plan, a PennDOT grant application, and financial adjustments for healthcare costs. All votes were unanimous (6-0).

Consent Calendar

• R4: Approved contract with Bowman Consulting Group ($379,369.93) for design services to upgrade five traffic signals on the 17th Street Corridor.
• R5: Approved contract with Michael Baker International ($215,733.00) for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Demonstration Projects, including Jefferson Street traffic calming, speed cushions, and daylighting.
• R6: Approved single-source contract with Microsoft Corporation ($110,500.00) for system support and account management.
• R7: Approved contracts with six vendors for agricultural chemicals (total estimated $231,900/year).
• R8: Approved cooperative contracts (via state contracts) with GT&E, Shafnisky Electric Inc., and Witmer Public Safety Group Inc. for goods/services.
• Minutes: Approved minutes from December 30, 2025 special meeting and January 13, 2026 special meeting on budget adoption.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Becky Kiss (Allentown resident): Urged renegotiation of the Parking Authority contract, noting Allentown receives only $480/year from the authority while Philadelphia receives $108M and Reading $1.25M. Also questioned mayor's expenses for memberships and publications (from $482 in 2022 to $62,000 in 2025) and the $11,000 annual dues for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
• Betty Cauler (2212 W. Tilghman Street): Supported renegotiation of parking contract, calling the $480 payment "a slap in the face." Criticized snow removal two weeks after the storm, stating only 5th Street and Hamilton are clean, and that emergency routes like Tilghman still have deep snow. Asked where snow removal is being done.
• AJ Ney (Turner Street, former parking enforcement officer): Spoke in support of the Allentown Parking Authority (APA). Stated he was never asked to meet quotas or target individuals. Argued that parking enforcement is needed for safety and accessibility, and that suspending enforcement after the storm may have hindered snow removal. Disagreed with the idea that more parking is needed, saying the city was built before cars and is walkable. Urged better communication to residents about what they should do rather than ticketing.
• Kyle Ropski (528 N. Berks Street, chair of Allentown Environmental Advisory Council): Spoke in support of the Allentown Parks Plan (R12). Emphasized the plan's role in climate adaptation—cooling neighborhoods, absorbing stormwater, reducing flooding, and improving air quality. Called the plan "essential environmental infrastructure."
• Final public comment (after adjournment, per transcript): An unidentified speaker raised concerns about people outside in freezing weather, noting deaths elsewhere. Minutes indicate "GOOD AND WELFARE: NONE," creating a discrepancy; the comment was not addressed by council.

Discussion Items

• Committee Reports:
  • Budget and Finance (Chair Pungo): Met Jan 28; next meeting Feb 25 at 5:30 PM.
  • Community and Economic Development (Chair Gerlach): Met Feb 4; discussed encampment enclosure bill (Bill 8 referred to this committee).
  • Human Resources, Administration and Appointments (Chair Binder): Met Jan 28; reviewed Bill 3 (Love Your Block Grant).
  • Parks and Recreation (Chair Santos): Met Feb 4; forwarded Bills 4 and 5 (supplemental appropriations).
  • Public Safety (Chair Affa): Not met.
  • Public Works (Chair Mota, absent): Not met.
  • Rules, Chambers, Intergovernmental Relations, and Strategy (Chair Napoli): Scheduled March 5, 2026 for public workshop with Lehigh County.
• Controller's Report (Jeffrey Glazier): Reviewed 353 checks from Jan 3-30, 2026, totaling over $6.1 million. Noted one department took 181 days to file a travel expense report; two overpayments (one refunded, one voided); 21 invoices paid after 60 days (city lacks formal late payment definition); two missing documentation items. Purchasing has improved communication on P-cards.
• Mayor's Report (Matt Tuerk): Reported meeting with 4 of 7 council members; State of the City address positive. Announced ongoing snow removal in District 9 (30 trucks, 4th-12th streets, Union to Chew). Winter Storm Fern post-mortem scheduled for March meeting. Noted challenges with parked cars blocking removal.
• Bill 6 (Trexler Fund final equipment loan payment): $22,133.10 for fifth and final payment on groundskeeping equipment loan. Introduced and voted on same night to meet timely payment deadline.
• Bill 7 (Risk Fund transfer): $1,210,000 from General Fund to Risk Fund for healthcare claims and prescription benefits. Year-to-date healthcare expenditures at $32.4 million; final invoices from SEIU and Capital Blue Cross exceeded expectations.
• Bill 8 (Noise ordinance revision): Housekeeping to align definitions with new zoning code (Chapter 660). Referred to Community and Economic Development Committee.

Key Outcomes

• Contract approvals (R4-R8): All passed unanimously (6-0). Enactment numbers: 31203-31207.
• Ordinances for final passage: Bills 3 (Love Your Block Grant, $50,000), Bill 4 (Bogert’s Bridge electrical hookup, $3,124.20), and Bill 5 (Jordan Meadows Park water fountain upgrade, $2,000) all passed unanimously (6-0). Enactment numbers: 16186-16188.
• Consent agenda (R9-R11): Approved sewer planning module at 1324 S. Howard Street, appointment of Kate E. Hartney to Planning Commission (term to 2/5/2030), and appointment of Krista V. Brown-Ly to Human Relations Commission (term to 2/5/2029). Enactment numbers: 31208-31210.
• Resolutions for final passage: R12 (Allentown Parks Plan 2025) approved unanimously (6-0). R13 (PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund grant application for Cedar Creek Park to Trexler Park trail connection, $682,282) approved unanimously (6-0). Enactment numbers: 31211-31212.
• Ordinances for introduction (voted same night): Bill 6 (Trexler Fund final equipment loan payment) and Bill 7 (Risk Fund transfer) both passed unanimously (6-0). Enactment numbers: 16189-16190.
• Bill 8: Referred to Community and Economic Development Committee (with public comment taken). Enactment number: 16191 (for referral).
• Good and Welfare: Minutes state none, but transcript shows a public comment about cold weather emergency after adjournment; no council response recorded.