OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Allentown CED Committee Meeting: Allentown Works Update and Zoning Code Amendments – February 18, 2026

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, February 18, 2026
BodyAllentown, Pennsylvania
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, February 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 56:23
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Is present.

0:01

We've got one agenda item and then a number of uh conversational items.

0:06

So we'll start with uh Bill Eight.

0:09

Uh Bill Eight, uh, and then it's part two general legislation, chapter 40 noise, section 41 definitions, revising the definition definition of zoning classifications, and section 406 sound levels by uh receiving land use, revising table one, receiving land use to be consistent with the zoning classifications.

0:32

This is a simply a housekeeping issue.

0:36

We didn't change parameters of the noise ordinance.

0:39

We simply changed the terms in the noise ordinance to match the zoning code.

0:45

So when the classification of zoning changed, instead of calling it industrial zone or an educational zone or an agricultural zone or whatever, we just made all the terms match from the old code to the new noise ordinance, but to the new code.

1:00

So it's um basically a wash, it's just that when the public looks at a code, we want the the corresponding sections of the code to match the zoning code.

1:10

It's my understanding that there is plans to amend the zoning code and to look at the zoning code or the noise code, I'm sorry, in the future, but for right now, we're just trying to get compliance and getting the the titles to match.

1:24

So it's a housekeeping issue.

1:27

Okay, great.

1:28

Um, any questions from the committee?

1:33

Anyone else?

1:34

Um, any questions from members of the public?

1:38

All right.

1:38

Uh so is there a oh yeah, I'll make a motion to move it forward favorably to full council.

1:44

Okay.

1:45

I'll second.

1:46

And all in favor?

1:47

Aye.

1:48

So this will move forward to full council.

1:50

All right.

1:51

The next um I've got an update on the Allentown Works program.

1:55

Um whoever wants to take that.

1:58

Trevor's going to take the lead on um giving you an update on our um Allentown works.

2:03

We are um pleased with our progress so far.

2:08

Trevor's gonna go over the individual components and what we're doing with each of the components.

2:13

And if anyone on council, because we do have several new council members wants um an in-depth go through the whole program from beginning to end, we're happy to do that one on one or in a team, however, you'd like to do it.

2:26

But today it'll be an overview of Allentown Works.

2:29

Okay, all right, uh Trevor, whenever you're ready.

2:32

Yeah, thank you, Vicky, and thank you, y'all.

2:35

Um quick summary on the like progress to date uh so far that Vicky mentioned.

2:41

So, like a few significant milestones of the program so far.

2:45

Call it's a five-year program.

2:46

We've just completed year one as of uh a month ago, or in January.

2:51

So our few key milestones are we've completed our uh strategy development project.

2:56

So that was the first uh five hundred thousand dollar grant that came from the EDA to plan out what exactly will we be getting done with this uh Allentown Works program.

3:07

And so the key deliver there were two main deliverables from that.

3:10

The first was we've now developed 15 uh comprehensive work plans with implementation partners that will be uh supported out through the Allentad Economic Development Corporation.

3:21

Uh each of those 15 partners will be fully executed under contract uh by March 19th.

3:28

So we're doing these in three batches.

3:30

So we've completed the first batch uh at January's ADC board meeting, broke.

3:34

We will complete the second batch uh tomorrow during ADC's February board meeting, and then the final batch will be completed in March, by which point we'll have all of our implementation partners under contract and can begin work on Allentown Works.

3:47

Uh the second key deliverable was the uh successfully piloting a community engagement model.

3:52

Uh if you've heard us previously talk about the Allentown Works Power Cohort, uh we've completed the first group of that.

3:58

It's 10 10 residents uh you live and or work within our Allentown Works neighborhoods.

4:04

So uh if you're not familiar, we're saying uh Bringham Park, Center City and the first six board thing 17th Street down to the Lehigh River.

4:12

Uh that group has been very heavily engaged with the planning of the Allentown Works program design, and now we're transitioning them into being uh recruiters into the program.

4:23

So, how can we find the residents who are persistently unemployed or out of the workforce and help place them into the program when we get things when we get things rolling?

4:30

So that's just key summary of the progress that we've completed in 2025.

4:35

So now what's what's on store, what's in store for 26 and beyond.

4:38

So could we pause for any questions?

4:40

Oh, yeah, sure, sure, sure.

4:42

He's jumping.

4:43

Okay.

4:44

I don't have any ticks to you want to all right.

4:46

No, go ahead.

4:46

Yeah.

4:47

We can go we can go in, and then I can go through each of the specific components.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Workforce Development█████████████████████████████████████████████55%
Daycare Operations████████10%
Procedural██████7%
Zoning Regulations█████6%
Public Engagement█████6%
Community Engagement████5%
Education██3%
Transportation Safety██3%
Data Center Regulation██3%
Summary of Proceedings

Allentown CED Committee Meeting: Allentown Works Update and Zoning Code Amendments – February 18, 2026

The Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee of the Allentown City Council met on February 18, 2026, to advance a housekeeping bill aligning the noise ordinance with zoning code terminology, receive a comprehensive update on the implementation of the Allentown Works program, and preview upcoming amendments to the city's zoning code.

Legislative Action: Noise Ordinance Amendment (Bill 8)

  • Staff presented Bill 8 as a procedural, housekeeping measure. The bill updates the definitions and sound level tables in the noise ordinance (Chapter 40) to use the same classifications as the updated Zoning Code. No substantive changes to noise parameters were proposed.
  • Council voted unanimously to move the bill favorably to the full City Council.

Discussion Item: Allentown Works Program Update

  • Staff provided a detailed update on the five-year, $20 million Recompete program, which completed Year 1 in January 2026.
  • Progress to Date: The strategy development phase is complete. Fifteen comprehensive work plans with implementation partners have been developed. Contracts will be fully executed by March 19, 2026. A community Power Cohort of 10 residents has finished the pilot program and will transition into recruiting.
  • Eight Component Projects:
    • Navigation & Support: Resource navigators stationed at neighborhood hubs. Career coaches provide up to 9 months of post-employment support. An emergency flex fund removes immediate barriers. ESL programming is included.
    • New Career Pathways: LCTI to host basic and advanced manufacturing courses at the Donnelly Center. Tuition and material support provided.
    • Re-entry: Expanding the Muhlenberg/Lehigh County Jail Inside Out program with full-time staff, tuition reimbursement, and a reentry stipend.
    • Child Care: Dual strategy to help providers increase Keystone Star ratings (unlocking ~$1.5 million annually in state reimbursements) and provide direct subsidies to families.
    • Transportation: Partnering with LANta for a rider demand assessment. All participant bus fares are subsidized.
    • Urban Sites: $3 million allocated to AEDC to acquire and rehab vacant industrial property, creating walk-to-work opportunities and a 4x local job multiplier.
    • Healthcare: Developing pathways to St. Luke's and LVHN, including EPIC training.
  • Council and Staff Dialogue:
    • Council members inquired about current job availability, accountability for daycare worker wage increases with new state reimbursements, and prioritization of the eight concurrent pilot components. Staff explained the program's flexibility to pivot and emphasized that the navigation component is the critical path unlocking the others.
    • Discussion centered on conditioning grant funds on exclusive hiring of Allentown residents for jobs created through the program.
    • Council member Bender requested routine quarterly updates. Staff confirmed quarterly presentations and a publicly accessible dashboard through the Leonard Parker Pool Institute are planned.

Public Comment

  • Blake Henry (1642 West Turner Street): Asked about the duration of training programs. Staff responded that training duration varies by individual skill level and chosen career path, with navigators conducting initial assessments. Training cohorts for targeted courses are expected to run at least twice per year.

Discussion Item: Zoning Code Amendments

  • Staff reported the new Zone Allentown code is well-received but presents administrative challenges. Applications are being processed under both old and new codes.
  • A list of amendments is being compiled. A specific ordinance addressing data centers is being drafted.
  • Timeline: The first comprehensive set of amendments is expected to be presented to council in April 2026. The data center amendment will come sooner.
  • Council discussed the importance of preventing unintended consequences, such as enabling large communal living arrangements.

Key Outcomes

  • Bill 8 (Noise Ordinance housekeeping) was voted favorably out of committee and will proceed to the full City Council.
  • The Allentown Works program is on schedule to have all 15 implementation partners under contract by March 19, 2026.
  • Staff committed to providing quarterly updates to the CED Committee on Allentown Works progress.
  • Planning staff will present the first batch of zoning code amendments to council in April 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Is present. We've got one agenda item and then a number of uh conversational items. So we'll start with uh Bill Eight. Uh Bill Eight, uh, and then it's part two general legislation, chapter 40 noise, section 41 definitions, revising the definition definition of zoning classifications, and section 406 sound levels by uh receiving land use, revising table one, receiving land use to be consistent with the zoning classifications. This is a simply a housekeeping issue. We didn't change parameters of the noise ordinance. We simply changed the terms in the noise ordinance to match the zoning code. So when the classification of zoning changed, instead of calling it industrial zone or an educational zone or an agricultural zone or whatever, we just made all the terms match from the old code to the new noise ordinance, but to the new code. So it's um basically a wash, it's just that when the public looks at a code, we want the the corresponding sections of the code to match the zoning code. It's my understanding that there is plans to amend the zoning code and to look at the zoning code or the noise code, I'm sorry, in the future, but for right now, we're just trying to get compliance and getting the the titles to match. So it's a housekeeping issue. Okay, great. Um, any questions from the committee? Anyone else? Um, any questions from members of the public? All right. Uh so is there a oh yeah, I'll make a motion to move it forward favorably to full council. Okay. I'll second. And all in favor? Aye. So this will move forward to full council. All right. The next um I've got an update on the Allentown Works program. Um whoever wants to take that. Trevor's going to take the lead on um giving you an update on our um Allentown works. We are um pleased with our progress so far. Trevor's gonna go over the individual components and what we're doing with each of the components. And if anyone on council, because we do have several new council members wants um an in-depth go through the whole program from beginning to end, we're happy to do that one on one or in a team, however, you'd like to do it. But today it'll be an overview of Allentown Works. Okay, all right, uh Trevor, whenever you're ready. Yeah, thank you, Vicky, and thank you, y'all. Um quick summary on the like progress to date uh so far that Vicky mentioned. So, like a few significant milestones of the program so far. Call it's a five-year program. We've just completed year one as of uh a month ago, or in January. So our few key milestones are we've completed our uh strategy development project. So that was the first uh five hundred thousand dollar grant that came from the EDA to plan out what exactly will we be getting done with this uh Allentown Works program. And so the key deliver there were two main deliverables from that. The first was we've now developed 15 uh comprehensive work plans with implementation partners that will be uh supported out through the Allentad Economic Development Corporation. Uh each of those 15 partners will be fully executed under contract uh by March 19th. So we're doing these in three batches. So we've completed the first batch uh at January's ADC board meeting, broke. We will complete the second batch uh tomorrow during ADC's February board meeting, and then the final batch will be completed in March, by which point we'll have all of our implementation partners under contract and can begin work on Allentown Works. Uh the second key deliverable was the uh successfully piloting a community engagement model. Uh if you've heard us previously talk about the Allentown Works Power Cohort, uh we've completed the first group of that. It's 10 10 residents uh you live and or work within our Allentown Works neighborhoods. So uh if you're not familiar, we're saying uh Bringham Park, Center City and the first six board thing 17th Street down to the Lehigh River. Uh that group has been very heavily engaged with the planning of the Allentown Works program design, and now we're transitioning them into being uh recruiters into the program. So, how can we find the residents who are persistently unemployed or out of the workforce and help place them into the program when we get things when we get things rolling?

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