Allentown Public Works Committee Meeting - July 15, 2026
Allentown Public Works Committee Meeting - July 15, 2026
The Public Works Committee meeting on July 15, 2026, featured two main agenda items: a Bill to fund a pedestrian safety beacon using an AARP grant and a detailed presentation on a city-wide facility condition assessment.
Consent Calendar
- Bill 49 was advanced to full council without public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
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Bill 49 – Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) Installation: Director Shatter presented the $15,000 no-match AARP grant to install a pedestrian beacon on 14th Street between Tillman and Allen. The device will assist elderly residents crossing from Gross Towers to the shopping center, and students at Louis Ramos Elementary School. Vice President Mota expressed strong support, noting the street's heavy use and the importance of grant-funded projects. The bill was moved favorably to full council.
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Facility Condition Assessment Presentation: Mr. O'Rourke (Facilities Manager) and David from AMGG presented the results of a $200,000 grant-funded assessment covering 76 city-owned buildings (over 635,000 square feet). The assessment, conducted over three months, used ASTM Uniformat II standards and a proprietary tool (inmo) to inventory components and assign condition ratings on a 9-point scale. Key findings include an overall Building Condition Index (BCI) of 81 (G-), with HVAC systems rated lower (73) as a priority. The 30-year capital expenditure projection shows a spike around 2030-2032, likely due to component replacements. The data is provided in detailed PDF reports and a filterable Excel flat file. ADA compliance checks were also completed at no extra cost. Mr. O'Rourke will develop a short-, medium-, and long-term plan based on the data. Council members discussed how to integrate the data into budgeting and procurement, and the possibility of a web-based asset management system. The presentation was well-received.
Key Outcomes
- Bill 49 (Amending 2026 capital fund budget for RRFB installation) was moved favorably to full council by a unanimous voice vote.
- The facility condition assessment report was formally received, and the administration will return to council with an implementation plan.
- The meeting adjourned, with the City Council meeting to follow in five minutes.
Meeting date: July 15, 2026. Meeting time: 11:00 AM (approximate start).
Meeting Transcript
Hello, Candida. All right, we got you on board. We're about to start the public work. All right, thank you. Ready to go? Yep. Good evening. Welcome to public works committee meeting. And today we have um oh, I would like to say that everyone, um everyone is here. Mr. Hanlon, please read Bill 49. Bill 49 amends the 2026 capital fund budget to provide for an increase of fifteen thousand dollars to fund the purchase of a rectangular rapid flashing vegan crosswork warning sign to be installed at mid-block crossrock on fourteenth street between Allen and Tillman Street as part of the AARP community challenge grant the city was awarded, and that is at uh Gross Towers. Go ahead, Mr. Shatter. Yes, good evening, Vice President Mota, and thank you, members of council. Um what we're doing this evening is we're appropriating the funding that we received through the AARP grant. Uh it's fifteen thousand dollars to install a RRFB. I know it's a lot of words there, but uh it's a rectangular rapid flashing beacon device that will be installed on 14th Street between Tillman and Allen. Uh it's gonna really help the elderly um crossing from Gross Towers there into the shopping center. Uh we also have Louis Ramos Elementary School that's also in the area. Uh so having that flashing device there to assist pedestrians and the elderly in that area crossing to and from the school and getting into the shopping center and into gross towers is gonna be very essential, critical to their overall safety. Uh this is a no-match required grant, so it's a really cool project that we're looking forward to undertaking. I'm excited, I'm really am because um I I uh work very closely um with the senior citizens on uh 14th Street and uh and also the the the the students are gonna be benefiting a lot. Um yeah, it could be very dangerous that that street. So I'm glad I'm glad that we're um that we're doing this. And he's uh and he's heavily used. So yeah. Any comments from the Dais? No, I just kind of I know we don't have too many people here today, but I just can't reiterate enough how important some of these grants are. Um I know people sometimes feel like well we're spending money on this, spending money on that. This is money that we've been able to you know, we've earned and gotten from other sources that don't come from taxpayers that is being invested in our communities and and making it better for everyone who lives here. So um just another great instance of grant funding that helps us do great things. So thank you. And we would never say no to money, right? Absolutely. That is awesome. Okay, any other comments from the public no comments from the public. I would like someone to make a motion. I'll make a motion to forward to full council. Okay. I'll second it. Ms. Candida will second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Okay. So Bill 49 will be moved. Uh favorably in front of full council. And now we have uh a presentation. Yes, that's correct.
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