Give me three three more minutes before we start the meeting, okay?

Thank you.

No.

And uh sorry.

Ready?

Good evening.

Welcome to the special council meeting.

Uh, Mr.

Hanlan, can you please do the roll call?

Uh Ms.

Apppa here.

Mr.

Pungo.

Here.

Mr.

Bender.

President Ms.

Santos.

Here.

Ms.

Garlock?

Here.

And Mr.

Napoli is not here.

So Madam President and Vice President, a quorum is present.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Hanlan.

Um, President Napoli is unable to attend this evening due to a previously scheduled uh vacation.

The purpose of this special meeting is to review a citizen initiative now denoted as Bill Fifty Four, which will amend the city health code to require certain businesses to provide pay sick time to employees.

Under the city home ruler charter, citizens who sufficiently gather the necessary signatures of Anatom residents may introduce or repeal legislation, may call special meetings and may place items on the council agenda for discussion.

On June twenty second, twenty twenty six, the council clerk sent a memo to council determining that the citizens' petition with the signatures submitted was sufficient.

President Napoli then place the item on the next available agenda, which occurred on July fifteenth.

And he then scheduled this meeting.

Allowing voters to decide via the referendum process.

So this evening we will proceed as the typical, as we typically do with legislative matters.

Hearing first from the petitioners, file by comments from the administration, and then council.

And then public.

After the discussion, we'll entertain a motion from any council member who wishes to offer one.

So now we're ready.

We would like to hear from the petitioner.

Good evening.

Hi.

Thank you.

Hi, good evening.

I'm Diana Robinson, uh, co-executive director at Make the Royal Pennsylvania.

Um we have an office right here on 7th Street.

Um we work with uh the community here in Allentown.

Um and we have Diana Espinal, uh, who was one of the petitioners uh that was part of the first petition to put forward uh the petition for signatures and also collected signatures.

So she's gonna share a little bit about why this is important to her.

Um and I'm gonna interpret her remarks.

In this tempo donde si yo no assistia, me daba puntos accumulativos that resulting in despidos immediately.

In other opportunity, don't you connect, a pesar de que ella estaba muy enferma con vomito, dolor intestinal, lo cual no podía dejar de assistir al trabajo porque podia resultar in un despido.

Durante años, las familias trabajadoras como la mia se han visto obligadas a elegir entre nuestra salud, nuestras familias, andas facturas.

Yo collected firmas para la petición para inclusión esta propuesta in la boleta electoral.

Residents of the ciudad de Allenton expressaron su allegria al saber de la possibilidad de tener días libres y pagos for enfermedad, la opportunidad de poder quidar enfermos y evitar contagiar a otra in el trabajo, sin temor a perder su trabajo or su empleo.

Sería un gran alivio.

Gracias.

Okay.

Gracias, Diana.

And so I'm just gonna translate Diana's remarks.

Um good evening, my name is Diana Espinal, and I have been an Allentown resident since 2000 since 2023, and I am a member leader at Make the Road, Pennsylvania.

While I was working in a warehouse in the Lehigh Valley, I faced a situation where I was ill with a throat infection, a fever, and very high blood pressure.

At the time I was working in a warehouse where missing a shift resulted in an accumulation of points that would lead to my termination.

Working class families like mine have been faced with deciding between our health and our families and being able to keep up with our bills for years.

This initiative will give all workers across the city, regardless of income or race, the ability to take care of their families and themselves without fear of losing their paycheck or their job.

I collected signatures for the petition to get this on the ballot.

Residents from across the city of Allentown expressed joy to learn about the possibility of having paid sick days, the opportunity to be able to care for sick children and not get other six sick at work without fear of losing their paycheck or job would be a great relief.

We also worked with SCIU, all folks collecting signatures interested in seeing this move forward and happen, and that voters decide uh what would be best for the city of Allentown.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No, let's hear from the administration.

Ms.

Kissler.

Members of the city council.

The administration supports good public health legislation.

And we're supporters of fair labor practice.

The City of Allentown administration does not support Bill 54-2026, which would amend the city's health code to require all businesses within the city limits to provide paid sick leave to employees.

As you are aware, the city this ordinance was brought to you as a charter citizen initiative and referendum.

It was not proposed by the city Allentown Allentown City Administration, Allentown City Council, any administrative board commission or third party agency that functions under the Health Bureau or Lehigh County.

As such, there is no research, investigation, studies, or data collected by the city or city affiliated public health organization that shows the ordinance would protect the public health or assist in disease prevention and control.

There are currently over 20,500 active in-city licensed businesses that the health bureau would be required to monitor for compliance and enforcement.

The city does not currently have staffing or administrative processes in place to comply with this ordinance.

Implementation of the ordinance would require significant investment in additional staffing, which may result in doubling or tripling the city's business license fees and or property tax increase.

The measures would be in addition to the cost of the businesses to offer this benefit.

Finally, many of the people who live in Allentown do not work in Allentown.

And many people who work in Allentown live elsewhere.

Approximately 80% of our residents in the workforce leave the city for their employment.

And conversely, approximately 80% of the jobs in the city are filled by commuters that live outside the city.

We do not believe that this ordinance will protect the public health or assist in disease prevention and control for this community.

If compelled to implement the ordinance, we believe it would put the city at a competitive disadvantage with neighboring communities and expanding new small business opportunities in the city.

The administration believes it would be more appropriate for this ordinance to be implemented and managed at a county or state level of government.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Kissler.

And now let's have comments from Daday.

So any comments from the Day.

Any comments from the day?

Excuse me.

Yeah.

I would like to make a motion.

Is this time?

Or do I have to wait?

Okay, you know what?

Is it possible that you can make your comment, or you've rather Miss Afa, do the motion before you make the comment?

Okay, fine.

Go ahead, Ms.

Alpha.

Um I'd like to make a motion to forward this initiative to Michael Paston, uh Chief Clerk of the Elections and also appropriate officials at the Lehigh County voter registration to be placed on an upcoming general election as a referendum for the registered voters on this act.

And most likely the bill will end up as a referendum.

If you pass it, it will become a law.

And if you reject it, it goes to a referendum.

Let the voters make the determination, and the city and other interests can engage in the educational process going forward.

If we forward this today, we will alleviate any issues related to the timing and getting it on the general election this year.

Okay, I would like to second your motion, Miss Alpha.

Those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

So you need a first and a second.

And before vote, you do need public comment.

Okay.

Definitely.

So now go ahead.

Thank you.

Um, so I just wanted to say I think like the method for being able to do this is incredibly powerful from the standpoint of our charter.

So I think that that's a I think that um is great.

Um, my only concern is that I believe this is is really I understand the spirit of it.

I think it's really focused on helping Allentown residents.

My only concern in the process is that um as council here, we can't amend or change anything when the citizen initiative comes up.

So I would only just like to say that I I am concerned a little bit from the standpoint of service providers and small businesses because this could negatively impact that and I think it's worth evaluating.

Um I didn't see that evaluation in the current one.

So um I would just encourage voters when um if if this motion passes, um which I assume it is since it sounded like it already did, um, that they do take time to read through the through the legislation because I think it's it's it is impactful and could potentially harm some um Alan residents.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any other comments from the guys?

Go ahead, Mr.

Pongo.

All right.

Um I'll be making these comments both in English and Spanish, just for the folks who are here so they can kind of take advantage of that.

Uh but yeah, I kind of agree.

I understand there's there's definitely some more impacts than what we see, and I do think you know uh Miss Kisler mentioned a good point of you know who will really be benefiting from this, and I and I hope, you know, I think the vision that we see for the city is for more of the folks who live here to work here.

Uh and I and I just I just know there's so many people that leave the city, and I I I would hate for people to have uh uh a false safety thinking that they're getting paid sick time if they're working in Bryaningsville or if they're working in McCundie or somewhere else.

Um that's not to say that you know the you know the residents can't voice their opinion.

Um solo que those key gracias por estar aquí uh and I don't commentarios sobre uh los impactos possibles de esta uh um este bill.

Entonces, obviamente son cosas que anda lisa y ver um sort of asegurar que la gente could be in Alenton you can beneficiar the established person in Alenton y tening que salari either Bryan's will, you know uh uh canji or other parts but drawing, and stallion.

Go ahead, Miss Carla.

Um uh Dr.

Morio, you already thanked uh folks for doing this.

I'll echo that.

Thank you.

This is a lot of work.

And easy.

Been there, done that.

Um so thank you all for putting that work in on an issue that's important.

Um so hopefully it seems like this will pass and it will be up to the voters, and if the voters want this, they'll say yes.

If they don't, they'll say no, and then we'll all move accordingly, I guess.

So and I believe if the voters say yes and then it becomes law, and then it's city law, we could then go back and amend.

For there's a two-year moratorium for two year moratorium guys.

I'm not not an attorney, but that's my understanding from an attorney.

Okay, all right.

Well, good to know.

I'm sure if this were to pass, there will be many conversations of legal nature.

From various entities.

So thank you.

I I just think that it's important that um to know that more than two thousand people signed this signed this petition, and um we just have to you know honor it.

And um I uh you know I think that it's important to let the voters decide if they want this bill.

Um I also think that um that it's important to also educate the community.

You know, so I I I believe that although it was 2,000 and and more signatures that you guys collected, it is extremely important that you guys go out there and do the harder work, which is to educate the community.

Um that's all I have to say.

Any other comments?

No.

Ms.

Alpha, go ahead.

You said you had a comment.

Uh yes, I I was a small business owner for 38 years, and my fear is um I only had eight or nine employees.

Um, and I had an established business.

My fear is there will be people leaving.

We want people to come into our city, and my fear is that I don't know how it would affect me.

And since I was already established, I could have moved almost anywhere.

And one of my fears is that this could happen.

We want people to come into our city, and this might be a deterrent.

That's that's that's one of my concerns because it does put a lot more pressure on you as as an owner, because people could take advantage of it.

Um that that's my fear.

We would need people to coming in, not leaving.

And and it's valid, you know, it is valid.

Um my concern has been with you know, small businesses too, you know, the synchronous that everyone has.

But again, again, um, they went through the process, and uh, you know, now it's gonna be in the ballot.

You know, so we have to honor it and see and see what happens.

And and yes, later on, we could we could amend we can change a few things, you know.

Um, and I do agree with uh Ms.

Gerloch.

Um, you know, they there might be a lot of people posting it, you know.

So we just have to see what's what's what's gonna happen.

But at least you know, it's the power is it's in the people, you know what I mean?

And and it shows you know that when people work in unity, things happen.

Okay, things happen.

Any other comments?

Okay, um, so we have uh a request to speak from uh Diana.

Oh I do have a quick comment uh in reference to some of the concerns if I can go ahead.

Um and thank you so much for um you know sharing concerns and uh what you all are thinking about.

I also wanted to share that this uh similar legislation has been passed in both for the city of Philadelphia and also in Pittsburgh, um and um it has had positive impacts.

Um, I think sometimes we have to think about uh the greater good, right?

And in a time that we're living with a lot of public health crises, whether it's COVID, other infectious diseases, um, how are we also keeping the public safe?

Um and we are dedicated and very intentional about um how we will be talking to voters about this.

Um and in our collection of signatures, we had to be very clear that this was for Allen Town City residents.

Um, and also in terms of how the policy would work, uh employers who have 15 employees or more.

Um those employees after 30 hours accrue one hour of sick time uh with a maximum of 72 hours for the entire calendar year, and then for employers who have uh less than 15 employees, it would be 30 hours worked, one hour accrued for those 30 every 30 hours is one hour accrued, and then it would be 48 hours total for the entire calendar year.

So just putting into context, like what it would be.

Um thank you again for your time and and thank you for for your work on this.

Thank you.

Any other comments, Mr.

Hanlin?

So we had something from uh Diana.

That was it.

Yeah, so that was it.

Okay, okay.

So that's it then.

So at this moment, this uh No more comments?

No more comments.

Okay, on uh Ms.

Aff's motion to forward the initiative to the chief clerk of elections and other appropriate fishes officials at Lehigh County voter registration to be placed on the upcoming general election as a referendum for the red registered voters to act on.

Ms.

Affa.

Yes, Mr.

Bender.

Yes, Ms.

Gerloch.

Yes, Miss Moda.

Yes, Mr.

Pungal.

Yes.

Uh Santos.

Yes.

Madam Vice President, six years and no names.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Hanlon.

And and and uh again, I would like to thank the public for being here and um and initiating um and organizing.

Um so at this point, um, this meeting is adjourned.

Thank you.

Okay, Luciano.

It's just one of the same.

I was always important.

Yeah, that's what I'm at least.