Bethlehem City Council Meeting - November 6, 2025: Liquor License Transfer, Budget Schedule, and Public Comments
Bethlehem City Council Meeting - November 6, 2025
The Bethlehem City Council convened on November 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Town Hall. The meeting opened with a pledge of allegiance, roll call (all six council members present), and a public hearing on a liquor license transfer. The council also heard public comments on various topics, adopted a 2026 budget meeting schedule, discussed fire department staffing, and passed several ordinances and resolutions.
Public Hearing: Liquor License Transfer (Resolution 10A)
- A public hearing was held to consider the intermunicipal transfer of restaurant liquor license R61034 from Spring Mineral Restaurant and Bar LLC (Northampton Borough) to Cigar Page Bethlehem LLC at 1010 Harvard Avenue, Bethlehem.
- The applicant's attorney, Anthony (firm Norris McLaughlin), presented the request. The proposed establishment will be a bar and restaurant with retail cigar sales, seating for 200–225 patrons, and operating hours from 11 AM to 10 PM Monday–Wednesday, 10 AM to 10 PM Thursday–Saturday, and 10 AM to 6 PM Sunday. The applicant expects to create approximately 75 jobs (25 at the restaurant, 50 from relocating corporate headquarters). The facility will feature an indoor smoking area (seeking a Clean Air Act exemption), high ceilings, and advanced air filtration. No outdoor speakers or music are planned. To-go alcohol sales would not exceed 5% of total sales.
- Council questions included: the distance to nearby residences (Princeton Avenue area – applicant stated the site is in an industrial area with setbacks), the owner's experience (first retail location, current warehouse/distribution center), and health considerations for employees due to smoking. The applicant confirmed the business would not open without the clean air exemption. The city's building inspector noted additional code requirements for air filtration in such facilities.
- No public comments were received during the hearing. The hearing was then closed.
Public Comments (Non-Voting Items)
- Corey Calavota (owner, Bethlehem Carriage Company) introduced himself and spoke in support of the company's horse-drawn carriage operations, emphasizing high standards of animal care (chiropractic care, supplements, custom shoes). He invited the council to visit and offered seven carriage ride vouchers for distribution. (The council president suggested he give the vouchers directly to attendees.)
- Terry Kloiber (Bethlehem) spoke in support of Mr. Calavota, attesting to the excellent care of the horses, based on personal experience.
- Mark Weber (66 West Elizabeth Avenue) urged the city to implement a downloadable water monitoring app (e.g., Ion Water, Aquahawk) to help residents detect leaks and avoid high bills. He criticized the water utility's focus on revenue and called for a commitment from the city, citing examples from other municipalities.
- Kyle Dalton (Bethlehem firefighter, treasurer of Bethlehem Firefighters Association) thanked the city for investing in apparatus but requested restoring a supervisor position at Engine Company 9 (Catasauqua Road), noting that 44% of firefighters have less than two years of experience. He urged the Public Safety Committee to explore restoring the officer position.
- Arthur Curatola (A13 Lawford Street) spoke about homelessness, particularly among veterans, urging the city to guide veterans to proper VA and SSI benefits. He shared his own experience and called for Bethlehem to be an example in helping the homeless.
- Mary Jo McCall complained about not receiving the My Bethlehem fall/winter booklet, despite neighbors receiving it. She stated that after contacting the mayor's office, she received three copies but others in her neighborhood did not, and questioned the fairness of the distribution.
- Stephen (77 Ridge) criticized the city's electoral system, arguing that the best candidates are not elected due to party affiliation. He shared historical anecdotes and urged citizens to be more discerning.
Discussion Items
- 2026 Budget Meeting Schedule: The council adopted the budget adoption date of Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 7:00 PM, and approved a series of budget meetings (November 10, 12, 18, 20, 24, and December 4, 2025). The motion passed 6-0.
- Fire Department Staffing Study: Councilmember Cramsey Smith asked about the status of the supervisor position at Engine Company 9. Mayor Reynolds and Chief Griffin explained that the station currently has two firefighters but no officer; an officer from Company 6 (Broad Street) covers both districts. The city is conducting a comprehensive fire department study (RFP) that includes staffing, equipment, and facilities. The RFP, developed with input from the IAFF, received seven responses. Interviews are scheduled for December 10-11, 2025, with a study expected to be completed in 2026. The council discussed the union's separate staffing study, with the mayor noting that the city's study is broader and not redundant.
- Councilmember Callahan requested a list of all consultants hired in the past four years and their costs.
- Councilmember Wilhelm congratulated colleagues and other elected officials. Councilmember Laird announced neighborhood meetings (North Side Alive, November 7; 40 & 10 Parks Plan, November 12).
Key Outcomes
- Budget Adoption Date: Set for December 16, 2025, at 7:00 PM (motion passed 6-0).
- Ordinance 8A (Street widths): Final passage passed 6-0.
- Ordinance 9 (UCC fees): Amended Article 1702 to increase fees for building code enforcement to cover two additional staff. Passed 6-0.
- Ordinance 9B (Food code fees): Amended Article 1113 to increase food code regulation fees (estimated $43,000 annual revenue increase, from $160,735 to $203,670). Addressed questions about mobile food establishments and farmer's market vendors. Passed 6-0.
- Resolution 10A (Liquor license transfer): Approved for Cigar Page Bethlehem LLC. The roll call recorded six ayes, but the transcript states "Resolution passes five one" – a discrepancy exists. The council president noted the vote as 5-1 in the transcript, but the individual votes show all members voting aye. (Note: The official result may be 6-0; the transcript language is inconsistent.)
- Resolution 10B (Certificate of appropriateness for 23 East Third Street): Passed 6-0.
- Resolution 10C (Certificate of appropriateness for 14-36 West Third Street): Passed 6-0.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. I ask that we all rise for the pledge to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God in the physical liberty and justice for all. First and foremost, I want to welcome Cadet Troop 830 from East Tales Moravian Church for being with us here tonight. We're very happy to have you all. Glad to have you here to engage with this civic discussion. Can the clerk please call the roll? Mr. Callahan. Present. Ms. Gramsci Smith. Present. Present. Ms. Laird. Present. Ms. Wilhelm. Present. Mr. Cologne and Ms. Leon. All right. Prior to the consideration of the regular agenda items, city council will conduct a public hearing. This public hearing is to receive public comment on the request for the intermunicipal transfer of restaurant liquor license number R 61034. From Spring Mineral Restaurant and Bar LLC of 702 to 706 Main Street, Northampton Borough, Northampton County to Cigar Page Bethlehem LLC at 1010 Harvard Avenue, Bethlehem, Northampton County. This public meeting is called to order concerning a request for the intermunicipal transfer of restaurant liquor license R 61034 from Spring Mineral Restaurant and Bar LLC of 702 to 706 Main Street Northampton, Northampton County to Cigar Page Bethlehem LLC at 1010 Harvard Avenue, Bethlehem, Northampton County. I will now recognize the representative of the applicant. Good evening. I'm an attorney at Norris McLaughlin and we represent Cigar Page Bethelm LLC. But I'm going to be giving a general overview of what the request is and how we intend to use the license. They consist of A1 is the letter and application requesting the intermunicipal transfer. A two is certifications from council and the applicant regarding service and posting. A three are just some basic aerial maps to orient council on where the proposed location is for the license. And then A4 is just some tentative renderings as to what the facility will look like once constructed. So as indicated, we're requesting the intermunicipal transfer of a restaurant liquor license to 1010 Harvard Avenue for Cigar Page LLC. The sole purpose of the hearing is to determine whether allowing the liquor license at this location would adversely affect the health, safety, and general welfare of the community. The transfer from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and of course, would be obligated to comply all ordinary city ordinances and codes. Once construction is completed, the location will have more than adequate parking and will be well suited for adding the liquor license. If you're not familiar with the location, it's it's essentially right on Route 412, um close to the border of the borough of Hellertown and the city of Bethlehem. Um and the access to the site in the building will be both through a back entrance on Harvard Avenue and also through a primary front entrance on Route 412, um, which is Hellertown Road. Um, as part of our application, we've submitted renderings which show the proposed layout of the premises, which will generally consist primarily of a main ground level floor and a small second floor mezzanine. Um there will also be an outdoor patio facing Route 412. Um, however, there'll be no outdoor speakers or music permitted on the patio on the outside portion. Um the bar and restaurant is expected to see have seating for approximately 200 to 225 patrons, um, with approximately 45 of those seats being bar seats and the rest of the seating being reserved for table and loud seating as indicated. You can see on exhibit A4 in the renderings, um, essentially what the site is going to look like and what the license premises would look like once constructed. The anticipated menu will consist of upscale American fair with simple and middle to higher end offerings, burgers, flatbreads, and similar type of American food. The tentative opening date is not for approximately a year.
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