We are recording just so everyone's aware.

Good evening, everyone.

I'm going to start tonight's meeting.

I ask all rise for the pledge to the flag.

I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America.

And to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Mr.

Miller, please call the roll.

Mr.

Callahan present.

Ms.

Gramsci Smith.

Present.

Squid.

Present.

Ms.

Laird.

Present.

Ms.

Leon.

Ms.

Wilhelm and Mr.

Cologne.

Present.

Thank you, Mr.

Miller.

Councilwoman Wilhelm uh will not be joining us this evening as she is away.

Mayor Reynolds and will not be joining us this evening.

And Mr.

Evans is remote to participate tonight.

Before we get started, I will just um ask as and I'll talk about it.

But obviously, the last time we were together was a budget meeting that we were here for eight hours.

So I will ask that uh public comment.

We will have as is custom.

Members of the public can speak on anything not on the agenda that you like for us members of council.

I ask that any budget discussions or questions or um monologues are saved for Thursday's budget hearing, which will be for any proposed budget amendments.

The moving on, the approval of minutes, minutes for the November 18, 2025 meeting.

Any discussion on the minutes?

None.

The minutes will stand approved.

Public comment.

Excuse me, as this custom will start with any subject not being voted on this evening.

I remind everyone we have a five-minute time limit.

We have four people signed up, so I'll allow them to speak and then open it up to the room.

Our first person signed up is Mike O'Hare.

Hello, Michael here, Fourth Avenue in Bethlehem.

Uh just wanted to thank everybody for uh preparing the budget, 14 hours of budget sessions.

I counted when I looked at the YouTube videos.

So a long process and a very marathon session on the uh the third session of eight hours.

So much appreciated everybody hanging in there on that.

Uh, I think it's good news that the city is in a healthy financial condition and that we're paying down debt.

That's very good for the city, very good for everybody that's living the city.

Uh on budget session one, I would say that I think the controller made a good point about um the way I take it, there was 10 million dollars over the course of several years that was unexpected but now predictable income.

And it seemed to me that the council didn't know that that was available or that was part of the budget process.

So um, what could be done to formalize that so that there's more better communication between council and administration about unexpected income that you know they plan to use for something?

I thought that was something that was a little bit um concerning to me, not that there's anything inappropriate, but it's just something the council should I think formalize if there's uh that type of revenue that's uh unexpected but yet predictable.

And um, I know I Mr.

Cologne had mentioned about um how do we as a council look at uh the budgets the the uh account balances in the budget, and it seemed like the count the uh council is not able to do that, they're able to see the budget, but each department has a balance, and I don't know if that's something that council should be interested in looking at to make sure how things are going throughout the year.

Uh budget session number three, the eight-hour session.

Um we it's been mentioned several times that we don't want to uh fund ongoing operations, uh sustainable things with uh one-time funding like grants, but I thought it was it was a little bit contradictory that the uh community and economic development corporate uh uh bureau from what Ms.

Collins said, they're 96% funded by grants, and yet there seems to be a reluctance to use grants for other issues.

So I thought that was a little bit contradictory.

Um that uh grants are not allowed to be used for other, and I know there's restrictions on grants, and you can only use them for certain things, but I just thought that reasoning didn't follow through with some of the things I was hearing uh in those budget meetings.

So, my my question or my comment would be I know the fire department is eight people down.

I heard all the comments, and it's very concerning, especially when you have like things that happened on Sunday with not only one fire but two other incidences across the city, and finally there's nobody available to respond.

Could some of that money, grant money, or some other salaries that are not being used, or eight people down that salaries are sitting there?

Can some of that money be used towards retention, recruitment?

You're eight people short.

When I get that department up to the current staffing level, that should be, and it seems like there's problems with recruiting and retention, that sort of thing.

And then and then work on uh expanding the department if if the studies show that it's appropriate.

I agree with the 60,000 study.

Why would the city want to add four positions unless they are sure objectively that they're they're needed?

I know the IAFF study came through, and that shows shows what's happening, and that's good.

But I'm thinking to myself as a taxpayer, this is a negotiating year.

So of course the IAF is gonna say that.

So I think the city should be careful and uh you know get those positions up to snuff and then make sure that there are objective studies that that prove uh that they do need these additional positions, and then um uh let's see.

Oh, I do agree that also another comment that came back with the community and development economic.

I don't know what that you know, I'm all tongue-tied with that, was that there should be a more transparent process about how the grants are awarded.

Uh, I think Miss Crampsy Smith said something about that.

And I know the comment was made well, they're on the website, but I think council should at least get copies of who these grants are going to so they can make comment, they should approve them, they should review them so that they know uh how that money's being spent.

Not I'm sure it's being spent well, but I think it's in the interest of transparency to make sure that happens.

And then just one other thing, I'm running out of time.

I want to invite everybody on December 13th and 14th out to the uh live Christmas pageant in uh the Rose Garden.

It's the 46th year of the live Christmas pageant.

They bring live animals in, uh, they do a reenactment of the birth of Christ, and it's a beautiful uh time.

It's 1 45 to 3 o'clock each day.

I'd invite each one of you to come out and be part of that.

And uh thanks for your time.

Thank you, Mr.

O'Hare.

Our next speaker is Mark Wool Weber.

Uh Mark Will Weber, 66 West Elizabeth Avenue again.

Uh, I just want to revisit the ongoing thing with the downloadable apps, uh, especially in light of the fact that Mr.

Boscola was beginning the drum beat to for a rate increase.

And I would uh implore council to not grant any kind of rate increase until uh at least on the contingency that we get this downloadable apps to protect the consumer citizen.

Uh by that I mean the Ion Water app or Aqua Hawk or something similar because if you're going to jack up the rates again and not provide any protection on the downside for people, it's it's like raising the uh stakes in a poker game where uh you know Fast Eddy holds all the chips and the other people have a tiny bit of chips, and we're gonna kick up the price of poker.

So if you get nailed now for like the situation I got nailed for, it's gonna be quite a bit more than I had to pay.

Where if I'd had aqua hawk or iron water, I could have prevented that.

I wouldn't have had a $600 bill or whatever it was, and not to mention a lot of sleepless nights.

So it's imperative, I think, that that you guys don't rubber stamp rate hike on water, and he's gonna say, Oh, we haven't had one since 2021, but you had a sewer increase last uh year, right?

So does it really matter?

Like if you're an amateur boxer and they send you out to fight Larry Holmes, do you care whether you got decked by a right hook or a left jab?

Doesn't really matter.

So if you're gonna go every other year, okay, well, we'll jack them up on the sewer this year, get them again on water in a year or two.

Uh, you know, you end up seeing five or six rate increases across a decade.

That's a lot of money if somebody retired in 2017 is on fixed income.

The least you can do is come through with this downloadable app.

And I think if you make it contingent, any rate hike on that, it will give uh Mr.

Bosco a little incentive to actually do it.

And it's routinely done all across the country in many places.

Uh you've seen me up here with my list.

I think maybe next uh meeting for Christmas, I'll leave you, I'll print it, print out a list for you guys.

You can put it in your stocking.

Okay, but it has to be done.

Uh if it's not done, you're really leaving people vulnerable.

And uh, you know, electrics going through the roof, and there's nothing you guys can do about that.

I don't think you can do anything about Palestine, by the way, why I'm here.

Uh but you could do something about water.

And uh, I think it's imperative that you do the right thing here.

Um, I'm actually, I probably won't even live in this city two or three years from now, but I have this morbid curiosity to see if uh if local government's actually worthwhile.

And uh this would be a litmus test for me.

I think it should be done.

It's done everywhere else.

I just looked at this place, Buford, South Carolina, and they have it.

Uh they have 70,000 meters, so double what we're gonna have.

Uh, when it's finally completed, we'll up 37,000.

And yet there are people have eye on water, and they have their officials on there showing people how to download it, how to use it, why they should have it.

It's gonna save you a lot of money, and they use it as an incentive to get people to accept the smart meters.

Okay.

Uh, it's also I think it's imperative that you guys get exact figures on how much money they already are making on the smart meters.

You didn't have a chart for that.

But he's I suspect they're making tens of thousands already on that, and with a possibility to make more than that.

And I get that figure from other places that are on the record of saying they're gonna make 500,000 plus off the smart meters, and it's uh the 27,000 meters.

Okay.

And anecdotally, I get it because people are on their go and my rates are up.

So if everybody's rates even go up 10 bucks a quarter, due to math on that times 37,000.

Okay.

Uh, if I'm totally wrong on that, I'd like to hear somebody come up and tell me where I'm wrong on it.

Okay, thanks.

Thank you, Mr.

Woolweber.

Our next speaker signed up is Michael Liberto.

Uh your opinion.

How are you doing?

Mike Liberto, we also known as the Bethlehem Brawler.

Um Bethlehem is a city built on strength, tradition, faith.

But right now, our safety is being gambled away.

The fire department is um the fire department, the very people sworn to protect our families, is running nearly half at staff.

This is justn't just a mistake.

This is incompetence.

This is incompetent leadership from the mayor to allow the fire department to operate at a dangerously low numbers.

Every second matters when lives are on the line.

Yet our firefighters are stretched beyond their limits, forced to risk their everything without the manpower they deserve.

Do we really want to wait until another tragedy strikes before change is made?

Bethlehem deserves better.

Our families deserve better, and our firefighters deserve better.

We must demand accountability now before a preventable death forces action.

The time to stand up is today.

And it's actually 12 firefighters that they're down in the city, and that's just unexcusable.

This mayor talks about nonstop about affordable housing, but three years later, nothing has been built.

Not one home, not one shelter, not one project.

Actually helping people here.

Bethlehem spent nearly millions of dollars, and what did we get in return?

A stack of reports, no results, no broken ground, just excuses.

Meanwhile, local nonprofit churches and community groups.

The people actually doing the work were ignored while he wrote checks to consultants.

Nobody asked asked for.

And where is the mayor during all this?

Missing meetings, missing in action, missing then, missing when the community needs a leadership.

Bethlehem doesn't need another speech.

Bethlehem doesn't, Bethlehem needs a mayor who shows up and gets things done.

It does not need virtual signaling, putting up transgender and gay pride flags.

That's not leadership that builds a future.

That is an incompetent mayor.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Lynn Rothman.

Good evening, Lynn Rothman, 870 Wafford Lane.

I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the Environmental Advisory Council members, Ben Felser, Ben Guthrie, Vibhar Kumar, Steve Alshewski, Mandy Tolino, and Katie Trembler to present our year-end report.

The EAC's 2025 meetings were hybrid via Zoom and in person at Northampton Community College.

Our most important work is supporting the city's climate action plan or CAP, which aims to reduce our carbon footprint, increase sustainability, and utilize alternative energy sources.

To that end, we participate on five of the city's internal CAP committees to implement the strategies in the CAP.

This year, the EAC's Green Committee's Heritage Tree Program certified three trees.

We submitted the annual Bird Town report with input from the city, especially Mike, thank you.

And out of four levels with four of the highest, Bethlehem achieved level four.

Bethlehem Backyards for Wildlife is an active standing committee of the EAC.

This year, they and community volunteers continue to maintain demonstration gardens at the Hoover Mason Trestle, Rose Garden, Meadow on the South Side Greenway, and native perennial plantings at Madison Park on the south side.

Our waste reduction committee worked with the city's food and waste cap committee and the health department to create and issue a survey for local restaurants with the aim of reducing plastic waste.

We're in the process of analyzing the survey results and determining next steps.

Our transportation committee continues to work with the city to further the complete streets initiatives, including ways to make EV chargers available for those without access to a garage.

It's been the practice of the Department of Planning and Zoning to give the EAC the opportunity to comment on proposed developments.

The updated saldo now requires that plans be submitted to the EAC for review.

We commented on 16 proposed developments this year.

All of our correspondence can be found on our website, Bethlehem EAC.org.

Other EAC activities in 2025 include tabling at five community events, co-sponsoring Menacasi Creek Cleanups in the spring and fall through the Minocase Creek Watershed Association, attending the EAC State Network Conference, mentoring Lehigh University students on research projects, and speaking about the EAC and plastic reduction at the Bethlehem Rotary Club.

Presentations at EAC meetings included updates to the Saldo, Lehigh University students presenting on air quality and forest carbon research projects, and Nurture Nature Center's Create Connections Project Update and Next Steps.

Our EAC continued to participate as a key member of the steering committee of the Lehigh Valley EAC network, which is composed of all EACs in the Lehigh Valley.

In June, we held a successful in-person networking meeting, and in October, we hosted a plastics reduction webinar.

We hold monthly breakfast to share information and coordinate on topics of mutual interest.

The hiring of Sarah DeGrendel as sustainability manager has been a tremendous gain in terms of advancing the implementation of the CAP.

She has demonstrated leadership in coordinating the individuals and activities associated with CAP implementation.

Sarah is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with.

Our first collaboration was updating EAC and CAP brochures to distribute at tabling events.

In 2026, the EAC looks forward to partnering with Sarah and the city staff to increase public education regarding the city's waste stream, reuse of materials, and plastic reduction, explore ways to increase opportunities for solar energy systems, and implement the strategies in the soon-to-be-approved urban forestry master plan to increase our forest canopy.

Our great appreciation to Tad Miller, City Clerk, Bettina Bubba, Assistant City Clerk, and Stephanie Aguello, Chief of Staff, for their assistance.

We're grateful to Darlene Heller, former director of planning and zoning, Kathy Fletcher, current director of planning and zoning, Craig Piffer, Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning, and their administrative staff, Stephanie Sebesta, for the generous amount of time they give to the EAC.

Thanks to Michael Alcall, Director of Public Works, and Basel Gandam, Chief of Engineering and Deputy Director of Public Works for their department's ongoing contributions to Bethlehem City.

We also recognize and thank our Council City Leo Council, City Liaison, Colleen Laird for her support.

Finally, we commend City Council and the Administration for their support of the climate action plan, especially the hiring of a sustainability manager.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Rothman.

And I'll just speak for council when I say we appreciate the time you put into the EAC.

To those who are not aware, Ms.

Rothman is uh cycling off for the EAC at the end of this year.

So thank you.

And please don't be a stranger to council meetings, even after you're off the AC.

That concludes our list of who had signed up before the meeting.

So I'll go around the room.

Anyone to the left who want to make a comment?

Sir with the baseball cap on.

Hi everyone, Lou Vermenez.

Uh President Local 735.

I want to thank City Council and the administration for taking the time to listen to our experiences during the recent discussions on uh staffing of the fire department.

Your willingness to hear us, uh the ones who do the work every day meant a great deal to us.

Uh sure many many of you understand that we're not just numbers, we're real world people.

We impact um the real world impact of the staffing crisis has on people who respond, the people we serve and the safety of our entire city.

For decades, we have talked about staffing levels that have not kept pace with our city.

It's a chronic problem that has been documented for over 15 years.

Uh, you could see this all over the internet.

Uh, and you can look in all the files.

Um staffing problems do not stabilize on the own on their own, they worsen.

And when you consider that years ago we had more firefighters than we do today, are running nearly half the call volume.

It becomes obviously obvious we have been doing more with less for too long.

Adding four firefighters and amending the budget is not extravagant.

They're a critical and long overdue first step.

It would finally allow us to properly staff our Northwest station and improve coverage citywide.

Ideally, we should be discussing eight positions instead of four.

But a good fate, but this is a good faith start.

Many of you who know me personally, and for those who don't, I want to be very clear about who we are as local 735.

Over the past two years, we've worked collaboratively with administration.

Together, we have helped improve the firefighter physical process, uh, fixed emergency call out procedures, uh, help create an online bidding system, and we're part of the modernization of scheduling and overtime management.

We also, the local 735 uh bid committee helped secure a hundred thousand dollar in AFG grants for cancer screenings and early detection testing.

Those improvements weren't achieved through conflict, they were achieved through cooperation.

Our reputation speaks professionalism, respect, and integrity.

But despite this history of collaboration, when it comes to staffing, the issue that matters most to us, we continue to face resistance.

Safer grants exist specifically to help cities hire firefighters and offset costs.

They were designed for situations like ours.

Yet we we are repeatedly being told that we can't apply.

And I want to be very clear about this.

Advocating for staffing is not option for us, it's a necessity.

For years, our pleas for adequate staffing have not been taken seriously, and every time we raise the concerns, the response is yet another delay, another reason to wait, another promise, push to next time.

Because of that, local 735 will continue to educate the sit residents of the city of Bethlehem via social media, uh, via interview, whatever what have you on uh fire safety.

Our advocacy is not about politics, it's about protecting lives, and we'll continue to speak up until that meaningful change happens.

We had an eight minute eight-hour meeting the other night.

You know, we had multiple generations of Bethlehem Fire Department personnel talk about staffing issues over the course of a half a century.

Yet we're not we're not listened to.

You know, as president of local 735, my mission is simple to ensure our membership has a quality of life supported by the safest working conditions possible.

We cannot talk about transparency or collaboration while critical staffing decisions are always being delayed.

We're not the Bethem of the Bethem Steel era.

We're a growing city with dense housing, multi-story apartments, major manufacturing, expanding warehousing, and a daytime population that it far exceeds our census, and yet our staffing has moved backward from backwards for more than 15 years.

And let me be absolutely clear.

We're always under the microscope.

Every time we raise concerns, every time we advocate for safety, we're scrutinized.

And I will not allow that to continue at the expense of our members or the residents of our city.

It's dangerous when the people who run into burning buildings must sit across the table and plead for the staffing required for their own survival and the safety of the public.

It signals that the subject matter experts, the sub the firefighters who are doing this job are not being taken seriously unless the solution costs nothing.

The staffing conditions being considered are necessarily necessary, reasonable, and long overdue.

This can be a monumental step forward for Bethlehem.

I asked city council to consider an amendment to hire four additional firefighters in the 26 2026 budget.

On behalf of local 735, I respectfully ask that you have uh that you do this and we continue to work together collaboratively.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Jimenez.

Is there anyone else to the left who want to make comment?

Sir, oh okay.

We'll be here Thursday.

Mr.

Virgilio.

Robert Virgilio, resident of Bethlehem for 38 years.

I just have a question.

Um for those of us who don't subscribe to our wonderful papers.

December, I believe, is the month that Norfolk Southern is supposed to extract the homeless.

Can anyone speak to that issue if I missed something, or is that still going to take place?

Thank you, Ms.

Virgilie.

Is there anyone else to the wide center who hasn't had a chance to speak?

I think that covers it.

Anyone to the right?

Thank you.

We're gonna move on.

Our second public comment is on ordinances or resolutions to be voted on.

No one had signed up in advance.

So again, this would be for any ordinance or resolution on the agenda.

Anyone in the public want to comment on anything we're taking a vote on?

Seeing none, we'll continue on.

Old business, any old business for members of council.

Seeing no old business, I'll move on to new business.

I just want to announce as I kind of referenced at the top of the meeting, or I did reference, I kind of that we had received a few proposed amendments to the 2026 city budget.

So as we had discussed, we will hold the scheduled meeting to review those amendments at 6 p.m.

this Thursday, December 4th, here in town hall.

As a reminder, the second reading and enactment of the 2026 City of Bethlehem budget will occur during the December 16th council meeting, and that meeting is at 7 p.m.

in town hall.

So on Thursday, we'll we'll listen to the proposed amendments.

Should they have the votes, then they will be adopted into the budget that will be uh read and voted on on December 16th.

And should the amendments not pass, then we'll vote on the budget as it currently stands.

Any other new one other thing, just uh as a follow-up to previous uh previous meeting, it had come up.

Uh councilwoman Crams Smith had spoke about our conflict of interest ordinance that council had passed maybe three years ago, and then our solicitor, attorney steward, who sits to my left, had distributed a legal opinion to all of council.

So I just want to follow up during the meeting.

Uh, I'm not going to read the full opinion other than uh a highlight of it.

And now this is attorney Seward, who had shared it as her legal opinion that there's a disconnect between the stated purposes of our ordinance as is set forth in the whereas clauses in the beginning of the ordinance and the definition section and the conduct prescribed there under.

That is after defining official action, the ordinance, our ordinance limits prescribed conduct only to voting.

Further, the definition of a city official in the ordinance does not align with section 3a stating to whom the ordinance applies.

So attorney Stewart had recommended that council uh could consider amendments to the ordinance to address the inconsistencies in the ordinance that we had passed, and then to help ensure that the operative provisions align with the purposes.

Now, uh, if council would choose to amend that, and attorney steward recommends using the Pennsylvania Public Officials and Employees Ethics Act as uh uh a guiding statute that's our state statute that already applies to all of us.

We have our biannual training from the state ethics commission committee or commission um here in town hall, and we'll have it again in 2026 when the new council gets sworn in.

So just like any other amendments, just like any other ordinary uh amendments to ordinances, just like we did with Article 112, just like we had with our council rules uh or anything that I've acted on in the last year or two, it would require someone to propose amendments, and then council could review the the amendments to the to the existing ordinance.

So I wanted to follow up on what had been brought up during the last meeting, and that attorney steward did indeed uh respond to the request.

So I will I just want to touch on that, but I will open it up to other members of council.

That's all I had for new business and the other new business from members of council, Mr.

Callahan.

I just wanted to um chief's not here.

I just want to ask there was a shooting.

Um Deputy Chief Michel is here.

I will recognize that.

There was a shooting over by the football fields in uh I think like the second week of November.

Is there any update on that?

Like, do we ever find out who I don't have any update?

Yeah, Chief, if you if you don't mind just coming to the microphone so that the recording could pick it up.

I don't have any update for you tonight now, but but no one was ever apprehended or anything.

I'm not intimately familiar with that like right now.

All right, thank you.

Thanks.

And then um, last thing is uh I I do amiss, I do agree with Mr.

Liberto on his one point that uh you know the mayor needs to be held accountable.

I wish he was here tonight.

I don't know where he is any idea where he is, Mr.

Spurk or Mr.

Alcaller.

I was not at staff today.

I don't know.

Okay.

Thank you.

I I will share the mayor did message me earlier today to advise the reason he wouldn't be here.

I'm not gonna share publicly that as I don't put people's business out there in the meeting, but I will recognize that Mayor Reynolds did message me during the day today to advise we wouldn't be here.

Yeah, yeah, I was just curious because it's like the eighth out of 10th or 11th.

I don't know.

Understood, Mr.

Callahan.

Thank you.

Any other new business for members of council?

Me?

Oh, Councilwoman Kleite.

Yeah, I just I you know, as the mother of a an amazing transgender woman, I just can't let it go.

And and uh it's not virtue signaling when uh, you know, you you show some support for a community that is uh incredibly targeted.

And my daughter's entire career is being upended by a culture war in this current administration in the in the federal government.

Uh, that is uh basically throwing her out of the Navy, which was her greatest dream.

She went to officer candidate school, she passed every test, she met every milestone.

She was stationed um on a ship uh about to you know be trained to launch tomahawk missiles and be a surface warfare officer.

And it didn't matter what her gender identity was to her fellow uh you know sailors and um so I just I just want to say that there are real people uh behind those flags as well as the real people in our in our fire department, and um you know, maybe think about uh what you mean by virtue signaling when you're talking about people like my daughter who was willing to put her life on the line for this country and is being told by uh someone who clearly is out of his depth um in the Pentagon that uh she doesn't belong there.

So that's all.

Thank you, councilwoman.

Any other new business for members of council?

Councilman Cramsy Smith.

Um, I just wanted to go back to um so I'm I'm clear.

So as far as the uh conflict of um interests ordinance, so we won't be looking at a committee of the whole meeting.

We'll be looking at if we need to, if we so desire to submit amendments to it, is that correct?

So I I don't think a committee of the whole I guess my question would be if what would we be doing at committee of the whole meeting, other than so attorney steward gave her legal opinion?

We the ordinance exists now as it's passed and is available online for anybody to read.

And then should anyone want to propose amending the ordinance, then we could get together to um engage in that process, what it looks like to amend.

Yeah, I mean, that's what it would probably be better just to our individuals to do amendments.

Um, but uh committee at home would be good to discuss it further.

Since I know the people that um councilwoman um and the ground really put a lot of time and really wanted this to be a solid ordinance, but it sounds like it really isn't except for council members at this point.

So thank you.

Um and I will just reiterate, I mean, I know things happen and all, but I think it is again, especially it's budget time, and we have some really pressing serious um public safety issues in our city, especially given what happened on Sunday um with the fire department.

And I I think that um I'll just I'll just state publicly, I think the mayor needs to really um make an effort to be here.

I know there are things that come up, but like I said at the last meeting or before that it's more the exception than the rule that he is here, and I think that's a real disservice to people that come as well as people that listen online and people that um follow up and want to be involved um via media, social media in the newspaper.

And the other thing, the final thing is um as Mr.

Vigilio said, I was just wondering, can somebody give an update?

Because I think it's the deadline is is it the 17th or the 16th for Norfolk Southern?

The 15th.

So we won't have a meeting before that deadline, I believe, because our next meeting is the 16th.

Does anybody have an update on what's happening with those that are at a house down by the railroad tracks?

Oh, thank you.

December 15th is the date in question.

Uh, we've been working with Norfolk Southern in many groups to make the community aware down there that that is the date to work with them to find whatever services can be provided to make them aware of what's available to them, uh, including the shelters to try and find housing or programs for them before then.

Uh, but that is the date that Norfolk Southern is coming.

Thank you.

Do you have any idea how many are still living there or that haven't you know be relocated yet or that are maybe resistive to relocating?

Not right now at the moment, because now the weather's changed drastically.

So that's usually a driving factor of people living outside that when the weather really does start to get cold, many will seek shelter indoors, some won't, but it changes the landscape greatly from the summertime.

So the last count was when the weather was much warmer than what it is right now, being in the frigid temperatures this week.

I'm sorry, the last count was do you know what the last count was when it wasn't as called?

It's changed over the over the time.

It's gone from 50, it's grown up to 60, it's gone down uh to 40 something.

So it depends you know greatly on the weather.

So it could be much lower right now.

I don't have a count for you tonight.

Okay.

All right, thank you very much.

Any other new business from members of council?

Uh Councilwoman Leo.

Um, I had to actually add a question for our solicitor.

When it comes to the rate increases, can we make them contingent on something like aqua hawk?

Is that something that we're allowed to do?

But can we add that to an ordinance or something?

You can look at sorting at that point.

I'm I I think I mean, I I understand the legal principles around what you're talking about.

I'm just not sure I understand your specific question.

Well, because uh well, Mark had said we should, if we are going to do a rate increase, which he's right, Mr.

Roscoe had alluded to the fact that we would be doing a rate increase.

He said we probably shouldn't do it unless we were willing to do aquahawk.

And I understand that we have to do our internal you know upgrades of our systems, but can we make the rate increase contingent on like we're willing to do the rate increase, but we want to see aquahawk in place prior to doing the rate increase?

What I would say is that generally if you are imposing a fee, a rate, that um you should be basing that on the cost of the service.

So, what is the service?

What does it include?

If it includes aqua hoc, that should be factored in.

If if I can just uh interrupt, I think this question was asked previously on the floor, if I'm not mistaken.

You know, um understood.

Uh and I think we kind of landed on it, it would just be a matter of how we and this could obviously be followed up on.

We're talking about future um actions that that aren't currently before council, but I I think we had landed on it would just take a crew potentially creative ordinance, but also it speaks to the uh historically a rate increase is tied to an operational need as we hear the cost of doing business goes up, cost of labor, cost of materials, things like that.

Historically, that's the justification for the rate increase.

So then you you're potentially creating uh an imbalance of sorts to say, well, we're gonna hold, we're gonna hold a rate increase to solve uh uh economic problem, right?

You're trying to raise revenue while costs and operating costs keep going up to this other action.

But I I think it would just be a creative ordinance potentially that could address that.

But that would be there could be more time to look into that, council.

Yeah, to depending upon the specific ideas that you have, we have to look at whether and how we could incorporate them.

The second set of questions I had was also for you.

So if we were looking at proposing the ethics ordinance where you said that we would not obviously would not call a committee of a whole meeting without having a purpose.

So if there were ethics ordinance or we if there are amendments to the ethics ordinance like the ones that you suggested, we would just get them to you and then you know, council would decide what to do from there, maybe a committee of a whole meeting or whatever to discuss whatever amendments might be made um with the input that you had given.

As President Cologne stated, I think that it it makes sense to come to the table with amendments with the proposed amended ordinance, so that we have something to discuss, something to start from.

Um, based on my review, I have some recommendations, and I'd be happy to work with anybody who would be interested in proposing an amended ordinance.

I'm only a reminder, everyone I'm only present for a few more weeks.

We had multiple committee the whole meetings when uh councilwoman Van Wirt and whoever else had proposed it.

Um I would recommend or and it's the will of the next council present and council as the council president is the the chair of the committee of the whole to do the same.

Get get together, get counsel together if there's something to review rather than come to a committee of the whole meeting to just read what again is available now for anybody who wants to read online.

Yeah.

Um, I guess the the last thing I'll say is we we have had quite a tens of budget meeting, I think.

One of the things that I would just hope that we don't in advocating for one community, we do not have to denigrate any other community.

That's just we can advocate for our communities based on the merits, not based on anything else.

We raise multiple flags here all of the time we the Batilla's flag just got raised, Puerto Rican flag just got raised, the Italian flag we raised all the flags.

And having known Lucy, um it would have been an honor to have start with her.

She's an amazing person.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Any other new business for council councilwoman Laird?

Uh yes.

So can um Deputy Chief, do you do you have any uh details or any idea of what the um any enforcement operations on December 15th may look like along the canal and or who is leading the operation?

Like I I believe it was put out that Norfolk Southern police are doing it and they may ask for assistance.

Yeah, so we will be there at Bethlehem Police Officers with Norfolk Southern officers, uh, just to ensure how everything goes, you know, so we can help de-escalate any situations that may arise.

There are various parcels down there.

It's not all Norfolk Southern.

There is some city property.

So as we work through the entirety, you know, of the of the area, you know, work to move people out of there.

Hopefully, everybody leaves willingly.

We can find help for everybody, find a location for them to go and uh work towards that.

That's why we've spended numerous, numerous trips down there and a lot of time really building relationships with them to know so they understand the gravity of what is coming, that it is a eviction, so to speak, from that area.

Uh they helped them find some location to go and how to kind of move forward.

Okay.

Um, and if people, you know, hopefully people will be able to um move their belongings out as the date approaches.

If there um are people with belongings still there at the time of eviction, will there be any assistance for them to get it into something to transport it out, that type of thing?

I'm sure we'll be able to come up with solutions to you know different problems that we arise that we encounter and uh deal with as it comes.

Okay.

And uh will the uh health bureau also be with you down there, or is it just the police that day?

Certain members from community connections will be with us.

Okay, great.

I'm glad to hear that.

Thank you.

Um, and then my uh other comment.

I I think this will be uh Ms.

Rothman's last time here in person in her current role.

Uh so I just wanted to say thank you for you know all of the work that you and the the rest of the committee uh do.

But you um you know it's it's a volunteer role, it's a volunteer group of people who spend countless hours of time and talent uh trying to help the city in a number of ways.

So um and really creative ways.

I've I've enjoyed working with you and seeing how uh, you know, okay, well, this isn't gonna work, but let's look at this and uh really try to make progress where progress can can be made.

So thank you uh again for all of your time and efforts on that.

That's why I have any other new business for members of council, Mr.

Callan.

Chief, um last uh last meeting we we asked to have numbers for the um the number of calls we had to go up to Lehigh and um Raven and St.

Luke's uh yes, good evening.

That information was sent to uh the clerk by Deputy Chief uh Bear who compiled that information.

Uh that was sent uh I want to say last Wednesday, if I'm not mistaken.

Wednesday, I didn't I don't have those figures with me this evening, but uh we compiled as much of that data as we possibly could uh in the short amount of time and uh that data was submitted.

And again, I apologize.

I don't have to miss it because I I get hundreds of emails a day between business and um it was very difficult to extract all that information because of a lot of physical addresses for those facilities.

Uh, but we we did the best we could to provide accurate data for you.

Okay.

Okay, and then uh my uh my last topic is uh can both solicitors get back to us.

Um Steph, I don't know if you were here for that budget meeting, but we we were talking about um uh trying to find a way to um because there's literally hundreds of calls up to Lehigh uh every year between EMS and fire, not so much the police department because they have their own police department on site uh you know on campus.

Um is there a way or is there any legal way for us to assess a like a $50 fee per student uh for students that go to school within the city of Bethlehem?

So that'd be for Maraving students and uh and um Lehigh students.

Uh there's over 8,300 uh students between two universities, and I think um uh assessing them uh a 50 hour fee uh for um emergency services is is very small uh considering the uh the amount of times that we have to go up there and service those two schools and and also noted that the two universities pay because they're nonprofits pay absolutely nothing in city taxes to the uh city coffers.

So uh if we could have between yourself and Mr.

Spurk um legal advice by next or by this Thursday.

Um I will do my level best.

I will start the research now.

Yeah, I I had asked Mr.

Spurk to look into it.

I don't know if you had a chance though.

So it would only be against those two nonprofits, right?

Or yeah, or or well, and and St.

Luke's.

I I you know, yeah.

Well, the other thing that we talked about too was the the number of times that we're going to uh St.

St.

Luke's and Fountain Hill.

But you would pick specific nonprofits to charge.

Uh I if possible, I I right now the the the main thing that I want to do is the is the it's a student fee.

Are are cities allowed to levy a small fee for students that are attending schools within the city uh limits that I understand.

So because I think if we could assess a 50 hoe starting in January, a year a yearly fee, which is a very small amount of money, uh, you know, compared to the the large amount of money that they pay in tuition, uh and that covers their um EMS and fire services for the entire year.

Um you know, if we take that 8,300 number of students in the city of Bethlehem and multiply by 50, it's a substantial amount of money that I think that would uh cover the um you know uh the minimum of the four firefighters that you know that you know we're we're desperately trying to add.

Um Mr.

Callahan, we're restating what we talked about the budget meeting and potentially gonna talk about again on Thursday.

I think the uh I think the solicitors understand right.

I just want to make sure that we're you know we have the information available for Thursday.

Understood.

Thank you.

Councilman the numbers that you're uh that were just requested are emailed by the clerk to all of council on the 25th.

There are many spreadsheets.

I'm not sure if you're the numbers about the calls to colleges and other nonprofits as well, because I had asked not specifically uh Mr.

Spurk about universities, but um about large residential nonprofits.

Um so that would include hospitals, healthcare centers, um assisted living, that that kind of thing that are nonprofit run.

Um and the fire department did provide that information on November 25th before the deadline for submitting amendments, uh, which was what my request had been.

Thank you.

Any other new business from members of council?

I'll just ask the administration as a whole for our next meeting on December 16th, if we could get a report about as it relates to the proceedings with Norfolk Southern and just some numbers about how many people were were found lodging, how many people were willing for uh to get help from the city, and just uh an overall more comprehensive update uh as it relates to the police, community connections, um, any other health bureau involvement.

Just if somebody can be prepared to give an update on that to council for the 16th.

Thank you.

Moving on to communications 6A.

November 20th, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from health director Kristen Wenrick.

Ms.

Wenrick seeks authorization to execute an agreement with capacity for change LLC of Westchester PA to assist the health bureau with creation of a new strategic plan.

Cost is 14,700 and completion is expected by June 30th of 2026.

There are no renewals.

Capacity for changes facilitated the last two strategic plans.

And resolution 10 B is on the agenda tonight.

Yeah, that's only communication.

Uh report.

I don't have anything to report tonight.

Turn to the administration.

I know Mr.

Evans is remote, but nothing from the mayor's.

No report.

Mr.

Evans, did you have something?

Yeah, yeah, just from the administration.

We didn't want to acknowledge receiving the six budget amendment proposals that we will um address and work with council on Thursday night.

Um we wanted to confirm are there are any others, or I think I heard you say earlier than mean that was the final count and the six amendments.

Can you just re restate your question, Mr.

Evans?

Is that the uh total amendments for Thursday night are six?

There were six amendments submitted to the clerk's office.

Now there was communication from our solicitor about proposed that as has been so it came up.

Can council propose amendments at the meeting on Thursday?

I had Mr.

Miller look into past um notes and minutes from previous meetings.

As I don't think I've ever presided over a council meeting for um budget amendments, or if I did maybe it was my first year's chair.

But their council, there will be an opportunity before I adjourn.

Will um I'll poll council to consider if there's anything else that's being proposed that evening.

Now I did share with council it's best practice to share anything in advance because I think a reasonable person would want any information sooner rather than later before being put on the spot as it relates to moving money around.

But to answer your question, there are six amendments that have been presented that have been communicated.

We will meet on Thursday to review the six amendments, but they're there uh as has been passed practice.

There will be a confirmation that there are no other amendments proposed on the floor before I adjourn the meeting.

Okay, okay, and and then amendments that would be brought up uh uh on the floor.

Is that something that needs to be advertised or that is eventually?

I'm just looking for with regard to transparency and then information is available to everybody.

So as you said, not to be forced to decide on the fly.

Is it something that's required to be put in writing and considered on the 16th, or that can just be brought up and instituted immediately?

So I will talk, I'll I'll give the floor to our solicitor, but my understanding is we would be advertising any changes to the budget that we would be voting on on the 16th, should an amendment be adopted on Thursday.

And that council council has the ability to propose amendments during the public meeting on Thursday.

It's advertised as a budget amendment meeting, and that council members can propose amendments on the on the fly.

Uh and yeah, I don't I don't mean to be um dismissive of it, but again, I think best practice is to do what councilwoman Cramsley Smith has done and put her amendments forward and communicate them out to everyone.

But there will be an opportunity, as has been um previous practice for council to do that.

Now, should anyone choose to do that?

Of course, that requires the support of council.

There needs to be the same uh balance.

Um, and but in terms of what that would look like in terms of advertising or or writing, there would have to be a clear understanding of what we're amending, and then again, I'll turn to our solicitor.

We would then advertise those amendments before the second reading of the budget ordinances at our December 16th meeting.

And is that a fair summary, attorney steward?

That is correct.

Yeah, answer your question, Mr.

Evans.

Yeah, yeah, very clear, understood.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

I will move on to our finance committee chair, councilman Kramsey Smith.

Thank you.

The finance committee met early this evening at 6 p.m.

in town hall.

The 2024 city audit was reviewed.

A proposed budget transfer to purchase additional police vehicles also was discussed.

Um it was it will be on the um agenda tonight to transfer 645,000 dollars from the police salary fund to purchase um police vehicles that are needed within the next um upcoming year.

The money is available because of vacancies within the police department.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Moving on to ordinances for final passage 8A.

Ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania amending the general fund budget for 2025.

Bill number 58, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Queatech and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass 70.

8B.

Ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending Article 112 of the codified ordinance is entitled Campaign Finance Reports.

Bill number 59, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Queatech and Ms.

Crampsy Smith.

Discussion.

Call a roll.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

Ms.

Queatech.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

I pass seven zero.

We have no new ordinances this evening.

Resolutions 10A.

Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Bethlehem that $645,000 be transferred from account number 0601 hyphen 40001.

Police salaries to account number 0801 hyphen 42083.

Non-utility to purchase additional police vehicles.

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Cramsey Smith and Ms.

Leone.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Cramsy Smith.

Aye.

Ms.

Queatech.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass 70.

10B.

Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller and or such other city officials as deemed appropriate by the city solicitor are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with capacity for change.

LLC to lead the assist to assist the Health Bureau in preparing a new strategic plan.

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Cramsey Smith and Ms.

Leone.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

I passed 7-0.

I'll accept a motion in a second to group 10 C through 10 F as one.

Motion by Councilwoman Laird.

Second.

Second by Councilwoman Leon.

Any discussion on the motion to group them together?

Mr.

Miller, please call the roll on the motion.

Ms.

Gramscy Smith.

Aye.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Motion passes helpful.

6-0.

I think I kept saying seven.

Um please read the certificates or appropriateness, Mr.

Miller.

Certificates of appropriateness under the provisions of the act of the Pennsylvania legislature, Bethlehem resolutions are hereby granted for 10 C 25 East Third Street to install one new wall sign with LED illuminated backlit channel letters within the sign band and five new printed vinyl signs within the storefront transoms for a new commercial tenant.

10D.

13 through 10 correction, 13 through 15 East Third Street to modify the existing sign band and storefronts, including replacement of existing display case to create a new entrance vestibule.

Also to paint the existing continuous bands of cast stone window cells.

10 E.

312 East Fourth Street to install a new ADA compliant ramp with pipe railings.

And 10 F 21 East Third Street to install one new wall sign with LED illuminated backlit channel letters and one non-illuminated projecting blade sign for a new commercial tenant.

The resolutions are sponsored by Ms.

Cramsey Smith and Ms.

Leon.

Discussion on the group.

Call the roll, Mr.

Miller.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

Ms.

Queatech.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Crew passes 60.

That concludes tonight's agenda.

Get home safe, everyone.

This meeting is meeting.

Okay.