Good evening, everyone.

We're getting started tonight.

We're tonight's city council meeting.

I ask that we all rise for the pledge to the flag.

Pledge of allegiance the United States of America stands.

One nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for Mr.

Miller, please call the roll.

Mr.

Callahan present present.

Present.

Present.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Present.

Thank you, Mr.

Miller.

Before we go through the agenda, just want to note communication 6D is going to be pulled from the agenda tonight at the request of the applicant.

So we will not be reading 60 into the record.

Moving on to approval of the minutes for the December 2nd, 2025 council meeting.

Any discussion on the minutes from our last meeting.

Seeing none, the minutes are approved.

Moving on to public comment.

As is custom, we will start on subjects that are not being voted on this evening.

There is a five minute time limit.

So I'll go through the list who had signed up in advance and then I'll open it up to anyone else who wants to speak.

I will ask everyone to be mindful of the five minutes.

I will let you know if you hit the five minutes as we want to get through all the speakers.

And our first speaker tonight is Ms.

Angela Mitchell.

Good evening, everyone.

And I name is Angela Mitchell, and I reside at 430 Cherokee Street.

And I'm concerned about how would it affect someone that is on dialysis and how does it affect people that may have cancer and illness and what can we do?

Um to help us to make sure that we don't have the lead in our house.

That was the one thing that I wanted to bring up.

The other thing that I wanted to bring up is I can't come out to the meetings, and I was wondering if there is some way that when you have the meetings that we can respond, or people can ask questions through through the the site, the Zoom site, or so we can have an input, or is there some way that um we can um submit um our questions to the council?

The other thing, the third thing that's really pressing on my heart is that I'm a dialysis patient and I have been abused mentally, physically, uh mentally and psychological through the dialis center, um, through Saint Luke's Hospital.

I have called every organization here in Pennsylvania, and there's no one that can help me with my situation on October 27th.

I was in voluntary discharge from the dialis center that I was going to.

Um, because I have been proactive and asking questions about my treatment, and instead of them um responding to me, they got rid of me.

But what they did, they put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger because now I cannot get dialysis treatments anywhere.

No nephroologist in the Holy High Valley from St.

Luke's Davida from Farsenia, no one would pick me up to be a patient.

I've been going to St.

Luke's Hospital for Dialis treatment, and today they said we can't give you dialysis treatment because your numbers are not acute enough without treatment.

I just feel it's very inhumane that anyone that's in their last stage of life cannot receive treatment because they don't care.

And it it puzzles me because I went to um adult protective services.

I call the abuse hotline.

I call department of hell.

You name it, I called it.

So what I would like to see change that would happen is that they will be cameras in these dialysis center.

I was accused of pushing a PC tech and standing up in the facility and taking picture, and it never happened.

And if it happened, why didn't you press charges against me?

But they didn't press charges against me.

Instead, they made a note of it.

And this record follows you wherever you go.

So I am here to advocate on the behalf of the dialysis patient in this Pennsylvania that live within Pennsylvania, because there's no rights for us here, and they should be rights to protect us from harm, from being um talked down to, to being abused just because we don't want to follow the treatment.

There's 541 pages of medical documentation, not one indicating my bleed outs, not one indicating the machine clock, and not one that indicates that I passed out.

Thank you, Miss Mitchell.

Our next speaker this evening is Evelyn Leon.

Good evening, honorable council, Mayor Reynolds, members of the administration and fellow citizens.

My name is Evelyn Leon.

I am a resident of East Fifth Street in South Bethlehem.

I was raised in Bethlehem, established my career here, raised my family here, and served here.

In the past, I was also honored to open one of your proceedings with prayer.

Thank you for allowing me this moment.

When you have a sincere desire to serve the citizens of the community where you live, and put that desire into action, your efforts and service will not always be appreciated or applauded by everyone.

Criticism comes easy.

Yet tonight, at the last council meeting for the year, I would like to thank each of you for making the decision to serve on city council, committed to working together as hard as it was at times for what is best for our city.

Each of you collectively represent all of us.

I want you to know that not all of us are ungrateful or only critical.

You are special to me.

For example, a few years ago, I had the joy of sitting where Councilwoman Grace Cramsey Smith sits now.

And I prayed for the member who would one day govern from that seat.

All worked at as Bethlehem Steel laborers.

Councilman Callahan is a great example of this.

As one who was voted into office, voted out of office, and voted back into office.

God bless America.

Councilwoman QueerTech, you hold your convict, you hold to your convictions and seek justice.

Councilwoman Laird, I thank you and honor you for serving at such a tender time in your young family's life.

It's a heavy lift.

Councilwoman Kira.

Your voice and your words must continue to be heard even outside this rotunda to have refreshed the dialogue of these chambers.

President Colon, I pray you write a book someday.

It's the first time in the history of Bethlehem that both council president and vice president are people of Puerto Rican heritage, both born and raised in Bethlehem from one of the least desirable areas of the city.

That has changed.

Yes, we can.

I am vice president Leon's mother.

She did not know in advance that I would be here today, just like when I used to show up in school.

Councilwoman Leon.

Your love for our city, you love our city with your whole heart and your whole soul.

You have defended our nation, seen the beauty of the world and the horrors of war.

Served in many fields, including the mission field, and your service to our city is exemplary.

I know firsthand what this costs you.

You bring honored to our ancestors and to our generations to come.

And I bless you.

Thank you, council for serving our city.

Please know that you are appreciated, prayed over, and loved.

God bless.

Thank you, Miss Leon.

Our next speaker tonight is Michael Liberto.

How are you doing tonight?

I look around at this city.

I love.

My past doesn't hold me back.

It qualifies me.

It gives me the insight, the grit, the purpose to lead with conviction.

I've walked through the fire and I've come out forged, ready to fight for the people of Bethlehem.

I know what it means to struggle.

I know what it means to fall and rise again.

And because of that, I know what it means to lead with compassion and with courage and with faith.

I am not ashamed of where I've been because it's the very reason I stand here today, determined to build a future that reflects redemption and resilience.

Bethlehem is more than history.

It is a destiny.

As mayor, I would fight for an opportunity in every corner of our city.

I would fight for small businesses to thrive with the support and resources they need to grow.

I would fight for our children to learn in schools that inspire, challenge, and prepare them for greatness.

I would fight for our neighborhoods to be safe, clean, and full of pride.

But this campaign is not just about policies, it's about people.

It is about the single mother working two jobs to keep food on the table.

It is about the young man searching for a second chance.

It is about the elder who has given decades of service to this city and deserves to see this flourish.

It's about every child who looks up and wonders if their dreams can come true here in Bethlehem.

I believe they can, and I believe they will because together we will rise.

I am running with it.

Straight into the future we deserve.

Bethlehem, this is the time is now.

Let us build a city that reflects strength, our faith, and our unity.

Let us rise together and let us show the world that Bethlehem is not just a place on the map.

It is a beacon of hope, a city of second chances, and home for all who believe in tomorrow.

Believe in it tomorrow.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Liberto.

In case I forgot to start by at the top, if you don't mind stating your name before you give your remarks for the record.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Mark Will Weber.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just pass them down forever.

Mark Will Weber, 66 West Elizabeth Avenue.

Last time I was in, I promised council I would bring them a Christmas present stocking stuffer of a bunch of cities that uh have these protective downloadable apps that uh we've been talking about.

Uh apps like I on water, Aquahawk, and uh another one that I found uh prominently as I uh did some of this research called Water Smart.

And uh just again to say what these things are uh once you get smart meters, uh you can in most cases download one of these apps that will uh provide the citizen consumer with early leak detection and uh cut down on these uh mega bills you get the end of the quarter.

So you would know presumably in a day or two if you had a broken pipe, not three months later when you get a six hundred dollar bill from the city.

So um these uh the handouts that I gave you has I think far over a hundred uh cities from every geographical place in the country.

Some of them go back as far as 2015, so it didn't happen last week, and some of them are are in the process of completing uh the the smart load uh smart uh meter project uh as we speak, but they're close to finishing.

Uh and again, they're uh ones that have iron water, aqua hawk or water smart, and then there's a couple in there that have various things, and they're providing it to their citizens for free.

There's no charge.

Uh and it's sort of routinely once they get the smart meters in, follows in in rather abrupt uh order after the smart meters are in, not all of them, but sometimes as they're they're being put in.

Um obviously I'm not gonna go over every city here, uh, but I am gonna touch on some of the more interesting ones.

Uh Beverly Hills has one, has a downloadable app.

You might go, well, yeah, they got plenty of money and a lot of million dollar mansions and billionaires to to look after, so that doesn't surprise you.

But the other end of the spectrum, I found a lot of cities that actually are struggling, but still managed to get this app for for their people.

Uh one such city is uh Hades uh Bird, Mississippi.

And I was surprised that they had it.

And not only did they have it, but they have a little video where their mayor comes on.

I posted it on the drip today in case you're interested.

Uh and their mayor comes on and and uh is leading the charge to to get ion water uh for his constituents, and they have 5,000 meters in, and they have 9,000 to go, but they're already providing the people that have them in with uh iron water.

So though these guys are protected after they got their smart meters.

Uh and I thought it was really cool that the mayor uh Corey uh Barker got on there and showed his app and even joked around a little bit.

He goes, I was gone this weekend, my kids obviously were using a lot of water because I can follow it by the hour.

So check it out, Will.

That's what uh leadership from the mayor's office looks like on a water issue.

Uh similarly, this kind of blew my mind.

I came across City Monroe, Louisiana.

And I didn't know anything about Monroe, Louisiana.

Uh but Louisiana is always at the top of the list for uh most impoverished states, and Monroe just happens to be the most impoverished city in that state.

They have 39% poverty rate.

And as you might expect, they have a high crime rate as well.

You have like a one in 17 chance of suffering a property crime, burglary, somebody breaks into your car, or you come out in the morning and your cars on cinder blocks, that kind of thing.

So uh some of these sites that follow crime and areas say it's a dangerous place and you shouldn't live there.

Um I've never been there, so I don't want to pass judgment on it.

But you know what's not gonna happen to you there?

You're not gonna get knifed in the back by the water department because they have eye on water.

So you aren't gonna you aren't gonna suffer that, which is good.

Uh as I said, some of these uh places have had it for a long time.

Uh as I said, some of these uh places have had it for a long time, and uh there's no reason why we shouldn't have it here.

Uh my fear is that uh we're not gonna get it.

Thank you, Mr.

Woolweb.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Artie Kurtola.

Hi, I'm Artie Curatola, 813 Law for Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Um around seven years ago, I was banned from Arts Quest because I did a comedy show for a packed house, the Banco Cinema, and one of my well, a couple of my jokes they said were racist, even though the person that ran the comedy thing had a vendetta against me.

I use those same comedy jokes when I play in Mexican bar Mexican restaurants all over the tri-state area, and I'm asked back.

However, I'm barred forever for life at ArtsQuest.

Somebody does something wrong in Palestine.

Why aren't they barred from life?

I could be barred from ArtsQuest also.

Uh certain bar around here accused me of attacking somebody who was like twice my size.

So I'm barred from the shanty in Allentown and other bars to perform, and it even hit the city because even though I got a great lineup and my music is in every major library in the country, including Bethlehem.

I have never been asked to perform for anything for the city with my band.

You could hear my music in the library.

My stage name's Jay Creed.

Google my music, you will hear it.

It's all over the internet.

Also, I was recognized as being anti-Semitic by City Council in the papers.

I found out that I was adopted.

My mother and father, original ones, were Jewish.

So I am the first Bethlehem's first anti-Semitic Jew.

Here I am.

Here I stand in front of you.

But I thank all the banning that was done.

It helped me focus on doing things better.

Now I swear to God, may God strike me dead if I'm lying.

I have over a hundred thousand dollars, a few hundred thousand dollars in the banks in CDs, money markets, and I have an annuity.

It's about 150,000.

And my money is growing because of the right investments, and because I haven't been able to perform in the bars, but I'm performing at the library every Monday with my band from 5 to 7:30.

You can come out there, it's open to the public.

But I can't perform in any bars or for the city.

Isn't that amazing?

But if my investments are right, and my book coming out called My Life Was Built on Miracles, that's gonna be on 50 platforms.

I invested beautifully.

By this time next year, I'll be one of the richest people in the city of Bethlehem.

And I owe it all to you people who banned me from ArtsQuest, from performing in the city for performing in bars in the Lehigh Valley area.

And I also want to be able to share my information with any homeless people.

If you got 25 people or more, I will speak because I can't say it in another minute on how I came upon my wealth.

But I will do it.

25 people, I will end the homeless situation.

The homeless people will become probably more prosperous than most of you people.

If we get this together, 25 of them, I will speak.

That's all I'm saying.

I can make it happen.

You can make it happen.

I was homeless for 30 years from 1968 when I got out in the military.

When I got out of the army until 1998 in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, all the major cities.

If I didn't play guitar well and I didn't look great when I was younger for a place to crash, I would have been homeless.

But it got a little harder after I got older.

But made it work.

I own my own house.

I got money in the bank and other investments.

You can do it too.

Anyone can do it.

25 to city council to contact me.

If there's 25 people, I will speak.

God bless you all and have a very blessed merry Christmas and hopefully have a healthy, prosperous new year.

Our next speaker tonight is Lou Jimenez.

Good evening, everybody.

Lou Jimenez, uh local center 35 president.

Uh, I want to thank the uh council for hearing us out all these times, and uh also to the two members that is their last meeting tonight.

Good luck in your future endeavors.

Um, I want to begin by addressing a statement that was made recently in the last uh budget meeting that discussions about adding firefighter staffing should be taken up in collective bargaining.

Respectfully, that statement is not entirely correct, and it needs to be corrected for the record.

City council has already made staffing decisions outside of collective bargaining.

Positions were eliminated through budget action and not contract negotiations.

If staffing reductions can be made legislatively, then staffing restoration can and should also be addressed in this form.

You cannot remove public safety positions through the budget and then claim restoring them suddenly belongs only at the bargaining table.

That is not consistent, and it shifts responsibility away from where it belongs.

Staffing is just not a labor issue, it's a public safety issue.

It affects response times, safety, and outcomes for the residents we serve.

Council sets public safety and funds it every year.

The issue begins here.

This brings me to standards because standards matter.

The city relies on NFPA standards for firefighter training, fire officer qualifications, hazmat, technical rescue.

You name you name it, they do.

That means the city recognizes national safety standards and chooses to follow them, and that's appropriate.

But when it comes to staffing, the NFPA is one area where we avoid it, where it's avoided.

Not because it lacks credibility, but because it requires sustained investment.

Equipment and training standards assume enough firefighters and enough supervision are present to use them safely.

Standards do not work selectively, they work as a system.

Now, nowhere is more evident than a Northwest Fire Station.

The Northwest Fire Station houses one of the busiest apparatus in the city and a rapidly growing neighborhood.

Yet it does not have a permanently assigned company officer.

Instead, a roving officers stretched between multiple companies and stations.

That arrangement does not enhance coverage, it actually weakens it.

A permanently assigned company officer at the Northwest Station would immediately repro improve command accountability and response coordination.

It ensures when those companies are dispatched, there's an officer on C making decisions.

Not after the most from the moment they arrive, not after another officer arrives from another area of the city.

This just does not just improve the northwest section of the city, it improves the city citywide.

When a roving officer is no longer stretched between multiple locations, they can return to supervising the companies they originally were intended to oversee.

That's a net gain in supervision and efficiency across the entire department, not a loss.

Question I keep hearing is where does the money come from?

The answer is simple.

The same place it comes from now.

The city already finds money within salary lines to pay overtime.

Overtime is used every day to ensure coverage, maintain minimums and staff essential functions.

If overtime can be justified to support other positions, it can be justified to ensure proper supervision at one of the busiest stations in the city.

Local 735 is not asking for special treatment.

We're asking for consistency.

And if we can allocate funds to maintain coverage elsewhere, we can allocate them here.

The city is growing.

Development continues, risk continues.

The fire department has not grown with it.

Council has authority to address this.

Council has addressed staffing before, and council should not be told that this responsibility belongs somewhere else.

I'm asking publicly and clearly for the city to staff the Northwest station with a company officer 24-7, 365, even if that's accompanied accomplished through overtime of a sworn fire officer.

It is a reasonable immediate step that enhances coverage, improves safety, and better serves the residents of Bethlehem.

That's all I got.

Thank you, Mr.

Jimenez.

Our next speaker is Terry Michel.

Good evening.

My name's Terry Michel.

Live at 56 East Gep Street.

Uh I handed each one of us one of these.

And it's uh easily hopefully explain it because after his speaking, I need to talk about something else with the fire department.

But anyway, it's not my ticket, it's my neighbor's ticket.

It started 30 years ago when I was racing quarter midges with my children, driving a trailer down that street to park in this in my parking spot for four spots, so I didn't have to back it in on the blind side.

By my neighbor parking there, uh next to the utility pole on the other block.

Um, it left me about two, three inches to get through.

So I questioned the parking authority if they could do something about it so I could get into my uh parking.

They came up with the three signs, no parking between each sign, and the last one near my neighbor's house was with one arrow park parking, uh, no parking between the signs, but from the stop from uh that sign to the stop sign, they allowed parking.

Well, recently, uh we get new neighbors there all the time.

One backed into her car.

So instead of them finding out who backed into the car, they said she can no longer park there because it's not 25 feet away from a stop sign on the ticket, it has that it's a no parking on the block.

Well, that's on my block.

So does one one sign that says no parking this block mean both ways for three blocks, four blocks, or are you allowed to park there?

Surprisingly, I parked right in front of the stop sign.

It's not and the no parking from here to the stop sign is about 20 foot.

Now this is a I call it an alley, but there's no alleys in the city except for two that are streets.

Okay, everything else are their alleys, everything else is a street.

I asked her, she paid the first one.

This is the second one she got.

I says, and as long as you keep paying them, they're gonna keep writing them.

And I says, but we've been here for years where you had two cards parked over there, and there was never a complaint.

Now I want to know why all of a sudden they're gonna hand out these tickets.

And I also found out, okay, if that's the case, there's also a law that says you're not allowed to park it closer than 20 feet to an intersection.

Okay, try that in that section.

I mean, I know I park every night illegally, then, because I'm only about two foot away.

I I told the neighbors where the radius starts, that's you can't go past that.

Nobody's been bothered.

But if the parking authority wants to make money, just drive up and down Linden Street, center street, and all that kind of stuff, because you'll see even even go out and you'll see where the cars were parked during the snowstorm.

There's not anybody that parks 20 feet away, and the sign that's right out in City Hall is not 25 foot back from that stop sign.

So they break their own rules or they make them up as they come.

And I'm here to speak for her because she says, Well, I can't take off to fight it because I'm losing money then.

So something has to be done.

And I don't know why, because they don't want to investigate who backed into her car, or was it somebody that was visiting and never showed up again?

I don't know, but I'm here to speak for her.

And that's basically it.

If you can understand what I'm saying, no problem.

Okay.

But as you see on the picture that I drove, uh, try to draw for you, the no parking this block is on the other block.

It's in on alongside my house.

I live on Gep Street and school.

Okay.

I think they should rescind her money and stop this bull.

Okay.

The next thing is I hear they're going to change Linden Street and Center Street to two-way streets.

We have enough accidents on them with being one way into Bethlehem and one way out of Bethlehem, because I sit on my porch during the summer.

If the light turns yellow in front of my house, they speed up so they can beat it.

And we've had numerous.

I talked to the police about it.

And making it two-way, a lot of people are gonna, because they're never going to expect someone coming up or uh center and and going down yet or Linden Street, excuse me.

So that's I don't understand why anybody would change.

And my third one is on this fire department.

If I can have some I'll give you 10 seconds, Mr.

Mike.

Okay.

When I was a firefighter, we used to have one, three, five, six, seven, and nine fire stations.

Those were the numbers.

Now we're down to one.

Thank thank you, Mr.

Michel.

I will be respectful of everyone else who's signed up and what I'm gonna move on.

Okay, Mr.

Mikesel.

I could you can speak to us after the meeting if you'd like to teach.

I hate to live in in Berry Bridge Road and wait for a fire engine.

Understood, sir.

And then just briefly for the parking authority.

Uh, if you want to speak to us after the meeting, we have a liaison to the parking authority.

You could reach out to Mr.

Miller during the day, and um, but we'll send this to the parking authority as we don't oversee the parking authority, sir.

Understood.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker tonight, Dominic Trebosi.

Apologies if I mispronounced that.

Good evening, Council Dominic Trabasi.

Um, no worries about the pronunciation.

Um, I'm here to comment on the recent clearing of the homeless and canon brought on by Norfolk Southern.

Um, I first want to thank the city for offering what resources they could to the unhoused and directing them to available shelters.

Um, addressing the homelessness problem in our country and city is not an easy task.

Um, but the city has at least shown some respect to those folks who are struggling.

So thank you for that.

However, we must not forget that this is still a forcible relocation of many people's lives, and that simple act of clearing out an encampment can be dangerous, counterproductive, costly, and harmful, particularly to those being relocated.

These folks are not willingly choosing dangerous places to live because every place is inherently dangerous when you don't have a roof over your head and four walls surrounding you.

Additionally, many of the shelters in the area are reaching max capacity, and I don't believe we have any way of guaranteeing these folks a safe and proper alternative to where they were.

Clearing encampments like the one around Norfolk Southern creates just as many problems as it seemingly solves.

For some, it just means a more dangerous sleeping place the next day.

The one and only true way we can address homelessness is not through relocations, throwing police at the issue or bending to the demands of a transport transportation corporation.

It is addressing the housing needs of the people.

It is creating actual affordable housing because it is my belief, and I hope it's yours too, that housing is a human right.

One thing that I wish local news outlets would have covered regarding this latest sweep is that those affected by the encampment sweep stretched beyond Norfolk Southern's property.

From my view, this seems like a blatant excuse to capitalize on the threat of a no forks no Norfolk Southern lawsuit to further displace the unhoused.

Let's be clear, there is a power struggle at play, and I ask that the city reflect on that over the holidays.

In the battle of us versus them, it has never been us versus the unhoused.

It has always been us versus those that control the wealth.

I hope that the city does a better job at properly addressing addressing the unhoused population in Bethlehem going forward, acting out of pure concern for the safety of others instead of acting out the demands of a corporation.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Our final person who had signed up, Cheyenne Cahun.

Good evening, council.

My name is Cheyenne, and I am from Easton.

I do spend a great deal of time in Bethlehem, and I happen to love this city.

The challenges in addressing the housing crisis are not unique to the city of Bethlehem, nor are they unique to the Abe area or the Greater Lehigh Valley.

In coming here tonight, I wasn't sure what I had hoped to accomplish.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to make you feel the same rage, anger, and disgust that I feel in response to the eviction of the encampment yesterday.

And I wasn't sure if I had hoped to make you feel ashamed or if I just wanted the opportunity to voice my grief.

I concluded with the sentiment that many of you probably share my anger, my disappointment, and my frustrations.

In the face of systems and power structures that feel impossible to topple, it is easy to feel disheartened, to feel hopeless, and it is easy to settle into mediocrity.

It is easy to conclude that whatever we do must be enough because it is better than nothing.

I am here to remind you that very little worth doing is easy.

And to those of you who may not share my perspective, to those of you in positions of authority that may have gone back on your word or capitalized on the opportunity to push these challenges further out of sight.

I am here to remind you just how fortunate you are.

To stigmatize our unhoused neighbors is to do an injustice to ourselves.

It is to do a disservice to the prosperity we all claim to seek.

The challenges often brought up in response to these actions or in defense of them tend to cite experiences that are not unique to our unhoused communities.

Why do we languish in the shadow of standards we cannot personify?

Ideals we cannot live.

Issues around addiction, mental health, and crime do not disappear behind closed doors.

None of us are immune from these problems, problems exasperated by a system meant to profit at our expense.

And I would implore any of you in this room to consider what it might be like to face your worst days, the worst moments of your life without the comfort and privacy of four walls around you.

We must stop looking at our community's problems as those of others and begin to recognize that only together through hard work, compassion, and solidarity can we begin to build a better world.

The problems facing my community are my problems.

They are our problems.

Tonight I have one goal in speaking, and that is that when each of you goes home, turns up your thermostat and climbs into your nice warm beds, that you are not occupied with thoughts of yourselves, the day to come or how busy you are in the holiday season, but instead with thoughts of the communities you are meant to serve, the communities you are part of and each and every member of those communities.

Thank you for listening respectfully and for your time.

I hope you enjoy your evening.

Thank you.

So that exhausts our list.

So I'll go around the room.

Uh I'll start to my left.

Is there anyone who wants to make comments to the left?

Yes.

Continuing the sentiment.

Hello, my name is Lee.

I'm a Bethlehem resident.

Uh, continuing the sentiment of the homeless encampment clearing yesterday, the eviction.

I was personally there at 745 with a few other friends from a mutual aid group.

And I'd like to describe to you the um the scene and uh what these folks had to endure, which was uh inhumane to say the least.

And I know that this council has talked previously about offering services and support, but what I witnessed yesterday was absolutely no resources offered to these people.

And I just like you to try and imagine for a moment having to take the very few possessions you have, ball them into a tarp and drag them a few hundred feet away from where you camped under a bridge to sit there for hours in the freezing cold with no resources or help to relocate your possessions.

That is what these people had to endure yesterday.

Um dozens of cops and hired private law enforcement officers from Northfolk Southern sat there and watched these people gather, the very few tattered things they had, roll them across the snow in the freezing cold, um, to then just sit a few hundred feet away from where they were camped for hours and wait for me and one other person to come with a pickup truck around 6 p.m.

and help them relocate to a new place.

That that is what resource they had, just two volunteers in the community to help them reclocate the very few possessions that they have, and absolutely no resources provided to them by the city or anyone who was actually on site.

Because as we both know, anyone who is there from uh family and child services really can't provide services or resources to people who are either still using or do not have a permanent residence.

So even though they were on standby, those resources weren't actually available to those people.

And I cannot express to you just how exhausted they were.

Some people told us they had been packing for days prior to this eviction.

So at 8:30, they rolled up with their backhoe, started destroying all of the foliage around that area and forcibly making these people leave watching them, watching them pack in a hurry in stress and in absolutely probably some of the worst moments of their lives.

And to witness this, to witness the callousness of our own police department, to witness the fact that no resources were there for these people.

I just want to paint this picture for you, how they're dragging their items through the snow, how they're sitting there for hours, how they have no resources until 9 45 when we drop off their possessions to this new location.

They have no tent, they have no food, they're starving, they're shaking, they can barely carry pillows and blankets.

They are so weak from having to drag these things for days and days.

I just want you to try and really understand that, that they don't get to go home and take a hot shower and lay down at night, that they didn't have a bed to sleep in at 9 45 on a 16-degree night.

Hypothermia can set in and cause fatality within a few hours.

So imagine 9 45, your items are scattered across the snow, you have nowhere to lay your head, and you're so exhausted, you can barely awake, you can barely stand, but yet you have to somehow put your four-walled tent up and lay a tarp down and try and sleep and not freeze to death.

That that is the reality of what those folks had to endure yesterday and why only two people who were just volunteers had to move uh half a dozen people's all of their possessions across town without any resources.

So hope that painted a picture of what yesterday looked like.

That is the legitimate what happenings that went on.

And I felt that the police department was very much less respectful towards them than they were to us, which I don't understand why that was that was uh a portrayal of the compassion.

But uh yeah, I just wanted to know personally what had happened yesterday, what it actually looked like, and uh I I hope that the city does something better in the future, maybe has more resources for the folks just in waste management, or perhaps even just maybe applying some resources resources for these folks to be able to have constant uh technology of uh resources, maybe things like charging stations, warming stations, um extra resources that we're getting as donations from the community, anything, maybe people hired with U-Hauls to help people move their resources on moving day on eviction day.

But uh I think it was um one of the most difficult things that I've ever had to witness.

And I and I think as your citizenry, that was really just it was harsh, it was foul, and it was evil.

And I hope that that paints a picture of something that you were planning for, but did not accomplish.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else to the left who wants to make comment who hasn't had chance?

Is there anyone in the wide center who wants to Mr.

Antalyx?

Thank you, sir Steven Antonalix, 737 Ridge.

The recent vote by council to not increase the fire department by four indicates where the priorities lie.

The guidelines for a city's fire staff are clearly indicated in National Fire Protection Association, but in 2021, the city violated these long-standing guidelines when the mayor reduced the department staff by four for tax reduction reasons.

This reduction clearly places politics over public safety.

Considering that nothing has changed.

The present council had the ability to restore the policy of public safety over politics by voting for the FARS staff restorations rather than a seven to zero vote to accomplish this, it voted five to two against restoration, thereby retaining politics over public welfare.

At this meeting, the Farage Department was well represented and gave overwhelming valid reasons for restoration before before the vote was made.

What rationale would council member have to vote against restoration?

It could simply ignorance of the issue or political motivation.

Political motivation might be seeking the office of council president or mayor of the city, which might demand not nearly the mayor and other political possible political resources to some who attend many council meetings.

Some current council members are seen as mayor's rubber stamp or lap dog.

That term is harsh, it's very harsh.

But I heard it a number of times by responsible citizens who sat here and watched you and were shocked by your actions and by your vote.

Lapdog.

Some of these people who are very guilty of what I've just said.

Our next was there anyone else in the center who wants to make comment?

Ms.

Noonan.

Hello, uh, Valerie Noonan.

Um, I'm also here to speak about the clearing of the homeless encampment yesterday, and likely I was there on site.

Um, so I have my own narration of this day, and I also have some notes to share from someone who can be here who was also present.

Um a small group of us, three people showed up around 7:45 a.m.

and stayed most of us until about noon.

We actually was there in the morning and came back again later um with the friend with the pickup truck.

Um, we were there before the police, we were there before before the media.

We started talking to people, um, figuring out what they needed.

Um most of them needed help moving their stuff.

They had bulky items, heavy items that they simply could not put in a cart or something like that.

Um, and I I do believe that's why this particular group of people were still left there on the very last day, was because they had so many items, they were so bulky, so heavy, they simply couldn't move them by themselves, and they had not been provided any resources for that that didn't involve um, you know, taking up a sheltering option that didn't work for them.

Um I went out and got coffee and bagels for the people there.

Came back um that morning.

We were able to help one person move his stuff in two trips.

Um, and it took us a while because we were also helping him ferry the stuff way up the trail far away from the road.

So we were walking several miles in total with this stuff back and forth to get it um to where he needed it to be.

Um, but that took quite a while, and we realized that wasn't gonna work for the rest of the people who were there.

Um, and that's why we left, and Lee and our other comrade uh came back later in the evening with a pickup truck.

And um some notes from that comrade are that there were two of them, one pickup truck.

They helped move six people's things in seven trips over the course of four hours.

Um, and he wanted to say that he is glad that um these people have not disclosed their next location and that generally the police may not currently know where they are, and says he hopes that it saves them from harassment for a while.

Um, and he also reiterated that people said they'd been moving their things for three or four days.

Um this friend couldn't be here.

Um, but he also said that he didn't have any words for you guys that aren't yelling or swearing, so um, take that as you will.

Um I found it supremely depressing in a way that was not conveyed in any of the news articles that reported on this.

It was supremely depressing.

Um, and like there were always going to be holdouts, there were always gonna be there on people there on the last day.

I think that was very predictable to anyone familiar with the situation.

Um, and yet no one thought to have any kind of resource for helping people move their things at the very least.

So we left around noon, and then when Lee and our friend came back around 5 p.m., people had been sitting there outside the police tape the entire time in the cold.

And you know, it was about 15 degrees in the morning.

I think we had a high of about 25.

Everything was covered in snow.

The stuff people were packing up, a lot of it had a layer of snow on it.

Um, and it's like can you imagine having to pack your life up in such a way that you could carry it with you your whole life, all of your possessions?

It's a lot.

Um one man told us he had recently worked a 24-hour shift clearing snow.

Sorry, it was a 21 hour shift because he was able to leave early.

Other people worked 24, a 21 hour shift clearing snow from this last snowstorm, and he had to come back and do all this.

Um, it was disgusting.

Thank you, Miss Nuna.

Is there anyone else in the wide center who would speak?

I believe that's Miss Daniels behind the collection.

Hello, everyone.

Um, I'm here to speak on behalf of the fire department.

Um, one thing I can say is I'm so happy my father is not a fireman today in the city of Bethlehem.

I would not want my dad to have to work one, two, three shifts and then be mandated to work overtime because the city feels it's not um necessary to have the required staffing based on the IAFF study, this same organization that the city um depends on for the proper hiring rules and regulations that need to be followed through their positions.

They're good enough for that, but they're not good enough to use their study.

And Mayor Reynolds, this started well before your administration, but unfortunately, it's continued through your administration.

The amount of disrespect, and that's the only way I can put it, the amount of disrespect shown to these men who literally put their lives on the line day after day.

You know, from the time that um Chief Aki, there was issues with him.

Vote of no confidence, 88 to 95.

That lingered for 11 months.

These men are working in a toxic environment for 11 months before he finally retired.

Staffing has been an ongoing issue again prior to your administration, but it's persisted throughout your administration.

And I don't understand, and I'm lots to learn with the city council and the government and budgets and this, that, and the other.

But it's I can't understand how we can hire 20 plus people within 10 years in economic development and have zero hires for the people that we expect to protect us in the event of an emergency.

We have all these new high-rise uh residential apartment buildings going up.

And yeah, they're probably you know, somewhat safe with the uh fire extinguishers, the water sprinklers, but these men have to go in and search through that entire building if something were to happen, apartment by apartment, room by room.

And there's no forgiveness for that.

There's just none.

I don't, I don't understand how we expect these men to continue to do this day after day after day.

We wouldn't do it with our regular jobs with our nine to five desk jobs.

We wouldn't stay at a job that mandates over time day after day, week after week, month after month, expect us to go into burning buildings, see God knows what uh types of injuries and and automobile accidents and every other type of hazard out there, but yet we're asking them to do it day in and day out, and we wouldn't do it ourselves.

So, City Council.

It's up to you guys.

It's up to you guys to make a change because this can't continue.

As fast as the city is growing, as fast as this region is growing, back to the city because that's my only care right now.

As fast as Bethlehem is growing, we need to keep up with it with our first responders.

I've said this numerous times at this podium.

We've got all these bright new sparky, sparkly objects, but our infrastructure and our first responders are not being taken care of, and it's being proven over and over, year after year.

So if we hire four new ones, it's gonna be a neutral because we're gonna lose four with either people going elsewhere or retiring.

It's gonna happen this year.

I can pretty much guarantee it.

So we're gonna stay in the hole.

And when you guys dial 911, these guys are gonna come to your rescue.

It's time for you to come to their rescue and do the right thing, find the money, just like you find for economic development, find the money, and let these guys do their job the right way with the right amount of men and the right number of stations.

I won't even touch on that.

They lost one, never got that back either.

They're doing more with less.

And we wouldn't stand for it on our jobs.

I wouldn't expect them to stand for it on theirs.

It's up to us, up to the mayor, up to city council to do right by these men.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Daniels.

Anyone else in the wide center, sir?

Kyle Dalton, I'm a Bethlehem firefighter.

Um, separate from all the issues that we've discussed.

I just want to thank everybody here for their contributions to the city and your communities.

It's not easy, I know, to do your job.

Um, you're not compensated a lot.

It's very thankless.

So for all of you that come here every two weeks and empathize with people who care deeply about what's going on.

Thank you.

I hope you could find some respite in the next few weeks and over the holidays.

Councilwoman Wilhelm and Crampsy Smith, thank you for your service.

Um, hopefully I get to speak with you after.

Thanks, guys.

Have a good holiday.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the wide center who would make comment, sir?

Uh Bethlehem City Council, Sebastian Zavaruka.

Um, uh long time Bethlehem resident.

In some ways, uh, my life story is paralleling what just happened for the unhoused encampments in Bethlehem.

I'm moving.

I just moved, so my new location is 811 Elm Street.

Um, and I just not looking to place blame on the situation.

It's a dire situation for many involved.

I just want to maybe resound some points that I had previously made at past city council meetings, as well as um uh uplift some points as well.

Too.

Uh we're again faced with, I'm gonna echo my colleague Dom in terms of who we who are we facing here, Norfolk Southern, who is making record profits and is talking about health and safety concerns around abandoned properties, of which there's no development or plan of making development.

Um, my concern for the people of our community is that we're talking about um we're we're excusing this process as to protect health and safety of the people, but you know, this is gonna put them at much more risk.

Uh, they're not leaving our community, they're finding new homes throughout in the spaces they can.

Um, I've been in in some bittersweet way.

I've got to know a lot of members of this community.

I'm appreciative of my time and connecting with their stories.

Uh, and I know where a lot of them are moving now too, and it's not much of a different story.

Um, now they're gonna be further away from our view as more affluent members of our society.

They're gonna be further away from the resources that the city was trying to work with and provide.

Um, I think you all know these kind of issues, but this is not really a message to you all, uh, as you're very well versed in this, it's more a message to the press and the people of the public.

Um, that you know, this is an issue that is has been very complex and very difficult on many grounds.

Uh, and what has transpired is not a solution in the long term uh in any measure for a lot of people, and I think that's felt across the board by many people in our community.

Um, and also just for the record, too.

I think it's important to note that it wasn't just uh Norfolk Southern properties that people were uh um evicted from, there were some slivers of both county as well as city properties, uh which the people were evicted from as well.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Was there anyone else in the center?

Is there anyone to the right?

That concludes our first public comment.

We don't have anyone signed up for second public comment, which is anything to be voted on tonight.

Is there anyone to the left for the second public comment?

Anyone to the center?

Anyone to the right?

All right, thank you, everyone.

Old business, any old business for members of council.

Continue on to new business.

Before I turn it over, members of council, I just want to make sure I announce that the first council meeting for 2026, our next council meeting, will be held on Monday, January 5th at 7 p.m.

The third class city code, which is essentially the state statute, which dictates how we run our city, requires that the organization of council to is to be held, the reorganization on the first Monday of the January following the regular municipal election.

So it's just a long way of saying it's when we swear everybody in after the election.

So this will be the council meeting at 7 p.m.

on January 5th instead of Tuesday, January 6th.

And just for uh another few comments, thinking outgoing members of council, I'll remind everyone we will have a brief meeting of the current council members on January 5th, where outgoing members of council will uh welcome remarks, and then um other members of council could give remarks also and then extend a courteous send-off to our outgoing members of council, and then we'll have the swearing in and reorganization of the new members of council, including council elect a new council president and a new council vice president at that first meeting in January.

Just want to make sure everyone was aware of that.

Before I turn it over, members of council, because I know questions are gonna stem from it, and we did receive a memo this afternoon regarding the encampment.

So uh Mayor Reynolds, I'll turn it over to you to um elaborate or it's it's a very comprehensive memo.

So maybe just touch on what you'd like to share tonight and whoever you want to share information, then I'll open it up to council to ask questions about um the news surrounding the encampment.

Absolutely.

And I do think everybody, just so everybody's confirmed they've received Ms.

Collins' memo.

Um Mr.

Miller had forwarded it.

Everybody hope this afternoon.

So I will just move ahead as if people had had to read the memo so we don't repeat everything in the memo.

Um, but I would probably turn first to Miss Wenrick to make some comments.

Um, and then Ms.

Collins is able to make some additional comments as it relates to the memo, and the two of them will probably be able to answer some questions and I will I will chime in as well.

But I would start with uh I would start with Miss Wenrik.

I would just say that it has been a situation that a lot of people within City Hall have been working on for years.

Um, and it in this specific situation, it it's been four months.

But as Ms.

Wenrick and Miss Collins will talk about, we have dedicated staff in our health bureau in particular and Department of Community Economic Development that have been working every day on this issue.

And there have been obviously, as we we heard, it is it is an issue by which there is we have some successful stories, and there are stories that we are with individuals that we are still working with.

And I think the one thing that I want to be clear about is that we have, and this predates my time in the mayor's office, going back to when Mayor Donchez and Ms.

Wenrick can talk about the beginning of community connections and things like that.

But there are individuals that we have been working to provide services for now for five or six years.

Um, and as I said, there have been some incredible success stories, and there are people that we are still engaged with.

Um, but the people that are in the health bureau in particular, and Ms.

Collins department um have just been really that there have been a select number of individuals that have had an incredible amount of resources here in City Hall in a way that is just that is proper and is the is the point, I think, of what the work is that we do.

And I just want to thank them as we kind of give you the the continuum of all of the different kind of stories um and the successes and the people that we're still working with currently.

And I'll turn to Miss Wenmer.

So before Miss Wenrik, just so everyone's on the same page for members of council.

I I'd like Miss Wenrick and Miss Collins to give any um report and feedback they'd like to.

I'll open it up to questions just around the encampments, and then uh we'll go on to new business like we normally do.

So we'll just stay on the topic as we go through members of council, but I'll allow them to present first just to get the information out there so we're not asking um questions that they were prepared to present already.

Miss Wenrick.

Uh good evening.

I'll provide a high-level overview since Ms.

Collins did issue uh a memo today that contained um details about the the last few months.

Um, as Mayor Reynolds stated, community connections has has been around um since 2020.

So we've been actively working with the homeless population since the program's inception.

Um outreach efforts intensified in August after the city was notified by Norfolk Southern that the encampments in and around Sand Island would be posted.

So from August through December, community connections conducted weekly outreach along with the police department and other community partners to assess the needs of the individuals living in those areas and connect those individuals to housing and other supportive services.

In addition to the outreach, uh, I believe we talked about the care events at previous council meetings.

We held three what we call care events where where we brought all community partners together in one location at Sand Island to provide a comprehensive array of services for the individuals that are living in and around those encampments.

We also, over the course of the last year, have held bi-weekly calls with our homeless service providers to coordinate services for these individuals.

So we coordinated outreach efforts.

We also coordinated services for shared clients to avoid duplication and create an efficient system.

Most recently, we also had one of our community connections staff um staff people uh implement a justice system navigation component to community connections.

So many of the individuals that we work with are involved in some level with the criminal justice system.

So we're again connecting people to resources, whether it's North Penn legal or working and advocating for individuals to be connected to mental health court or drug court, if applicable.

We also have been active in doing point in time counts.

So we want to make sure that we're tracking the individuals that are in the encampments, again, conducting those assessments, determining their needs so we can evaluate our progress.

So over the course of the last few months, we counted 92 unique individuals living in the impacted areas.

And during this period, 85% were successfully connected to at least one service, whether it be case management, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, or medical care.

Unfortunately, not everybody takes advantage of the services that we have to offer, but I think 85% speaks volumes to the success of those relationships that we're building, that trust that we're forming and connecting people to care.

At the end of the day, we wish we could have connected every individual to housing.

But for whatever reason, sometimes people deny those services.

We have people that we have secured housing for.

And at the end of the day, they decided that they did not want that housing.

So we'll continue to make efforts and continue to work with these individuals to move them along the continuum.

But again, we were successful, and the memo does outline the individuals that were connected to various services and the outcomes of those individuals that we were able to connect to, you know, various forms of housing.

So then speaking to uh directly to December 15th, um a community connections team member, community police officers did accompany Norfolk Southern officers to assist with relocation efforts and again tried to connect people to services for the remaining 12 individuals that were at the Hill to Hill and Fahee Bridge encampment areas.

The health bureau also had a mobile clinic on site.

We had our mobile clinic parked down at the ice house.

I was there for the duration.

Um so people were coming to the mobile clinic.

We had one community connection staff member that was walking through the encampment as people wanted services or housing, they then came to our mobile clinic.

So services were absolutely provided there.

Um we also had community partners on site.

Um, so there were people there that were able to store belongings and help transport belongings.

Um, the the grant that supported that did have restrictions on what we were able to do.

So if somebody had a plan and say they wanted to go to Bethlehem emergency shelter or they wanted to go into housing, then they were able to use those funds to store belongings and transport belongings.

So that service was provided to an individual.

Um at the end of the day, we were able to connect one individual to Victory House to Bethlehem Emergency Shelter.

We facilitated the voucher process and they agreed to stay at the shelter.

And two individuals, we were able to obtain single room occupancy units.

We also, again, um assisted individuals with storage of items and connected one person to medical care.

During this time, we were not able to uh walk through the Mincy Trail area.

That was also another area.

It was the hill to hill, Fayhe Bridge, and the Mincy Trail area due to the weather and the third-party contractor that Norfolk Southern hired, they decided to delay that until later this week.

So we're waiting to hear from Norfolk Southern.

But it looks like Thursday or Friday, we'll have the same process of individuals from community connections and community policing assisting those individuals that are still residing in the Mincy Trail area, which we estimate to be about five to eight individuals at this point.

Then, as far as post-clearing actions, Norfolk Southern did hire a third-party contractor to remove remaining debris and trash.

They estimate that the cleanup will take about two weeks.

From a community connections standpoint, we will continue our efforts.

So we recognize that not everybody again took advantage of services and resources.

We'll continue to work with those individuals, conducting weekly outreach to ensure continuity of care.

We'll continue our bi-weekly calls with our uh providers and partners.

We plan to continue holding additional care events and then provide ongoing justice system navigation.

And lastly, I just want to state you know the level of respect and compassion that I witnessed.

It absolutely was there, so much so that one of the reporters that interviewed me after the interview stated that he was very impressed with what he had observed.

He said, you can tell the relationships that your police officers and community connections workers had established with these individuals.

It was it was calm, people were cooperative.

Um, again, there was mutual respect there, and there was clearly relationships that were already formed.

Um I just wanted to state that for the record.

And I'll also add, you know, first of all, this isn't a situation that anybody is is thrilled about on a human level.

It's it's been it's been very challenging, but we have put significant amount of time trying to do it right.

It's also the first time we've all dealt with a situation of this kind.

And I think you know, we've learned a lot along the way.

Um, and we have had a number of success stories.

And there's, you know, there's always more to learn and and to do when you're faced with challenging and very complex complex situations.

Um, but one of the things uh I also thought was important in the memo that we provided as an administration was to talk not just about the direct services that we um are trying to connect um unhoused individuals with, you know, in the in the immediate term to meet immediate needs, but also the the broader work that we're doing around homelessness, um, whether that's supporting like the physical infrastructure needs uh that we have here in Bethlehem for permanent year-round emergency shelter.

Um, so we've talked in the memo about the current plans with Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering at Christ Church UCC and the status of those plans.

Um, you you know, it is a six million dollar project.

Um, we are working regularly, uh meeting every other week with the BES leadership team, not only talking about you know the immediate needs of people who are in the shelter this season, but also what are the forward-looking plans and how can we work together to advance those plans.

We've committed as a city with the support of city council, $2 million towards the six million dollar total.

And we also have um written grant applications for another $4 million for state and federal grants to continue to fill the gap to get to the funding needed for that project.

And then we also have on the South side of Bethlehem on Packer Avenue.

We've talked a number of times about the partnership with the Lehigh Conference of Churches.

Uh, we have fully funded a project that will convert uh existing um building into an 11-unit family shelter.

Uh, we are moving forward with that project.

We are um putting out an RFP for final design and engineering in January.

Um, you know, we're working through the environmental reviews required for the state, the state funding, but that project is moving forward and one that we're really proud to have, you know, fully funded over the past um you know, year plus with various grant applications.

Um, and then in addition to that, we've talked about the regional nature of this problem and you know, the regional work that we are doing to support organizations uh that we partner with on a regular basis, organizations that are members of the Lehigh Valley Regional Homelessness Advisory Board.

Um, you know, we do uh deputy director Sarah Satulo does uh serve on their governing board.

Um, you know, we are the regional entity that administers emergency solutions grants to uh the service providers uh who are who are working in this space in in the region, um not just in Bethlehem.

Um and we're also thinking a lot about what are the programs that are, you know, not just helping people who are currently unhoused, but also who are facing evictions or at risk of becoming homeless.

So, you know, a lot of the work that we talk about, um, whether funded through opening doors or various other funding sources is thinking about you know how we are keeping people, you know, stably housed now.

And it is it is a challenge, and you know, but it's one that um you know, we are, I think, you know, really proud of the partnerships that we're building.

Um, you know, here in Bethlehem, we have the housing stability collaborative.

It's a partnership of New Bethany, Community Action Development Bethlehem and North Penn Legal Services that we've been extremely supportive of with funding and and and staff time and support.

And they're doing a lot of really great work with um, you know, eviction mediation, you know, helping people stay in their homes, uh, preventing preventing evictions, um, supporting people in in times of distress with that additional rent support that they might need so as not to be put out on the street.

So uh the memo goes into a lot more detail and specifics about those various programs and the dollar amounts associated, but um, just as part of the overall conversation uh about what's what's going on today, specifically at Sand Island.

We felt it was important also to talk about, you know, what what the broader picture looks like because it is all interconnected.

And to add to that, um, I believe it's on page two of her of uh Ms.

Collins' memo where it talks about the partners that we really do need to say thank you to.

Uh talks about BES, Valley Health Partners, Street Medicine, Lee Conference of Churches, New Bethany Synergy.

I could go on.

Many of those organizations have each individual oftentimes has a strongest relationship with somebody and with some entity.

And one of the things that we have worked very hard on is to be established this network of services, this network of organizations that have uh both taken ownership and are the direct connections for some of the individuals uh for whatever reason that might be.

And I would say that some of the challenges, and I think we know this is that people will be able to get housed, and then it might be six months, nine months, two years later, where they come back on our radar for whatever reason why they weren't able to stay in stable housing.

And one of the things is it, you know, we really, and we've said this before, but I think it's important to say again is that like we face people in Bethlehem, just like they do in Allentown from all 62 municipalities in the Lehigh Valley across the state, New York, New Jersey, all over the place.

There has to be a larger regional coordinated effort with our two counties to help lead the way on this.

Because for every person that we help, and we do have those success stories that we could tell you that this is person we spent a lot of time with and they were able to put down the deposit and they're paying their rent and they and they have a job and they're in stable housing.

We will meet somebody new that will be coming from somewhere else.

This is not a problem that is unique to our 78,000 people.

What we have tried to do is set up a system with our nonprofits, with the people within our community to be able to help people, and it is ongoing.

This is a situation where since we found out from Norfolk Southern four months ago, I I couldn't even tell you how many times our community connections group has been down with with this site, as Ms.

Wenrick said, there were 92 people here at one point two weeks ago, there were 44.

And then on yesterday and Monday, I believe there were 12 or 13.

Several of those people ended up getting permanent housing.

Some went to live with other people, some went to BES, some moved to other locations as has been intimated that are not um that are also outside.

And, you know, it is a situation where we will continue to work with people.

I think that we should be very proud about all of the money that we have helped to be able to get from the state and federal government to support BS on an annual basis, support New Bethany, support all of these different organizations, but there's still a lot of work to do.

And whether or not somebody has found housing, whether or not they haven't found housing, whether or not they need services, whether or not they are in the throes of addiction, whatever it is, is like there are services that we constantly, day in and day out, um, are there to try to connect people to?

And it is just the nature of the work that it's going to be that it's going to be ongoing.

But I think that's a pretty good kind of run through as far as where we are, but we certainly can collectively answer questions from council this point.

Thank you, everyone.

So I'll open it up to members of council for questions, comments again, um discussing the encampment.

Councilwoman Leon.

Um in your in page three of your memo, you talk a little bit about the breakdown of numbers.

You said of and my computer just died.

Uh of the 92 people, you were able to assist about 83, I believe.

Thank you so much.

There's a hard copy for you, Kelly.

King things.

Um 92 people you were able to relocate 75, which to your credit is about 80, 80 percent.

I did have a question about um the amount of housing that is available.

I see the the number for BES Victory House, obviously has beds, but it's limited to males and veterans.

Um, were there other alternative um sheltering options, whether they were within the city of Bethlehem or one of our neighboring municipalities that we were able to connect people to?

Um, like anything in Allentown, or I think we have a new Besty doesn't really serve this role, but just curious as to what other options they were provided.

So we work with the conference of churches largely on on that portion.

So there was housing that people secured outside of Bethlehem.

Okay.

Um curious about this county corrections for outstanding criminal warrants.

Um nothing ever really want to see, but were these like these weren't parking tickets, right?

We didn't correct.

No, okay, yeah.

And and they're not and they're not related to trespass, they're not related, they're not related to homelessness.

Okay, so these weren't like no one is being arrested for being homeless.

Yes.

It was not trespass, it wasn't littering.

Those were not what warrants existence to on a regular basis anyway.

And then if if you see like on the top of page three, those same 11 people, we also help them navigate through the justice system.

So we're trying to get some into mental health court or a drug court, whatever it may be.

Okay.

Um, there are not gonna lie, still getting around it because there's the statements that you know, we've read through this memo hearing you say things, and then there's uh a couple of community partners that came out and said something very different.

Um just having worked with the community police.

We have body camps, they have body camps.

Um, is there ever a time then if Chief, if you want to answer this too, like is there ever a time in which we would have to review, like review the body cam footage?

Do you review the body cam footage?

Oh, we could have just given you the mic.

Um review the body body cam footage to make sure that our our police are handling everything.

Absolutely, and there'd be thousands and thousands of hours of video footage, audio and video.

Uh, this is not uh as uh Miss Collins and Miss Wendrick have said, and and Mr.

Mayor as well.

This is not something we we've just woke up and did.

We have been spending countless hours down in the encampments building these relationships.

Uh so when this unfortunate incident did occur, uh, we were able to have some type of relationships with folks to to try to help them and find the resources that that may be able to benefit them.

Where was it our community police, or was it like a whole kind of there were two officers from the city of Bethlehem community policing unit?

Uh there were two Norfolk Southern okay police officers as well.

Um, and then as Miss Wendrick said, there was a member of the community connections team.

Okay.

Um, all right.

Thank you.

Uh the only other question I had is you both alluded to this.

There is a sign contingent where you know we've you guys have been working on this since October.

Uh services have been provided.

Try to dot every I across every T.

What happens when you get to the last day?

Um, and there are people that still need to be moved.

What does that what does that look like when someone does not want to move?

Well, perhaps Miss Venric who is down there has has more insight.

But one of the things I'll say is my understanding is that there wasn't anyone who you know flat rejected the idea of moving or required any sort of like confrontational conversation with police.

I mean, that that wasn't the case.

Of course, it's a as speakers talked about, like from a human perspective, you know, a difficult and challenging situation.

So I would never say that anyone wanted to leave.

Um, but you know, as Miss Wenrick said, there were resources and funding available specifically tied, you know, to helping people move if they did have a plan to go to a place like Victory House or um more stable housing.

You know, we didn't have anything in place if people were just moving to another outside encampment area, you know.

And as the city, I think it wouldn't have been appropriate for us to take possession of people's belongings or necessarily, you know, move them to a different area of of the city.

Um, and you know, I don't think that we had any partner organizations who were set up and prepared to take on that role.

Um, you know, so honestly, you know, grateful for community members who did take that that specific role on, you know, in this in this instance, you know, but everybody who did remain, as Ms.

Wenrick said, had had been in contact with a number of you know of the social workers with community connections and you know, conference of churches and other service providers over the past three months.

So, you know, there was you know, there was you know plenty of service and opportunity and and resources provided, you know, prior to that day.

Okay, and the last question I have is um was everything swept or were there parts of can you speak to Bethlehem property versus Norfolk Southern property?

Was anyone down there that was able to say you cannot move this or this is Norfolk Southern's land here and this is not your land here?

What did that look like down there?

Well, so in the memo, we described this a little bit.

So Norfolk Southern has about like 18 acres, and that you know encompasses almost all the area that we would traditionally think of as the Hill to Hill Fehey and Minty Trail and the encampment areas along there.

There's about four sorry, yeah, 0.4 acres that's owned by Pendat and 0.08 acres, it's owned by UGI.

Those are very small slivers.

Uh, if you're looking to the west of the Faye Bridge, I think to the west.

Yeah.

And then the city does own about 0.25 acres to the east of the Fahee Bridge, you know, around that center street curve, and it's like the steep sloped wooded area.

So that like those parcels in their entire like totality make up the area that you know has been posted over the past few months.

And that the area that as far as the city property was concerned, it's that I mean there are obviously people that are currently living in different areas that are on public and private property that people are not disturbing, they're not going and finding them and telling them you can't be here.

There is a little sliver, as we said, that was basically up against underneath like the embankment, that there had been a series of issues as far as the physical location was concerned, injuries, access as far as public safety was concerned, and so on and so forth.

So that was a decision that was made by the police department and others that like this little quarter of an acre out of the hundreds and hundreds of public acres that we own is an area by which people could not necessarily live in a in a safe manner.

And I think that that was I think three or four people that had kind of dug themselves into the underneath there on the hill.

And that was and that was problematic.

That people went down to talk to the individuals that were remaining and I think it was last Wednesday or Thursday where there was a conversation between the different individuals, you know, from the community connections and things like that.

But one of the things that has happened through this process is obviously I mean we're dealing with um individuals that oftentimes are transient in nature.

So we try to be as extensive as we can be and talk to people as frequently as we can be um but it is not always simple to be able to stay in touch with everybody if something changes.

So what we try to do is have as many options open as long as we can to help as many different people and if we hear a new piece of information and I'm not going to speak to anybody's personal situation because like I said we've dealt with dozens and dozens of people um but I can say that there are you know if somebody comes to us there's a lot of options from A to Z that we try to connect people with.

But also to be completely frank is like we've also done a lot of work with some individuals and work to get housing and work to do all these things and then at the end of the day for whatever reason which is their right people say that's not something I'm interested I don't want to go there.

I don't want to live here which once again is is their right but we have more than a few of those stories where it is a situation where housing has been established for people.

We have worked with organizations like we're there and was Ms Renwick could tell you this better than I could we're like ready to have people sign a lease and once in a while people just say I don't I it's not something I want to do after all.

So there's there's a bit of frustration there as well for us when we do all this work and by we I'm talking about Miss Wenrick and Miss Berger and Chris and everybody else that really does all this work.

But it is it is ongoing and it's what the community connections program is is all about and we will continue to work through it.

And I want to thank you and everyone that that you work with as well as as Chief Cott.

We have rules on the books that makes makes camping in a public park not legal.

So by default everybody is in kind of this tense situation whether we enforce them or not we we choose to be a little bit more gracious but it is no lie that it's not a function of local government to engage in this work on a daily basis.

You're just not resourced enough to do it.

So I I just can't agree more that this definitely is a regional problem.

They're not just our Bethlehem neighbors they are our neighbors throughout the Lehigh Valley we need more resourcing to do it and it's great that the counties get involved when they can but we just need a whole lot more support in these areas especially if we're going to see communities continue to sweep or private property owners like Norfolk Southern UGI continue to sweep these like it's not a core function of of local governance that's not how it was structured.

It really is regional support that we need.

So thank you for trying your hardest to get the the work accomplished um but we just with a lot of other things we just need a lot more resourcing in this area.

Thank you.

Anyone else on this topic Councilwoman Laird just briefly um thank you to our city staff but also to the community members who showed up on the 15th and other days to help people in need.

It is something that I think a lot more people than are realized are experienced in terms of having lived experience at you know being unsheltered.

We can't ever assume that people don't understand that.

But I you know I I am sad for the people who were still there and needed to be moved I am glad for the people who were able to connect to resources and and hope that they will have continued success um getting more stable as things develop.

Um when we talk about regional solutions, I as a council in a legislative position, are there things that you can think of that we can or should be doing to help advocate for those res regional solutions from a legislative perspective.

I would I would start by and Mr.

Tulo's here, who's part of the Lehigh Valley crab, who could also talk about all the great work that they are doing in that space.

And I think as always, the people that are doing that work that could talk about the regional solutions and so on and so forth.

I'm just gonna speak for myself and the conversations that we've had internally, is that you know, and I was talking to Mayor Tark about this the other day is you know, Easton Allentown and Bethlehem are about five percent of the total like acreage of like the Lehigh Valley and all 62 municipalities.

Um, but the services, the three cities here are the majority of, and most municipalities don't put any money in.

And quite honestly, there's this no knows no bounds.

So, as far as like what should we be doing, and this is not a conversation I haven't had with either of the two incoming county executives, is like Northampton County and Lehigh County should come together and be like, how do we bring together people from all 62 municipalities to work on this going forward in a combination of like finding places for people to live as far as contributions are concerned, understanding housing supply, like we need a regional direction as far as housing is concerned.

And so then once again, just because you asked the question, like the type of things that I think like cities should be weighing in on is the idea that like we should be pushing the counties to take more leadership on this.

Now, the politics for them are different than it is for us, and like they don't need to say that.

We just know from the lack of action in some of these in in some of these areas over the previous decades to us, and I give all of the different people credit the volunteers, everybody that's like this is not okay for this to exist in the city of Bethlehem.

And a lot of places people think it's okay, and they're just like, we don't want to have to deal with it and we don't want to have to look at it, and people are guilty of something.

And if we don't change as a culture thinking about these issues that way, so not to come back with a question, but like, how do we make people care more about people and think about systemic injustice and the fact that it's their responsibility and the fact that we have zoning codes in our suburbs and so on and so forth that essentially ban low-income housing and things like that, like until we tackle all of those issues as a culture and as a region, like we are going to continue to be in this same space when we continue to, and this obviously, as we say with you, not at you because I know that this is something that you feel very, very strongly about as well.

But there's got to be more county county leadership.

Like the only good side of the fact that that there's not more leadership on a regional level with these other municipalities is that it allows us to access more money from the state and federal government because people trust us in the work that we're doing.

And we have more resources to do this work than anybody else does because we have more people that know what they're doing and able to access those dollars and things like that.

But it's not sustainable and it will continue until we as a culture change the way we look at it.

So however we think is the best way necessarily to put the political pressure, and Mr.

Tulo and Ms.

Collins could tell you about what's going on on the federal level and how they're necessarily trying to define how you can utilize dollars for people that are unsheltered or not, and all of the different things that are moving away from what all the best research is and the best practices, like it is a it is a problem that is bigger than this room.

Um, but what we can do on a personal level is continue to hear the stories, continue to adjust our systems and continue to offer the services when when we have when we have the ability to do so.

Thanks.

Um, only other question is uh not about the people involved.

Um, in the the memo that you sent, I uh it said that Norfolk Southern plans to do some clearing in the areas to make it less likely that um people will set up camp in the future.

Are they in conversation with our city forester about that to try to be as uh environmentally sensitive as they can as they go in there?

I know like there's kudzu and stuff in there, which sure take it away if you can, but uh, you know, in terms of trees and and what might be lost in what is a pretty natural area.

I think the short answer is that you because they're not street trees, like they're not really within the the purview of what we have the jurisdiction to um require or weigh in on a city uh forester perspective.

So, like because there are trees that are like within their private property, um, you know, to my knowledge, there's not any there's there's there's not anything that they are proposing to do that we would have any ability to tell them that they they cannot do, like it's within their right to to cut down some trees within that area.

Um, you know, to my knowledge, there's not any there's there's there's not anything that they are proposing to do that we would have any ability to tell them that they they cannot do, like it's within the right to to cut down some trees within that area.

With that, with that being said, there's a number of trees that are already down that have been cut down that were cut down by residents that have fallen down that removed.

And I do believe that from a practical point of view, they're going to attempt to use those first um to be able to, and and also I will be I'll be clear about this is like they had and they have said this publicly and so and so forth, is like for them, like they look at the area as far as the ability for there to be a consolidation of people living in this area.

They have not told us that they plan to to go anywhere else other than the areas that have been posted.

They obviously own a lot of property in a lot of different places.

Like for them, they I believe from what they have said is they look at public health, they look at liability and all these type of things and so on and so forth, which is why they want to stop people from coming back to this particular location.

But I do believe they're going to attempt to use first to accomplish whatever they want to do on their own property.

Trees that are already down that have fallen down that have been cut down.

A number of trees had been cut down over the past couple of years in this area.

So I think there is a hope that that would be what would be used first before they do whatever else they choose to do with their own private property.

And it's not your understanding that they would be looking at like clear cutting it.

Uh, I'm just thinking about the waterway at the bottom of the hill and you know, what could be significant issues with rain and erosion and all of that.

Like those are things, those are things that our city and it starts to get into that situation, yes, where their property abuts what is the public waterway and things like that.

But those are things that we are also engaged with them on as far as our public works guys and things like that um that are trying to also like interact with them as far as what they plan to do, um, as it would affect necessarily the canal and the river and everything else.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Anyone else on this topic?

Councilwoman.

Yeah, I just was wondering the um 31 who relocated to an alternate outdoor site.

Any idea where they have relocated to?

And I'm assuming they just were not agreeable to any other options, right?

That's that's correct.

Um, I think it's a variety of of places.

Um Burnside is one area um where there's already some existing uh folks that were living there.

Okay.

So some were staying in the city and some were leaving the city, I assume.

And some and some people also, you know, we and they also necessarily and we don't they don't want to say where they're going.

They're just saying I'm going somewhere else.

So we don't necessarily push as far as where that is, but it is it is fair to say some are in the city, but also some are outside of the city.

Okay.

And I was just wondering also with the city property, when is like the deadline or what are you looking at?

I know we talked that there was some general ideas on when those folks will have to leave the ones that are down by the city property by um more the Faye Bridge, right?

So so that happened on on Monday, and then Mincy Trail is the leftover area that will be Thursday or Friday.

Okay, so Mince Trail is the only area.

Okay, got you.

Thank you.

Anyone else on this topic?

I'll just conclude with just no questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Quenrick.

Uh Ms.

Collins, Mr.

Reynolds.

I just asked as we move into 2026, keep us updated as we talk about the counties.

Tonight's not the first time we talked about it.

If there's any new developments that um are happening, I know each county has a new county executive taking office.

Some have already publicly stated certain important agenda items as it relates to housing.

So if there are any major updates um as the city works with the counties and our other regional partners that hopefully come to the table, um, just keep council updated on progress that we might be seeing.

And and we absolutely will do that.

I would very much encourage all of you as elected officials as well.

And I think that, you know, if something comes up by which it's necessarily giving the city more resources, like that's not a bad thing.

That's a good thing.

The best thing though is to take ownership that like this problem is not just going to be one that's like we're gonna give money to Allentown Bethlehem and Easton to try to solve this.

Like we need to utilize land that's outside of the three cities.

That's 95% of the land in the Lehigh Valley.

And I just, I'm sorry, Mr.

Clone, I just want to make sure I say that one more time.

Is that like there's 95% of the land of the Lehigh Valley right now that is doing nothing to be able to help with this problem?

And I'm not gonna call out any other municipalities at this meeting.

I think it's been reported that there's been attempts to develop certain projects.

I just called out 59 of them.

So well, I won't call any out by name, but there's been reported projects that have been attempts to get off the ground, funding secured, then there's been um I'll say local legislative obstacles, and really again, it's changing perception sometimes.

But I um not too long ago came across someone in my personal life who a municipality was exploring doing a project and then they shared some of the well you know if that's if that we're talking about something that was like two miles from this person's house that that made it seem like somehow you know their house wouldn't be put up for sale if two miles away other people are given an opportunity for for decent housing.

So some of those challenges will remain as a as it relates to um perception in certain municipalities that historically may have pushed back or have restrictive zoning um I'm no zoning expert as why I trust Ms.

Collins and those who do it at City Hall but a lot of the literature out there speaks to at the end of the day and we've had these conversations in a broader sense about opening doors and things like that that zoning is what dictates what you can do with land.

And some of these municipalities have more restrictive zoning that they need to be a little more compromising on as it relates to using some of that land for some of these projects.

So hopefully as these conversations as I always use my light switch example it's not like you hit a switch and the problem's gone you hit a switch the problems back.

These are things that are were with us yesterday are with us today are going to be here tomorrow.

And um you know I appreciate the work everyone's doing with with this particular what's going on now in the news but as we move into the future is something that we still need to keep giving attention to so thank you.

I'll continue on with new business as we typically do any other new business for members of council council yeah so uh Mr.

Buskell are you behind the podium okay um in terms of the uh public comment question about the lead uh potential in pipes we've talked about this before that um you know it's right now the letters that were sent out are standard uh beyond just our city and are identifying the intent to discover where there's lead uh but that we also take precautions with anti corro or with uh anti-corrosive additives etc to keep lead out of the water even if it's in the pipes so I do understand that um however if there are people who have significant health concerns um beyond what every reasonable person would have about lead in the water um health issues is there a way that they can is there somebody they can contact in the water department to try to investigate their area or specific address in a more expedited fashion yes we all always offer specific lead testing for any customer who asks okay can come out and do a lead test on their water in their home okay and that was included in the letter that was sent out to everybody got it I forgot about that we will offer and just keep in mind that lead levels like you said our lead levels in this city are very low like close to zero.

So just to reassure everybody that because of the corrosion inhibitors um you know our lead levels are very low in the city in the city drinking water.

Got it but if someone does have a special concern they can contact yes okay uh wonderful um and I think that was it for you thank you um for our solicitor um the question about having public comment via YouTube I was under the impression that we actually can't have like public participation in that way correct like even if one of uh council member is on go to meeting we don't count towards quorum even though we can vote are we allowed to take public comment on record in a virtual and what could be anonymous forum there is no procedure for that under the sunshine law there's meaning there's no yes or no on it meaning public comment is designed to be at a meeting um and there are no established procedures to enable public comment in a uh a remote capacity okay um and then to our clerk I'm correct if somebody contacts the clerk's office with a question in advance it could you know you always do send that out to all of us right and then we could if they would like it addressed on record we could always bring it up in new business then um okay just to make sure that people know their their options um and hopefully the person who asked that uh is watching remotely now um okay um and then um mr evans um just to confirm i i know that um we had emailed and i believe mr willer

Um, just to make sure that people know their options.

Um, and hopefully the person who asked that uh is watching remotely now.

Um okay.

Um and then um Mr.

Evans.

Um, just to confirm, I I know that um we had emailed, and I believe Mr.

Wilweber left again.

Um, but will it be possible to update the um narrative goals in the PDF version of whatever the finalized budget ends up being to more accurately reflect the technology goals within the water bureau uh as it pertains to customer billing and um consumer monitoring?

Yeah, yeah, we have that set after the final vote is completed to take care of that.

Okay, thank you for confirming.

That's it.

And I'll just to your point, councilwoman.

Uh and I know I stated this before, but just to remind everyone here and watching at home.

I always say council doesn't only work the two Tuesdays a month that we're here.

Uh all of our emails are posted on the city website.

Mr.

Miller and the city clerk's contact information is there, and Mr.

Miller is um, I give him credit for his responsiveness, but and communicating things out to us.

And now I know it's my time as president, things that I can't handle.

I oftentimes kind of farm them back out to Mr.

Miller to take care of for me.

Uh and I appreciate his efforts with that.

So um anyone could reach out at any time.

Uh I forgot one.

Yeah, good, councilwoman.

I just uh wanted to give thanks to uh councilwoman Cram C.

Smith and Wilhelm at what will likely be your your last meeting up here with us.

Uh so uh, you know, we have debated and disagreed, but I know that you've both shown up with the best of intentions for the community and appreciate all of your work.

So thank you.

And I'll just restate that there will be opportunity for those comments at our problem.

It's all right.

But we we will have uh you say what you want.

Everyone still gets the floor tonight, so feel free to share what you want, but I don't want you to have to um give away your best lines tonight if you want to save them for January 5th.

Uh any other new business, Councilman Kramsey Smith.

Um regarding the water app, I know uh Mr.

Buffscola, we had emailed about it and what they're doing in Hazleton.

And um, the bottom line is we have to have an app that's compatible with our meter.

And um looking into it, there is an app that is compatible with our census meters.

Um, some places are using it like a polka, um, Florida's using it.

And so I'm just wondering, I know we want to get an electronic system where we can do the the billing and the payment electronically, but if there's already an app with the census meter, can we look into look through the meter company, what the app is, and then get the information out to customers with that meter that they can sign up and use the app if they would like to, because it seems like that's what they're doing in other cities around the country.

As they get the meter, they're able to say sign up for the app.

Does that make sense?

There are multiple um platforms, apps, technologies out there that are some are compatible with census, some are not.

We are in the process of vetting some of those different technologies.

Um there are two, we're gonna we're trying to do two things at once here.

One one is the uh concept that the the frequent speaker also uh uh frequently talks about is about monitoring their consumption, right?

That's one thing that we want to offer citizens the opportunity to do, which the city does right now.

I need to remind people that the city does monitor everyone's water usage, and we let them know if we're getting high alarms.

So that does happen right now.

But the other thing, and that's even more important, I think.

And the more feedback we get is on the bill pay options.

We we need to expand our bill bill pay platform to allow paperless billing, automatic pay, automatic deductions, debit ACH payments.

We get a lot more feedback from customers looking for those conveniences versus people who wanting to monitor their consumption.

So we're looking for an app or or or pairs of apps to allow us to do those two things, and we're not gonna roll something out that's gonna just gonna be just for the sake of speed that's gonna end up being too clunky or too or not user-friendly for the for the consumer.

And we're not going to roll something out that's gonna just gonna be just for the sake of speed that's gonna end up being too clunky or too or not user friendly for the for the consumer.

So I would just encourage a little patience with this as we move forward with this platform.

Because we again we have to work with our existing utility billing system.

We have an IT infrastructure, a billing infrastructure that we need to work with as we try and tailor or or uh you know uh load a new application or new technology to give customers that that flexibility.

So okay, I understand.

Um when do you anticipate this being done?

I I don't have a timeline.

It's it's um, you know, the goal is can be as early as next year or maybe as late as 2027.

I think that's that's a reasonable goal um to get this type of platform out to the public.

Because like I said, there's a lot of movement parts behind the scenes that we have to deal with in terms of contract or IT department, you know, various um um you know technologies that we have to make sure that this thing or these this new system runs as seamless as possible and is user friendly for the customer.

Okay, so bottom line is you're actively pursuing okay.

All right, thank you.

Um the other issue I have is, and I'm not sure, I guess this would be for the mayor and Mr.

Evans is um as Mr.

Jimenez brought up, you know, we we certainly know there's an issue with the fire department, but one of the issues is the lack of an officer at the Northwest station, which is very busy.

Is there a way that we can look at giving overtime to officers so that there is always an officer at that station?

So, and I think Chief here as well, chief chief could also talk about this, but uh, I mean, this goes back to I believe that it is a situation, and Chief, maybe if you want to go to the microphone here to help me to remember this, I believe it's a situation that if we don't have any officers that are out as far as sick vacation and so on and so forth, there would be an officer at that station, correct?

Uh in an ideal situation, yeah, that's correct.

Yeah.

So, in an ideal situation, if there was nobody out or and so on and so forth.

Then also like this year was a situation.

Can I just say how often does it happen that there is an officer there or isn't an officer there?

Like, do you have any idea?

Can you tell?

So it's generally that somebody is not there because generally somebody is on vacation or out sick or whatever it might be, and so on and so forth.

But I would say from the overtime point of view, one of the things that we did back in as far as back to when music fest existed, was that the chief asked whether or not because of the 10-day festival, it was a situation where he asked whether or not it was a situation that he would be able to pay overtime for someone to be out there during music fest because of the million people and so on and so forth.

And the answer, as I have said previously in these meetings, is the answer was yes, that can happen.

So the chief has the ability to be able to say yes or no.

Now, obviously, if you extrapolate overtime based on having somebody out there at all times throughout the whole year, like that would be a substantial number to be able to add to what our current overtime budget is.

But the chief has the ability, as he does just like Chief Cott does, to be able to make those type of calls if there is a current situation going on by which he says like this is something that we need to do as far as safety is concerned.

That's not something that he checks with us on.

It's just like whether or not there's a fire and we need more firefighters.

Those are decisions that he that he would make.

Okay.

I guess my concern is um, and again, I'm not an expert, but it sounds like from MF and NFPA and everywhere that you're really or to have a minimum of two, three, four firefighters, depending on the size of the city, and an officer at every station.

And right now we do not have an officer at every station, notably the station that is is pretty busy.

So I'm just trying to figure out can't we try to fix that situation at least.

I mean, we've said during the budget hearing, you know, Mr.

Evans said he finds money for overtime.

You know, we we've had the fine money, we've had to find over a million dollars.

Right now we have 500,000 earmarked for overtime for police, but we're gonna need at least a million.

So if we're able to find that money somewhere, why cannot we find money for overtime for an officer to make sure that we truly are safe and have an officer at every station in the city?

So and I believe, Chief, you correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe that this has been the situation out there though for 20 years or so.

At least, yes, it's it's been an issue for at least that long.

Yeah.

So this is not a new situation that's just come up in the last couple of months.

What has changed though is and I believe and once again I don't want to speak for the IFF or anything like that is that we do have a number of new firefighters.

We have because we were so aggressive, because we sent the two classes, because we moved mountains to be able to hire more people over the past two years, we have more new officers.

So it is something that and I'm not passing any judgment on this is like where people look at that situation potentially differently going forward.

But it has been going on for 20 years.

And the the the money though that is moved for overtime has basically been like a one for one from salaries for people that retire in the middle of the year that we don't fill.

So if person A retires, well then that creates a new need for overtime and then we're able to take what the balance of that person's salary is till the end of the year and move it over.

So we don't necessarily Mr.

Evans can correct me if I'm wrong we don't necessarily go into other places and say oh police says this or this says this or this is this and move it over.

It has been salaries that have not been paid out for salaried positions because of somebody retiring in the middle of the year which we have used to make up and I believe in 2024 we finished at about 1.2 million overtime and I believe in 2025 we are going to finish at about a million dollars I believe it is and we have predicted that number will continue to decrease as we are able to fill more of the position since we're sending two classes out.

So just a little context as far as the the money is concerned.

Okay.

And again I don't want to be the dead horse I mean obviously we're not going to agree on this.

I feel public safety has to be a priority and for some reason um I feel like it's not okay.

But when you talk about we've hired more firefighters which is great but then the flip side is we have I believe a significant number of new firefighters or firefighters with maybe less than five years experience would that be correct a significant number of firefighters with maybe less than five years experience.

Yes we've we've hired uh 32 firefighters over the last three years and placed them all through uh various academies so 32 personnel with approximately three years or so experience okay thank you so that being the case in my mind I would think it would be even more imperative that we have an officer at a station because we have firefighters that have less experience they need someone to supervise and guide them and um what's my other point oh the overtime and coming from salaries the other issue is we have what like 31 that can retire now.

So the chances are likely that we're going to have more salary money in the next year from retirements.

And so then if people do deter decide to retire and sometimes people retire right when they hit the the number sometimes they do not but it really is a situation where if people don't retire then we don't need the overtime if they do retire then we need the overtime and there's that money in there.

But it is part of the reason why over the past two years we have helped to be able to create a couple hundred thousand dollars more and I would say the most work goes to Chief Griffin who has been able to get the people out there.

So rather than having to wait a full year to be able to get more people there we have worked very hard as an administration for the first time to create two classes to be able to hire new people to be able to fill these positions as quickly as we humanly can with the idea and it may continue just like as Mr.

Bar and Mr Griffin have talked about before 25 years ago they were also in a similar situation where we were hiring 30 40 50 people over three or four or five years.

It is a bit of the cycle that we're in but it is on the downgrade as far as being able to fill the positions.

Wow I may be incorrect but I believe that this is probably one of the lowest um times we've had in staffing I mean we're looking at 50 years ago and we have more staffing 50 years ago than we have now.

I understand we're hiring more but I think the problem is we got into this hole because we never kept up with hiring after retirement.

So again I I think I would just request as a council member tonight and as a citizen in a month from now that we do everything we can to staff that Northwest station with an officer.

Thank you council um the only the other question I had I'm not sure who's a liaison for the parking authority thank you Chief Griffin.

Thank you.

But I've had um someone reach out to me that the elevator is the elevators were not working they were um they were closed are they are they still at Walnut Street?

The Walnut Street Garage the union that was working on the Walnut Street garage elevator unfortunately did not come now it's open.

So it was basically not open for about two days.

But the union that was working on the elevator basically didn't do what they needed to do.

So then we had to have the State Department of labor and industry come in twice.

And the first time they came in there were several things that I quite frankly was shocked weren't done as far as the elevator was concerned as far as the union that was working on it.

Um, but then Department of Labor Industry came back in to be able to be able to um basically inspect it.

So then the elevator was not open for a few days, but now all five floors are open, the elevators working.

Okay.

Because I I had a call from someone whose son um has to use a wheelchair, and they said they couldn't access downtown because um the bottom floor had mostly uh spots for electric vehicles, and then they had to go the top floor, second floor, third, and they couldn't use the elevator.

So I was I share the anger at the fact that they had not gotten the job done, as did Mr.

Fernstrom.

Uh and he's handling that as far as the contractor is concerned.

Okay.

Um, the only other thing I have is I just wanted to bring up something regarding again um the firefighter and the budget amendments.

Um, I just feel that it's it's important that I clarify that my entire purpose of my budget amendments, the six that I submitted was to assure that the safety of our residents and community were met.

And that was it, period.

However, our director of DCED um still forwarded an email of nonprofits insinuating I was trying to jeopardize a community recovery fund.

When in fact, I was the one that amended the ARPA COVID budget to double that money um in the fund.

And the fund was currently at 1.6 million.

I was proposing taking 70,000 plus from that fund and reimbursing it once we receive we save money on overtime retirements and possibly the safer grant.

So I have to state publicly, this was not only a false attack on me, but more importantly, it was disturbing and a disservice to our nonprofits who are already stressed with dealing with budgetary challenges.

And many of them reached out to me after the fact and and were um upset once they realized the entire story that we I was amending the budget because um of an inadequate level of fire fighters in a in the fire department.

Also, the director of mayor initiatives also wrote a memo opposing my budget amendments to fellow council members, um, which is fine.

However, they accused me of threats to in a department as well as personally attacked me.

And I will note that if I did the same to a county commissioner or school board member in my employee in county government and school district, I likely would have been fired, very likely.

But in our great city, these disparishing actions of lies and attacks are allowed by administrative staff.

Many people also commented to me and others about what they felt was a lack of decorum and negative manner mannerisms among some council members during our budget hearing.

And this is truly disheartening and a disservice to our community.

So that's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Any other new business from members of council?

Councilwoman?

Yes, I wanted to address Mr.

Michel to let you know that I am the liaison to the parking authority, and I would be very happy to chat with you after the meeting and review your map, make sure I understand the situation so I can convey it to the director.

Okay, I'll find you.

Any other new business members of council?

Councilwoman.

I just wanted to uh say that we uh I was glad to be able to uh attend uh the menorah lighting last night in uh payroll plaza.

It was very very cold out, as everybody knows.

Um, but we were able to um to shed a little light, hopefully, in this dark season.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any other new business?

I'm gonna move on.

Communications, Mr.

Miller.

December 5th, 2025 memorandum from Solicitor John F.

Spurk Jr.

with an attached use permit agreement resolution.

Permittee is Arts Quest, and the event is the 2025 Peeps Fest with fireworks.

Events will be held from 3 to 6 p.m.

on December 30th and 3 to 6 p.m.

on December 31st.

Fireworks will be at 5:30 on both December 30th and 31st.

Premises will include first street from Polk Street to the Eastern Terminus, Founders Way between first and second streets and Sand Island East for fireworks only.

Resolution 10A is on the agenda tonight.

6B.

The December 5th, 2025 memorandum from solicitor John F.

Spurk Jr.

with an attached use permit agreement and a resolution.

Permittee is touched on theater, and the request is for the use of Parham Park throughout 2026 for activities including theater and creative arts events, productions, performances, rehearsals, lectures, workshops, and related activities.

Resolution 10B is on the agenda.

6C.

December 8th, 2025 memorandum and proposed resolution from Edward Boscola, Director of Water and Sewer Resources.

Mr.

Boscuola recommends an agreement with KO Fulford Associates Incorporated Mass to operate and manage the East Allen Township drinking water well systems.

It costs 32,900 a year.

Two additional yearly renewal options are offered at the same annual price.

And resolution 10 C is on the agenda.

Reports.

Only thing I have to report is as we conclude 2025.

Thank everybody for everyone's efforts this year.

As I said, we're going to have more to say next year, but I just wish everybody a safe and happy holiday season.

And as we get ready to welcome new council in a couple weeks.

Mr.

Mayor.

Yeah, I have a couple of uh reports.

First, though, I'm gonna uh turn to uh uh Mr.

Tulo actually to uh just talk a little bit about Western Gateway, the project that we have uh that we're working up there on uh uh wine.

On um, just uh it's uh more good news on that.

I know we've talked a lot about housing, um, but I really think that this is an opportunity just to shed a little light on like the important work that our experienced staff is doing.

Good evening.

Uh, thanks for uh letting me share this update.

Um, for most of you are aware that we have been working as the city uh and then with community action development Bethlehem and Cathedral Church in the Nativity, uh, as well as Lehigh University.

Uh, Cathedral has those two properties on Third Street that are right adjacent um to the church itself that have been in serious disrepair and they have committed to rehabbing them into affordable housing.

So and uh making running them affordably as a congregation for 20 years with new Bethany, then managing the properties.

So we have been working um with the church, making grant um and various applications on their behalf.

Earlier this year, we were awarded $300,000 from um FAIR through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Uh and yesterday, PADCD announced that community actions uh tax credit application for a special uh priority project for 180,000 was uh funded.

So that makes the project fully funded.

So they're going to be moving forward with the uh hiring of an architect to do the final design and engineering.

So we're very excited with that news and uh grateful for council support and all of our nonprofit partners' support on that project.

Yeah, and I just wanted to, and thank you, Ms.

Satulo.

I just wanted to.

This is really a partnership, though, that is between the city, between two nonprofits and a church.

And that's a little bit unique, but it also is quite the roadmap going forward as far as like how these projects necessarily get done.

And I believe also there's there's some bank funding there as well.

Yes, the 180,000, those are commitments from local banks.

They will receive a tax credit for their contribution and commitment.

And then that money goes on instead of the state collecting it, it is sent to community action to then fund the project.

And just to kind of bring it full circle, like that's not like we send a snail man letter to a bank and be like, hey, do you want to put money in?

Like you bring them out, you show them the project, you sit down, you have a conversation with them, you talk about how these different parts are going to work together, but then they also look where they could spend this money and anything else and still get these tax credits on like where are people doing successful projects?

So the fact that you support all of these different projects that in the city, as far as our housing is concerned, is what allows organizations like these banks who do their research to be like this is a city that knows what it's doing, that cares, that supports this work.

And that confidence then just it feeds on itself.

So every time we get one of these, as we have said before, but I think it's important because it really is the grind.

And Ms.

Collins and Mr.

Tulo and everybody around here sit down, and this is the work they do on a day-in-a-day-out basis as far as setting up these relationships.

So the bank then, when has it has the ability to be able to make this determination will say yes to this?

Um, but we wouldn't be there if we were not a community where people cared about this and showed up and supported these type of projects.

So we are very helpful.

Not both this will both be one that people will be able to see.

It is in a very prominent location.

Um, but it also, as we said, it really is just showing what is possible as far as nonprofits, churches, city, everybody coming together.

But I also I want to just thank all of you for all the work because if not for your work, these different funders would not have the confidence.

And now people are going to be helped, which is the goal.

So thank you.

And sorry, that just reminded me.

This was really kind of an 18-month process.

We started working out with the uh working with the FDIC um about 18 months ago, and then uh last October, we did a banking tour for a community reinvestment act for opportunities for projects that banks could receive both CRA credit or um in PADCD helped us highlight their tax credit program.

So we did offer a tour of the cathedral properties as part of that event.

And then we had follow-up presentations throughout the winter in partnership with community action, both to our local lawmakers who are very supportive, both Senator Bascola and uh Rev Samuelson were both very supportive of this application.

Um you need that sort of backing um to get an SPP approved.

Um and uh so we're also grateful for their support.

So just want to thank them.

Absolutely.

Definite big thank you to Senator Busco and Representative Samelson.

And then also, I mean, it is at the point where the you know, Pennsylvania Department of Community Academy Development uh looks at us as a trusted partner, and they often ask us for our advice as far as other communities and things like that.

So we've certainly come a long way.

We have a long way to go.

As we were talking before with Miss Laird, it really is about changing the culture around a lot of these.

Um, but you know, we are we are finding a way to be able to deliver these projects, and I just want to thank all of you for that.

So thank you, Ms.

Satella.

Um, and then the only other update I have is just a little bit of a different parking update, is obviously the Walnut Street Garage is now open.

Um, if you remember back to our conversations uh about you know almost two years ago now, February of 2024, I guess it was when we were talking um about you know, these weekends really are our biggest demand weekends downtown.

Um so the weekends between Black Friday and um uh the you know Christmas are the ones when we get the most amount of people coming down.

Um, and over the past couple of weekends, it's been really good.

If you've been downtown, it has just been mobbed with people.

I think all of us run into people that have these stories of coming from different places.

You know, I run into people that have talked about how they come to Bethlehem every year from all sorts of far-flung places during the holiday season.

Um, but on the parking side of it is even though we have been just mobbed with people, there has been no time where between the North Street and the Walling Street Garage, we have not had at least 300, just 325 open spaces, uh, including a very interesting dynamic that I feel very good and proud about.

It's like there was a time when the North Street Garage was full this weekend at almost 800 cars, and there were 300 open spots in the Wall and Street Garage, which is important when it comes to parking policy, because one of the things you often hear is the fact that, like, uh, people are just gonna park wherever they want to park, or you can't change people's behavior and things like that.

And it's probably a myriad of reasons.

Some people parked in the North Street and were like, hey, this isn't that bad.

I'm gonna go back there.

They became comfortable with it.

Some people might not have known that Walnut Street was open, even though we have the signs up now that says like where how many you know open spots are in both garages and things like that.

Um, but also it could be that they want to visit the businesses on Broad Street or Main Street Commons and they realize it's closer and things like that.

But the fact that we have been able to, and Mr.

Fernstrom's putting together as best as he can, because you probably under you probably know we have some free parking downtown during the holidays, which really throws off the data collection because you're not necessarily measuring the same amount of and things like that.

But he's putting together some information.

But the good news is, and you know, we obviously worked very hard to be able to only miss one holiday season.

We got that open in time for um Thanksgiving.

And now over these, and we have one more obviously big weekend to come here.

Um, but as far as the parking capacity between those two garages, like it's very much becoming a parking system based on the behavior of parkers where they're looking at these two garages a little bit interchangeably as far as like I can park in either one of them rather than have a preference.

So, like we'll know more as we dive into the data.

But when Steve texted me over the weekend and said Walnut Street has 300 open spots and North Street Garage has completely full, like that showed me that you know it is a big kind of piece of evidence as far as like you can affect people's parking behavior.

You can affect parking psychology.

It just becomes what are the incentives and how do you do that?

But it's it's a multi-million dollar answer to a question, and that you don't need to overbuild parking supply in one particular spot.

People will move, people will go somewhere else if there is available parking and it's close by.

So I just wanted to give that update.

Um, that is the uh that's the conclusion of my report, Mr.

Clone.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mary Reynolds.

So we're gonna move on to ordinance ordinances for final passage.

Tonight it's all the budget ordinances.

We had all of our budget hearings.

I thank all members of council for the questions and effort that they brought and put into all the budget hearings.

I thank the members of the administration for the I don't even know how many hours we were here over those those few nights.

I missed a meeting.

So I think 20.

Uh Mr.

Miller says 20.

Thank you, Mr.

Miller.

Uh, I'll be the first to call myself out.

I even missed the meeting.

So I I thank Council Vice President Leon for uh presiding over the meeting while I had to attend something at home.

So we're we'll go through the ordinances uh one by one.

Mr.

Miller, Bill 47, 2025.

Adopting the general fund budget for 2026.

Bill number 47 2025 was sponsored by Miss Quietek and Miss Crampsy Smith.

Discussion on the ordinance.

Mr.

Callahan.

Yeah, I'm gonna um you know, after our all of our budget sessions, um, I'm very disappointed in the outcome uh of um this whole situation with the fire department.

Um I find it unbelievable that um the administration and uh and this council could not find uh 31,000 dollars to um fund uh four firefighters for uh the last six months of the year at the minimum.

Um you know, and that and that was despite um several really um good proposals and amendments uh that I think uh uh councilwoman Grace Crampsy Smith put forward.

Uh, but no matter what was put forward, there was uh an answer uh or rationalization of why we couldn't do it, whether it was uh one-time fees or or revenue um or whether it was uh using uh money from um the general fund, which was uh our cash balance.

And I think um I don't have it written down, but I think our controllers um uh response was that that the 331,000 on the cash balance would be very, very minimal uh if we used it.

So I'm gonna be voting no on all the uh budget items tonight.

Um I had reached out to um Mr.

Evans after the um the meeting and just asked if he could get the data uh for me.

I think everybody I had everybody copied on that and uh it was within three dollars of what I um figured out it was gonna be at the meeting.

Um Mr.

Evans came up with uh if we wanted to raise the 331,000 dollars, it would have cost every the average household uh $11.42 cents for the whole year for four firemen.

And uh that $11.42 would have raised $356,000 $998, which is more than what we needed.

And I just hope uh and pray that uh we don't have an emergency this year in the fire department, which we came very, very close to uh a week and a half or two weeks ago over twelve dollars.

Um so I will be voting no on all these items tonight concerning our budget.

I can't in good conscience uh vote to support uh after the mayor um has failed to properly fund um our public safety departments, which I think are the the most important um departments in our city.

So with that being said, uh I'll be voting no on all these items tonight.

Understood.

Any other discussion on eight day?

Councilwoman.

Thank you.

Um I just have to say that since our budget meetings, uh, I've had many, many people reach out to me, and every single one of them have had have said they're really concerned about our lack of uh staffing, and they would be more than willing to do a tax increase or whatever it takes so that we can have a fire department that's adequately staffed.

But um, I also cannot in good conscience vote for a budget that fails to address the public safety crisis of not adequately staffing our fire department.

Uh 331 31,000 is not that large of an amount in a budget of over 100 million dollars.

So I'll be voting no on every budget item.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

I'll just restate because the fire budget is in this um general fund budget for 8A.

That uh I encourage the administration to continue on with the plan and process that was in place as it relates to looking at um a plan for the fire department.

Uh, I know this conversation has had been alluded to and discussed during the budget hearings that started a few months ago and is underway with that RFP.

I encourage you to follow through with that and I look forward to hearing the report and then we could have conversations whether it's during the next budget year or budget season next year about what a plan looks like as it relates to the fire department.

Councilwoman.

Yeah, in regards to um e day, since that is where the fire budget is.

I said at our last meeting um when there is appropriate time to communicate uh tax increase to our community and get feedback on that.

Um I will support a tax increase to fund emergency services as appropriate and I um you know I hope that the administration can keep us updated and the union uh can keep us updated on any progress uh and recommendations that come out of any available data sources um so that we can put together a plan and make sure that we get the full council's uh support, hopefully, to make things better for everybody.

So thanks.

Any further discussion before we call the roll?

Call the roll, Mr.

Miller, Ms.

Queatech, aye, Ms.

Laird, aye, Ms.

Leone, aye, Miss Wilhelm, aye, Mr.

Callahan, nay, Ms.

Cramsey Smith, and Mr.

Cologne.

Aye passes five two eight B.

Ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh, and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, adopting the water fund budget for 2026.

Bill number 48, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Queatech and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on the water fund budget.

Councilwoman.

Um, I want to thank uh councilwoman Laird for um asking for more specific language in the in the budget book regarding a plan for improving the uh technology infrastructure in terms of our user experience in the water fund, and I want to say that I think it's a little disheartening to hear I don't have a timeline, I don't find that an acceptable answer.

I'll be voting for this because of course we need to fund our our water fund.

Um, however, I did want to say that I didn't get a chance to say that earlier.

Um, that um I want to see a timeline.

I want um to see results, and um so I'll be looking forward to uh that oversight in the coming year.

Thank you.

Any further discussion councilman?

I also want to thank Councilwoman Laird for her work on that.

It's really good to see um tech being used.

I did look into that one city that's using tech, and apparently they had astronomical water bills just six months after their upgrades.

So just tech in general, whether it's an app or anything, is very necessary in this next stage as we continue to move forward with more tech gear in our city.

Thank you.

Any other discussion with council?

Mayor, did you want to speak on the water fund budget?

Just in 10 seconds, I would suggest that at some point in the first quarter there could be a committee meeting where we really could kind of like dive into what these issues are, the different moving parts, where it can just be like the one topic that is talked about.

I know the committees it takes a couple weeks to put together, but you know, whether or not you're looking at February or March, just kind of let you know where we are, how timelines work and so on and so forth.

But I think it's all something people want to see, and it's understandable that we want to see it as soon as we can, but I very much would would suggest and if we could do such like request a just committee meeting conversation just on this particular topic to carry over and new members of council that would be the public works committee.

So the next council president will be responsible for committee assignments.

Anyone interested in being part of those discussions would request an assignment to the public works committee of the new council present in the new year.

Any other discussion?

Call the roll, Mr.

Miller, is Quietek aye, Ms.

Laird, aye, Miss Leon, aye, Ms.

Wilhelm, aye, Mr.

Callahan, nay, Ms.

Cramcy Smith, and Mr.

Cologne.

I passes five two eight C in ordinance of the City of Bethlehem Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopting the sewer fund budget for 2026.

Bill number 49, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Quietek and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on the sewer fund called roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Nay.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass five two eight D.

An ordinance of the City of Bethlehem Counties of Lehigh and Northampton.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopting the golf course enterprise fund budget for 2026.

Bill number 50, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Quitech and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on the golf course budget.

Call roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Nay.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

I pass five two.

Eight E.

An ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopting the liquid fuels fund budget for 2026.

Bill number 51, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Quietech and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on liquid fuels budget.

Call roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Ms.

Crampsy Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

I pass five two.

Eight F.

Ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopting the 2026 capital budget for non-utilities.

Bill number 52, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Queatech and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on the capital budget for non-utilities.

Call the role.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass 52.

8G.

Ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Adopting the 2026 Capital Budget for Water Utilities.

Bill number 53, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Quiet and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Any discussion on Water's capital budget.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Nay.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

I pass five two eighth.

Ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopting the 2026 capital budget for sewer utilities.

Bill number 54, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Queertek, Miss Cramsey Smith.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Nay.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Passes 52.

8i.

An ordinance of the city of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopting the community development block grant budget for 2026.

Bill number 55, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Quietek and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Nay.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass five two.

Eight J.

An ordinance of the city of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Adopting the stormwater fund budget for 2026.

Bill number 56, 2025 is sponsored by Ms.

Quietek and Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on stormwater budget.

Call the roll.

Miss Quitec.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Miss Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Nay.

Ms.

Crampsy Smith.

Nay.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass five two.

And last ordinance eight K.

An ordinance of the City of Bethlehem, Counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, fixing the tax rate for all purposes for the year 2026.

Bill number 57, 2025 is sponsored by Miss Queatech and Miss Cramsey Smith.

Discussion on the mill rates.

Well, Ms.

Callahan.

I would just ask it.

Um next year than when we are uh proposing our budget meetings.

Um, that we start a minimum a week earlier.

So that we don't run in this situation where we did this year, where uh amendments are brought up at the last meeting, and then we run into the uh problem with uh the advertising issue of the uh so I don't know.

I don't I think we didn't need we need to talk to the solicitor about that and make sure that if at that last meeting there are um amendments that we are not in violation of um not advertising uh that we have enough time to uh propose them in legally and pass them legally, so I don't know if we have to start two weeks earlier or what, but uh you know I would it's that it's definitely so Mr.

Miller keeps uh a running list of different topics and subjects that council comes across throughout the year, budget season being one of them, the next council president along with the clerks and the administration to try to coordinate that was discussed on the floor.

It was kind of vague because I had to look it up during hand.

We were right up against that advertising window where I looked had to look up the morning call.

We would have, if something would have passed, we would have met it by like today's date.

Um I touched on that during the meeting, but I recognize that uh during the floor.

I had to bring that up.

But that being said, Mr.

Miller will note it in the files for next year.

The next council president uh attorneys they they could uh they could talk about it and then that's something to be discussed next year.

What I just want to make sure that you know we we don't have this situation again.

Thank you.

You want to add anything, attorney steward unbelievable.

Do you know?

You call the role, Mr.

Miller Ms.

Squeate, aye, Ms.

Laird, aye, Miss Leone, aye, Ms.

Wilhelm, aye, Mr.

Callahan, nay, Ms.

Cramsey Smith, and Mr.

Cologne.

I pass five two.

There are no new ordinances tonight, and resolution 10a.

That the mayor and controller andor such other city officials as deemed appropriate by the city solicitor.

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Cramsey Smith and Mr.

Cologne.

Discussion.

Call rule.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

I pass 7010B.

Resolved by the Council of the City of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller and or such other city officials is deemed appropriate by the city solicitor.

Are hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with Touchstone Theater for the 2026 use of Parham Park?

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Cramsey Smith and Mr.

Cologne.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Pass 7010 C.

Resolved by the Council of the City of Bethlehem that the mayor and controller andor such other city officials is deemed appropriate by the city solicitor.

We're hereby authorized to execute an amendment, correction, and agreement with KL Fulford Associates to operate the East Allen Township Well Systems.

The resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Cramcy Smith and Mr.

Cologne.

Discussion.

Call roll.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

Ms.

Leone.

Aye.

Ms.

Wilhelm.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Ms.

Cramsey Smith.

Aye.

And Mr.

Cologne.

I passed 7010.

Certificate of appropriateness under the provisions of the Act of the Pennsylvania legislature.

Bethlehem Resolution is hereby granted for 38 through 44 East Market Street.

Construct a new elevator and tower addition at the rear of the building, the South Facade.

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Cramsey Smith and Mr.

Cologne.

Discussion.

Call the roll.

Oh excuse me.

I apologize, Councilwoman.

Go ahead, Councilman.

Oh, good.

Uh just uh a note that I am uh pleased to see that there's work uh beginning uh uh there might have already been work, but work of this magnitude beginning at this property.

Um, given what happened there with the the sinkhole and everything.

So uh glad to see that moving forward.

Any other discussion?

Call the role, Ms.

Quitec.

Aye, Ms.

Laird, aye, Ms.

Leon, aye, Ms.

Wilhelm, aye, Mr.

Callahan, aye, Ms.

Cramsey Smith, and Mr.

Cologne.

I pass seven zero.

That concludes tonight's agenda.

That wraps up 2025.

Have a safe holiday season, everyone.

This meeting is a joke.