OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bethlehem City Council Meeting - April 21, 2026

Council Meetings — Tuesday, April 21, 2026
BodyBethlehem, Pennsylvania
SessionCouncil Meetings
DateTuesday, April 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:17:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Okay.

0:03

Good evening, everyone.

0:05

I asked that we all rise for the pledge of the flag.

0:10

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

0:14

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

0:27

The clerk will call the role.

0:28

Mr.

0:28

Raymond.

0:29

Present.

0:30

Mr.

0:30

Callahan, present.

0:31

Mr.

0:31

Cologne.

0:32

Present.

0:33

Daniels.

0:33

Present.

0:34

Ms.

0:34

Quyatec.

0:35

Ms.

0:36

Laird.

0:36

Present.

0:37

And Ms.

0:37

Leon.

0:39

Councilman Cleatech will not be with us this evening.

0:43

Moving on to the approval of the minutes.

0:45

Are there any comments on the minutes?

0:50

Minutes stand approved.

0:51

Moving on to public comments.

0:53

Our first public comment period will be on subjects not being voted on with a five minute time limit.

0:58

Our only person signed up today.

1:01

Um is Mr.

1:03

Mark Will Weber.

1:16

Thanks, Mark Will Weber.

1:18

I uh I'm was thinking the other day back to January when uh the new members on the board were sworn in.

1:28

And um I think it was the Reverend Smith who got up and gave a prayer before everybody started and uh said something to the effect of paraphrasing, but he said something to the effect that he hoped that those in office and positions of power would uh act as shepherds uh looking over their flock.

1:52

And I thought at the time it was such a nice sentiment, you know.

1:55

Um my next thought was a little bit more cynical in that uh a lot of times the people in power treat the the people more as a flock to be fleeced than shepherded over.

2:08

But uh that's probably my my uh warped vision of the world.

2:14

And uh, but I thought his comment was uh was uh a hopeful one, you know, something that should be reached for and hopefully attained.

2:25

Uh I bring that up because uh a couple weeks ago I ran into a restaurant worker from the from the Apollo, and uh it was late, it's pretty late at night, 10 o'clock, and I was walking back to my car and she was walking up west broad.

2:42

And I said, Katie, where are you going?

2:44

And she goes, Well, I'm going I'm my shift's over and I'm I'm going up to get my car.

2:50

And I said, where did you park?

2:52

In Allentown?

2:53

She goes, No, no, I goes, I can't afford to park anywhere near where I work because uh uh the parking authorities kicked the fees up so much.

3:02

She said, you know, a few years back I could afford to park in the garage, but now it's I think she said 80 bucks to park in the garage for the month.

3:11

And uh the meters, of course, I think you get what are you getting now for six minutes for a quarter or something?

3:17

But anyway, she said 80% of the people I work with can't afford to park near where we work.

3:24

She said, you know, the the owner can and the manager can, but the the people that that are clearing tables, working in the kitchen and uh waiting on uh customers for dinners, uh, can't afford to park anywhere near where they work.

3:41

And I thought, man, how did we let that happen?

3:46

And um, I overheard one of the council people prior to the meeting saying, Well, you you know, you realize that council has no authority over the parking authority, which I do uh know that to be the case, that you can't really do anything about that.

3:59

But I thought, how did it get to the point where the people that make the downtown actually go?

4:04

You know, we want a vibrant downtown, and the people behind the scenes that are doing you know, the hard work, you know, taking the garbage out, mopping the floor, keeping the bathrooms clean, uh, not to mention cooking and bringing us $15 cocktails, and there's more than they make in an hour.

4:21

Uh and I talked to another person at another place, and she actually lives in Fountain Hill and walks uh like almost a mile and back again.

4:32

The first time I thought, yeah, you know, it's kind of nice out.

4:34

It's probably a good way to clear your head before you go into work, you know, half half mile walk.

4:40

Then I thought, what's it like at uh 10 30 at night when you're walking back up in February and there's northeast wind and it's 20 degrees wind chill and you got your tips in your pocket, and you got to walk back up the second or third avenue because you can't afford the park uh near where you work in the downtown.

5:02

I I find that uh a little uh disheartening.

5:05

Um I hope people on council do as well.

5:08

And I know you can't do anything about it, but I just thought uh I've been thinking about this for a long time, so I wanted to bring it up, and I told some of these uh people that I did talk to that I would.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Pending Litigation████████████████████████24%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Public Engagement█████████████████17%
Public Safety██████████████14%
Parks and Recreation█████████████13%
Cannabis Regulation███████7%
Fiscal Sustainability████4%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Bethlehem City Council Meeting - April 21, 2026

The Bethlehem City Council convened on April 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included public comments on parking affordability and a proposed tax bracket, discussion on a right-to-know officer's alleged misconduct, and unanimous approval of several resolutions regarding fees, contracts, and grant applications.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the previous meeting were approved without comment.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mark Will Weber expressed concern about parking affordability for restaurant workers downtown. He cited a server from the Apollo restaurant who said 80% of her coworkers cannot afford to park near their workplace due to increased parking authority fees (e.g., $80/month for garage parking). Weber noted that council has no authority over the parking authority.
  • Bill Sharer proposed a federal tax bracket change: any income over $1 million should be taxed at 50%. He argued that this would reduce the deficit and that charitable deductions from such income effectively create a matching grant to charities chosen by the donor.
  • Martin Romerill invited the public to the Arbor Day celebration on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM on the plaza outside the Rotunda, and thanked the city for securing extra parking for elderly members of the Bethlehem Garden Club.
  • Bill Sharer, during public comment on ordinances, criticized resolution 10F (grant application for Sand Island, Sauken Park, and Monocasie Park) for lacking detail on planned improvements, calling it a transparency issue.
  • Martin Ramro (26 West Market Street) argued that ordinance 10A on liquor license transfers should require applicants to list all restrictive institutions (churches, schools, nonprofits) within 300 feet, citing a 2004 council discussion and a 2005 case where the PLCB failed to identify such institutions, leading to public disenfranchisement.
  • Stephen Entals criticized the five-minute speaking limit, stating it undermines public input and noting past inconsistency in enforcement.

Discussion Items

  • Right-to-Know Officer Investigation: Councilman Callahan reported that former right-to-know officer Zach Colborgie, hired under Mayor Reynolds, is being charged with selling cocaine and marijuana in City Hall. Callahan expressed concern that Colborgie may have accessed police databases without authorization for purposes unrelated to right-to-know requests. He sent a letter to the Northampton County District Attorney, who declined to investigate due to lack of evidence, but later, after coordination with Lehigh County, the Bethlehem Police Department began an investigation into unauthorized database access. Mayor Reynolds stated he learned of the charges when Colborgie was arrested and terminated the same day. City Solicitor Spurk noted that potential litigation from the employee restricts public discussion. Chief Cott confirmed the police are working with the Northampton County DA on the database access issue. Councilman Callahan criticized the lack of transparency from the administration, calling the incident "irreparable harm to the city." Mayor Reynolds emphasized that investigations are independent and that Colborgie's actions reflect on himself, not the city. Councilman Eyman cautioned against discussing ongoing criminal investigations publicly.
  • State of the City & Parks Plan: Mayor Reynolds reported that the State of the City address had over 400 attendees, highlighting financial progress and public-private collaboration on housing and parks. He noted the parks plan (40-in-10) is moving forward: an RFP is out for Clearview, Bernie Fritz, and Madison parks, and a grant application is being submitted for planning at Sauken Park, Illick's Mill, and Sand Island. Public meetings for the first three parks are scheduled for June and July 2026. Councilwoman Laird announced a Parks & Recreation committee meeting on May 5, 2026, at 5:30 PM to discuss the 40-in-10 plan.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution 10A: Unanimously passed (6-0) to increase the liquor license transfer application fee from $200 to $500 to cover higher legal advertising costs.
  • Resolution 10B: Unanimously passed (6-0) to authorize an agreement with American Fireworks Company for the annual July 4th fireworks show.
  • Resolution 10C: Unanimously passed (6-0) to authorize an agreement with Van Cleef Engineering Associates for rehabilitation of the Penn Forest Debris Basin at a cost of $31,560.
  • Resolution 10D: Unanimously passed (6-0) to execute a deed for 8 Mechanic Street, retaining city ownership with restrictive covenants for recreational use, part of a land swap for greenway improvements.
  • Resolution 10E: Unanimously passed (6-0) to authorize a use permit agreement with ArtsQuest for the 2026 Levitt Pavilion Concert Series, running May 15 to September 12, 2026.
  • Resolution 10F: Unanimously passed (6-0) to authorize a grant application to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for up to $250,000 for planning improvements at Sand Island, Sauken Park, and Monocasie Park.
  • Resolution 10G: Unanimously passed (6-0) to authorize Amendment 1 to the complete streets bike infrastructure contract with Kittelson & Associates, including a study of Stefco Boulevard for $124,936.
  • Resolution 10H: Unanimously passed (6-0) to grant a certificate of appropriateness for 449 Linden Street for fence and gate replacement.
  • Ordinance 8A: Unanimously passed (6-0) amending the liquid fuels fund budget for 2026.
  • Next meeting: May 5, 2026, at 5:30 PM for the Parks & Recreation committee meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Good evening, everyone. I asked that we all rise for the pledge of the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. The clerk will call the role. Mr. Raymond. Present. Mr. Callahan, present. Mr. Cologne. Present. Daniels. Present. Ms. Quyatec. Ms. Laird. Present. And Ms. Leon. Councilman Cleatech will not be with us this evening. Moving on to the approval of the minutes. Are there any comments on the minutes? Minutes stand approved. Moving on to public comments. Our first public comment period will be on subjects not being voted on with a five minute time limit. Our only person signed up today. Um is Mr. Mark Will Weber. Thanks, Mark Will Weber. I uh I'm was thinking the other day back to January when uh the new members on the board were sworn in. And um I think it was the Reverend Smith who got up and gave a prayer before everybody started and uh said something to the effect of paraphrasing, but he said something to the effect that he hoped that those in office and positions of power would uh act as shepherds uh looking over their flock. And I thought at the time it was such a nice sentiment, you know. Um my next thought was a little bit more cynical in that uh a lot of times the people in power treat the the people more as a flock to be fleeced than shepherded over. But uh that's probably my my uh warped vision of the world. And uh, but I thought his comment was uh was uh a hopeful one, you know, something that should be reached for and hopefully attained. Uh I bring that up because uh a couple weeks ago I ran into a restaurant worker from the from the Apollo, and uh it was late, it's pretty late at night, 10 o'clock, and I was walking back to my car and she was walking up west broad. And I said, Katie, where are you going? And she goes, Well, I'm going I'm my shift's over and I'm I'm going up to get my car. And I said, where did you park? In Allentown? She goes, No, no, I goes, I can't afford to park anywhere near where I work because uh uh the parking authorities kicked the fees up so much. She said, you know, a few years back I could afford to park in the garage, but now it's I think she said 80 bucks to park in the garage for the month. And uh the meters, of course, I think you get what are you getting now for six minutes for a quarter or something? But anyway, she said 80% of the people I work with can't afford to park near where we work. She said, you know, the the owner can and the manager can, but the the people that that are clearing tables, working in the kitchen and uh waiting on uh customers for dinners, uh, can't afford to park anywhere near where they work. And I thought, man, how did we let that happen?

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