Mr.

Shah got a hair technique.

Save.

Oh my council to my left, Johnny.

Council to my right.

Y'all ready to go?

All right.

Good evening, everyone.

We're gonna call this meeting to order.

Ask everybody to rise for the fledge of the flag.

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

And to the Republicans, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

We have one citation this evening, honoring Sergeant Roll call.

We should call the roll.

The clerk will call the roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

Present.

Present.

Mr.

Cologne.

Present.

This Queer Tech.

Present.

This Laird.

Present.

And Ms.

Leon.

President.

I love how you guys have my back all the time.

Call the role, Rachel.

Um, we have one citation this evening honoring Sergeant Dwight Schaefer.

I don't believe I see him here today, but we will make sure that he gets this citation.

Um moving on to the approval of the minutes.

Any discussion regarding the minutes for last.

Nope.

Right.

The minutes stand approved.

Uh, we will move on to public comment.

The first public comment is going to be on subjects not being voted on this evening with a five-minute time limit to allow for everyone to speak.

I will start with people who signed up, starting with John Bardino.

John, I'm assuming I'm supposed to be here.

Thank you for having us tonight.

I don't want to get into any kind of a shouting match or get anger or anything like that, but and I hate to be here, and the neighbors hate to be here, but we're not getting any results about a garbage situation at 1953 in Avenue.

Six months without pickup.

They got a pile of stinks out by the road next to the house, a shed that's full of garbage, and between the shed and neighbor's fence has stuff in it.

Now I complained to the enforcement people.

Um, they gave them several warnings.

I don't know why.

And they're they're in violation at least five or six different codes.

The one they should have started with is they don't have a contract, 72-hour notice, and they should have been in violation.

Weeks go by before anything happens.

So finally I called the code officer.

He said they got to give him a second warning.

Called a code officer.

They finally cited him.

I said, okay, what's the citation for?

And where's the magistrate's office?

That's right to know.

I this is not the CIA, it's a simple request.

I was a code officer for 22 years.

Never had that.

You give them the simple information and you do your job.

If you can't do the job, get out of the office.

So anyway, I go to write the no, get online, fill out the form, send it in.

One day later, they say I'm granted.

I can give that information.

They send me to a site, it's not there in the county.

Go back to the origin, which is the code officer.

I go back to the code officer and say, I would like to have the information on a citation and what magistrate.

He didn't give it to me.

He just gave me the magistrate's address.

Okay, I'm jumping through the hoops.

Okay, I'm gonna be legal.

Call the magistrate, they have no idea what I'm talking about.

Can't find a citation or anything, and now I'm supposed to it would help them if I have a docket number or a parcel number.

How do I get that?

Nobody's giving me the information.

They said call back next week.

Call it back next week.

No idea where that citation is.

Has it been issued?

Now we get it in retrospect.

It was it was filed, so that had to be the first one for 200.

Now tonight we get a message, I guess from you or somebody up here, that um there was a $500 fine issued.

Well, that's second offense.

What happened?

I wanted to go to a hearing, so did I.

I wanted to have my opinion brought out in court, being sworn in and give them information.

This should not be going on.

They're in the fourth month of having it in their office.

This should not be going on.

I can't believe it that I spent money on my house.

We keep our properties up and we live next to a garbage dump.

This is not right.

If you can't do the job, get out of the office and get somebody to Ken.

I've never in 22 years seen a process like this.

Never ever.

And anybody we call or text always said, Well, we'll give it the departments responsible.

Well, they're responsible.

They're not doing anything.

Why give it to them?

Somebody's got to take this thing, this bull by the horn.

It's just disgusting.

I'm I'm sorry to be here like this, but I can't live like this.

There's going to be a problem in this neighborhood.

They're doing this for spite, and they keep throwing more garbage every day out there.

And it stinks.

Code officer finally went by a couple of times.

I don't know what happened there.

Glanced over me, wouldn't stop, kept on going.

Neighbors saw them again, kept on going.

No information comes out of this code department to help us out.

If we get some information, maybe it would set our minds at ease or something to be done.

But no, we got to get treated like criminals while the person's doing it gets morning after warning after warning and then parties at night and weekends.

It's annoying, and it's not going to last.

I'm telling you, I'm mad about it, but I'm trying to be civil.

I've been a civil servant for 22 years, and I'm trying to be civil.

I'm trying to follow the law, but this is going to come to a head, and it ain't going to be pretty.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

Uh, the next person I have signed up to speak is Mark Sager.

Hi.

I was born and raised in Bethlehem.

Pop was a steel worker.

Mom worked at Surefit.

I went trucking for 43 years.

Finally got a nice house.

And everybody, neighbors are decent.

We have one person move in.

And God bless them.

They got a nice house, too.

But this, like John said, I can't emphasize that it's right in our backyards.

Mine, John's, Dan's, Larry's, right across the alley is this dump.

And there's there's varnets running around.

I mean, I don't even know what else I could tell you.

Except where sometimes I think I'm a second-class citizen at times.

Pay our taxes on time.

You shovel your snow.

And the great events we have around here.

But after six months, I mean, it's like John said, we're not terrorists.

We're just trying to follow a law.

And we have gotten nothing.

No results.

We're at Wits End.

And it's like John said, it's gonna get ugly.

And I'll leave it at that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Sager.

The next person I have signed up is Daniel Fritzzi, Fritz Easy.

Okay, thank you for the time.

Uh I guess they pretty much covered everything that I needed that you need to hear.

I don't want to get too redundant.

But my whole feeling about this, which I've expressed is we live on Union Boulevard and Eaton Boulevard is the other part of the neighborhood, and the alley's in between that.

And our feeling is maybe we don't have to pay a dump either.

We could just put our stuff out on Union Boulevard.

I bet something would happen in minutes for that.

Anyway, um, we've been getting good correspondence from some of the ladies, Miss Leon in particular.

And uh, you know, I know it's a tough situation.

I just hope you guys can uh resolve it for us because in that neighborhood, we do take care of each other.

Trees fall, we're there to help each other.

We snowplow the streets for everybody, and it's just really sad that this has to happen.

It's just not good.

There's all kinds of bugs flying around there, birds are there every morning, crows.

Nobody wants to see this or go near it.

And uh, if you guys looked at the pictures, it's right in the street.

And there's days when this garbage blows out onto John's lawn and my lawn, and I'm sure Mark's lawn and who else knows what.

And while don't have a hundred percent proof, but I know they're picking the bags up and taking them in the middle of the night and dumping them in other neighbors' yards around the corner from us on Beverly.

I saw two of the bags there, and uh once somebody told the neighbor that, and they said, they're not mine.

They they opened them up and they could see it's the same garbage they have, they don't recycle or anything.

Not that long ago, there was a bag on uh Catusaca that was just thrown out in the street and was blown open.

I can't say it was theirs because I don't have proof, but all the garbage was in that bag is in garbage that's in our backyard.

So, you know, it's only gonna get worse.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Fritzzi.

The next person I have signed up is Mike Vanisi.

Yeah.

Did I butcher that?

Okay.

Good afternoon, council.

Uh, my name's Mike Albanese.

I currently reside, or I'm a property owner at 1930 uh West Union Boulevard.

Uh, I showed up in solidarity with my neighbors tonight just to express our dissatisfaction uh with the property located at 1953 Eaton Ave, uh, just by way of further explanation.

Uh Eaton and Union is pretty much a triangle, and the Genoa Street Alley runs between Eton and Union.

Therefore, all the backyards on Union Boulevard, abut the Genoa Street Alley, and all the backyards on Eaton Ave, also abutt that Genoa Street Alley.

To that end, the house located at 1953 Eaton has a large pile of garbage.

Uh that is leaking into the Genoa Street Alley.

It's at least 15, 20 bags.

It includes uh furniture, uh, open bottles of liquor.

Uh, as you previously heard, that trash pile's been there for at least six months.

Uh, for my personal information, I believe it's been there since at least February 20th, and that's also uh February 20th of 2026.

That's also when communications at least communications with the city started on that date.

Uh, you heard from everybody else.

We are still waiting for some sort of resolution to that end.

I I've spoken with my neighbors about what direction they want to go in and what direction we want to go in.

You know, with exposed trash, there's kids in the neighborhood that run around that trash.

There's also critters, uh, be it fox, groundhogs, hawks, digging at that trash, exposing that trash.

So then we get squirrels and mice, which will lead to rats uh that spread such nice uh diseases as bubonic plague, huntavirus, rat bite fever, and lepertosis.

Um basically, if my dog smells rat urine, it might get lepertosis, and a lot of us are pet owners and we walk our animals in that alley.

Uh so I gotta figure out you know how to figure out how to diagnose my dog with lepertosis and then maybe take it from there.

Uh I did reach out to the City of Bethlehem Recycling Center.

I did quickly send an email.

There, I have not seen any action uh since I sent that email.

So I'm just up here reinstating my complaints.

Uh, like all my neighbors said, it's a lovely neighborhood, it's a quiet neighborhood.

There's families, there's kids.

We do all try and take care of each other.

Uh unfortunately at 1953, Eaton, there's just a giant pile of trash, and it is uh discouraging, disgusting, off putting.

Nobody wants to sit back there and and look at this disgusting trash.

So uh showed up tonight just to implore city council or implore the mayor just to take some sort of action, uh, some sort of demonstrable action that you know we can mark and follow uh as citizens of that neighborhood.

Uh that's all I have to say on that statement.

My spouse, uh Jacqueline is here as well.

Uh, I'm speaking for her.

If you'd like to come up, all right.

Thank you for your time, counsel.

Uh, and have a good evening.

Thank you so much, Mike.

The next person I have signed up to speak is Mark.

I am so sorry.

Your last your last name begins with an O.

O.

Z.

I ozanek.

Thank you so much.

Good evening, counsel.

It doesn't bring me any pleasure to be here.

Uh, on a quick note to you guys in the trash.

Go through the health department, bypass zoning, go for health, health and welfare.

Go after them.

They'll they'll they'll probably start going after them or won't do it.

You know, just a thought.

Anyway, I'm here concerning the Bethlehem Police Department and the Steel City Gun Club.

To my knowledge, the gun club made arrangements for the Bethlehem City Police Department to use it and take care of it and do what they needed to do down there.

And they go down and they practice, and that's fine.

I got nothing against practice, but I do have a problem with it.

On I believe it was the 30th of April.

My phone's over there.

Um, I ended up calling Northampton County uh dispatch about 20 to 10.

I found out that my neighbor also called, and she's a young girl with young children, and she called, and she called her mom, who was out of town crying on the phone.

Because when they went down there, and I don't know who it was, I don't know if it was Bethlehem or Bethlehem had entertained somebody else down there.

But it happened two nights in a row.

The first night.

I should have to I should have got some notes for me.

Anyway, for 23 years, I lived in my house in Reddington Road, which is about a half a mile from the gun club.

Usually September, October, they start doing their nighttime practice.

And that's fine.

Used to stop at nine o'clock.

And I'll bet you there's a dozen kids in the neighborhood that got to go to bed eight, nine o'clock, so they can get up for school the next morning, all elementary school mostly.

So you got to think of them.

And what happened the other night was just astounding.

If they ever tell you that there's a shortage of bullets, don't believe them because there's not.

When they were down there, and this went on after 10 o'clock.

I I called, and then shortly after I called, it was close to 10 o'clock.

I called Northampton County, and the girl said she wasn't happy about the phone call, but she said she would let them know the neighbor girl had lower Solcan Township go down.

I don't know what happened with them because they never went up to talk to her.

But after I called and she was supposed to relay the message, all hell broke loose.

It was like you were in Iran or some other war zone.

If none of you guys live there, none of you guys experience at night, you should.

I'm sure every kid in all their households were probably scared to death.

And it's sickening.

And frankly, it needs to stop.

I don't know exactly how the city works.

I would imagine council and the mayor are in charge of the police department.

But somebody has to take control and shut it down no later than nine o'clock.

I'd say eight o'clock.

Some of my neighbors say, Yeah, nine o'clock, they gotta practice at night.

I tell them, hey, go rent a building and turn out the lights.

There's several indoor gun clubs around.

But that's what's going on.

And it's been going on for 23 years.

Like I said, they used to stop at nine o'clock, and whatever was in there, whoever was in there the other night, it went on past nine o'clock.

And the second night probably went to 20 after 10.

I meant 10 o'clock, not nine.

But it it was ridiculous.

I live a half a mile away, and and the girl at the horse farm who called besides me is even farther up the road.

And and she called.

And they're farmers.

They're the whole neighborhood's kind of used to it, but it's out of control.

And you got to stop it.

The citizens that pay the taxes for everything deserve more respect than what they got.

And the other problem I will tell you is there were times that I don't know who they were, but I know they probably come out of the gun club because they come out 10, 12 cars at a time, and they'll drag race up the street, and it's closed to the public.

So apparently, these are police officers having their U-hawk going up the street until one of them ends up with a deer through the windshield.

More than several deer have been hitting that in the road.

Thank you so much, sir.

I appreciate you coming.

Thank you.

The next person I have signed up is Dan Skinner.

I always wondered what these meetings were like.

Um hi, my name is Dan Skinner.

Uh homeowner and resident on the 800 block of Delwood Street, very close to the Elmwood Park.

Um over the last five years, my wife and I have kind of observed uh an increase in um, I guess like traffic violations in the sense of like speeding, and I was wondering to see how we could go about possibly getting on like some kind of docket or city budget, some kind of speed deterrent device, speed bumps that could be removed in the winter due to plows, but just something to kind of control speed.

Uh, it is a very heavily visited park, lots of kids in the neighborhood.

Uh, I am a father of two, so um, I was asking some others in the community how to go about doing something about speed bumps or the neighborhood, and they said this is the best avenue.

So um, thank you for your time.

Thank you.

And I will encourage you to stay until after the meeting.

Um, this it's a much more formal setting, but as soon as the Nini wraps up, I'm sure plenty of people on council would be happy to walk you through not just the speed bump process, but other avenues that you might be able to use to just draw attention to that area of the community.

So thank you for coming out.

Awesome.

Thank you.

The next person I have signed up is Isabel.

Hi, hi.

It's nice to see you again.

Um I wanted to thank you for all the updates that were giving me given to me in regards to spray tech.

Uh it seems to have taken a almost a resolve the night that I did come home from the last city council meeting.

I did smell it.

Um they see I was updated and they seem to have caught them in the act.

Um, in a way that we're able to uh move forward with hopefully getting some legislation down.

Um, I did talk to Representative McNeil, and she was super nice, so nice.

Um, so she gave me a lot of really good information and updates.

So I just really hope that it continues forward.

I have updated my neighbors.

Uh, they seem to be happy with it.

Uh so I'm just I just wanted to thank you for all the communications that you had given me.

I did have another thing that I wanted help with.

I have last time I was here, it was brought up about Sand Island.

I went to the park and I agree that it did need some help.

Uh I visited actually right before here, and uh really happy that there's trash cans near those bathrooms.

Um, but a lot of the park just seemed to need help.

I have made a website for to incentivize uh community engagement in like local cleanups and kind of uh incentivize people helping out as like an event type of forum.

So if anybody could kind of guide a direction, I would I would love that because I just you know want to help and we want a cleaner community, it seems to keep coming up.

But thanks, guys.

Thank you, Isabel.

And I will also encourage you to hang out after.

We definitely have plenty of avenues to connect you with with uh community cleanups and people that might be able to help you with that.

Um, that exhausts the list of people that I have signed up to speak, but I will go around the room.

Um, so does anyone on my left want to make a public comment on something that is not being voted on that hasn't had the opportunity to speak?

Yes, sir.

And Mark.

Good evening, Larry Kirk.

I tell you, how are you, sir?

I'm good.

We contacted y'all so many times about this trash.

I'm gonna be reluctant, redundant and say it all again.

I'm the sublimable message you don't want.

So I am gonna definitely find some way to solve this problem with this trash.

We're not quite as bad as these folks, but if you you I'm sure you all want up to your landfill.

See the seagulls come down, they're eating munching.

Well, we have crows, we have foxes, I have two big dogs, huge dogs are in a fence stuff.

Now, the reason I bring this up is because these people party so much, and I felt sorry for them at first.

They came back one day and their car stolen.

Well, I have cameras all over, and sure enough, I had a camera that saw the tow truck that came down their yard and repoed their car.

So I felt sorry for them.

I walked over to their house and knocked, I talked to my trash guy.

Say, hey, Don, how much to pick up their trash?

How much it gonna cost me?

And I found out I shouldn't do it.

And the reason but I'm glad I didn't.

The reason being is because they would have got used to it, it didn't stop.

And then I found out there's trash in the barn, there's trash there.

It is bad.

I don't know how many times and people we walk.

I wrote the mayor myself personally, emailed them and got response.

They're trying, we're trying.

There's gotta be something that can be done.

I appreciate it.

We would appreciate it.

The pri it's it's amazing.

Go down there, you can smell it.

And I'm not as bad as John and Mark, they're like right there.

But I trash every day is blown into my yard, and I have a fence, and I got a big line of trees.

Well, they're out partying one night and whatnot.

They'd come over harassing my dogs, and I tell the guy, listen, you don't want to get that dog mad because he could possibly go through that fence if he gets his head through there and he comes out.

You don't want trouble with that dog.

He's gonna do his job.

He's got a job, he's gotta protect his mama because if something happens to me, she ain't gotta worry about it.

They came in and started trying to fight on my property.

They walked up my driveway trying to start a fight.

Now, if they can afford to go out and go to the bar and have the bar come to their house and have this big party in the back of the yard, music you can hear.

They can afford to pay for their trash to get picked up.

It's bad.

If you took y'all's desk and flipped it up, the pile would be higher than your desk right now.

It actually comes out on Genoa Street.

It's terrible.

Now I don't know if the city of Bethlehem owns trash trucks.

Send the trash truck there and charge them for it.

Pick it up.

I'll even help the guy come over in a little bit one bag at a time.

I'll help them throw it in the back of the dumpster.

Please.

Sublimable message is now over.

Thank you for your time, y'all.

Thank you so much, sir.

Anyone else to the left want to make public comment?

Does anyone else in the center want to make a public comment?

Terry, I saw you first.

Hey Mark.

Hi, Terry Coyber.

I live on Grandview Boulevard in Bethlehem.

And we're here on behalf of a traffic safety petition that we have put together.

I have a copy for council and a copy for Mr.

Alcall over there.

Um we want to request a traffic study done for the daily speeding, the stop sign violations, pedestrian risks.

I walk, we walk our dogs all the time, and you have to constantly watch.

Parking on the east side of Grandview is angle parking, even though they don't angle, they now park head on.

But the point being when you go to back out of your spot, you look, nothing's coming.

You start backing out, and somebody's flying down the street, and you have to be really careful.

So it's real hard to pull out safely without crawling an inch at a time.

So we'd like to ask for is to have this the traffic study to install speed bumps or traffic slowing humps on Grandview.

And the stops, the stop sign at Glendale and Florence, Glendale Avenue and Grandview and Florence Avenue in Grandview.

We'd like to have flashing stop signs put there.

I mean, it can't cost that much to put a flashing stop sign there.

It runs on solar, I believe, right?

So this is to improve the safety for the children, the pedestrians, the school bus riders, and all of the residents in the neighborhood.

There's 61 houses on Grandview Boulevard.

Three of those houses are vacant.

75% of the occupied houses would be 43.5 houses.

So that's what we need to get this pushed through.

So 46 houses have signed the petition.

Every house except one that we went to with the petition was highly in favor.

Highly in favor of these traffic safety measures.

The number of children in the neighborhood has increased over the years.

The number of cars that travel Grandview Boulevard has increased, with the majority coming from Central Park Avenue on the west and the Florence Avenue apartments on the east.

And most of those disregard the stop signs.

Now every time they go by, they're looking around to see who's gonna yell at them again.

So recently, a driver coming from Central Park Avenue from that the townhouses over there, nearly struck me, my vehicle, after failing to stop.

The only reason the collision was avoided was because I sounded my horn.

I had backed down my driveway and went to go down Grandview, and he was coming and he was not gonna stop until I hit the horn.

It's not an isolated incident, but part of a consistent pattern of dangerous behavior.

When I'm outside walking my dog or maintaining my property, I frequently witness drivers who only come to a complete stop because they see me standing there looking at them.

This demonstrates a clear disregard for the posted traffic controls.

Due to these ongoing safety issues, I've installed a safety camera facing the intersection to document violations and protect myself in the event of a crash.

Given these firsthand safety concerns, I respectfully request a traffic study be conducted as soon as possible.

Following the study, we ask for installation of speed bumps or speed humps to reduce vehicle speeds as well as flashing stop signs to increase visibility and compliance of the stop signs at the corners.

With Grandview Boulevard scheduled scheduled for paving, I'm not sure when, but it's essential that the traffic study occurs before that work proceeds.

Thank you for this.

It's your attention to this matter and for prioritizing the safety of the residents of the and the children of Grandview Boulevard.

And I have the petition, which I'll give you a copy, and I'll give you a copy.

On that petition, did you put like uh the specific intersections that you were talking about?

It's okay if you didn't.

I just I think it's all on here.

Okay, awesome.

Thank you so much.

Yep.

Right.

Oh, love it.

We love a bilingual queen.

Thank you so much.

Okay, thank you so much.

That's here.

Yeah.

Anyone else in the broad center want to make public comment?

I thought I saw your hand, Mary Jo.

Uh, yeah, I think we can get it set out.

Mary Joe McCool, 449 Grandview Boulevard.

I want to address the apathy demonstrated by some on this council and the current administration to public safety.

I have spoken out as many others have about the lack of attention to the safety of Bethlehem residents.

The issue of speeding has been brought to light numerous times.

My neighborhood, cars constantly speed up brand speed on Grandview Boulevard, Broad Street, and Hanover Avenue.

Sto signs are ignored by cars, school buses, police, and emergency vehicles without operating flashing lights or sirens.

My neighbor mentioned this to a Bethlehem police officer, and he was told, I already I already have my quota for the month.

One night, the week before last, I watched from my home a drag race on Grandview Boulevard.

One car was in such a hurry that he could not wait for the car ahead of ahead that he attempted to pass only to have it end up with two cars racing against each other to the stop sign of Broad Street.

I fear for my safety and that of my dog when we are out walking along Broad Street and Hanover Avenue.

Even if we walk a little away from the sidewalk, we are still taking our lives into our own hands.

Numerous accidents always happen on that curve.

That is why many years ago, Mr.

Bennett installed a large grassy area and moved his new cars well back from the street.

Hanover Avenue and Broad Street are, I believe, are state roads maintained by Allentown and Bethlehem, respectively.

But I feel municipal or but I feel municipalities and states should work together to curtail the speeding.

I previously mentioned a system utilized by Salisbury Township called NRAD.

Bethlehem has recently added two electronic speed monitors to its repertoire.

I would like very much like to see them used on West Bethlehem with increased development happening, higher traffic volumes will correspondingly happen.

While climate action plans are encouraging more pedestrian and biking, there are still those that cannot utilize those modes of transportation.

Mass transportation is cutting roots and times, so that's becoming problematic.

Land to buses used to run every 20 minutes along Broad Street and Hanover Avenue.

They now are reduced to once an hour.

The proposed development of the former Benitoyota lot is several years from completion, for which I am personally grateful for.

Bethlehem and Allentown are playing Russian roulette with residents by waiting for this development to proceed and not addressing the current safety issues.

The state regulates who can use radar to enforce speeding.

But there are other weapons available in the arsenal.

Rumble strips and speed bumps come to mind.

Consider yourselves informed, and please do not wait for a death to happen and a possible lawsuit for negative for negligent behavior.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mary Joel.

The next person I saw was Mr.

Shire.

Bill Shire, 1890 Eaton Avenue.

Coming up here with a lighter note.

But I have two quotes for you tonight on immigration.

They're by the same person.

And I want you to try to think who it was, and then I'm going to tell you, of course.

The first quote I, in my own mind, have always thought of America as a place in the divine scheme of things that was set aside as a promised land.

The means of selection was very simple as to how the land should be populated.

Any place in the world, and any person from those places, any person with the courage with the desire to tear up their roots, to strive for freedom, to attempt and dare to live in a strange and foreign place, to travel halfway around the world, was welcome here.

Second quote from the same person.

America represents something universal in the human's spirit.

I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese.

You can go to French to live and not become a Frenchman.

You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won't become a German or a Turk.

But then he added, anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American.

If you guessed Ronald Reagan, you were correct.

He's looking better these days.

As are George W.

Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush, Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower, and even a little bit Richard Nixon.

Richard Nixon did solidify a lot of the civil rights gains that happened under Lyndon Johnson.

Nixon's problem was his character.

He had no sense of humor.

And I think any politician, including you all, have got to have a sense of humor.

Thank you.

Oh, by the way, I'd like to find out exactly where you are in relation to my house on Eden Avenue.

Thank you so much.

Does anyone else in the center have comments that they want to make on items not being voted on this evening?

Anyone to Mr.

Ant Alex?

Stephen Antalix, 77 Richard.

I didn't intend to speak tonight.

So my comments may not follow logic, but I'll do the best I can.

But comments made by the people have provoked some thoughts, which will provoke my comments.

One thing I heard this evening, which is very rewarding to hear from a Bethlehemite, is that these people spoke of being neighbors and taking care of each other.

And if you talk to a professional city planner, they say the key to the success of any city is single family homeowners, neighbors.

And in conversations, it came up.

Not single family owners, renters.

And some don't even talk to each other.

They have no interest in anybody else.

I'm speaking about the majority.

So Bethlehem has been cited as a best main street, the best hotel.

But where this city is going makes that all very temporary.

Why?

Because the secret to Bethel has been the single family.

And who, in my mind, is most responsible for that trend?

You seven people.

So I've seen consul act in the interest of the city of Bethlehem.

Council members then would never pass the variances that are asked for today.

Council members then would never pass the variances that are asked for today.

Because he had the foresight to know that will destroy the city.

You have destroyed the South Side.

Third New Street to someone coming back to the city would be a shock.

Why?

The commercialization.

Who did it?

You did it.

By allowing variances.

Where the welfare of the single family became secondary to the welfare of the developer.

Which adds credibility to the term.

If you want to play, you gotta pay.

And they've paid, and they're in the game.

Just look at Third Street.

Shame.

So these people who spoke of each other of taking care of each other.

It's very heartwarming to me to hear.

Because I was born and raised in Bethlehem, and I know that feeling.

And if you did a survey, a recent arrival in Bethlehem, that's gone.

And the whole most of you are responsible for that.

Thank you, Mr.

Antalix.

Does anyone else in the center have public comment and has not been given the opportunity to speak?

Anyone to my right?

Right.

Now we're gonna move on to public comments on ordinances and resolutions that are being voted on this evening.

Um reminder it is the same five-minute time limit.

I do not have anyone signed up to speak, um, but I'm gonna go around the room.

Does anyone to my left want to make public comment on something being voted on this evening?

Does anyone in the center want to make public comment?

Mr.

Shire.

All right, no one no longer Mr.

Nice Guy.

Oh, come on.

It's not working very show here.

Wait, wait, um this evening, you will be voting on whether to override the historic conservation commission on the demolition of four buildings for a new seven-story apartment building at 327 South New Street.

Though at least two of the buildings contribute to the remaining historical character of South Bethlehem, and there is some left, especially on 4th Street and not third.

I expect that you will vote to override because history does not seem to be high on your list of priorities, even though it contributes to tourism here and the general quality of life.

A week ago, I attended a lecture at the Marivian Archives on Moravians and a sense of place, because I thought it might have something about the protection of Main Street.

It did not, but I took advantage of the QA to ask what was being done to protect Main Street, citing your recent approval of a seven-story apartment building right behind some main street businesses.

Only one of the three panelists responded.

She is the new, I forget, didn't catch her name.

She's the new site manager of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and said that would protect the Meravyan buildings.

She did not address Main Street as a context for the main Maravillan buildings.

An attendee of the lecture told me afterwards about an experience in San Antonio.

When he looked out his hotel window, he saw a sign that said the Alamo.

He said that if he hadn't noted the sign, he would have missed the Alamo because it is surrounded by urban buildings, as he put it.

As well as the general equality of our life, our neighborhoods in the city.

We hear a lot about preserving the integrity of our neighborhoods, but not much resistance is being shown to developers.

But that is a subject for another time.

Thank you.

Does anyone else in the center have public comments on something being voted on this evening?

Anyone to my right?

That concludes a public comment.

Moving on to old business.

Do any council members have old business to address this evening?

Okay.

Moving on to new business.

Uh, before I open it up to council, just a reminder.

Uh or sorry, not that not a reminder.

We are going to be rescheduling the council meeting for the Tuesday, May 19th.

Uh, I should just read this rescheduling of the Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 city council meeting to Wednesday, May 20th, 2026, due to the primary um the primary election.

So I will accept the motion and a second to reschedule the second council meeting in May to Wednesday, May 20th at 7 p.m.

due to city hall being closed on May 19th, election day.

So move.

Second.

All right.

Uh any discussion.

I won't be present, but understanding that quorum uh is what counts.

I'm just putting that out there.

Thank you, Vice President Laird.

Any other discussion?

The clerk will call the role.

Mr.

Raymond.

I.

Mr.

Callahan.

All right.

Mr.

Cologne.

Hi.

Ms.

Daniels.

Hi.

Ms.

Quietek.

I'm Laird.

I'm Ms.

Leon.

I passes 7-0.

The second city council meeting in May has been rescheduled to Wednesday, May 20th at 7 p.m.

in town hall.

Um, so we're gonna open it up for new business.

I think it's probably best to start with uh the conversation regarding Eton Avenue.

Eton Avenue.

Um, I feel like multiple council members might have uh questions about that in the process.

So for my council colleagues, if we can stick to that topic first, and then we will go back to council members.

So opening the floor for uh councilman Quitek.

Thank you, President Um Leon, not call on.

Um sorry about that.

Uh so I have had some engagement back and forth with um one of the residents there, and um she was uh a little maybe a little less um subliminal.

Uh she was concerned and and thankful that things have been done.

Um, it seems to me, based on the conversation, the the email conversations I've had with Mr.

Halpforster is that the delay has been in a lack of ability to connect with the actual homeowner, and then that was resolved.

Um, and then the homeowner uh said that they would clean it up by yesterday, and obviously that passed.

And so the update we got was that there was going to be another fine.

But um, it does sound like there are more nuisances there beyond garbage, loud partying and and general nuisance neighborhood behavior.

Just wondering if you can kind of share with us anything more about this whole process.

Um, yeah, I'm happy to.

And I I believe Mr.

Haupforster has communicated with a few members of council, but just for for everybody being on the same page.

I mean, I'll start by saying um uh trash enforcement does come out of the recycling bureau as of a few years ago.

Um, we have one trash enforcement officer who handles about 650 to 700 complaints a year.

Um, I will say this one is is one of the worst ones.

Um it is not though in process being treated any differently than others, you know.

Some I'll just I'll you know, kind of explain the life cycle of a complaint as it relates to trash and then kind of talk about where the variation occurs and where this particular case is, you know.

But by ordinance, um, what happens when we receive a complaint about about trash um is you know, we'll go out, we'll investigate first.

And the first step will be to contact the homeowner and just give a like a verbal warning and see if there's a way in which to just work with the property owner, you know, to get the situation resolved.

And a lot of the resolution that we see in these cases does happen at that point.

So, you know, we don't immediately start and say, like, you know, we see trash out, it's been out for a certain number of days, or you know, we know that this person uh doesn't have a hauler and like just send a citation right away.

We we do try first to like work with a property owner, and and that was you know part of what we tried to do here as well.

And just to add to that, it's like we try to work with the property owner, not because of a like sympathy or being easy on them, it's just because what happens next is this process.

So, like the easiest thing to do is try to just convince them that in everybody's best interest would be to clean it up now.

Because when they don't want to clean it up, then we go through the citation process.

We have to deal with the magistrate, we have to deal with the rescheduling, so on and so forth.

So the first time, and it's not different than how the police talk to people and so on and so forth, is like it's an attempt to try to do this in the least painful, least time consuming way possible.

So any type of like warning or conversation is not about like we want to give somebody like the benefit of the doubt.

It's not that.

It's just once you start the process, like many things in the legal process, it just is then guaranteed to take a certain period of time.

So, like when we try to talk to them first, it is under this idea that that's the quickest way to resolve it.

But then obviously, if not, we go through this extensive process that we have been through that I wish everybody had stayed to hear about.

Yeah.

So as the mayor foreshadowed, um, when that didn't work, then we went to the violation, you know, notice part of the process.

So between when we first got the first complaint in like mid-February, um, we ended up citing them and sending it to the magistrate uh around, I believe it was March 19th.

So unfortunately, when something goes to the magistrate, it is then out of our hands.

And you know, some of the information that one of the speakers was asking about was information about who is the magistrate who's handling this and when is the hearing scheduled for.

And that's not information that we had.

And so our response was you know, that information is that you know will eventually be available on the court website.

They went, the information was not there, and that's because the magistrate had hadn't scheduled anything yet.

And I believe they still haven't scheduled.

We have uh reached out directly to the magistrate's office.

We have uh indicated that this is a uh you know, a case that we consider a priority.

Um I I don't think it's helped very much, and that's not not necessarily uncommon, but we are we've we've tried that approach as well.

Um, but as that process is going on, we still have continued to try and work directly with the property owner.

Um, so there is a different tenant than the property owner.

Um, so I think, you know, I don't want to get into the specifics of who's engaging in what behavior, um, but we have engaged directly with the property owner.

Um there was recently a promise made that sometime between last Thursday and and yesterday that there would be a hauler out there picking up the trash.

Um, we've continued to go buy the property, as one of the speakers spoke, you know, mentioned um repeatedly to assess the situation.

We did go out again today and the the trash has not been cleaned up.

Um, we have spoken again with the property owner.

Um, so unfortunately, after that happened that we then have cited them again, which is our you know, really the mechanism that we have by ordinance.

Um, so there's now is a second um violation letter or violation notice citation that is um also gonna make its way through with the magistrate.

It's a frustrating situation, and you know, sometimes these situations do pop up.

Um, when there are cases in which there is uh blighted property, there's questions about ownership.

There's not somebody physically living in a property and there are these sorts of nuisance issues, whether it's with trash, usually not with trash if it's um vacant, but you know, high grass and weeds, these sorts of things, you know, we have small nuisance abatement funds where we can pay a contractor to go out, but they're with our stance is typically been um, and because we also think within what's written in the ordinance, like we have the ability potentially to go out when there's not a property owner, but it is a different situation when there's somebody living in the property.

Um, you know, if we were to call a third-party trash hauler, for example, there's a couple of questions that would arise about that.

One being that the hauler is gonna say, like, well, what do I have the authority to go on to somebody's private property and pick up their trash?

And then the second question is gonna be like, okay, well, the city's paying for it, but are we just putting out that money and that's it and that's the end?

Um, and we lose that money.

And and some of the challenge there is, as I said, there are 650 to 700 trash complaints a year.

And not all of them rise to this level, but you know, a lot of them do have to do with unfortunately people being bad neighbors or maybe being in a tough financial position.

And like we certainly don't have the resources to pick up trash in all those instances.

Um when when a situation like this arises.

So it is a very difficult situation, but we are um very much on top of it with the ability that we have and the tools that that we have.

And to add to that, when you pick up their trash once, if they are people that lay their trash all over the place, you're very much then creating the precedent and the incentive and like the weird like disincentive from them to do something about their own trash.

And that's happened in other cities when you do this in the situation, Ms.

Collins.

Like if people think that's going to happen, it's likely that they won't do this again in the future.

And I remember when I was in set council, I learned this the first time like 15 years ago, is like the magistrates end up collecting like 18 or 20% of all fines, even when somebody is cited, because the same thing, it's not our job.

It's not our responsibility to chase down like this court judgment.

It is the magistrate's office.

And they only have so many people, they can send their letters, but they don't send people out to be like you owe us 250 dollars generally.

So then it becomes a situation too where people are like, why can't we just raise the fines?

There are some legal reasons why you can't just say it's like a million dollars for this citation.

But even when we do it and we go through that process, we end up collecting.

And I remember, you know, it wasn't Chief God, it was but the previous chief, I remember asking for just like a rundown of what percentage of fines we collected over a period of time.

And it was like one year was like 14% and like 17%, then like 19%.

Like the collection rate on those fines to be able to, because I had that idea too, is like, why couldn't you find these people and then be able to put the money back into an account to help as Ms.

Collins said to pay for additional trash removal on other properties?

And the challenge is like you can't guarantee much revenue because like the same thing that makes people not cut their grass makes them not go to the magistrate, makes them not respond to the citation, makes them not want to, which is why, as she said, we tried to find ways to necessarily, you know, come to this.

But this is one that's at the magistrate, as the one individual said he had reached out to the mayor's office.

We had reached out as well, got back to him, said this was the process going on.

So it is it is a property that we have actively been involved in on multiple levels.

Um I will say a case that is this severe when it does get scheduled for the magistrate, like these are the sorts of factors that like we will argue in front of the magistrate.

Because there are magistrates treat these sort of issues differently, and sometimes they are more sympathetic, and you know, we don't always get them to be as aggressive as we might want them to be.

But like all of these factors that that we're describing and that we're hearing about from the neighbors are ones that we would we would make sure to emphasize with the magistrates so that we could you know get hopefully the sort of resolution that we would be looking for there.

So I have a couple of follow-ups on this.

Um the first one is um can the neighbors do they have standing in the magistrate situation, or can only the city speak um in terms of um do they have the ability to be there and and serve as witnesses or testify to the to the um you know how bad the situation is when it does finally come to the magistrate.

I I was checking with Mr.

Sperk.

Um I I still spark, I I do believe we could have neighbors as witnesses to testify at the magistrate.

Um can I know that they felt some of them who spoke felt that the code enforcement officer was ignoring them, but perhaps uh you know, that they needed a right to know in order to get the you know, some of the some of the comments from folks.

And um, of course, you know, there's always more than one side to these things, but um just wondering if there's a way to keep them engaged, even though we don't necessarily have all the tools at our disposal.

So that they know when when the hearing is scheduled, and you know, if there's a way that yeah, you know, they can feel that yeah, they're being heard more.

I mean, the first thing I I will I will say is I mean, I've read a lot of the email chains myself, and I I do know that there's been pretty robust communication, um, both over email and over the phone with various neighbors.

Um I'm not exactly sure where that comment came from.

Um I suppose like there's nothing that would prevent us when we have the hearing date with reaching out to the neighbors and letting them know when that is.

Great.

And then my only remaining question was kind of spurred by the gentleman who said, you know, do you have any trash trucks?

Can you go pick it up?

If we were um a city that had a citywide municipal hauling contract that was paid for by um, you know, uh a fee um from all residents, um, would that give us more power and more control over a property like this?

Um would it be that, well, everybody is paying for their trash, and so everybody's trash will get picked up.

Well, I would say so.

The example with recycling, for example, for example, if if somebody is not paying the city their recycling fee, we don't like drop them from the list of people who get picked up.

A lot of times what you see in the trash hauler situation is if an individual property owner doesn't pay their hauler for like two weeks, then they'll just stop picking up that person's trash.

And that's how some of these cycles begin.

So I I guess the short answer would be like, no, it would not be it, it would be a different, it would be a different situation because we would collect unpaid fees through a different process, but likely still pick up the individual's trash.

Right.

And recycling is in with the water and sewer, right?

So it's it's everybody gets those quarterly bills.

Right.

I know that not everybody pays their bills but you know most people do.

It's also a situation and you see this in other cities is just because there's a single hauler doesn't necessarily stop these type of issues because there's still compliance you have to put your trash out you have to use the amount right amount of uh trash bins the all of those things I mean you see that in Allentown um where they have many trash issues in different areas of the city even though they pick up I is it twice a week um or is it I think it's twice a week that's part part of the reason why their contract number is so high but they have twice a week pickups and they're just some of these trash issues once again is even difficult um especially with things that don't qualify under pickup um and then this these situations most happen as we know happen in like landlord tenant situations where someone says like I'm not getting rid of this whole thing like it's your responsibility but they have to hire somebody else to come because they're trash guy won't take as well thank you.

Any other council any other council member wants to I have a question.

It's a home that was renovated gutted and renovated by uh redevelopment authority I believe.

Yeah yes familiar with the property I am familiar with the property yes sorry uh is is it in regards to the the the Eton Avenue trash oh we're still yeah yeah I just wanted to give council the opportunity to do that first and then we'll open it up for everything uh Vice President Laird uh so one commenter had made the uh suggestion that this could be a health issue uh in addition to a trash code issue um is there something that the health bureau can do beyond what the recycling enforcement officer trash enforcement officer has done and is there a threshold that leads to like a condemn a temporary condemnation until a property is cleaned up where it becomes too hazardous for people to live there because of varmin or whatever.

So there is a health ordinance that deals with um like my mice and things I think we could probably look at that ordinance to see if it has different enforcement mechanisms.

I mean historically actually it was the health bureau that housed the person who did trash enforcement and it you know that has since moved to the recycling bureau um but I I honestly don't I don't know that there's a like a different enforcement mechanism under the health ordinance I'd have to look at that.

Even if it were the same mechanism potentially additional fines levied sure yeah possibly for those issues.

Okay.

And then in terms of condemnation where does that I would assume that it's pretty like severe like maybe a hoarding situation is but that would lead to that but it yeah I I mean you'd honestly you'd be surprised how many hoarding situations unfortunately exist.

Um and it it's like typically a hoarding situation is not enough for a condemnation.

Okay.

So there's a threshold but we're far from it.

Yeah I mean and you know Mr.

Simonson is aware generally when we have like major problem properties we work very closely together between the recycling enforcement officer and um you know the the housing inspection folks um but this I mean I could check with him but it it would be it's pretty far from a situation that would actually require condemnation inside the property itself.

Thank you.

Any other questions any other questions from council members council McCallan.

So um why did they have to go through the the right to no request that's what I didn't understand.

I'm I am not sure I think they were asking for information that we just simply didn't have and we directed them to the to the court that's that's my understanding but I'd have to check in on that part of the conversation.

The other thing I would say is that you know court docket information is publicly available but they wouldn't be entitled to notice from the court as a non party.

So that that was something I think they were maybe getting at earlier and yeah.

I I would just ask that you know whatever process they were explaining they felt like for whatever reason they were getting the run around.

I'm not saying that they were I'm just saying that that's what they felt like so if you guys could have like an internal conversation about how how we how we can tighten up the you know that whole process for you know residents this isn't like this isn't the only area of the city that we've been hearing about garbage all over the place.

So I don't know if anything's been done done down there, but yeah, there's been significant cleanups since the last I appreciate that.

We spent a significant amount of money last year cleaning it up, and we've had those conversations in Norfolk Southern, and we continue to have a substantial amount of people down there like working to to clean it up as well, and think about how structurally up and up and down, and it is a lot of different problems as far as and people talk about the unsheltered situation, but you just have people that go down there and you know it's hard to catch people that leave their stuff after they're on fishing and stuff, all sorts of things.

But it is something that we're that we're we're we're we're on top of from a priority.

Listen, I appreciate everything you're trying to do with the parks, really do.

I was a health and phys ed teacher, I know how important, especially for these kids with with all digital uh things that they're doing.

So I appreciate everything you're doing with the parks, but to be honest with you, if we don't get a handle of this garbage situation, all the good work you're trying to do with the parks is gonna go downhill.

And my fear, and this is it, my fear is that this is just the beginning because I think, and I hope I'm wrong, that the economy is gonna start getting a little bit worse.

This is my opinion, just on a lot of things going on in the world.

And I don't think that whole situation with Iran is gonna get resolved and oil is gonna go up.

And as the economy gets worse, people start cutting out bills.

And I think that's probably what's going on over there.

They don't have the enough money to to have um a garbage hauler.

And I'm not sure, I think it was Miss Queatech mentioned about uh single hauler.

Mr.

Analds, you and I were on council when that was discussed many, many years ago.

Uh it's a tough fight.

I'm not sure if the single hauler uh situation, if that would get if changed, I don't know if Mr.

Spurk could chime in on that.

But it it is a possibility of if we did have a single hauler that this could be resolved.

And if there's a way of having the fee for the single hauler, not put in the water and sewer, but in maybe in the in the in the tax bill.

I don't I don't know if that could be done in that way.

If there's not a payment uh on it, there's an there's um if the property is ever sold, then we get paid back, you know, in whole.

So I don't, you know, I don't know what the situation is, but I would just appreciate that Mayor that you you take the lead on this.

And and I'm not saying if you want you want you you can't delegate it, but that you're you're checking up on it because we need to make sure that this is being handled.

Yeah, and and I would tell you after watching this for for 19 years, there's always been issues with trash.

And as I said, there's issues with trash in cities that have single hauler, there's issues with trash that don't have single hauler.

So the process and when the process was made, and Miss Collins, what year was it made when it was switched over to Mr.

Half First or from the Health Bureau?

Do you know how long ago that was?

I believe it was 2022.

Yeah.

So I think it was I think it was done about four years ago.

We and it's the same problem with grass and weeds as I was saying before is you know, when we get these situations, we spend a lot of time, a lot of work hours trying to enforce them.

And even when and a lot of the situations don't fit into this idea that like if you had a single hauler, like that would necessarily solve this issue because there still is like a missing step there.

We are constantly like self-reflecting on like, is there a better systemic way to do this?

Is there a better way to save money and so on and so forth?

Just a couple of like brainstorm issues.

So I'm not saying there's not like an uh there's not like a full opinion here.

Like one of the things that we do know has changed is that there are less and less of the big haulers out there that are willing to bid on a contract like this.

And you saw this in Whitehall, you saw this in the city of Allentown, you saw this in other places.

What the numbers were that we would have gotten back like 15 years ago for a potential like single hauler versus what it is now when there's only like two or three bidders, the majority of the people now that have long running contracts with people that are paying 340, 360 dollars a month would pay would pay substantially more than that, and that's even rolling it, and that's without rolling in your your uh recycling fee and so on and so forth.

So it's always a conversation, and I'm always up for like an intellectual like look at like is there a more efficient way to do this and so on and so forth.

Like we have not seen that it's gotten to a point yet where it necessarily makes sense, but like your point too, and we have talked a little bit about this with like parks and like maintenance and program and staffing is like we are always thinking about like it 360 and like the whole process, and it takes one one bad neighbor to have a trash problem like this and really affect everybody's life.

So, like we do have those conversations miss Collins talks to Miss Mr.

Half Forester and talks to Miss Wenrick and so on and so forth, but like when these problems come up in the police, what's the most efficient way to be able to handle it?

But like when these problems come up in the police, what's the most efficient way to be able to handle it?

So, like we know if like you can't handle these situations, like you're gonna have a problem, but it is it is a bit independent from like park situation, but as far as your point being is like, is this something we prioritize?

Absolutely.

And one of the things that Ms.

Collins and Mr.

Alcallon and everybody should know is like I want to know the things that you chose not to do and why you chose not to do them before I understand the things that you chose to do.

So we're constantly having those conversations, and in situations like this, like I asked to like a math teacher, like see the work, like what happened here.

We send this to the magistrate, we sent this, we communicated this.

Like, I would agree with Ms.

Collins in this situation, and I understand there's bits and pieces of information this way.

It's always frustrating when people don't stick around to have their work checked, is like that we communicated what the individual stages were and why we did this at different levels because people had rightfully so reached out to the mayor's office, reached out to you know, trash enforcement and so on and so forth.

So, like this was one that obviously we're not happy with the result on so far, but as far as what we've been able to do with the powers that we have, like I'm pretty satisfied that we've been like on top of it, but we're not gonna rest until we get whatever possible resolution we have in trying to make sure that this problem is is solved in in whatever manner that's all I ask for is that is that it's not loss in the weeds, it's it's it's stayed on top of it, and at some point it's it's resolved, whether it takes a month or two months, but I hope not.

Yeah, there's and and I would say this, Mr.

Gallon, and I know you've certainly shared your opinions about the administration at the time, but like I think if you watched what I do all day long, it's a lot of checking on whether or not these systems work and being on top of people and paying attention to details and in the weeds that some people would be like this isn't always a great use of your time.

But I'm like, it's a reflection of whether or not the system works or not, and when there's ways to be able to improve it, like we're gonna do it.

And it is the number one thing that I care about is that we have efficient systems that were self-reflective about whether or not they're working or not.

And this is a complicated one that unfortunately is not easy as far as involving police and everything else.

But I I can tell you one thing that we're on top of is like if you ask us about a situation like this, and especially an extent extensive one like this, we can we can show the work because anybody deserves to be able to see that it's like how do we respond when something goes wrong?

Right.

And and just if there's a way to tweak or streamline the the reporting process of residents and taxpayers reporting this to us and us following it through, whether it's like uh a check system, whatever, because it's I mean, it it's it's kind of like having an uh an eviction notice.

There's a whole process that you got to go through.

And if you if they stop paying um their their rent, it's literally takes two months minimum to get them out.

Yes.

So the earlier that we start the process in in in the official process and and dotting our i's and in and crossing our ts, the earlier we do that, I think the quicker the the problem's gonna get it.

And if there's ordinance tweaks, we will absolutely come forward with them.

Like, we absolutely like look at like what works and what what doesn't work.

And like I said, I I can tell you I haven't haven't watched this for 19 years, is like there is a very sophisticated group of people thinking about how this how this works and so on and so forth.

Like, I'll be I'll be honest with you.

Like, I want to know whether or not I could go out to some of these problem properties and not like show the address and just show me like asking these people to cut their grass and clean up their trash, not for this one, but other ones throughout the city, and just basically put that on social media and be like the mayor showed up at your house, being like, Why aren't you cutting your grass for the rest of the neighborhood as a way to kind of like publicly put pressure on people?

And like I was told I wasn't allowed to do that.

But I'm saying is like those those are the type of things that like we really are like all options on the table as far as like public pressure and things like that, as far as what these properties are, because it's ridiculous, it's ridiculous if somebody's not cutting the grass, the amount of time that we have to spend, the police have to show like the amount of time, it it just it's it's not good.

So we're so we're constantly thinking about so what's the process?

So they got fined today for uh 500.

Their second, their second one.

So, what's the process if it from here on out?

Is there when is the next fine or when is the next court hearing or what's how's it?

I don't think the court hearing has still been scheduled yet, correct?

Correct.

Correct.

We're still we we're still waiting on the magistrate to schedule, and we will be for this citation as well.

So if they if if the magistrate doesn't schedule as soon as there are another fine period, like after another 30 days, they get fined again, and does that fine go up?

And what's just the process of it?

I don't remember off the top of my head, like what if there's a waiting period and or what the escalating fine dollar amounts are specifically, they often are like 250, 500 a thousand.

But then I think, and Ms.

Stewart might know is like there's a maximum that you're out, you're allowed to be able to charge by like state law, like and it's like an additional per and so on and so forth.

But like this is a frustrating thing.

It's like we want the magistrate just to schedule the hearing, and for whatever court reasons, like and we don't run the courts, like it hasn't been scheduled yet.

Um, but we will continue to to to kind of see what we can do there.

Thank you.

Any other council members want to ask questions about this specific thing?

Yeah, may I just ask who the magistrate is?

Has it been assigned?

I do not, I don't it it's the West side.

So I I would believe it would be Jason L.

So M DJ S and L.

I I believe.

I just want to confirm on the record that we're waiting on a magistrate to do so and what the magistrate is.

And so that the community knows that we're doing everything we can at the city of Bethlehem, and perhaps these conversations should also be having with other um arms of of the system that could help speed this process up.

I I would appreciate that, but also and like they do get to be the judge then.

Um so I I would just move, I would move carefully on the when how quickly do you determine do you choose to schedule this or not?

But I I I think from an operational government point of view, that would be that would be the next step.

But judges move at their the pace they choose to move at.

Are there any other questions regarding this specific topic?

Vice President Larry, yeah.

One more, uh, sorry.

So um it it understandably people in this neighborhood, which I used to live uh a block out of it.

Um, and it it's sad to hear about like it they're really nice uh homes and and a great neighborhood.

Um, but it's understandable people's tensions are really high.

Uh and there was some comments made that sounded like things maybe escalating further.

Is it possible just to have like extra eyes in the neighborhood, like to be trying to tone things down or anything?

Like we can we certainly pass along.

Captain Dell was here.

We can pass along as far as it being a situation or I just don't want to see anybody make a choice that it takes us beyond where it needs to be.

I I I agree, and we certainly always encourage people to be able that there is a legal process to follow.

Um, and you know, sometimes it can be a a lot to ask yeah, people to do um uh you know conflict or identity resolution about how to deal with conflict.

Um, but it is something that you know as always we we roll people in on when when they when they need to know that these type of things are just floating around in case somebody has to respond.

Thanks.

Yeah, I'd hate to see good neighbors end up in a bad spot.

So thanks.

Any other questions from council regarding this specific topic?

Okay, I have a couple.

Um they said that it's uh a rental, so this is one of our regulated rentals, I'm assuming that there's or is there somebody who owns the property and just somebody else is living in it?

Yeah, I believe it might be like a family situation.

Family situation.

Okay.

If it were a regulated rental, would that give us another arm of ability to go in and like inspect more because of the exterior, or no, the regulated rental program only gives us like an ability to inspect for the license, which is on a three-year cycle, but it doesn't change it doesn't change things.

It doesn't change our ability with respect to like licenses or anything on the outside.

Okay.

This is just I'm I'm thinking, and I hope we're all thinking in in problem-solving mode because the the systems, these systems tend to work, but there's always one person who escalates it to the place where it becomes such a problem.

And I I do feel for the fact that six six months is a long time, and I do have a very real fear regarding um animals that tear up things, especially with our our ticks and stuff.

So whatever type of situation attracts animals into a community, it's just it's dangerous in general, not just for the community members, but for um our our wonderful little critters as well.

Uh so I'm curious.

Um these are all of the mechanisms that we have to put pressure on the property owner.

I I can't remember I didn't pull up the ordinance.

Do we have the ability to put a lien on the house and be like, yeah, you can't sell this thing, or any other form?

And I can turn to you as well, Miss Stewart, if if that's a legal question.

Yeah, what I would say is um looking at your ordination fee structure for first violation is a five fine of 200, second violation is a fine of 500, and third and subsequent are a fine of 1,000, which is the maximum penalty under third class city code.

And what you can do when you get to the magistrate, if you obtain a judgment, you can obtain a certified copy of that judgment file with court as a lean against property.

Okay.

All right, under the law.

And not that I think that this is always the the avenue that we should take.

Some things just happen, but this isn't this isn't an accident.

A situation doesn't escalate this bad by by accident, and it doesn't seem like it was an illness or anything as far as the antagonism that's going on within that little community.

So I'm yeah, I would I would just always transparent is like a lean's not going to clean up the trash.

No, yeah.

And you know, the idea that somehow like a lien is going to be punitive to landlords in the future doing this versus the amount of work and everything else as far as staff time and things like that.

It's just it's part of the conversation, but like the lien's not going to get the trash.

No, I didn't figure out as much.

I'm just thinking about like the we have had more conversations about trash than I think we've had about almost anything else other than affordable housing.

It's been affordable housing and it's been trash.

Um, and there is just a very real appetite for us to do something about trash, not just from the community, but from from council members.

Um, like I think this is a time that we could look at the ordinance um or any other thing that we have that can we can change to create a better system that works for all of us.

I used to be extremely bullish on single hauler.

I've been studying trash with the Lehigh kids for about four years now.

I understand um why that might not always be the right situation, always be the right case in everything.

So I but I do believe that we have a very real desire to address the trash situation in in Bethlehem and anything that council can do to whether it's tweak the ordinance or or work with you guys to see what the internal process is like, just to make it easy these systems easier for us, and that will work.

It's it's one thing for us to have dump sites, and that's usually the trash that I'm used to, and I I understand that it's another thing to see a property fall into such uh a state um and be so close in proximity to other houses that that is the the real concern for me.

And I would hate to wait another three or four months to see a resolution.

And obviously, it's obviously Miss Collins, you're not gonna go out there and pick up the trash, but there does need to be some kind of resolution there.

So if there's anything that this body can do to push the needle in a direction, we're more than willing and able to do it, is I guess that was my we will we will keep you in the loop.

I would say that you know, I've had different ideas about what ways to do this that haven't been researched legally, Miss Steward.

But um, like the idea that like if if we gave people a certain period of time to prove that they have a hauler, and if they don't have a hauler, we essentially then put them on some type of like city contract and like we bid a contract, but I'm not sure whether or not we're allowed to do that or not.

Once again, that wouldn't solve this situation.

Yeah, but it's just like if you can somehow get people to prove they have a hauler, and then the people that don't have a hauler get like multiple warnings, like you need to have a hauler by this date, or we're gonna put you on the like the city, like basically like delinquent hauler contract.

But like this, that's a process that to play out doesn't solve this person's trash next week.

But you know, the idea that like you don't go to a single haul or across the city, you basically have people prove that within the ordinance, they're able to meet the current trash or like trash hauler requirements, but then beyond that, if you don't prove that, or if you're a landlord and you don't prove that, then somehow like we put you on like a bid contract and then almost create like a public option for a single hauler.

Um, so then people have the opportunity to like buy into that.

But like what I just mentioned in two minutes is an incredible amount of work.

Um, and it would take a long time, and it's not necessarily able to be able to solve this person's like these type of issues that pop up.

Um, but once again, that's just back to like Mr.

Cowling's point.

It's like that's the level of like detail that like we think about playing out.

It's like ways to potentially improve the improve the situation.

That was this the we have spoken about this before, and that was where my head was at.

I know that there are our thoughts um about how we can handle trash going forward again that won't address this one specific situation.

Um, but I think that there is a certain amount of public pressure that we can apply uh throughout the city when it comes to we are changing the way we see trash, just like aggressive driving, like it sometimes it takes a community of public pressure with trees and speed bumps that say no, this is just not the standard that we hold in Bethlehem.

So that's and we have 80,000 people.

So unfortunately, not all of them are gonna be like the seven of you as far as their trash is concerned.

I mean, that's why we have the police department.

I mean, that's why we have laws.

Um, but you know, absolutely 90 days imprisonment.

That's on the and that uh yeah, I know we're not going there, but that is on in the ordinance.

Alternatives to the financial penalties include imprisonment options.

Yeah, that was the ill-time joke on my part.

I apologize.

So we're and aggressive drivers should be um sent over to my phone.

Jeez, dude, hatch hat.

Um, so uh I think that will close the that conversation.

I will follow up with the community members.

I I know that they they have left, um, but I am in contact with them as is with Miss Quietek.

So we will speak with them.

So opening up to council, any new business that council wants to address that is not regarding the Eaton Avenue.

That would be me.

Yes.

And I actually did want to make a comment on Eton Avenue.

Um it seems to me that the bottleneck is with the district magistrates and it's not just with garbage, it's with citations in general.

Um I know firsthand that they literally can take up to a year to schedule things.

And with that type of uh schedule being that far out, there really is no punishment being given to the homeowner, in this case for the garbage situation.

So they're just going to continue to do it as long as they can get away with it.

If there's if we have no other recourse outside of the district magistrate.

So I guess I'm thinking is, and this may be a question for the solicitor, if there's any way of being able to remove the district magistrate from the process or find another penalty, another way of penalizing.

No, that is the legal process.

The the other thing I will mention, because it is in your ordinance, um, is that if anybody fails to comply um with the ordinance, the um city can undertake to do the cleanup, and the costs of the cleanup plus a 20% penalty can be leaned against their property.

So that's another mechanism.

And I understand why sometimes that may not be the best mechanism to try and and use, but it's it is there in the in the ordinance.

Um you also have to put city employees then potentially in the space of doing the cleaning up on private property, which is not a small either union or moral and ethical kind of issue is like, hey, we need you guys to go do this.

So then you'd have to have like a third party, you're asking for them to pay back.

So there's the real potential that the public ends up subsidizing cleaning up the people, which, but yeah, it's something else we've gone down the road on.

But in respect to a lot of our employees, like it's a hard ask for them to go do that as well.

Okay.

All right.

Um, if we can go back to my original question of minutes ago, 723 Broadway.

Uh, this was a home that was purchased by the city and gutted and renovated very nicely and was supposed to be put up for sale as an affordable housing option.

Uh the home was completed late 2024.

It's still not up for sale.

And from what I've been told, it didn't pass code.

There's some code violations.

You know anything about that?

Sure.

So the 723 Broadway project, it is an RDA project, the redevelopment authority.

Um, but it we've worked in um partnership with community action, Lehigh Valley.

So community action actually owns the property at this point, and they have since the fall.

Okay.

And so the um uh the way that process has played out is it is it is community action right now who's responsible for getting the property in a condition ready for sale.

Um there were some uh issues that were noted in the inspection process.

I believe that they are working on um correcting those, but they're they're not ones that were actually part of the RDA city component of the process.

So we are we are we are working with RDA, though, on completing it.

RDA is responsible for the actual renovation, correct?

Yeah, yes, yeah.

Okay, so I guess where my confusion lies is that house was taken down to the studs, new mechanics put in plumbing, electric, everything.

And I'm assuming our inspectors were there every step of the way to inspect things to make sure everything was up to code prior to drywall being hung, all that good stuff.

So I I'm at a loss as to how pretty much a brand new build at the completion is found to be out of code when that wasn't found throughout the renovation process, and it's been sitting for about a year and a half at this point.

Yeah, and I apologize.

It's and I pa a couple things I just got wrong there.

I was confirming with the people who are closer to the project.

So it actually was community action who was responsible for the renovation component.

And the issues are not like uh I don't believe code on the city side that had to do with the renovations.

Well, with code inspections, I mean, who's aren't we responsible for that?

The city inspecting during the renovation process, yes, but there are different things that are inspected along the way.

I'd have I honestly I would have to double check and make get the correct details.

I can't answer on the spot.

Okay.

Yeah, it's just sad because granted it's only one home, but I'm sure there's one family out there.

Yeah, you know, that will love to no, I agree.

We we've we've been pushing pretty hard to get it moving.

Yeah.

And I yeah.

But let it be.

There's also been a little bit of there's been a little bit of turnover as well at uh community action in their housing division, which I think has been a component of the challenge that we faced.

But we let's check with community action to kind of see where they're at because Ms.

Collins is correct is that who has been working on that project on their end has changed um during the this period, which has been it happens, people leave, people get let go, but we can find an update and email to you or contact you as soon as we we find out about it.

But it is it is something else that we have discussed, but it is community action has been involved in that, and they obviously have a lot going on.

But we we will reach out and see what's going on and get you an update as soon as we can.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Can you follow up with an email to the clerks just that all of council has the information?

Thanks so much.

Any other questions?

Uh Vice President Larry.

We're on to any topic now.

Any topic.

Okay, yeah.

So um I just wanted to make a general comment that um it's been heartening to see tonight, like it's been um numerous examples of neighbors and and lots of conversation about neighbors uh coming forward together and supporting each other or representing groups of people, you know.

We had uh neighbor uh back from a former group of neighbors that came to give an update.

Uh we've got neighbors working together to try to solve a problem uh regarding the trash, neighbors uh looking out for each other, talking about the uh gun range question and um you know communicating with each other about that, and then neighbors coming together with a petition.

Um, and it it's not too often that we see that many groups of neighbors working together, but it seems like it's more.

Like we see people coming out to represent their own interests, plenty.

Uh, but this is awesome to see the group and uh kind of spinning off of that.

Um the assertion that was made that um, and it and it comes up repeatedly, uh, that only single family home owners are the people doing this kind of supportive work.

Um it's harmful to the community to make that assumption.

Um, you know, and speaking personally as someone who rented for over 10 years um as a community leader and built enormously positive relationships with my neighbors uh that still continue, and knowing that there are people on council presently and in the past who are renters, um, and certainly give to the community.

Um, you know, I just wanted to thank and recognize the acts of community and service and neighborliness that come from all of our residents, um, whether they are unhoused, whether they're renters, whether they're crashing with somebody, or whether they own property in the city.

I think that we see a lot of of good coming from everybody.

Um so uh and my question is uh regarding the gun range.

Um I don't know who the yeah, okay.

The podium is like walking who's actually over there.

Um, yeah.

So a couple of questions on that is uh, you know, first of all, is that gun range in the city limits?

No, it is not.

Okay.

Uh secondly, are uh do we actually uh presently have an agreement with the police uh department going to that gun range to practice?

Yes, we do.

And does that include after hours practice?

Uh sometimes so like uh the residents spoke to uh during the fall, we do our nighttime qualifications.

So it is common for us to be we have to wait for the sun to go down.

Um it's an important piece, but right now we are doing our daytime qualifications, so for the most part, the officer should be out of there by five o'clock at the latest.

Um, it is possible that we held a class there, and that class may have required low light.

Um, it's not a frequent thing, especially this time of the year.

Uh to and during the fall time, in order to get all the officers qualified, it takes many days of training.

You can't, you know, you have to have small classes in order to get the best out of it.

So I'll have to check on it and see if we maybe held a class, but I I believe he said it was two days, so it could have been a a one-time uh two-day qual uh class that we we held on the gun range.

Okay.

Um, and our officers also outside of classes and qualification.

Is that a spot that our officers go to practice um just independently?

Yes.

So our officers are allowed to go there and and practice independently.

Um they purchase their own ammunition for that.

Um, but we would uh pay for any training ammunition they have and and all the um you know different things that we might need to use because we utilize different weapon systems, so we have to have the ammunition and weapons for that.

But um for this, I really do believe it was probably just a training uh that we held one time and it's it's not a very frequent thing.

Um, but we can certainly discuss the times that we're we're having these.

Uh it's unfortunate that it it you know bother them, but I think it's something that we can address.

Okay.

Um, and just uh I'm not saying to you know that it needs to be looked in for this one specifically if if you're already looking into whether there was a class, but um, is there like a log of when officers are going so that if there were ever an issue to look into, like we would know, oh yeah, the the officers were there training for these hours or this was independent practice or whatever?

So are you asking uh individually or through the department training?

I guess it would only be if it's department business training, right?

Like, if it's department business, yes, there is a uh a definite way to track it.

Um we notify Northampton County dispatch that we're gonna be out there.

We have a number of safety precautions that are in place in case of an emergency.

Um, so yes, we we would be able to track that.

Okay, but certainly somebody could just have a private membership and be going on their their own whatever.

Yes.

Um that's that's the gun clubs.

Okay.

Um I think that's that's all the questions that I had.

Thanks.

Any other counsel?

Thank you.

Not for Officer Adela, but uh just a quick question for Ms.

Collins, Mr.

Alcall.

Sorry, it's regarding traffic.

Does is there still the I forget the the formal name is like a citizens traffic advisory committee that was uh quarterly or bi-monthly?

Does that still meet and can you send Mr.

Miller where that I tried finding it on the website today or tonight while I was here and I couldn't?

I know we've had previous years conversations about making sure it was posted and uh accessible.

So I guess two questions.

One is it's still active, and then two, can you send us send Mr.

Miller the link to forward everybody?

Um yes, and yes, uh, they meet the first Tuesday of every month at 8 30 a.m.

And I will find out where it is on the website and send the link.

And that is a public meeting, correct?

Yes, it is.

Yeah.

And just to add to that, is we will all have our chance to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to traffic infrastructure when our complete streets plan comes back and takes a look at what the different things are we can do to treat the streets and try to find a way to physically stop people from speeding and driving reckless, which is absolutely a problem.

Um, I was talking to one police officer in when he was walking out today at the end of a shift, and he told me about how he had you know had problems with three different drivers today and Stephco Boulevard.

Um so like it is absolutely a problem, but that's gonna be a real opportunity for us when that complete streets plane comes back and we both look, we know what the biggest problem streets are, but if they're not penned out roads, how much money it's gonna take us to be able to do physical improvements to those streets, that may be the only way to get people to slow down, is make it impossible to do this because we can't use radar and we can't have police officers catching people everywhere.

And we all know there are some streets that work where it's uh it's almost physically impossible for people to speed, and there are gonna be other ways for us to be able to do that, but they're not gonna be cheap.

The drawbridge.

Yeah, yeah.

Um, so uh yeah.

Thank you, Ms.

Collins.

Thank you, Mayor Reynolds.

Any other new business from council members?

Um, I do want to point out that we build Bethlehem is an amazing website that has not only our complete streets program, but 40 and 10 as our community continues to come out to these meetings.

Uh, a lot of the the things that we're talking about can be found on this this website, the We Build Bethlehem website.

Um, so a lot of questions can be answered there as well as information that can with avenues that you can get involved in the community.

I did have a question for you, Officer Adelo, and it was more about when there is a a nighttime training.

Is there any requirements or if there is not a requirement, is there any like courtesy heads up to the community that there is going to be um nighttime shooting, gunfire can be um quite a startling thing to wake up to, especially if there are children around.

Um I I have a kid who went to elementary school, did one active shooter drill and decided that we needed to figure out how to fortify the house to the knots.

So, like I I'm very mindful of how gunfire affects people, but mindful of the fact that we do need bow like practice.

That's absolutely a thing our officers need.

So the first thing I would say is that we're not the only gun range around there.

There are three, I believe, um, in that vicinity.

So depend to depending on where you are, you might hear another range.

Okay.

Um, I can actually hear it from my house.

Uh so I know when my officers are out there.

Um, but yeah, uh contacting uh individuals outside the city is not just like an easy thing.

I mean, like for emergencies, we can use reverse 911 or something like that.

Um, I suppose we could discuss internally some sort of notification.

Um, but yeah, it's it's not always the easiest thing to let everybody know what you're doing and what's happening, even like with our our half marathon that we do.

As much as we try to put it out there, so many people are unaware, and it's it's just hard to make that.

Communication is very hard, especially if it is outside of city limits.

I I completely understand.

I think my mind went there because you were talking about giving Northampton County the heads up.

So I was curious if there was a way to use that avenue to increase communication.

That's yeah, yeah, that's just dispatch though, letting them know um that we're there.

In case they receive a phone call, they you know they'll know that officers are out there training.

Um, but also to be aware that if there wasn't a case of an emergency, um, that's where we are, and and that's what we're doing.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

I'll have some follow-up questions went on right now.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Officer Adela.

All right, so that completes our new business.

Um, we're gonna move on to communications, Tad.

An April 29th, 2026 memorandum from City Solicitor John F.

Spurke Jr.

with an attached use agreement and resolution.

Permittee is DK Enterprises, and the event is the Mom Market 2026.

Activities will be from 9 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

on May 17th, August 23rd, and October 25th in the Bethlehem Rose Garden at 1001 West Union Boulevard.

Resolution 10A is on the agenda.

Communication 6B.

An April 29th, 2026 memorandum from City Solicitor John F.

Spurk Jr.

with an attached use permit agreement and resolution.

Permittee is Arts Quest, and the event is the 2026 Sangria Fest.

Activities will be from 1 to 5 p.m.

on May 16th.

Premises will be first street from Polk Street to the Eastern Terminus and Founders Way between first and second streets.

Resolution 10B is on the agenda.

Communication 6C.

An April 29th, 2026 memorandum from City Solicitor John of Spurk Jr.

with an attached use permit agreement and resolution.

Permittee is the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation by in through its initiative, the Southside Arts District.

Sub permittees are the Colony Meadery and Five Maidens LLC doing business as Five Maidens Cidery Company.

The event is the 2026 live on the greenway.

Activities will be from one to 3 p.m.

on May 24th and 31st and June 7th and 14th.

Premises will be the greenway between Webster and Taylor Streets, including the Harmony Pavilion.

Resolution 10C is on the agenda.

Communication 6D.

An April 29th, 2026 memorandum from City Solicitor John F.

Spurk Jr.

with an attached use permit agreement and resolution.

Permittee is Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Subpermittees are the Lost Tavern Brewing LLC and County Seat Spirits LLC.

The event is the 2026 Live in the Garden Concert Series.

Activities will be from 5 to 9 p.m.

on Saturdays between May 9th and June 27th.

Premises will be the Bethlehem Rose Garden and Ban Shell.

And resolution 10 D is on the agenda.

Moving on to the president's report, the committee of the whole meeting originally scheduled for February 24th to receive training from the state ethics commission was postponed because of a technical difficulty.

The meeting has been rescheduled for 3 p.m.

on Tuesday, May 12th in town hall.

This training session will be open to the public and will meet city article 104.

The meeting will be for informational purposes only, and no actions will be taken.

The only agenda item will be the ethics training.

I have nothing further uh to report this evening.

So turning to the mayor for the mayor's report.

Uh yeah, a couple of administrative orders.

Um the first one is I hereby appoint Lynn Olinov of 2004 Johnson Drive to membership on the redevelopment authority.

This appointment is effective through May 2031.

Administrative order appointing Lynn Olinov, redevelopment authority.

The resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Laird and Mr.

Amon.

Clerk of Codderle.

Mr.

Raymond.

Sorry.

Discussion.

My bad.

Thanks.

No discussion.

Clerk of Call of the Roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

I.

Mr.

Callahan.

Mr.

Cologne.

Hi.

Daniels.

Aye.

Ms.

Quitec.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Hi.

Ms.

Leon.

Hi.

Thank you.

I hereby appoint Christopher Kern of 917 Prospect Avenue membership on the Bethlehem Revitalization Improvement Authority.

This appointment is effective through May 2031.

Administrative order to appoint Christopher Curran to the Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority.

The resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Laird and Ms.

Ms.

Draymond.

Discussion.

Clerk will call the roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Ms.

Daniels.

Aye.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

And Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Just a couple other uh updates.

One is there is the communication, but uh live in the garden does kick off for its fifth year here on Saturday, um, five to nine p.m.

is when the permit is the music will be five to eight.

Um, but you know, it's certainly been something that um has grown over the past four years.

Uh we can't wait to um for Saturday to kick it off again.

So um please, if you have a chance, come check it out.

I know some of you live in the neighborhood, um, but it's really been an opportunity for us to uh bring people together, highlight all the physical improvements in the rose garden, and just really design something that is um as as kind of centered the Bethlehem experience on uh May 14th, Thursday.

Um, if you're free, we have the police award ceremony over at Northeast Middle School from 6 to 7:30, uh, which is always a uh great night as we hear um the letters of commendation that are awarded to our officers for all of the great work that they do, oftentimes in stopping small situations from becoming bigger.

Um, it's one of the only times that you know people in the public get to hear sometimes all of the great work.

So if you do have an opportunity to come out, um, it's six to seven thirty.

It usually isn't that late, usually about an hour, hour and ten minutes or so.

And then finally, um uh in 12 days from now, friendship park, we have a ribbon cutting.

We talked about this the parks meeting.

Um, but a project is at the center of Northside Alive that we've worked for a couple of years on uh at 3 p.m.

So we have our our block party over there from three to six on May 16th.

We're turning the water on into the water feature.

Uh the grasses come in, the baskets are up, so it's really gonna be a wonderful, wonderful day there.

So if you have an opportunity to come out, um uh we're doing the ribbon cutting at three, but the block party will be going from three until six, and that concludes my report.

Um uh council president, thank you.

Thank you so much, sir.

Uh committee reports, Vice President Laird.

Yes, the parks and recreation committee uh met today prior to the city council meeting, um, Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

here in town hall.

Um, the committee reviewed the 40 and 10 parks plan.

The session was for informational purposes only.

No votes were taken.

Uh the full report is available on the city website for any interested uh people to take a look.

Um, and the committee extends its gratitude for the significant efforts invested in creating that plan uh and enthusiastically looks forward to the improvements that are to come soon.

Thank you so much, Vice President Laird.

Moving on to ordinances, we have no ordinances for final passage, and we have no new ordinances, so we're going to move on to resolutions.

Councilman Cologne.

President, I'd like to make a motion of group to use permit agreements together.

So my motion would be to group agenda items 10A through 10 D.

There's a motion on the floor.

Is there a second?

Seconded.

Seconded by Councilman Eamon.

Any discussion on the motion?

I would just say they're all use permit agreements, so it makes sense to vote on them once.

Any other discussion?

Yes, this is something we have done before.

So um right, the clerk will call the roll on the motion.

Mr.

Eyman.

Aye, Mr.

Callahan, Mr.

Cologne, aye, Ms.

Daniels, aye, Quietek.

Aye, Ms.

Laird, aye, and Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Motion passes 7-0.

The clerk will read the resolutions and call the rolls.

Resolution 10A.

Be it resolved that 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, or hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with DK Enterprises for the Mom Market 2026.

Resolution 10B, be it 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 or hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with ArtsQuest for the 2026 St.

Fest.

Resolution 10C.

Be it 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, or hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation by and through its initiative of the South Sides Arts Arts District for the 2026 live on the greenway and resolution 10D.

Be it 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 or hereby authorized to execute a use permit agreement with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce for the 2026 live on the garden concert series.

These resolutions are sponsored by Ms.

Laird and Mr.

Raymond.

Any discussions?

The clerk will call the roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Mr.

Aye.

Ms.

Daniels.

Aye.

Ms.

Kuyac.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

And Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Passes 7010E.

Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Bethlehem in accordance with the municipal records manual.

Hereby authorizes the disposal of public records in the water and sewer resources department as set forth in exhibit A.

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Laird and Miss Mr.

Ayman.

Discussion.

The clerk will call the roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Mr.

Cologne.

Ms.

Daniels.

Aye.

Ms.

Bitek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

And Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Passes 7-0.

I will accept the motion in a second to consider resolutions 10 F through 10H as a group.

So moved.

Second.

Motion by Councilman.

A second by Councilman Cologne.

Any discussion.

I will just say that these three we have four certificates of appropriateness.

We tend to group together ones that are not as controversial.

There is one that I think there are questions about.

So I've only grouped or I've only requested three group together that are standard COAs.

Any other discussion?

The clerk will call the roll on the motion.

Mr.

Raymond.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Ms.

Daniels.

Aye.

Ms.

Kuyatec.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

And Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Passes 7-0.

The clerk will read the resolutions and call the role on the resolutions.

Certificates for appropriateness under the provisions of the act of the Pennsylvania legislature Bethlehem resolution are hereby granted for.

15 East Fourth Street to install new fabric with new logo graphics on the existing aluminum frame and also install new window and door decals as signage for a new commercial tenant.

Resolution 10G, 25 West 3rd Street to install three new signs on three different facades.

And resolution 10H, 306 South New Street to replace existing glass transoms above two entrance doors with metal ventilation louvers.

Okay.

Any discussion?

The clerk will call the roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Ms.

Daniels.

Aye.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Aye.

And Ms.

Leon.

Aye.

Passes 7010 I.

Certificate of appropriateness under the provisions of the Act of the Pennsylvania Legislature, Bethlehem Resolution is hereby granted for 327 South New Street to demolish all four existing structures to construct a new seven-story mixed-use building with ground floor retail and tenant amenity space.

Resolution is sponsored by Ms.

Laird and Mr.

Aman.

Before I open it up for discussion, the reason I removed this one from the group is because this is regarding a demolition that the HTC, correct me if I'm wrong, the HCC recommended the demolition of this site.

So I just want to make sure we know what we're looking at.

Now I don't have the historical uh background on this.

Um that I wasn't here in June of 2021, but there is a note in the HCC's um written recommendation that says that this COA replaces a previously COA, I'm a previously issued COA supported by the HCC on June 21st, 2021, and subsequently approved by council.

Um that identified what structures could be demolished and what was facade was to be retained, along with overall shape, massing, size, scale, and proportions.

HCC is now recommending the um demolition of the existing historic Italian facade at 321-323 South New Street, which is one of the structures to be demolished.

Um because the new design uh appropriately references that facade through massing scale, all of the things that um that they look at.

So and they also note that there are technical challenges involved with retaining and integrating this facade into the project.

So where I struggle a little bit understanding this is that the structure was being knocked down, and now it's it's adding a facade that was going to be retained.

So just that's my own limitation in terms of being able to picture that.

Um that is what this uh proposed COA does.

Okay.

So it's just um kind of expanding the scope a little bit of the prior approval.

So rather than amending that approval, you just it's it's like repealing an ordinary repealing and replacing an ordinance.

Okay.

You pass a new COA.

All right.

So before I answer my questions, I want to open up to council if anybody has any questions.

Councilman Cullen.

Thank you, President Leona.

I just want to kind of give a little more historical content.

My understanding is we passed a COA four-ish years ago.

We're given a certain scope, it was retaining the facade.

The applicant submitted a new application to the HCC.

There is a provision under 1714 unreasonable economic hardship.

It was reviewed in that it would be not economically feasible to kind of adhere to the original COA.

So they requested to demolish the facade.

Am I summing that up correctly, Ms.

Collins?

For more or less.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

Yeah.

No, I'm and that's so that's my understanding.

Is that I remember we had voted on this a couple years ago, they were going to retain some of that.

Now it's not going to be retained.

And again, Article 1714 is the establishing ordinance, which if you read it, it has the unreasonable economic hardship provision in there that I believe was referenced in the hearing for the COA, and that the board was unanimously uh recognizing the hardship, approved the new conditions as are in front of us tonight.

Ms.

Collins, please correct any where I misspoke.

No, that that is all correct.

Um there was a COA in 2021.

The project has since changed in a couple of ways, actually.

Uh in 2021, the project was nine stories tall.

Um, it had more units, it cantilevered over the greenway.

And for a variety of reasons, since that time, the project has changed, including that we didn't want them to go over the greenway, even though the HCC had allowed that.

Um also the project has now come down two stories.

So it's seven stories, doesn't go over the greenway, so it's a little bit thinner.

Um, but also in that time in working on the design, there's a few design features that have changed, including that of the four structures, one facade was like meant to be kind of like saved and incorporated into the new building.

And along with some of these other changes, that the that facade could not be retained.

So that was a part of the overall discussion.

And yes, the argument that they made was both about the structural integrity of the facade and also the economic hardship argument.

But so unanimously, um, the HCC uh, you know, allowed those changes from the original COA.

But yes, the original COA did include demolition of the structures, so there's not really new demolition, it's just some design features and not saving the facade.

Thank you, Ms.

Collins for the historical background.

Thank you, Attorney Stewart for your words too.

And I'll just conclude with I'll be supporting this tonight and affirm what the HCC had unanimously supported.

Any other questions from members of council regarding this COA?

Vice President Laird.

Yeah, so um there's more detail that side by side compares um the existing COA that was passed and the newly proposed one.

Um, and it is concerning to me.

Um I'm wondering um is the active COA was dated June 21st, 2021.

It's now 2026.

What was happening in those almost five years?

Um, because I my concern is this a slippery slope of demolition by neglect, where the demolition was approved in 2020.

Right, but the facades, right?

So if there would have been measures taken to live up to the spirit of the COA five years ago to preserve the facade, like did the facade degrade enough in that time?

And I want to be clear, it's not that they were saving the entire facade.

So there are four different castles, and only only one of them.

It was actually a fairly small component of the overall design.

So what happened in those intervening years, like a number of design changes, the project is, you know, like it's one that we want to see happen, right?

Like these these buildings were approved for demolition at the time because they were in bad shape at the time.

Like that's that's it's not um it's not a situation in which like we were gonna like they were going to retain all of the structures, and then it has since been, you know, they've they've fallen into disrepair.

I mean, it's it's a block that is a priority block to be redeveloped.

Um, and so a few of the changes, I mean, they all they they come from a variety of different and they're also changed that nothing to do.

Yeah, I mean, the ownership group kind of changed somewhat, and I don't necessarily want to reveal every conversation we've had with them about those things, but it's we're gonna put our plans in now, but then this person's out, this person's in, like different things went on as far as that's concerned.

There was a separate conversation having to do with the Canada Lever portion, as far as like this is getting into this idea that some of it came up publicly, is like, are you paying for air rights?

Can you go over different spaces, which we had made clear to the previous group that like no matter what the HCC says, these are real development issues that we're gonna have conversations about that led to then potential redesign of the building?

And just while I have the microphone, it's like some of the history too, is like at one point the building was 104 feet, and then it came down to 88 feet, which is when which was also nine stories, which was the nine-story building that the HCC approved back in June of 2021.

So this one now is, and I appreciate that they start using our Walnut Street garage height that you have to give different height based on what the ground is as far as slope is concerned.

But this one is like 76 and a half, 77, as far as what the height is averaged out or whatever.

So it is substantially shorter than it was that they had recommended before, um, which is another piece of it.

But the delay, councilman, I I don't did not have to do with them.

Sometimes it does, and I think you know we'll enough to know like I'd I'd say that, but there were a lot of other issues that had nothing to do with their design that kind of slowed down this particular project.

That's helpful to know.

I guess my my question still stands of even not thinking about this specific site, but it including it.

If um one of our historic preservation boards says a certain element of a structure must be maintained in a new proposal.

Is the property owner obligated to make a reasonable effort to maintain that element in between the proposal being approved and the the actual project happening?

Or if it falls down in the meantime for any reason, there's a delay for literally any reason.

Is it just that didn't happen?

Like, do they have to try to maintain it?

I'm not gonna speak from the legal side of it as far as like understanding what their legal requirements are.

I can tell you that those are things that we are sensitive to as far as like understanding and making it clear and saying like these are the type of things we'll support if there's any public conversation or not.

But from the time, and and I would start too, and this goes back to the trash guy as well, is like prior private property owner, right?

Like private property owners have a lot of rights as far as their property is concerned, as far as like what we're able to force them to do or what we're not able to force them to do.

But in this particular situation, like I don't know of something that necessarily in this situation would say like you approve a project in like June of 2021, and then you wait a certain period of time, like to get approval for whatever your new project is at some point.

If you wanted to not have that and do a new project, you would have to go back to the HCC, which is essentially what they did here.

But I would tell you from our administration's point of view, is as Ms.

Khan said, like we do want to see it get redeveloped.

If they come back and they said we want, and like the HCC had said we want to recommend that this like stayed, we weren't gonna say not, like we wouldn't say not to do it.

Like we would very much follow them as far as that recommendation or not.

And and I also want to add that um so the original proposal that was approved in 2021, like there was an interest in in saving the facade and and as part of their overall financial plan, but they would have had the opportunity at the time to also make an economic hardship argument, which would have been hey, it's really difficult to save this facade.

And here and and here's the financial cost, and it is too much to bear.

Um, but the project was different at that time.

It was taller, it had more units.

We were at a different point in the construction world.

And like over the intervening time and holding on to the property, like those are financial realities and challenges that the project faced, and they made a valid under the ordinance economic hardship argument in conjunction with the argument that it is like structurally, like the integrity, like anything, anything could be saved for a certain amount of money, but the combination of the structural integrity is such that it's like it's gonna cost a lot of money, and it that's an economic economic hardship on the overall project.

And you know, from the HCC perspective, they then evaluated that, which they are allowed to, and you are allowed to under the ordinance, um, and unanimously recommended like approval of the re remodeled or or redesigned project.

Okay, thank you for the answers.

I have a question.

Um, so the buildings back in 2020, 2021, you had mentioned they were in bad repair.

Were they condemned at all at that time?

I do not know.

I was not here at the time.

Yeah, that predated, we'd have to like look that up.

I think it was a situation where, and I'm talking a little bit off the cuff here, so we'd have to like look up what it was previous administration, previous department, things like that.

Ms.

Carner's not here, their solicitor's not here, the mayor's not here.

So, but I believe that they started thinking about this redevelopment project.

They had then told their tenants we were leaving at a certain period of time.

The city worked with, I believe, two of the tenants to go find new locations for their businesses, and then at that point, they had closed the properties, so nobody was leasing or renting them.

So at that point, there was no active people in there.

So I don't, we don't know what they necessarily did, and I don't know if we have any requirements there.

If somebody's not we have requirements when somebody has to go in there, but as far as like whether or not they had like a turned off the electricity or anything like that, I don't know because I think they have all been vacant since then, if that answers your question.

So and it did partially, but my concern with that building and any other building that's been sitting idle for years is the structural integrity of it and the potential for it to collapse within itself or outward and potentially harm people, other buildings, homes, things of that nature.

Yeah, so do we have um an ordinance, a law of some sort that states that if a building, if I purchase that building, those group of buildings today, and I know that they're structurally not stable, is there anything that the city has to tell me I have um 12 months to get it shared up, not necessarily starting the renovations, but at least to get it stirred up so it's no longer a danger to anybody, or you know, I have two or three years to get construction underway, anything of that nature to keep the property from you know falling apart, literally, similar to what happened on Main Street.

So that's not something we want to see, you know.

So is there anything in place if you're talking about situations where properties are vacant, right?

So the standard is different if somebody is occupying a building residentially or commercially than if the if the property is vacant.

So, you know, of course, the the code sets out requirements for people to have like inhabit a building or to to occupy it for commercial purposes, but in this instance, when it's completely vacant, the standard by which we would get engaged is much higher.

So, like, you know, if a if a building is as you're describing, like literally falling down and interfering with a neighboring property or something, that would be a situation where we would we would potentially get involved.

Often what happens though is if you've got a building that's completely falling apart, if it's not interfering with its neighbors, the most we might do is require, you know, that you fence it off so it's not a nuisance so people don't get into the property.

Um, but if it's not causing a problem necessarily to neighbors or or a danger in that regard, like there's not really much that that we would do if with an unoccupied building.

We get into a related problem we talked about with the trash, where sometimes buildings do and people don't want to pay for them, and then you potentially have to, because we've done that before too, as far as like the redevelopment authority and other people are concerned to much criticism from people necessarily paying to bring down a structure that is uninhabitable and the people aren't doing it or aren't moving it, and there's other places too where we've asked people to fence it off, and then it's falling down, and then that becomes a situation too, where like you need to do something about this, and we will contact them.

This is not that situation though, as far as these buildings are concerned.

There are other buildings that are falling down that we become much more active about, and Mike Simonson and the building code and so on and so forth will get engaged at that point.

Okay, thank you.

Any other discussion for members of council?

Uh, the only question I had was for attorney steward, and um, I I believe that this the COA will pass one way or another, but if it weren't to pass, does it just revert to the previous COA that allowed for demolition anyway?

The previous COA passed and it stands.

This is seeking to replace it.

Okay, so the demolition stands anyway.

The only thing that would be changing is the preservation of I think it's Pat's news stand, which is the facade that would be saved.

Okay.

So that I think that's the context that's necessary to understand is the the demolition stands regardless of the outcome of this evening because the demolitions that was approved years ago.

Um so if there's no further discussion from members of council, then I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Mr.

Raymond.

Aye.

Mr.

Callahan.

Aye.

Mr.

Cologne.

Aye.

Ms.

Daniels?

Nay.

Ms.

Quietek.

Aye.

Ms.

Laird.

Nay.

Ms.

Leon.

Nay.

Passes four three.

That concludes this evening's agenda.

Get home safe, everyone.

Jesus, that was a close time.

Wow, Rachel played it close to the best to the end.

Did you think I was gonna be that?

I just I think they should preserve the facade.

I have no idea.

I had no idea.

I mean, Rachel is.