Lehigh City Council Work Session Summary for January 6, 2026

The Lehigh City Council convened on January 6, 2026, for a worksession led by Mayor Paul Benz, presiding with Council members Heather, James, Rachel, Michelle, and Emily Lockhart. The session focused on organizational structure, procedural updates, and the adoption of new meeting protocols, including a vote to select Councilwoman Stallings as Mayor Pro Tem. Staff provided detailed presentations on Rules of Order, the Ethics Act, and public engagement standards, leading to a discussion on balancing staff workload, public accessibility, and the need for deep-dive budget deliberations.

Consent Calendar

• Selection of Mayor Pro Tem: Council unanimously voted to elect Councilwoman Stallings as Mayor Pro Tem. Councilman Harrison expressed full support, citing her extensive knowledge of the city code and prior deference shown by colleagues. Councilwoman Freeman supported the motion without reservation. Councilwoman Stallings accepted the role, noting she will learn the duties from the Mayor as he did.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Note: No public comments were delivered during this work session, as the Mayor clarified that work sessions typically do not include public comment periods, though they are recorded and publicly accessible.

Discussion Items

2026 City Council Meeting Schedule and Agendas

• Proposal to Add Work Sessions: Councilwoman Newell proposed adding approximately nine work sessions throughout the year, occurring during the second and fourth weeks of each month on Thursdays. She argued that separate, weekday sessions would allow for consensus building, mimic the planning commission's successful model, and alleviate the burden of late-night meetings for staff and the public.
• Concerns Regarding Thursday Scheduling: Councilwoman Freeman expressed full support for the concept of more work sessions but opposed holding them on Thursdays. She argued that Thursday is already reserved for the Planning Commission, and adding Council work sessions would overwhelm the Planning Department and confuse commissioners who are restricted from discussing items with other council members. She also noted the conflict with evening community meetings typically held on Thursdays and with DRC meetings on Wednesdays.
• Concerns Regarding Tuesday Scheduling: Councilwoman Stallings voiced opposition to holding work sessions on Tuesdays immediately preceding regular sessions. She cited the risk of "decision fatigue," arguing that council members would be too mentally exhausted to vote effectively after a full day of deep discussion. She stated she desires council members to be fresh for voting.
• Public Accessibility Concerns: Councilwoman Freeman raised a significant concern that scheduling work sessions at 1:00 PM on Thursdays would exclude residents with full-time jobs, thereby limiting public engagement in critical budget and general plan discussions. She advocated for times that allow broader resident attendance.
• Strategic Discussion: Councilman Harrison suggested consolidating sessions to avoid overburdening staff and noted that holding sessions every other week (skipping weeks for individual assignments) would be beneficial. The Mayor agreed to review the schedule, considering the need for a separate day for deep dives into budget issues and master plans while ensuring staff have adequate time to prepare.

Rules of Order and Procedure

• Presentation Review: City Staff presented the Municipal Code regarding rules of order, emphasizing that failure to observe rules does not invalidate council actions. The group discussed Robert's Rules of Order as a loose guideline, with staff recommending roll call votes for all items to facilitate accurate minute-keeping.
• Postponement vs. Tabling: Council members inquired about the distinction between tabling and postponing items. Staff clarified that "postponing" is preferred as it sets a specific return date or condition (e.g., "until the traffic report is ready"), whereas "tabling" can imply indefinite delay until an item is untabled. Councilwoman Stallings confirmed she prefers postponing to ensure items do not disappear from the agenda.
• Public Comment Protocols: Council discussed the 20-minute citizen input period at the start of regular meetings and the handling of "e-comments." Councilwoman Newell expressed strong support for having public comment during regular meetings on an item-by-item basis to ensure decisions are informed by the public. The Mayor confirmed a plan to allocate 20 minutes for open comment at the start of meetings, though finalizing this for every item is still a work in progress.
• Code of Conduct: The council reviewed expectations for decorum, including prohibitions on personal attacks, berating staff, and unauthorized remarks. It was noted that the Mayor has full discretion to remove disruptive individuals and that unauthorized disruption can be prosecuted as a Class B misdemeanor. Council members discussed the nuance of free speech versus decorum, with the Mayor and staff agreeing that threats of violence or continued refusal to obey time limits would result in removal, whereas content-based disagreements are protected.
• Individual Authority: Staff reminded the council that no single member can represent the body without a vote. Councilwoman Stallings and others discussed the best practice of clearly stating "this is my opinion" during media interviews to avoid the impression of speaking for the entire council.

Ethics Act and Conflict of Interest

• Financial Disclosures: Staff reminded new members that financial disclosure forms must be submitted between January 1st and January 31st. Council members discussed the nuance of the $50 gift limit, with the Mayor noting that the "safe harbor" exists but that the actual legal standard focuses on whether a gift appears to influence a decision.
• Recusal Protocols: Through hypothetical scenarios (e.g., a neighbor to a rezoned property, a spouse working for a developer), the council discussed when to disclose conflicts versus when to recuse. The consensus was that if there is any potential for personal financial or economic benefit, the council member must recuse themselves entirely from discussion and voting. Councilwoman Stallings noted her policy of meeting residents and developers pre-meeting but emphasized the necessity of disclosing such meetings publicly during the council session.
• Electronic Communication: The Mayor clarified the exception to the Open Meetings Act allowing council members to share information electronically (email/text) without discussing it, provided there is no group deliberation. However, staff warned that sharing opinions or soliciting responses via group email could violate the spirit of the Open Meetings Act and recommended one-on-one conversations for safety.
• Criminal Penalties: Staff emphasized that using public office for personal gain, if not disclosed and potentially involving felonious amounts, could result in a second-degree felony charge, underscoring the severity of ethical compliance.

Key Outcomes

• Election of Mayor Pro Tem: Councilwoman Stallings was unanimously elected Mayor Pro Tem (5 Yes votes: Heather, James, Rachel, Michelle, Emily).

• Schedule Study Group: The Mayor agreed to take the proposed 2026 meeting schedule under advisement. He committed to meeting with staff (Jason and Cam) to finalize a schedule that balances the need for work sessions, staff workload, and public accessibility, with a target to distribute the finalized schedule within a few weeks.

• Budget Retreat Adjustment: The council addressed a scheduling conflict regarding the all-day budget retreat on January 29th. Councilwoman Freeman noted a council member cannot attend due to a family commitment. The Mayor agreed to meet with staff to either extend the retreat to two days or move it to the 5th of February to ensure 100% attendance.

• Information Distribution: Staff committed to providing council members with necessary information at least one week in advance of meetings, rather than leaving items until the day of, to allow for adequate review and preparation.

• Procedural Adoption: The council generally accepted the proposed Rules of Order and Ethics Act guidelines, with an agreement to conduct a formal Open Meetings Act training with Ryan in the coming weeks.