[Roll Call]
          [00:00:10]
          START THIS SPECIAL MEETING. WE'LL START THIS SPECIAL MEETING NOW. AND THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S SPECIAL MEETINGS ARE PRESENTATIONS BY THE ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY, ALONG WITH DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE. THIS IS BEEN BEEN A PRIORITY FOR ME THIS YEAR. HAVING HAVING OUR NEIGHBOR, OUR OUR CITY PARTNERS COME IN AND HELP US UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE WORKING IN THE CITY AND HOW WE CAN BETTER COLLABORATE. WE STARTED WITH LEHIGH COUNTY. 
          WE WE CONTINUE WITH THE ALLENTOWN PARKING AUTHORITY, ALLENTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. WE HAD A GREAT WORKSHOP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AND ALSO AN ISDA. 
          [15-8456 Allentown Housing Authority Presentation]
SO WE HAVE TWO MORE REMAINING ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE HAVE MR. JULIO GARRITY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERE TONIGHT. WELCOME. AND THEN FOLLOWING ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY, WE HAVE DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MISS LISA FINKELSTEIN. 
          SO THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO YOU, MR. GARRITY. WELCOME. AND THANK YOU FOR FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU. AND I AM PLEASED TO COME OVER IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. I WANT TO JUST POINT OUT THAT TWO PEOPLE THAT I ADMIRE A LOT AND RIGHT BEHIND US THAT WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH US AT VICKY KESSLER AND MARK HARNEY. AND THEY'RE ALMOST PART OF SOME OF THE THINGS I'M GOING TO BE SAYING HERE. SO I'M PLANNING TO JUST TALK ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT THINGS HERE. 
          WHO IS THE ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY? ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING HOUSING PROGRAMS. SO THE ALLENTOWN AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO READ SOME OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT MAKES IT FASTER. SO THE MISSION IS. PROVIDING SAFETY, DECENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND DISABLED RESIDENTS OF THE ALLENTOWN REGION. THE ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS BEEN OPENING DOORS SINCE 1937. SOME OF THE CORE VALUES THAT WE HAVE, THE PRIMARY CORE VALUES ARE FIVE AND THEIR SAFETY MATTERS. SO PROTECTING THE SAFETY, DIGNITY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY, INTEGRITY WITHIN COMMITMENT WITHIN OURSELVES AND THE ORGANIZATION TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY. LEAD WITH PURPOSE. EACH OF US IS COMMITTED TO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCOMPLISH POSITIVE, SUCCESSFUL RESULTS. COMMITMENT TO RESPECT, MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL OPINIONS MATTER AND SUPPORT THE WAY FORWARD. ENCOURAGE INNOVATION. WE SUPPORT OPEN COMMUNICATION TO IDENTIFY AND OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND MEET OUR MUTUAL GOALS. SO THOSE ARE OUR FIVE CORE VALUES THAT WE MANAGE OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH. THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT PRIMARILY TWO MAJOR PROGRAMS, AND ONE OF THEM IS HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM, HCV. P, AND OUR PARTICIPANTS USE HOUSING SUBSIDY TO FIND THEIR OWN PRIVATELY OWNED RENTAL HOUSING, INCLUDING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, TOWNHOUSES, AND APARTMENTS. RATHER THAN ASSIGNING YOU TO PUBLIC HOUSING. 
          THE LOCAL PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY PAYS A HOUSING SUBSIDY DIRECTLY TO YOUR CHOSEN LANDLORD ON YOUR BEHALF. SO THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE WHAT WE DO BASICALLY IS GENERALLY PARTICIPATES 30% OF TO 40% OF THE ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME FOR THE RENT AND UTILITIES. SO INSTEAD OF WE PROVIDING HOUSING, THEY CAN GET A VOUCHER AND MAKE A DEAL. THEY SIGN A LEASE WITH A CONTRACT WITH THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, AND WE PAY UP TO THEY PAY UP TO 30%. WE PAY THE REST SO THAT THOSE ARE THE, THEY USED TO CALL IT SECTION A VOUCHERS PRETTY MUCH. OKAY, SO WE'RE CALLING HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS. THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF VOUCHERS, PUBLIC HOUSING. UNLIKE RENTAL VOUCHERS, THESE HOMES ARE OWNED AND DIRECTLY MANAGED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY RANGE FROM SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES TO HIGH RISES, HIGH RISE APARTMENTS. PARTICIPANTS GENERALLY PAY ROUGHLY 30% OF THE ADJUSTED GROSS MONTHLY INCOME TOWARD THE RENT AND UTILITIES, WHILE HUD SUBSIDIZES THE REMAINDER. 
          PHSPHS, WHICH ARE PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING AND OPERATING THE PROPERTY, SO WE DO ALMOST EVERYTHING FOR THE PROPERTIES, MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY, HELP THEM OUT TO CLEAN THE THE SURROUNDING. AND BASICALLY THEY JUST LIVE THERE WITH SOMETHING BREAKS. WE TAKE CARE OF IT. CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM CONSISTS 
          [00:05:07]
OF. WE ARE MONITORING. CURRENTLY 1691 VOUCHERS. THAT'S A LOT OF VOUCHERS. WE ADMINISTERED MOST VOUCHERS IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY. THE CHART BELOW YOU HAVE. THAT IS BREAK. 
          BREAK DOWN OF THE TYPE VOUCHERS AND HOW THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED. SO IT'S NOT JUST HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT ONE TYPE OF VOUCHERS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VOUCHERS THAT WE HAVE, AND SOME OF THEM ARE TELL YOU LIKE UNIT UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE VMS, WHICH IS A VOUCHER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN CONTROLS THAT VOUCHERS, THE HCV, WHICH IS HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS. WE HAVE 1292. THOSE ARE THE PRETTY MUCH THE SECTION THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE USED TO LISTEN TO PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. SO WE HAVE VOUCHERS THAT WE CAN DO. 
          SOMEBODY IS DOING A PROJECT AND THEY NEED SOME VOUCHERS. WE CAN ASSIGN SOME VOUCHERS TO THAT OR THOSE VOUCHERS. THEY DON'T GO DIRECTLY FROM HUD TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS. THEY COME TO US AND THEN WE HAVE TO ASSIGN ASSIGN THOSE TYPE VOUCHERS, THE GOAL OF PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. 
          AND THAT HELPS SOME OF THE HIGH RISES OR LANDOWNERS TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THE TENANTS THERE AT A LOW RATE. THE OTHER ONES ARE THE VOUCHER IS A VETERAN AFFAIRS SUPPORTING VOUCHERS. WE HAVE 55 POURED OUT BUILDING 44. SO THOSE ARE VOUCHERS. AS YOU MAY KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE A VOUCHER, THEY CAN PUT THEM OUT. THEY CAN ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PUERTO RICO, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. THEY CAN USE THAT VOUCHER, LEAVE THERE. AND THE SAME THING WE PUT THEM IN. WE CAN ACCEPT VOUCHERS FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND OTHER STATES AND PLACES LIKE PUERTO RICO AND VIRGIN ISLANDS. THE EEHV IS ALSO EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER. 
          WE ARE NOT ALLOWED ANYMORE TO GET. WE'RE NOT GETTING THOSE VOUCHERS ANYMORE. HUD MADE A DECISION THAT THEY WERE NOT GIVEN THOSE EMERGENCY VOUCHERS THAT WE. WE HAD SOME. WE THINK WE JUST HAD ONE JUST TO HEAR THIS. THIS CAME FROM A MARCH REPORT, BUT WE HAD TO TURN THEM ALL IN. WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE VOUCHERS, TURN THEM INTO A HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER SO WE CAN USE THEM FOR OTHER RESIDENTS. AND WE HAVE ONE OWNERSHIP VOUCHER. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WITH A VOUCHER, IF SOMEBODY OWNS A VOUCHER OR HAS A VOUCHER, THEY CAN ACTUALLY TURN THAT VOUCHER INTO BY PAYING, THEY'RE BUYING A HOUSE AND PAYING, MAKING AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BANK THAT MAKES THE LOAN FOR THE HOUSE, AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY PAY THEIR MORTGAGE WITH A VOUCHER. THE OTHER ONE IS A FAMILY REUNIFICATION VOUCHER. WE HAVE TWO OF THOSE AND WE HAVE HOUSING STABILITY VOUCHERS. WE HAVE FIVE. SO THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VOUCHERS. PUBLIC HOUSING. WE HAVE FIVE HIGH RISES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          ONE IS CENTRAL PARK THAT'S IN THE EAST SIDE OF ALLENTOWN, GRENADA STREET. AND WE HAVE OFFERS 71 BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR 60 CITIZENS, 62 YEARS OLDER AND OR DISABLED, 700 BUILDING THAT'S ON SEVEN AND WEST UNION STREET. IF YOU GO ON SEVENTH STREET, YOU CAN GO NO MORE. 
          IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU HAVE TO MAKE A RIGHT OR LEFT THAT OFFERS 124 ONE BEDROOM AND FOUR AND FOUR TWO BEDROOM APARTMENTS WITH FOR CITIZENS 62 AND OLDER. SO OR BEFORE, IF YOU REMEMBER, ANYBODY WHO WAS IN A HIGH RISE HAD TO BE 62 YEARS OLD OR OLDER. NOW WE ACTUALLY IF THEY HAVE A DISABILITY. AND THAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY CLOSED THE STATE HOSPITALS IN PENNSYLVANIA. YOU. WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE. AS LONG AS THEY'RE ADULTS, THEY CAN. THEY HAVE A DISABILITY. THEY CAN LIVE IN THOSE APARTMENTS. SO YOU CAN HAVE A 23, 24 YEAR OLD LIVING RIGHT NEXT TO SOMEBODY WHO IS 70 YEARS OLD. AND THAT SOMETIMES WORKS OUT. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. BUT IT'S JUST A RULE. SO WE HAVE A GROSS TOWERS EAST AND GROSS TOWER AND GROSS TOWERS IS ONE ANOTHER. GROSS TOWER IS WHERE OUR OFFICES ARE, AND THAT OFFERS 147 ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS AND EFFICIENCY UNITS FOR CITIZENS. THE SAME TYPE OF TENANTS WHICH ARE 62 AND OLDER OR AND OR WITH DISABILITY TOWARDS EAST, HAS THAT'S OVER IN 1337, RIGHT NEXT TO GROSS TOWERS. AND THAT HAS 129 ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR CITIZENS TO ANOTHER AND OR DISABLED. ONE OR MINOR. THAT'S OVER ON 15TH AND WALNUT STREET, 144 ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT AND SIX TWO 
          [00:10:04]
BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF POPULATION. PUBLIC HOUSING AND PUBLIC HOUSING, GARDEN, CUMBERLAND GARDENS AND YOU ALL KNOW CORNWALL GARDENS IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF ALLENTOWN AT OFFICES AT 501 EAST CUMBERLAND. THAT WAS JUST REHABBED IN 2012 AND HAS 200 UNITS MADE UP OF 1 TO 4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES, SCATTERED SITES. THE CITY OWNS SEVERAL. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, NOT THE CITY. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNS SEVERAL SMALLER SITES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND FOR THE SAME POPULATION, WE HAVE ONE AT 42, 42, ONE BEDROOM AND APARTMENTS ARE AT 410 MARKET STREET, 102 TO 104 EAST WYOMING STREET AND 616 TO 634 NORTH GAFFEY STREET. THAT'S IN EAST SIDE CITY UNITS. THAT CONSISTS OF 72 UNITS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, INCLUDING 1 TO 4 BEDROOMS. NEXT IS THE ALLENTOWN DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDIT PROPERTIES. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT COMES USUALLY FROM A THEY CALL IT A LIGHT TECH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT. BRIDGE SIDE STREET. THAT'S WHAT USED TO BE LITTLE LEHIGH. WE CONVERTED THAT. WE BUILT 50 UNITS OVER THERE. AND THEY ALSO CONSIST OF ONE, TWO, THREE AND FOUR BEDROOMS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THAT WE CHANGED THE NAME TO BRIDGE SIDE ESTATE FROM LITERALLY HIGH. AND THAT WAS THE PHASE ONE THAT WE DID. AND LITERALLY 50 UNITS IS BEAUTIFUL. IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THERE, PLEASE DO. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL UNIT. WE ACTUALLY WORKING, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE WHILE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE WORKING ON PHASE TWO ON THAT. OVERLOOK PARK IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S USED TO BE CALLED HANOVER ACRES. THAT'S A 445 HANOVER AVENUE THAT IS ACTUALLY HAS THAT HAS 269 1 TO 4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS, TOWNHOMES, AND IT HAS FRONT PORCHES AND GREEN SPACES. THAT IS AN EXCELLENT PROJECT. THOSE HOUSES OVER THERE WERE ACTUALLY THE PROJECT THAT WAS THERE WAS BUILT BACK IN 1937, I THINK IT WAS, AND IT WAS THE ONE OF THE OLDEST WHEN WE TORE IT DOWN AND REPLACE THEM. IT WAS THE OLDEST HOUSING PROJECT IN AMERICA. AND THAT ONE IS, I THINK IT WAS WHEN WE WHEN IT WAS BUILT, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT ACTUALLY CAME OVER TO THAT SITE, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THAT. SO IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, GO OVER. THEY USED TO CALL IT THE HOLE, WHICH WAS DOWN THE HALL, DOWN THE STREET. 
          AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL HOUSING. WHEN WE DID THAT, WE DID THAT WITH A HOPE SIX PROJECT. I WAS IN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THAT TIME, AND THE HOPE SIX PROJECTS WAS ALMOST LIKE 80 TO $90 MILLION PROJECT THAT WE DID THERE, TEAR DOWN ALL THOSE HOUSES. AND WE ALSO BUILT ADJACENT TO IT SOME AN AREA OF HOMEOWNERSHIP. SO IT'S BEAUTIFUL. NO PROBLEMS THERE. 
          IT'S GROWING REALLY WELL. AND 269 1 TO 4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS THERE. THAT IS MANAGED BY PENNROSE. WE OWN THE PROPERTIES, BUT THE MANAGED BY PENNROSE RIGHT NOW AND WHICH IS A DEVELOPER HOUSING DEVELOPER. UNDERSTANDING THE WAIT, THE WAITING LIST. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL SOMETIMES AND THEY WANT TO GET INTO HOUSING, BUT WE HAVE THE WAITING LIST AND WE CAN'T CHANGE THAT. I CANNOT CALL AND SAY, I KNOW YOU, YOU WERE IN CITY COUNCIL, SO CAN YOU GET ME A PROPERTY? NO, WE DON'T DO THAT. OKAY. SO SO THAT PROGRAM HAS ALLENTOWN HOUSING OPERATES THESE PROGRAMS, PUBLIC HOUSING. WE HAVE A TOTAL UNIT 729, BUT WE HAVE A WAITING LIST OF 303,132 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT NEED FOR HOUSING, NSA, WHICH ARE NEIGHBORING STABILIZATION AREAS. THOSE ARE PROPERTIES THAT WERE BOUGHT BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY BACK IN THE 80S. AND THEY'RE VERY POOR CONDITION. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. THE IDEA WAS AT ONE POINT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO JUST SELL THEM OFF. WE HAVEN'T SOLD THEM OFF, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF 73 OF THEM AND THEY NEED A LOT OF WORK. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. THE WAITING LIST FOR THOSE IS 488 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS. WE HAVE 1826, AND WE HAVE A WAITING LIST OF 12,102. PEOPLE NOW KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE APPLICANTS MAYBE MAY APPLY FOR DIFFERENT THINGS AND FOR DIFFERENT PROPERTIES. OKAY. 
          THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SO MANY OF THEM. ADDITIONAL UNITS OWNED BY THE CITY AND MANAGED BY THIRD 
          [00:15:04]
PARTY OVERLOOK PARK. I TALKED ABOUT THAT. THAT'S A 269 UNITS. AND BRIDGE SIDE ESTATES IS ALSO MANAGED BY PENNROSE. WE ARE BUILDING, AND I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THAT. 
          WE'RE BUILDING ANOTHER PHASE TWO THAT IS GOING TO BE MANAGED BY US IN THE IN THE BOTTOM YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO WHAT IS REPORTED TO THE BOARD EVERY YEAR. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ASK IT LATER ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES, PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE RESIDENT OPPORTUNITY AND SELF-SUFFICIENT PROGRAM. WE CALL IT THE ROSS PROGRAM, AND THAT IS THROUGH NEEDS ASSESSMENT, CASE MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY REFERRALS TO ROSS SERVICES COORDINATOR WHO HELPS RESIDENTS ADVANCE TOWARD GOALS TO BEST FIT THEIR NEEDS. WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT NEEDS BY OTHER PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE THAT LIVE IN OUR PROPERTIES, AND THIS THIS PROGRAM, SOCIAL SERVICES, WE PROVIDE A NUMBER OF SERVICES THAT FROM, YOU KNOW, PSYCHOLOGISTS OR HEALTH SERVICES, FOOD, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. AND THAT HELPS THE TENANTS HAVE A BETTER LIFE. SO THEY TALK ABOUT WE PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT, DISABILITY SERVICES, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, EDUCATION, YOUTH, FINANCIAL LITERACY AND AGING IN PLACE. A HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BUT THE GOAL IS TO ASSIST THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYER SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION BETWEEN BEING A RENTER TO BECOMING A HOMEOWNER. AND I TOLD YOU HOW THAT HAPPENS. THE ELIGIBILITY ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS, THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENT GOES TOWARDS THE MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENT WITH THE OTHER, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THE LENDER INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE LANDLORD. SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO BUY A PROPERTY, THEY PAY THE LENDER, THE BANK OR THE HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY. AND WE NOT THE FINANCE AGENCY AND HOUSING LENDER INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, RENTING FROM A SELF-SUFFICIENT PROGRAM, ASSIST RESIDENTS WITH BUILDING FINANCIAL ASSETS BY WORKING TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GOALS. 
          SERVICES INCLUDE SETTING GOALS, CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND EARNING SAVINGS FOR INCREASED EARNED INCOME. HOUSING. ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY SCHOLARSHIP THAT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, AND CURRENT RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST BE HIGH, HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR OR ADULT WHO IS PLANNING ON ATTENDING A SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM. SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY BETWEEN SEMESTER FOR A TOTAL OF 1500 PER SCHOOL YEAR, AND CAN CONTINUE UP TO FOUR YEARS TO $6,000. MAXIMUM FUTURE PROJECTS SOME OF THESE FUTURE PROJECTS IS WHAT I WAS JUST ALLUDING TO, LITERALLY PHASE TWO, AND THAT PROJECT IS GOING TO CONSIST OF 35 NEW TAX CREDIT UNITS AND COMPOSED OF ONE, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS. AND THAT THAT PROJECT WE'RE WORKING ON, HOPEFULLY BY NEXT YEAR, WHICH ARE THE BUILDING THERE. WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT AN LOI FROM A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT WILL HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT. WE ALSO OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE IT'S A A. A SECTION A, I'M SORRY, A PEN LIGHT TECH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROJECT. WE OBVIOUSLY GOT THAT FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY. OKAY. LAST ON SIXTH STREET. THAT'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS A FOR 28 NORTH SIXTH STREET. AND I WANT TO THANK VICKI AND HER TEAM, INCLUDING MARK, WHO HAS DONE WONDERFUL THINGS. AND THAT'S ON FOR 28. YOU REMEMBER ON SIXTH STREET, THEY USED TO BE A A FUNERAL HOME THERE YEARS AGO, AND NOW IT'S JUST AN EMPTY LOT. OKAY. SO WE WORKED WITH THE CITY, WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD A UNIT APARTMENT THERE. AND PRIMARILY FOUR OF THOSE UNITS IS WE GOT A GRANT AND WE ALSO WORKING WITH THE THE CITY. AND THOSE EIGHT OF THE FOUR OF THOSE UNITS WILL BE FOR VASH FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS VOUCHERS HOLDERS. OKAY. HOME OWNERSHIP PHASE ONE. SO SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SCATTERED SITES. PREVIOUS FIVE PREVIOUS PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS THAT WILL BE FULLY RENOVATED, TRANSITIONED TO HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS FOR THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYER. THEY HAD TO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA, INCLUDING BEING UP TO 80% OF THE ARMY OR THE AREA. SO FOR THEM TO GET TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, WE SOLD TWO OF THOSE. 
          [00:20:08]
WE SOMETIMES SPEND MORE THAN WHAT WE FIXING THEM AND BRINGING THEM UP TO NOT ONLY CODE, MAKE THEM LOOK NICE. AND WE SAW THEM ACTUALLY, THE TWO THAT WE SOLD, I THINK IT WAS $150 APIECE. ONE OF THEM WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE. WE DID A GREAT JOB WITH THEM ON. IT'S ON ALLEN STREET. THE OTHER ONE WAS ON SIXTH STREET AND THAT WAS ALSO IT WAS THE TOTAL OF THE TOTAL RENOVATION DETERIORATED INSIDE AND WE SAW THAT WAS 452 FAMILIES LIVING THERE AND TWO DIFFERENT FAMILIES LIVING IN EACH HOME. BEAUTIFUL, DOING REALLY WELL. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER PHASE TWO THAT WE HAVE FIVE PREVIOUS PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS THAT WILL BE FULLY RENOVATED AND TRANSITIONED TO HOME OWNERSHIP AS WELL. FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYER, WE ALREADY COMPLETED FOUR OF THOSE PROPERTIES. IN FACT, ON MONDAY WE WERE HERE GETTING A SUBDIVISION FROM THE OF THE OF THE PROPERTIES. KIND OF IT'S REALLY WEIRD BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT A LONG TIME AGO. SOMEBODY BUILT THESE TWO HOUSES ALMOST AT THE CORNER OF FAIR STREET AND GORDON STREET, BUT THERE'S A HOUSE ON SIXTH STREET. SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU THINK THAT PROPERTY WAS IN THE PATIO OR THE HOUSE ON THOSE TWO PROPERTIES IN THE BODY OF THOSE HOUSES. THE HOUSE IS ON SIXTH STREET, BUT IT'S A GREAT PROJECT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SELLING THOSE PROPERTIES AS SOON AS YOU CAN. SPREAD THE WORD. 80% OF THE AM, I CAN QUALIFY. SO A FAMILY OF FOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSE TO $80,000. OKAY. 
          SO THE MAXIMUM THAT THEY CAN MAKE. AND WE ALSO HAVE A MORTGAGE, BY THE WAY, THE MORTGAGE IS $20,000 AND THEY STAY THERE. THEY COULD GET UP TO $20,000 AND KIND OF THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY. IT WILL BE FORGIVEN. OKAY, SO THAT'S MY TIME IS UP. OKAY. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THEM WITH YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND YEAH, NO, YOU'RE GOOD ON TIME, MR. GREEDY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. I'LL I'LL GO TO MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING YOUR ORGANIZATION, MISS GERLACH. GO AHEAD. YES. THANK YOU. I HAVE A LOT, BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THE HOMEOWNER ASPECT, AT LEAST INITIALLY, BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT ASK MY QUESTIONS. THE OTHER ONES I HAVE. SO ALL RIGHT. SO FOR THE ONES ON THE LAST SLIDE WHERE YOU HAD WHERE IT STATED FIRST TIME HOME OWNER OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK IT WAS LIKE FIVE, WOULD THOSE FOLKS HAVE TO ALREADY HAVE A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER OR THOSE? THAT'S JUST ANYONE THAT'S LOOKING BUY ONE. YEAH. GOOD QUESTION. THANK YOU, MISS GERLACH. NO, THOSE ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HAD A HOUSE, OR AT LEAST FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND THAT THEY, THEY HAD TO BE BANK QUALIFIED. SO THEY HAD TO GET A LOAN MORTGAGE FROM A BANK OR A FINANCING WAY. YEAH. OKAY. JUST REGULAR WAY. BUT WE WILL HELP THEM TO FIRST OF ALL, THE HOUSES ARE REAL NICE INSIDE. WE MADE THEM REAL NICE AND OUTSIDE AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PAY HIM. BUT IF THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO FOR A DOWN PAYMENT, WE CAN DO THAT SOFT MORTGAGE THAT I SPOKE ABOUT. OKAY, NOW FOR THE FOLKS WHO DO HAVE A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER, ARE THERE GOALS LIKE THAT SIMILAR WHERE, HEY, OUR GOAL WAS TO GET FIVE PEOPLE CURRENTLY WITH A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER TO BUY A HOME. WE ACTUALLY THAT'S THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. OKAY. ONE OF THEM, THEY ALREADY HAVE VOUCHERS. THE OTHER ONE ANYBODY CAN GET AS LONG AS THEY QUALIFY WITH THE 80% OR LESS. OKAY. SO THEY CAN GO WITH THE PROGRAM. I MEAN, GO WITH THE VOUCHER AND SAY, LOOK, I'M LOOKING FOR A HOUSE AND I COULD USE IT. SO THE ISSUE IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY COME AND TALK TO US. AND THERE'S A LADY BY THE NAME OF MELISSA EICHLER. YOU CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE, ACTUALLY SEE IT, ALLENTOWN HOUSING.ORG. AND THEY WERE HELPING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND TEACHING, YOU KNOW, HELPING ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO BUY THE HOUSE. OKAY. 
          YEAH. BECAUSE I MEAN, THAT WAS ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD, I GUESS. HOW WELL DO PEOPLE KNOW THIS? DO PEOPLE WHO LIVE LIKE, DO PEOPLE ON SECTION EIGHT? BECAUSE I DON'T I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS ON SECTION EIGHT, AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA THEY COULD BUY A HOUSE USING THEIR VOUCHER. 
          YEAH, IT'S A NEW PROGRAM. YEAH, IT'S A NEW PROGRAM. THEY GO TO OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE GOT, I THINK WE HAD TO DO A LITTLE BETTER JOB OF TAKING, YOU KNOW, DOING THINGS LIKE THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY SO THEY KNOW, OH YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. WE REALLY LOVE TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THERE FOR. YEAH, THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF THERE WAS LIKE A REALLY A CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO LET FOLKS KNOW BECAUSE I'M SURE 
          [00:25:01]
ESPECIALLY LIKE THE PEOPLE SAY WHO OR LIKE CASE MANAGERS OR WHATNOT, THEY KNOW LIKE THE FINANCES OF THE PEOPLE THEY KNOW, HEY, YOU GOT A STEADY JOB. LIKE THEY KNOW WHO'S ABLE TO MAYBE GET TO THAT POINT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IS A LOT OF THE BANKS ACTUALLY GIVE THEM DOWN PAYMENT MONEY. LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT IT'S NO SECRET, YOU SAY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, YEAH, THEY ACTUALLY GIVE THEM $10,000. THE FIRST PERSON THAT THE PEOPLE THAT BOUGHT THE, THE ONE ON ALLEN STREET, IT WAS A DIFFERENT PROGRAM. THAT WAS THE HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM. IT'S NOT LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE VOUCHERS. 
          YEAH. THAT ONE. ANYBODY CAN GO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE VOUCHERS. BUT THE ONE LADY WHO BOUGHT THAT PROPERTY GOT, I THINK IT WAS $18,000 THAT THE BANK JUST GAVE TO THEM. THEY HAD THAT KIND OF MONEY. THEY USUALLY GET THE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF PITTSBURGH OR ANYWHERE, PHILADELPHIA, WHATEVER. GOTCHA. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. NO, I THINK IF WORKING WITH THE CITY AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, IF THERE'S A WAY TO REALLY AMP THAT UP, THAT WOULD BE THAT'D BE GREAT. LET ME JUST NOT ASK EVERYTHING. 0600 WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SPEAK NOT LIKE A DISSERTATION, BUT JUST YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S YOU REUNIFICATION FUND HOUSING AND THEN THERE'S STABILITY HOUSING. LIKE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? REUNIFICATION. THE VOUCHER, THERE'S A VOUCHER THAT CAN BE USED FOR REUNIFICATION. AND THEN THERE'S A VOUCHER THAT CAN BE USED FOR STABILITY. JUST I THINK I HAVE AN IDEA, BUT REUNIFICATION WERE VOUCHERS THAT IF THE FAMILY WERE HOMELESS, THEY WOULD GO UP TO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE ONE OF THESE. WHAT, WHAT IS THAT CALLED? THE ONE THAT IF YOU GET ABUSED AND YOU GO OVER TO, OH, LIKE TURNING POINT, TURNING POINT. YES. SO THEY GO OVER THERE AND THEY ACTUALLY THEY HAVE A VOUCHER THAT WE CAN GET THEM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. OKAY. GOT YOU. AND IT'S STABILITY VOUCHER IS THE SAME THING THEY DON'T DO. WE DON'T GET AS MANY STABILITY VOUCHERS. I FORGOT HOW MUCH WE HAVE. OH. SO OKAY, SO THEN FROM KEEPING THE FAMILY TOGETHER INSTEAD OF HAVING THEM BE LOST, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT. SO THEN YOU THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S GIVEN X AMOUNT OF VOUCHERS PER EACH CATEGORY. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU ALL DECIDE HOW TO LIKE DELEGATE THAT. CORRECT. OKAY. YEAH. EVERY, EVERY VOUCHER IS SEPARATE, DIFFERENT THINGS. LIKE IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY VOUCHER THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE, THAT'S SEPARATE. GOT THE VOUCHER, WHICH ARE THE, THE VETERANS VOUCHERS. YEAH. THE VETERANS. SO THE OKAY, SO THAT'S ALREADY PREDETERMINED. AND THEN IT'S JUST YOU HAVE TO EXECUTE THAT. OKAY, I'LL SKIP EVERYTHING ELSE. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND WE CAN CIRCLE BACK MR. PONGO. GO AHEAD. SURE. THANK YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, ADDING ON TO SOME OF THESE. SO I'M SURE WHEN PEOPLE HEAR AND MAYBE EVEN THE PEOPLE SITTING HERE ARE WONDERING. SO FOR SOME OF THE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN ALLENTOWN COULD BE ELIGIBLE. SO HOW DOES THAT WORK OUT WHEN YOU HAVE LIKE 5 OR 6 INTERESTED FAMILIES IN LIKE THE SAME PROPERTY? I KNOW ONE'S CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET. SO IS THAT A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE? IS THAT DID THAT BECOME A BIDDING WAR? LIKE IF ONE FAMILY CAN AFFORD TO PUT, YOU KNOW, 160 AS OPPOSED TO 150, DOES THAT PLAY A PART IN IT OR IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE ON THIS? OKAY. AND THEY QUALIFY IF THEY QUALIFY AND THEY GET THEY HAVE TO BE BANK QUALIFY. THE BANK HAD TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM A LOAN. OKAY, WE HAVE THE PROPERTY. AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAD NOT JUST TWO. WE HAVE ACTUALLY FOUR RIGHT NOW. OKAY, THAT ARE READY FOR THAT. SO SPREAD THE WORD. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO INTO OUR WEBSITE OR CALL OUR OFFICES, SPEAK WITH MELISSA, OR JUST ASK FOR THE PROGRAM. WE CONNECT YOU. AND IF YOU QUALIFY, IF THEY QUALIFY, THEY CAN START THE PROCESS. WE START THE PROCESS. WE WANT TO TELL THEM LIKE THEY'VE DONE FINISHED. AS OF MONDAY, WE HAD WE HAD TWO FOR A WHILE, THE NICE HOUSES AND WE GOT CALLS. THE PROBLEM IS, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING DON'T QUALIFY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BANKABLE. THEY HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY OR THEY'RE NOT WORKING AND THEY THINK THEY CAN JUST BUY A HOUSE. BUT DIFFERENT ISSUES. BUT YES, WE WANT TO SELL THEM BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT WE CAN'T DO ANY MORE UNTIL WE HAD A FAIR FUND GRANT FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY, AND WE USED $400,000 TO DO THE FIRST TWO. OKAY. AND THEN WE CAN'T DO ANY MORE UNTIL WE SELL THOSE TWO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY. 
          AND WE HAD TO PAY PREVAILING WAGES AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S EXPENSIVE TO, TO FIX THEM. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY, IF WE WERE ABLE TO JUST GO OVER AND HIRE SOMEBODY WHO IS A REGULAR CONTRACTOR OUT THERE, WE DO IT. WE CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S FEDERAL MONEY. 
          OKAY. SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE FEDERAL LAWS ON THAT. BUT YES, ANYBODY THAT YOU KNOW, THAT 
          [00:30:01]
WANTS TO BUY A PROPERTY, THEY CAN GO IN AND THE WEBSITE AND ALLENTOWN HOUSING, IT COMES UP RIGHT AWAY. ALLENTOWN HOUSING.ORG. OR THEY CAN CALL US AND WE WANT TO SELL THEM. 
          BELIEVE ME, WE JUST LIKE REALLY WANT TO SELL THEM BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO MORE. YEAH, IT GIVES YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE. ABSOLUTELY. SO THEN MY NEXT QUESTION WAS GOING TO BE SO RELATED TO THE DIFFERENT VOUCHER PROGRAMS, KIND OF HOW COUNCILPERSON GERLACH MENTIONED SOME OF THESE ARE PREDETERMINED, BUT I GUESS ARE THESE, YOU KNOW, IS THAT JUST BASED OFF OF FUNDING PER THE YEAR OR ANY OF THE ONES THAT ARE BEING ADMINISTERED BY THE ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY, IT'S JUST, OKAY, WE HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY. THIS IS HOW MANY VOUCHERS WE CAN DO THIS YEAR, OR ARE SOME OF THOSE JUST GRANDFATHERED IN? YEAH, EXACTLY LIKE THAT. 
          BECAUSE WE CAN I MEAN, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE WE HAVE MORE VOUCHER OPPORTUNITY FOR VOUCHERS. HUD HAD TO FUND THAT. THEY HAD TO GIVE US THE MONEY TO PAY THE REST OF THE 30% OR 40% OF THE GROSS INCOME. SO THEY ONLY PAY AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T EVEN PAY ANYTHING. SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET WE ACTUALLY GIVE SOME PEOPLE A CHECK TO PAY THE UTILITY, BUT THEY. THAT'S THE WAY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS WORKING PRIMARILY. SO YES, WE ARE WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE CAN DO THAT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT. HUD IS NOT GIVING US AS MUCH MONEY AS THEY USED TO FOR HOUSING AUTHORITIES. SO WE KIND OF LIMIT IT. EVEN IF WE HAD 1800 VOUCHERS, WE ONLY HAD LIKE 16, SOMETHING THAT I THINK IN. 29 I THINK IT IS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE WE JUST WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING FOR THE LANDLORDS. WE HAVE TO PAY THE RENT. SO THE PEOPLE BENEFIT. THE HOMELESS PEOPLE BENEFIT, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE MONEY TO PAY THEM. AND THE MONEY ONLY COMES FROM HUD. ABSOLUTELY. I HAD A QUESTION RELATED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. SO IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO MEET IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. I DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER STIPULATIONS AS FAR AS, DOES THE HOUSING HAVE TO BE IN ALLENTOWN? DOES IT HAVE TO BE FOR ANY STUDENT THAT'S GOING TO A SCHOOL IN ALLENTOWN? THEY HAVE TO BE IN THE HOUSING PROGRAMS, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PROGRAMS. OKAY. AND LET'S SAY SOMEBODY LEAVES A REALLY HIGH, FOR EXAMPLE, OR AND THEY WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE AND THEY APPLY FOR IT. WE CAN GIVE THEM THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE GRANTS. AWESOME. YEAH, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. IT'S PRETTY GOOD. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. I HAD TO WRITE AN ESSAY, I THINK, AND YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S GOOD. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM OUT. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S MOST OF MY QUESTIONS RELATED TO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT I SAW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS FOR MR. GARRITY? WELL I WILL YOU MENTIONED WORKING WITH MISS KESSLER AND MR. HARTNEY. I MEAN, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE MORE, OR MAYBE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION TO GET MORE UNITS? BECAUSE I, I BELIEVE YOUR TWO BIGGEST CHALLENGES ARE PROBABLY FUNDING AND NOT ENOUGH UNITS. I MEAN, IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT TO FIGURE OUT. SO IS THERE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, PART, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE POINTS OF THESE PRESENTATIONS AND THESE, THESE WORKSHOPS ARE TO FIND MAYBE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION. 
          ARE THERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR US AS A CITY COUNCIL OR TO TRY AND HELP? SURE. WELL, I TELL YOU, AND I POINTED VICKY AND MARK BECAUSE THEY REALLY HAVE BEEN LIKE GOD SENT TO US WITH THIS PROJECT. IT'S A DIFFICULT PROJECT TO MAKE, TO DO RIGHT NOW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD TO PAY PREVAILING WAGES. WE HAD TO FOLLOW ALL KINDS OF LAWS TO DEVELOP THAT, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE OTHER OBSTACLES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REACH IN THERE. 
          BUT IN REGARDS TO IF YOU CAN ALLOCATE MORE MONEY TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN ANY WAY OR ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOUR BUDGET SEASON IS COMING UP. AND I THINK THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT WE I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OVER OR, OR WHAT YOU PROBABLY HEAR FROM VICKY AND MARK IN REGARDS TO THIS. BUT I THINK THE MORE WE HOUSE PEOPLE, THE BETTER WE ARE AND OUR MONEY IS GOING TO BE USED BASICALLY TO HOUSE PEOPLE, MORE PEOPLE. AND WE NEED THE SUPPORT AS A HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE. TO BE HONEST, AND THIS IS NO SECRET, WE DON'T GET ENOUGH FOR THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE HAVE PLANS TO DO A LOT MORE LIKE, LIKE I SAID, BUT IT JUST THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY. AND THE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM USUALLY FROM HUD, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE YOU HAD TO HIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE. YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE BABA AND REGULATION. YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY ALL REGULATIONS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IMPINGE ON US. SO WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT. 
          SO IT COSTS A LITTLE BIT MORE TO BUILD THE HOUSE FOR US THAN IT COSTS FOR, YOU KNOW, JOE 
          [00:35:03]
CONTRACTOR OUT THERE WHO DOESN'T HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE FEDERAL RULES. I UNDERSTAND YOU LAST THING YOU MENTIONED WAS ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU SPOKE ABOUT, I WANT TO SAY WAS IN THE 60S, HELP ME. 7373. THANK YOU. HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHALLENGES YOU'RE FACING WITH SOME OF THESE. THE NSA PROPERTY ACTUALLY DOING PRETTY GOOD. AND IT'S A IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM THAT WAS DEVELOPED AND THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A CHALLENGE. THE SCATTERED SITES ARE THE CHALLENGES. THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES. SCATTERED SITES ARE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE THAT NEED SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY WERE BOUGHT IN THE 80S. BUT THE NSA, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS IN THE NSA. YEAH. AND THAT MONEY ACTUALLY, THAT WAS BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS THE 80 THAT THE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HUD ACTUALLY WORKED WITH WITH THE STATE. AND WE GET FUNDING FROM HUD TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PROPERTIES. SO THAT'S A GOOD PROPERTY. I MEAN, THAT'S THE MOST, I WOULD SAY, THE MOST PROFITABLE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, THE NSA. OKAY. YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. OKAY. I'M GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MISS GERLACH, IF YOU STILL HAVE A FEW OR YOU WANT I MEAN, JUST REAL QUICKLY, YOU HAD MENTIONED PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. SO TO KIND OF OPERATIONALIZE THIS. SO I'M A DEVELOPER, I'M BUILDING A 20 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX. I WANT MAYBE I GOT SOME HIGH TECH FUNDING, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WANT FIVE OF THEM TO BE FOR WORKFORCE FOLKS OR LOW INCOME FOLKS. I GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND I REQUEST THAT SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS CAN THEN LIVE IN MY DEVELOPMENT. YEAH. SO THE WAY IT WORKS IS. GOOD QUESTION. BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS. EVERYBODY WANTS EVERYBODY WHO HAS A PROJECT WANTS NSA VOUCHERS. OKAY. I MEAN, I NSA, I'M SORRY. SOME OF THE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. OKAY. SO BECAUSE IT'S LOWER, YOU KNOW, THE LOWER HOW MUCH THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO SPEND AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE THEM SOME FUNDING. OKAY. SO. THE ISSUE IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VOUCHERS. AND THEN WHAT WE CAN, WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY, THE ONES THAT WE DO GET, LET'S SAY WE HAVE FIVE EXTRA OR TEN. OKAY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO DO A LOTTERY. OKAY, WE'RE WORKING ON DOING EITHER LOTTERY OR WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROCURE THAT THE PERSON THAT YOU WANT TO BUILD A CONDO AND BIG BUILDING. SO WE'RE GOING TO, YOU CAN PROCURE IT. AND THEN WE MAKE A DETERMINATION OF HOW, HOW, WHO WOULD HAVE THE BEST PROJECTS TO GIVE THEM THE, THE VOUCHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU DO A PROJECT AND YOU JUST HAVE YOU JUST WANT THOSE BUILDINGS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS GOING TO COME FOR SURE. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LIKE WE PAY, WE PUT WE PUT THE MONEY IN THE BANK FOR YOU. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO RENTING ONE OF YOUR SITES AND THEN THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO A PROBLEM HOW MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO THE OWNER'S ACCOUNT. AND THAT HAPPENS WITH ALL THE VOUCHERS. SO I THINK THE ISSUE IS THAT IF WE GIVE IT TO YOU, THEN THE OTHER GUY IS GOING TO SAY, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE IT TO ME? YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE DOING WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE WORKING ON DOING A PROCUREMENT PROCESS ON THAT BECAUSE I WOULD THINK PEOPLE WOULD UTILIZE THAT A LOT. YEAH. IT'S GUARANTEED MONEY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. WE HAD GOTTEN SEVERAL REQUESTS. WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VOUCHERS RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT. SO SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO DO AND HAVE A PLACE LIKE WE'RE GIVING, LET'S SAY 50 HOME. OKAY, THEY ACTUALLY GOT SOME VOUCHERS FROM US THAT WE ADMINISTERED BECAUSE VOUCHERS ONLY COME TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND, AND THEY GOT THE VOUCHERS, BUT THEY ACTUALLY WORKED DIRECTLY WITH HUD TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THOSE VOUCHERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST IN CASE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC HAS QUESTIONS. SO I WANT TO GIVE IS WHEN THERE IS A DEMOLITION OR A, A CHANGE IN RESIDENCY OF A, OF A PUBLIC HOUSING OR A FACILITY, DO THE FORMER RESIDENTS OF THAT BUILDING OR THAT AREA, DO THEY HAVE LIKE LEGALLY RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL OR BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SOME ISSUES LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, THEY KICKED ME OUT. I DON'T GET TO GO BACK. YEAH. SO HOW IS THAT HANDLED? USUALLY, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE 
          [00:40:04]
HAD WE DID BEACHSIDE ESTATES LITERALLY HIGH. YEAH, YEAH. SO WE DID THAT WHEN THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE. BUT NORMALLY THEY REQUEST THEY COULD WAIT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD TO LEAVE SOMEWHERE. OKAY. AND THEN THEY CAN COME BACK AND APPLY ON THE WAITING LIST. BUT THE WAITING LIST GETS FILLED QUICKLY. SO WE HAD TO TREAT WE HAD TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY. OKAY. I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A, A DEPENDING ON HOW YOU GET THE FUNDING AND DEPEND ON HOW YOU DO IT, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE, LET'S SAY IN. I THINK IT WAS I WAS ON THE BOARD AT THAT TIME OVER IN WHEN WE DID OVERLOOK OVERLOOK PARK, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO HAD THE RIGHT TO COME BACK AND THEY PUT THEIR NAME ON THE LIST, AND THEY CAME BACK TO GET A PROPERTY AND GET A UNIT THERE. SO THAT'S THE WAY THEY USUALLY DO. IT DEPENDS ON THE FUNDING. IT DEPENDS ON HOW WE CAN DO IT AND WHO'S FUNDING IT. YOU KNOW, WHAT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY PROVIDE US, YOU KNOW, SO YES, THERE MAY BE A CASE WHERE SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME BACK BECAUSE THEY USED TO LIVE THERE, BUT WE HAVE TO TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME. THEY WERE THERE IN THE LIST OR NOT. SO WE CAN'T PUT SOMEBODY ON TOP OF SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW. YEAH. SO NOW WHEN LIKE WITH LITTLE LEHIGH. SO I REMEMBER. SO I'M NOT FROM HERE, BUT IN MARYLAND. SO WHEN WE WERE IN PUBLIC HOUSING, THEY REDID IT AND WE, THEY PUT US IN LIKE THIS HOTEL. AND I GUESS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MUST HAVE PAID. SO THE FOLKS THAT WERE IN LITTLE LEHIGH IS HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYING FOR THEM TO LIVE SOMEWHERE. STILL, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAD A VOUCHER HOW THEY DID THAT, THE ONE THAT THEY WEREN'T. NO, WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR THEM TO LEAVE. WE LIKE IN A HOTEL OR SOMETHING. NO, NO NOT YET. THEY USUALLY GET A PROPERTY, THEY HOUSE THEMSELVES. THEY HAD TO LOOK FOR A HOUSE AND EITHER THEY HAD I'M NOT SURE THEY GOT A VOUCHER OR NOT, BUT BECAUSE THOSE WERE THOSE WERE OUT RIGHT AROUND THE TIME WHEN I CAME IN. OKAY. SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THERE STILL AND DIDN'T WIN IN THE END, BUT WE WOULD PAY FOR THEM. THEY GOT VOUCHERS AND THEN THAT WE WOULD PAY FOR THE, YOU KNOW, GO GET AN APARTMENT OR LIKE, YEAH, YEAH. IT'S JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HOUSING SOMETIMES. YEAH. BECAUSE WE CLEANED EVERYTHING. WE CUT THE GRASS, WE DO EVERYTHING. SO THEY JUST STAY THERE. AND THERE ARE PEOPLE, THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE THAT MAKE MORE MONEY THAN SOME OF US, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME IN OUR LIVES. AND THEY JUST WANT TO LIVE IN HOUSING. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU AUGUST 26TH. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON WITH OUR HOUSING FUND. AND WE HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING, MISS GERLACH'S COMMITTEE. WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF INITIATIVES FROM THE CITY. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ATTEND. WE DON'T HAVE A TIME YET, BUT AUGUST 26TH, OKAY, IN HERE. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT MANY OF THE INITIATIVES WE'LL BE WORKING ON AS A CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR COLLABORATION, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT MEETING. SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU. AND IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU. I WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ANY ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE SOME COMMENT. AND. SORRY, SORRY. 
          I'M SORRY, BUT I'M FREEZING BACK THERE. SORRY. I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP. HE MENTIONED THE SIXTH STREET PROPERTY, WHICH HAS BEEN A LONG CHALLENGE WITH HUD AND A LONG CHALLENGE WITH DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP. I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE TO COUNCIL THAT THE DC DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE SEVERAL BANKS THAT WE WORK AS CLOSELY AS WE CAN. WE'LL WORK WITH ANY BANK THAT COMES TO US, BUT THEIR FLIERS ARE ON THE COUNTERS UPSTAIRS. THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS PROGRAM THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, HE MENTIONED SSA IS AMAZING. AND THE CITY IS A 98% MAJORITY MINORITY NEIGHBORHOOD BANKS HAVE QUOTAS PUSHED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS. ANY HOME BUYER IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. SO IF A PERSON WALKS INTO THAT BANK, THEY CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO $18,000 OF APPRAISAL FEE, MONEY DOWN MONEY, MOVING EXPENSE MONEY, ANYTHING TO OFFSET THE COST OF THEM GETTING INTO A HOUSE. 
          THERE WAS A STATE MATCH AT ONE POINT WHICH MADE IT WAS $36,000. IF YOU WERE ELIGIBLE, YOU NEEDED A 600 CREDIT SCORE, AND IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT, THE BANKS WERE ENROLLING YOU IN THEIR FINANCIAL LITERACY AND CREDIT RATING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A 6 TO 8 WEEK ONLINE AND IN-PERSON PARTNERSHIP. AND IF YOU COMPLETED THAT WHOLE SERIES, 
          [00:45:04]
THEY DISREGARDED YOUR CREDIT SCORE AND GAVE YOU A SHOT AT IT. OUR PROBLEM CONTINUES TO BE THEM IN THE BIDDING WAR, GETTING THE PROPERTY, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY GET CERTIFIED, THEY GET THE STATE MONEY, THEY GET READY FOR THE APPRAISAL, THEY GET READY FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT, AND THEY DON'T GET THE CASH. I MEAN, THEY DON'T GET THE HOUSE BECAUSE OF THE CASH BID THAT COMES FROM NEW YORK OR NEW JERSEY. SO WE HAVE ONE. WE HAVE ONE THAT DID IT THAT WE KNOW IS FLOURISHING, BUT ONE SO CONTROLLING THAT INVENTORY AND WHY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PROGRAM IS SO SPECIAL IS BECAUSE THEY'RE CONTROLLING THAT PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. SO THEY'RE CONTROLLING WHO GETS THAT PROPERTY BY THE 80%, AM I? THAT'S THE BEAUTY. THAT'S WHAT DCD WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH RAQQAH TO TRY TO DO. THAT'S WHY WE'RE WRITING GRANTS TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES. BUT AS HE'S SAYING, WHEN YOU USE THAT FEDERAL MONEY, WHEN YOU USE ANY OF OUR MONEY, IT TRIGGERS ALL OF THE EXPENSIVE REHAB USING DAVIS-BACON, HAVING BHABHA, HAVING SUPPLY CHAIN, ALL OF THE THINGS PREVAILING WAGES THAT DRIVE UP THE COST OF THE REHAB. BUT WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT EVERY CITIZEN WHO WANTS TO BUY A HOUSE WHO STRUGGLES WITH INCOME, IF THEY CAN BECOME BANKABLE, THEY'RE POSITIONED FOR WHATEVER PROGRAM HE HAS OR WHATEVER PROGRAM WE COME UP WITH. SO WE ARE TRYING TO DRIVE PEOPLE TO BANKS, EVEN IF THEY THINK THEY AREN'T CLOSE TO BEING READY TO TRY TO WORK ON GETTING READY. THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT THAT THE COMMUNITY ACTION HAS A PROGRAM FOR FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER CLASSES THAT THEY DO, AND IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN GOING ON. I WAS ON THE BOARD FOR 12 YEARS BACK IN THE 80S AND EARLY 90S. AND WE ACTUALLY TRANSLATED, I ACTUALLY TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH BACK IN THOSE DAYS. SO YOU CAN YOU CAN DO IT IN SPANISH OR ENGLISH AND THEY HELP YOU. I GONE OVER TO THEM. THEY USUALLY MEET ON A SATURDAY MORNING, I THINK IT'S 8:00 IN THE MORNING. I THINK THEY MEET AND THEY AND I WENT OVER TO TALK TO THE CLASS. 
          THERE WERE ABOUT 35 PEOPLE THERE ABOUT SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE THAT THEY CAN ACQUIRE, THEY CAN GET AS LONG AS THEY'RE HAVING THEIR OWN HOUSE FOR FIVE YEARS AT LEAST, BECAUSE FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER, SOMETIMES I THINK IT USED TO BE TEN, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING DOWN TO FIVE YEARS. THEY CAN APPLY FOR THIS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, NOT SOMEBODY WHO BUYS A HOUSE OR RENTS OUT TO SOMEBODY ELSE. 
          OKAY. AND SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS WITH PEOPLE JUST WANT TO LIKE STAY THERE FOR BUY THE HOUSE CHEAP AND THEN MOVE OUT IN A YEAR OR TWO AND RENT IT OUT OR SELL IT, FLIP IT. WE'RE NOT INTO THAT. WE WANT FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS TO LIVE THERE AND STAY FOR AT LEAST FIVE, TEN. 
          WE SAY TEN YEARS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN SOMETIMES TO PEOPLE. SO OKAY. OKAY. WELL, 
          [15-8600 Downtown Allentown Alliance Presentation]
THANK YOU AGAIN. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND OKAY, MOVING ALONG. OUR SECOND PRESENTATION IS FROM THE DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE. WE HAVE SOME MEMBERS HERE. THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MISS LISA FINKELSTEIN. WE HAVE THEIR CHAIR, MR. MATTHEW MALLOZZI, AND THEIR VICE CHAIR, MR. KYLE EDWARDS. SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. AND YOU CAN TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ALLOWING US TO COME IN AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. IS IT OKAY IF WE DISTRIBUTE SOME OF OUR PRESENTATIONS SO THAT COUNCIL CAN FOLLOW ALONG? YEAH. THANK YOU. 
          AS A COUNCILMAN NAPOLI INTRODUCED US. I'M MATT MALLOZZI. I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD FOR THE DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE. I'M JOINED WITH VICE CHAIR KYLE EDWARDS AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LISA FINKELSTEIN. WE'LL INTRODUCE OURSELVES, I GUESS, AS SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION. SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER LAST YEAR, WE WERE HERE IN LATE JULY OF 2025. WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND SINCE THEN, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT. PERSONALLY, I FROM ALLENTOWN, I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON THE EAST SIDE OF ALLENTOWN AND WENT TO MOSER AND HARRISON MORTON AND DIERUFF, AND I'M AN ENGINEER. I WORK ON HAMILTON STREET AT SIXTH AND HAMILTON IN TOWER SIX IS WHERE MY OFFICE IS LOCATED. KYLE, WOULD YOU CARE TO GO? SURE, SURE. KYLE EDWARDS AGAIN PROUD. ALLENTOWN GRADUATED FROM 
          [00:50:03]
DEARDORFF MYSELF GREW UP ON THE SOUTH SIDE, BUT I ENDED UP GRADUATING FROM YEAR OFF. MY PARENTS ACTUALLY MET AT DEARDORFF. SO AGAIN, AL ANTONIO THROUGH AND THROUGH GREW UP IN A BUSINESS HOUSEHOLD. MY FAMILY OWNED A DELI BACK IN THE DAY. I OWN AND OPERATE INKWELL, WHICH IS AN ARTS INCUBATOR IN DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN. I ALSO OWN A TRUE LOVE STORY, WHICH IS AN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS. BUT AGAIN, JUST EXCITED TO BE HERE. AND LISA FINKELSTEIN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I AM A PENNSYLVANIAN, NOT AN ALLENTOWN. EVEN THOUGH BORN IN PHILADELPHIA AND RAISED IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, MOST OF MY BACKGROUND WAS SPENT IN THE SMALL BUSINESS WORLD IN A FAMILY BUSINESS, AND THEN I PURCHASED IT FROM MY PARENTS AND RAN THAT FOR TEN YEARS. AND THEN I LEFT THAT AND WENT INTO THE NONPROFIT WORLD FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND THEN MOVED TO FLORIDA FOR FIVE YEARS AND WORKED AS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR A MAIN STREET PROGRAM THERE BEFORE RETURNING TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN DECEMBER. SO GLAD TO BE BACK. BUT A DIVERSE BACKGROUND THAT I BRING TO THIS, THIS ROLE. THANK YOU. I WILL WE BE RUNNING THE PRESENTATION OR COUNCIL WILL JUST FOLLOW ALONG ON OUR HARD COPIES. THANK YOU. 
          I WILL I'LL START OFF WITH SOME BACKGROUND. BRING SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY HAVE NOT BEEN HERE LAST YEAR OR THOSE WHO WERE MAY FORGET SOME OF THE DETAILS, BUT THE THE GENESIS OF THE DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE BEGAN IN 2024 WITH A STEERING COMMITTEE THAT WAS CONVENED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THE DOWNTOWN. IN SPITE OF RECORD LEVELS OF INVESTMENT BY MANY DIFFERENT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, WAS LACKING IN ACTIVATION AND VIBRANCY THAT REALLY SHOULD HAVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND WAS WAS APPARENTLY BUILDING, I RECALL BEFORE COVID AND THEN EVERYTHING STOPPED IN COVID, BUT IT JUST DIDN'T COME BACK. WE LOST THAT TRAJECTORY. SO THAT STEERING COMMITTEE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, COMMISSIONED A REPORT BY BY NATIONAL CONSULTANTS THAT WAS ENTITLED THE DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN REVITALIZATION AND ACTIVATION REPORT. THAT IS, WE CALL IT THE REPORT. AND THAT WILL BE REFERRED TO MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THAT REFERS TO. THERE WAS A 283 PAGE DOCUMENT AND ASSESSMENT THAT COMPARED ALLENTOWN TO OUR PEERS OF SIMILAR SIZE, DEMOGRAPHICS, LOCATIONS, BACKGROUND AS INDUSTRIAL CITIES. 
          AND WHAT IT FOUND, AMONG OTHER THINGS, IS, YOU KNOW, SOME SOME THINGS VALIDATED, SOME OF OUR IDEAS IS THE CITY COMPARED TO OUR PEERS IS CLEAN AND SAFE, BUT WE HAVE A PERCEPTION PROBLEM. AND ONE OF THE THINGS LACKING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF RETAIL VIBRANCY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOURISM AND JUST THE VIBRANCY OF DOWNTOWN WAS FOCUSED ON CREATING A UNIFIED BRAND, UNIFYING THE THE AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE. AND THAT WAS POINTED OUT IN THE REPORT, TOO, IS FOR A CITY OF OUR SIZE TO HAVE THE CULTURAL AND ART INSTITUTIONS THAT THAT WE HAVE WERE THE ENVY OF ANYBODY OUR SIZE. WHEN YOU THINK DOWN STARTING, YOU KNOW, ON FIFTH STREET WITH MUSEUM AND SYMPHONY HALL AND THE BAUM SCHOOL ALL THE WAY UP TO THE 12TH STREET, THERE'S JUST A LIST OF, OF AMENITIES AND INSTITUTIONS THAT, THAT WE HAVE. AND YET THE SPACE IN BETWEEN JUST ISN'T, ISN'T FILLED WITH PEOPLE, AT LEAST NOT REGULARLY AS, AS IT NEEDS TO BE. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS THE MISSION. AND KYLE AND I WERE INVITED TO GET THIS ORGANIZATION FORMED AND GET IT OFF THE GROUND. WE WERE GIVEN THE REPORT AND THAT SERVED AS OUR STRATEGIC GUIDE AND HAS BECOME OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. PULLING FROM THE REPORT. AND WE SPENT WE SPENT THE LAST YEAR ACTUALLY, WELL, STARTING WITH THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS, REALLY PULLING THIS ORGANIZATION TOGETHER. THERE WAS NOTHING WE HAD A REPORT AND THE SUPPORT OF A LOT OF FOLKS, BUT WE REALLY HAD TO PUT THE ORGANIZATION TOGETHER OURSELVES. SO WE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, AND I AS THE CHAIR AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNANCE OF THE ORGANIZATION AT THE END OF THE DAY, WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE TWO CHARACTERISTICS THAT WE DIDN'T LOSE SIGHT OF. ONE, AND BUILDING ON OUR EXPERIENCE FROM THE PAST, AND ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN NAPOLI, I SERVED ON THE HAMILTON DISTRICT MAIN STREET PROGRAM AND THEN ITS SUCCESSOR ORGANIZATION, THE DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN BUSINESS ALLIANCE, FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT TEN YEARS. SO SAW THAT THERE WAS THERE WAS A LOT OF HOPE, A LOT OF HEART, A LOT OF EFFORT, BUT THE TRACTION JUST WASN'T GETTING THERE. SO WHAT WERE WE GOING TO DO DIFFERENTLY ABOUT IT? SO OUR ORGANIZATION HAD TO BE INDEPENDENT. IT COULD NOT EXIST. IT COULD NOT BE FUNDED BY ANY SINGLE ORGANIZATION, WHETHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, WHETHER THE CITY OR PRIVATE SECTOR OR COUNTY OR THE STATE. AND IT COULD NOT EXIST FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANY SINGLE 
          [00:55:01]
ORGANIZATION AS WELL, TOO. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR INDEPENDENCE, REAL AND PERCEIVED. AND THE SECOND WAS IT NEEDED TO BE A TRUE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. AND IF WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THOSE TWO THINGS, THAT'S WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION. SO WE WERE EXTREMELY THOUGHTFUL AND DELIBERATE, AND WE TOOK TIME GETTING OUT OF THE GATE. OUR FIRST FOUR MONTHS, ROUGHLY MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, TALKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, A NUMBER OF FOCUS GROUPS AND PUTTING TOGETHER A BOARD. AND WE ENGAGED THE UNITED WAY OF THE GREATER LEHIGH VALLEY TO HELP INCUBATE THE ORGANIZATION AND PUT TOGETHER ALL THE GOVERNANCE, THE BYLAWS, THE BOARDS OUTLINING THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE, WHICH WE'RE BUILDING OUT RIGHT NOW, AND BASICALLY ALL OF OUR FILINGS YOU CAN IMAGINE WE APPLIED FOR AND SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED 501 C3 STATUS AND ALL OF THE REQUISITE REGULATORY FILINGS WITH THE STATE. AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IRS TOOK CARE OF ALL THAT AND THEN MOVED INTO THE THREE PRIORITIES WE HAD FOR WHAT WE CALL A YEAR ZERO ARE THE BRANDING, THE ACTIVATIONS, AND OUR HOSPITALITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. SO BEGINNING IN, I GUESS, NOVEMBER, BIG MILESTONE WHERE WE HAD A LAUNCH OF OUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. AND, AND OUR AMBASSADORS ARE HERE TONIGHT IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, GERALDO, ROBERT AND EMMANUEL AND THEIR MANAGER, JIM. JIM, JIM'S OVER THERE, JIM, THAT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. SO WE LAUNCHED IN, IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR ON PELL PLAZA. AND A PUBLIC STATEMENT FOLLOWING THAT, WE BEGAN SOME ACTIVATIONS, SORT OF A TEST IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, SOME SMALL ACTIVATIONS. AND BY ACTIVATIONS, I MEAN DA DOESN'T WANT TO BE THE SHOW. WE WANT TO FACILITATE ENHANCE THE SHOW. WE WANT TO CAPTURE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING DOWNTOWN, PASSING THROUGH, MAYBE GOING TO A DESTINATION DINNER, A SHOW, SHOPPING, WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING, OR JUST WALKING THROUGH DOWNTOWN. SO WE WOULD ACTIVATE TO COMPLEMENT THOSE THINGS. MAYBE IT'S MUSIC, MAYBE IT'S FACE PAINTING. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING IN THE FALL, IN DECEMBER, WHILE THAT WAS ALL GOING ON, WE ALSO KICKED OFF OUR BRANDING CAMPAIGN. WE HIRED AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT. WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT OUR MISSION, AND THEY SPENT DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY DEVELOPING OUR BRAND AND OUR BRAND STYLE. WHAT DA WAS GOING TO USE TO MARKET THE DOWNTOWN LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY AS WELL TO IN A UNIFIED BRAND STRUCTURE. SO THAT WAS GOING THROUGH DURING THAT TIME IN JANUARY, LATE JANUARY, WE FINISHED A RECRUITING CAMPAIGN AND WE HIRED OUR, OUR PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LISA. SO IT'S, IT'S WORTHY TO REMEMBER THAT SHE'S BEEN HERE JUST OVER SIX MONTHS. AND AS WE GET THROUGH OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, I THINK YOU'LL SEE WE ACCOMPLISH A LOT WITH HER. AND THEN IN MARCH, WE BEGAN A, A LONGER ACTIVATION SERIES. WE TOOK OFF OVER THE WINTER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, WHICH WERE BITTER COLD, AND THE AMBASSADORS WERE ON THE STREET THAT ENTIRE TIME. BUT IN MARCH, WE KICKED OFF OUR ACTIVATIONS, WHICH ARE RUNNING THROUGH PRESENT AND WILL GO THROUGH OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. WE HAD OUR BRAND REVEAL IN APRIL AT THE DA VINCI SCIENCE CENTER IN THEIR. ONE OF THEIR MAIN ROOMS THERE KICKED THAT OFF IN A IN A PUBLIC. ACTUALLY, IT WAS BY INVITATION ONLY, BUT WE INVITED ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING COUNCIL AND AND VARIOUS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS FOR THAT BRAND REVEAL. IN MAY, WE FINALIZED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANT APPLICATION, WHICH WAS A LOT OF WORK. THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT AND AS, AS VALIDATION, WHEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU TRY TO GET PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO SIGN ON AT A LEVEL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR AN NPP GRANT, THEY COULD SEE THE GOVERNANCE, THEY COULD SEE WHAT WE HAD ALREADY PUT TOGETHER AND ACCOMPLISHED. THEY COULD SEE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND THAT IT WAS A VERY REAL ORGANIZATION. AND THAT OUR ORGANIZATION REALLY IS IS A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL SHIPS. 
          THERE ISN'T A SINGLE ENTITY OR ORGANIZATION ALONG HAMILTON STREET THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON. 
          WE'RE FOCUSED ON MAKING THEM ALL MORE SUCCESSFUL AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY. AND VICKY AND MARK, ESPECIALLY IN JUNE, WE LAUNCHED OUR WEBSITE. IN JULY, WE HIRED OUR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, AND TODAY WE HAD A MEETING WITH OUR FOUNDERS COUNCIL, WHICH IS IT'S A RECONSTITUTION OF THE OLD DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, OR DADDY AND THE SUPPORTERS FOR OUR NPP APPLICATION. SO THAT BRINGS US UP TO, TO BASICALLY THIS AFTERNOON, PRESENT DAY WITH WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER NOW TO MY COLLEAGUES TO BRING YOU THROUGH THE REST, LIKE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT. AND THEN ALSO OUR GOALS FOR WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO NOW. AND AGAIN, WE, WE'VE JUST STARTED YEAR ONE, WE FINISHED YEAR ZERO AND NOW WE'RE BEGINNING YEAR ONE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE BACK TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED WITH YOUR SUPPORT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU MATT. HE'S VERY GOOD AT KEEPING THE TIMELINE BECAUSE I FORGET ALL 
          [01:00:03]
THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN UP TO. BUT AS MATT ALLUDED TO, YEARS ZERO, ONE AND TWO ARE FOCUSED ON BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION TO BE TRULY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO WE FOCUS ON THE FOUR PILLARS THAT'S PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THE DORIS REPORT ENHANCEMENT. I'M SORRY, ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT AND VIBRANCY INSPIRE LOYALTY AND ADVOCACY. CREATE A DYNAMIC RETAIL LANDSCAPE AND CELEBRATE AND ELEVATE CULTURAL HERITAGE. 
          WE FOCUS ON THOSE PILLARS BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY HELP US BUILD THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH OUR COMMITTEES ARE NOW BEING BUILT BEHIND THE SCENES WORKING ON THAT EARLY ACTIVITIES LIKE PUBLIC SPACE ACTIVATIONS, DEPLOYING OUR AMBASSADOR TEAM AND DEVELOPING A DOWNTOWN BRAND TO SUPPORT THOSE PILLARS BY IMPROVING PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY, PROVIDING A WELCOMING AND VIBRANT DOWNTOWN. AS WE ALL KNOW, DOWNTOWN HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER. IT'S THAT PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE REALLY COMBATING SOME OTHER EVENTS THAT WE ALSO SUPPORTED. WE DID THE TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY. WE SUPPORTED THAT LIBERTY BELL DEDICATION, THE POP UP COMMUNITY BIKE REPAIR. WE HAVE SOME OTHERS LISTED IN MY NOTES HERE. ONE MOMENT. CLASSICS AND CRUISERS. SO AGAIN, WE SUPPORTED THAT BLUEPRINT BY JONES ON NINTH, WHICH IS TO COME. FLANNEL FEST BY ROOM AND WARD. WALKING PARADE, THE ALLENTOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL. SO AGAIN, WE'RE WE'RE OUT THERE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE THE COMMUNITY WE ALL KNOW WE DESERVE. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT WITH SOME OF THIS IS THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE IS BASED ON THE RETAIL COMMITTEE, PROGRAM COMMITTEE AND THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. SO AGAIN THE RETAIL WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT VACANCY WE SEE ON THE GROUND FLOOR. WE HOPE TO RECRUIT BUSINESSES AND NOT JUST RECRUIT BUT CURATE BUSINESSES, REMOVE SOME OF THE BARRIERS FROM SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ADVOCACY FUNDS, SPACE, ETC. AND CREATE A PATHWAY FOR MARKET VENDORS TO SHARE SPACE TO BRICK AND MORTAR. SO WE HAVE PLANS TO START A MARKET AND INCUBATE SOME OF THESE SMALLER BUSINESSES AND HOPEFULLY HELP THEM TO NOT ONLY BUILD CONFIDENCE, BUT GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND EXTEND TO A BRICK AND MORTAR. 
          THE PROGRAM COMMITTEE, ENSURE EVENTS, EMBRACE THE DIVERSE CULTURES, WHICH AGAIN, WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY IN PARTICULARLY THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, THE STRATEGIC APPROACH TO EVENTS WITH THE GLOBE, THE GOAL OF DRIVING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC INTO DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. AGAIN, WE WANT THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES TO FLOURISH, REINFORCE AND SPREAD THE DOWNTOWN IDENTITY. THE DIVERSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS BRINGS A VARIETY OF SKILL SETS AND VIEWPOINTS TO THE TABLE, WHICH WE'LL TOUCH ON HERE IN A BIT. THE GOVERNANCE CHARGED WITH FINDING COMMITTEE AND BOARD PROSPECTS, AS WELL AS BOARD GOVERNANCE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO YOU'LL SEE HERE WE HAVE ABOUT 34 INDIVIDUALS SERVING ON THE BOARD OF COMMITTEES, SOME OF WHICH ARE MUNICIPAL, ALL THE WAY TO CORPORATE. 13 MEMBERS IDENTIFY AS NONWHITE. SO AGAIN, WE WANT THE BOARDS TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE DOWNTOWN AND REALLY EMBRACE THAT. THAT'S A STRENGTH OF OURS. WE COMMUNICATE WEEKLY WITH DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. SOME ARE STRETCHED A LITTLE THIN. THEY CANNOT DEVOTE TIME TO SERVING ON A COMMITTEE. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE EIGHT RETAIL OWNERS OR BUSINESS OWNERS ON THE GROUND FLOOR THAT SERVE AT THIS TIME. ONE AREA WHERE WE COULD USE YOUR HELP AND THIS IS A SMALL ASK, IS IDENTIFYING RESIDENTS THAT MAY WANT TO PARTICIPATE, WHO HAVE A WILLINGNESS, MAYBE SOME EXPERTISE, SHOW THE ENERGY AND PIZZAZZ THAT WE HOPE WILL REFLECT WHAT IT IS WE DO WITH THE DAA. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO AGAIN FROM THE DORIS REPORT, THAT ANNUAL WORK PLAN WAS DEVELOPED. SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE FOUR PILLARS SET THAT DIRECTION FLOW RIGHT INTO THAT ANNUAL WORK PLAN, WHICH AGAIN STRATEGY STRATEGIZES THE MAPPED TO THE PILLARS. SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE REPORT, AS I MENTIONED, SUPPORTS CREATION FROM THE ANNUAL WORK PLANS FOR EACH COMMITTEE. COMMITTEES ARE WHERE THE WORK ACTUALLY HAPPENS. RIGHT? FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY OUT THERE, BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND THEY PROVIDE STAFF, HOPEFULLY WILL PROVIDE THE STAFF AND BOARD OVERSIGHT. AND THEN WE'LL HAND OFF TO LISA WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS. BUT BUT AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE THE COMMITTEES THAT WILL SORT OF ADVISE THE BOARD AND DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIES AND NEW PLANS. BUT AGAIN, I'LL PASS IT OFF TO LISA AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU KYLE. SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH A COUPLE OF THE INITIATIVES. WE HAD THREE MAIN 
          [01:05:06]
INITIATIVES IN YEAR ZERO AS WE'RE WE'RE CALLING IT AND AND SHARE SOME OF OUR EARLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR AMBASSADORS, THEY'VE BEEN WITH US SINCE MID-NOVEMBER, AS WAS MENTIONED. AND, AND THE STATISTICS THAT THEY PROVIDE TO US IS AN IMPORTANT BENEFIT OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM. SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS. BUT OF NOTE 121,000 HOURS OR TASKS LOGGED OVER THE COURSE OF THE TIME THEY'VE BEEN HERE. AND ANOTHER ANOTHER STATISTIC THAT JUMPS OUT AT ME WOULD BE THE 900 BUSINESS OUTREACH CONTACTS THAT THEY'VE MADE OVER THAT COURSE OF TIME TO THEY REALLY DO MAKE AN EFFORT TO GET INTO THE BUSINESSES, TO TALK TO THEM, TO PASS INFORMATION FROM US TO THE BUSINESSES AND THEN GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE BUSINESSES AND BRING IT TO US. EMANUEL'S HANDED ME, YOU KNOW, MANY BUSINESS CARDS FROM DIFFERENT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WANTING TO REACH OUT. SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD CONDUIT FOR US TO THE BUSINESSES. THEY CAN TRACK A VARIETY OF INTERACTIONS AND INCLUDING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. SO THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH US THROUGH OUR BOARD AND OUR COMMITTEES TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPES OF STATISTICS WOULD BE USEFUL FOR US TO HAVE TO SHARE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, WITH THE BUSINESSES. AND, AND WE'RE WORKING ON REFINING THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE GATHER AND THEN CAN USE TO INFORM OUR PROGRAM DECISIONS. IT'S, IT'S REALLY ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HAVING THE AMBASSADORS IN THE DOWNTOWN GIVES THE BUSINESSES A FEELING OF SUPPORT, AND ESPECIALLY SINGLE OPERATOR BUSINESSES WHERE YOU ARE BY YOURSELF, IN YOUR, IN YOUR SHOP OR YOUR OFFICE LOCATION ALL DAY TO HAVE THAT AMBASSADOR CHECK ON YOU OR KNOW THAT THEY'RE AROUND IS IS A GOOD FEELING. AND HAVING BEEN A SINGLE BUSINESS OWNER, I CAN RELATE TO THAT. SO OUR NEXT SLIDE, THIS SHOWS WHAT SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING. SO NOT STATISTICS, BUT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THESE ARE SOME COMMENTS THAT WERE GATHERED FROM SOME OF THE RESIDENTS. SO YOU CAN SEE EVEN IN THE PICTURES WHERE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THE GUYS ARE INTERACTING WITH SOME OF THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE JUST SITTING OUTSIDE ENJOYING THE WEATHER OR COMING TO PLAY CORNHOLE AT ONE OF OUR ACTIVATIONS. BUT IN FACT, THIS AFTERNOON, AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF OUR OUR FOUNDERS COUNCIL LUNCHEON, WE SPIED JIM WALKING DOWN THE STREET HELPING A WOMAN. HE WAS CARRYING TWO HUGE BAGS OF DIAPERS. THE HANDLES HAD BROKEN, AND SHE WAS STRUGGLING TO GET THEM BACK TO HER APARTMENT. SO WE CAUGHT HIM IN THE ACT TODAY, BUT IT'S GREAT TO SEE. WE ALSO HAVE SOME BUSINESS TESTIMONIALS TO. AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AGAIN, APPRECIATING THE INFORMATION, BUT THEY'RE ALSO BENEFITING FROM THE FACT THAT OUR GUYS ARE TRAINED AND, AND WE'RE ALL BENEFITING FROM THAT. SO IT'S NOT THAT THESE GENTLEMEN OR THESE THESE PEOPLE ARE HIRED AND PUT OUT ON THE STREETS. THEY, ON A WEEKLY, REGULAR BASIS, RECEIVE TRAINING. SO JUST IN JUNE, YOU CAN SEE ON THIS ON THE SCREEN FOR TRAININGS THAT THEY ARE FIVE TRAININGS THAT THEY ALL RECEIVE DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE, ENCOUNTERS WITH PEOPLE ON THE STREET, MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, EXTREME WEATHER, WHICH IS HOT OR COLD, AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION HAZARD AWARENESS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN AND, AND SAFETY ON OUR INFO TRACK, WHICH IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN, YOU'LL START TO SEE AROUND TOWN, BUT WE HAD IT AT THE COMMUNITY BIKE WORKS. IT'S A NEAT, NEAT INFORMATION. 
          TRIKE THAT WE CAN USE TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE PROGRAM. SO THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE AMBASSADORS REALLY WILL INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO WORK ON THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, WITH THE RESIDENTS, RAISING THE VISIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM AMONG THE PUBLIC. MOST OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS NOW ARE AWARE OF IT AND KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT AREN'T DOWNTOWN ON A REGULAR BASIS ARE STILL QUESTIONING WHAT IT IS. SO WE WANT TO PUSH OUT SOME THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN OTHER WAYS TO RAISE AWARENESS. WE'D LIKE TO BUILD SOME STAFFING CAPACITY. JIM'S BEEN WORKING ON THAT ADDITIONAL 
          [01:10:03]
CAPACITY IN THE FORM OF A PART TIME AMBASSADOR, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO WORK LONGER DAYS. FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE HAVE ACTIVATIONS AT LUNCHTIME, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AN EVENING ACTIVATION OR THERE'S A SHOW AT AT PPL, IT CREATES A RATHER LONG DAY AND PUTS THEM MAYBE OVER THEIR HOURS FOR THE WEEK. SO HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL PERSON WOULD GIVE THEM THE FLEXIBILITY TO STRUCTURE THEIR DAYS. AND THEN AGAIN, EVOLVING THAT PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT. 
          WHAT ARE THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, SATISFY OUR INVESTORS AND OUR GRANT OBLIGATIONS? AND HOW CAN THEY HELP US TO ACCUMULATE THEM? SO THE SECOND INITIATIVE THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE BRAND DEVELOPMENT AND THE MARKETING. AS MATT'S TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BRAND LAUNCH. AND KYLE ALSO MENTIONED IT TOO, THAT IT REALLY WE FEEL THE BRAND REFLECTS OUR IDENTITY AS AN URBAN ARTS AND BUSINESS DISTRICT. IT HAS VIBRANT COLORS, IT HAS AN EDGY VIBE. IT'S VERY AUTHENTIC WITH THE TAGLINE REAL GOOD TIMES, EMPHASIZING THE REAL BECAUSE THEY REAL REALLY ARE REAL. AND THEN SHARING THESE BRAND ELEMENTS OUT WITH OUR PARTNERS, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, SO THAT THEY CAN USE THEM IN THEIR MARKETING. 
          AND YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT IF YOU'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT IT'S BEING UTILIZED. AGAIN, IT RAISES AWARENESS FOR THE DOWNTOWN. IT UNIFIES IT. IT PROVIDES A COHESIVENESS TO THE DOWNTOWN THAT WE FEEL IS REALLY IMPORTANT. WE ALSO HAVE LAUNCHED A WEBSITE. IT'S AN EXPERIENTIAL WEBSITE. SO IT HAS RIGHT NOW SIX DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES. SO FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S LOOKING AT COMING TO ALLENTOWN, PERHAPS FOR A CONFERENCE, OR THEY LIVE NEARBY, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DOWNTOWN IN A WHILE, AND MAYBE THEY'RE COMING IN FOR A SHOW AND THEY'RE FIGURING, YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? THEY CAN LOOK AT THE WEBSITE, PICK AN EXPERIENCE, MAYBE A DATE NIGHT OR A STAYCATION, AND THEY CAN FIND SUGGESTIONS ON THEIR ITINERARY WHERE THEY MIGHT WANT TO EAT, WHERE THEY MIGHT WANT TO SHOP, WHERE THEY MIGHT WANT TO STAY, AND THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO HERE. SO WE ARE WE'VE STARTED WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT IDEAS TO GET PEOPLE THINKING. BUT REALLY, AGAIN, WITH THAT IDEA OF, OF INCREASING THE DWELL TIME THAT PEOPLE SPEND HERE IN DOWNTOWN. SO THEY MAY COME IN FOR ONE EVENT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A SHOW AT THE SYMPHONY, BUT WE WANT THEM TO STAY AND DO AT LEAST 2 OR 3 DIFFERENT THINGS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SHOP IN A RETAIL STORE FIRST OR GO FOR DINNER OR GO FOR DESSERT AFTER THE SHOW, THAT TYPE OF THING. SO THIS IS PART OF OUR PLAN TO DO THAT. WE ALSO, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, STARTED WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER JULY 1ST. SO WE HAD BEEN HAD A SMALL PRESENCE ON INSTAGRAM PRIOR TO THAT. BUT REALLY, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS SINCE JULY 1ST. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S THAT GOING FROM NOTHING. WE'VE WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, QUITE A BIT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU SAW IT, BUT JUST YESTERDAY WE HAD A TIKTOK VIDEO THAT'S ON A COUPLE OF OUR CHANNELS FEATURING FLOWERS PEREZ ON LINDEN STREET, AND IT SORT OF WENT VIRAL. AS OF TODAY, THERE WERE 13,400 VIEWS OF THAT VIDEO. AND, AND THE ACTUALLY THE TIKTOK FOLLOWERS NOW NUMBER 538 COMPARED TO THE NUMBER 101, WHICH WAS AT THE END OF JULY. SO, SO YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE PROGRESSION THERE. AND THE STRONGER THIS GETS AND THE MORE WE CAN AMPLIFY THE WORK THAT THE, THE BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN ARE ALREADY DOING AND DRAW ATTENTION TO THEM. SO IT'S REALLY A BENEFIT THAT THAT DA CAN PROVIDE TO THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE REACTIONS TO THE SOCIAL MEDIA SO THAT IT WILL INFORM OUR NEXT STEPS. SPEAKING OF NEXT STEPS, IN TERMS OF THE BRAND AND THE MARKETING, WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATING A VERY SIMPLE TO USE BRAND MARKETING TOOLKIT. SO PACKAGING THOSE ASSETS WE ALREADY HAVE SO THAT WE HAVE A REALLY NICE TOOLKIT THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR PARTNERS. WE HAVE CREATED A WISH LIST FOR PHASE TWO OF THE WEBSITE, INCLUDING AN ENGLISH TO SPANISH TRANSLATION, A FULL BLOWN BUSINESS DIRECTORY, AND SOME OTHER FEATURES. AND WE'RE WORKING ON A MARKETING CAMPAIGN. WE HAVE A MARKETING STRATEGY 
          [01:15:01]
THAT WE'VE REVIEWED THAT'S IDENTIFIED FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES. SO WE HAVE LEHIGH VALLEY RESIDENTS, WE HAVE DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS AND WORKERS. WE HAVE THE HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS DOWNTOWN. AND THEN WE HAVE THE REGIONAL EVENT GOERS THAT ARE MAYBE COMING IN FOR A PARTICULAR EVENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO CAPTURE. SO THEN THE THIRD PRONG OF THIS ARE THE ACTIVATIONS AND. AND AGAIN, MATT ADDRESSED THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE IN NUMBERS IN THE FALL WE HAD TEN ACTIVATIONS, SO ROUGHLY TEN HOURS OF PROGRAMING THAT HAPPENED ALL AT THE PL PLAZA IN ACCOMPANYING EVENTS, VARIOUS EVENTS THAT WERE THERE IN THE SPRING. SINCE WE STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, WE'VE HAD 110 HOURS OF ACTIVATION, AND IT'S BEEN ACROSS FOUR LOCATIONS DOWNTOWN. SO IT'S BEEN AT THE PPL CENTER, BUT ALSO AT THE PATH, THE POCKET PARK ON THE ARTS WALK AND AT DLP PLAZA DOWN ON THE CORNER OF NINTH. SO WE'RE WE'RE GETTING WEEKLY REPORTS FROM OUR ACTIVATION MANAGER AND THE AMBASSADORS, WHICH IS ALLOWING FOR MODIFICATIONS ALONG THE WAY. SO FOR INSTANCE, LUNCH BREAK LIVE, WHICH IS A MUSIC SERIES THAT HAPPENS FROM 12 TO 1, WAS ORIGINALLY HAPPENING ON A FRIDAY. AND WE REALIZED THAT A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES DON'T COME DOWNTOWN ON FRIDAYS TO WORK. SO WE MOVED IT OVER TO A THURSDAY AND IT SEEMS TO BE GAINING TRACTION THERE. ALSO, THE WALK THIS WAY THURSDAY, WHICH IS A MUSIC SERIES IN THE POCKET PARK THAT WAS JUST MERELY THE MUSIC AND PEOPLE GATHERING AND PLAYING CORNHOLE. AND WE'VE ADDED A MOBILE BAR TO THAT. WE'RE WORKING WITH SIMPATICO, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE HELPING US AGAIN, SUPPORTING A LOCAL BUSINESS, NOT BRINGING IN AN OUTSIDE VENDOR. AND OUR GOAL THERE WITH THESE ACTIVATIONS IS REALLY THAT COMPLIMENT. SO IT'S MEANT TO, YOU KNOW, ADD VIBRANCY TO THE, THE STREET AND THE PUBLIC AREAS, ENGAGING PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY WANT TO SIT AND EAT THEIR LUNCH OR THEY JUST WANT TO ENJOY THE MUSIC AS THEY WALK BY, YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL LIKE THERE'S LIFE ON THE STREETS. SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HOPING THAT IT'S ENCOURAGING OUR RESIDENTS TO COME OUTSIDE AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT. AND WE KNOW BY SOME OF OUR REPEAT VISITORS TO THESE ACTIVATIONS, BUT ALSO THAT IT ENCOURAGES THE WORKERS AND THE EVENT GOERS TO STAY A WHILE OR TO COME BACK AGAIN. SO HERE TOO, WE HAVE NEXT STEPS. WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN THE WALK THIS WAY THURSDAY, PROGRAM, THE LUNCH BREAK LIVE AND OUR WELLNESS PROGRAM THROUGH THE THROUGH OCTOBER. THEY'VE BEEN DOING WELL. AND LIKE I SAID, WE'VE MADE SOME MODIFICATIONS THERE. WE'RE ADDING A YOGA ON WEDNESDAY EVENING. SO THAT'LL BE TWO WELLNESS PROGRAMS, A SATURDAY MORNING ZUMBA AND AND THE WEDNESDAY EVENING YOGA. AND WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOSTING A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE FESTIVAL IN THE FALL. WE'RE ANTICIPATING NOVEMBER. THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE A PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR A RECURRING DOWNTOWN MARKET. BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE IT A FESTIVAL. WE WANT TO GET A LOT OF VENDORS THERE, GET A LOT OF ATTENDEES THERE, AND REALLY DO SOME SURVEYING. AND WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO SEE? WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK WOULD THEY LIKE A MARKET? WHAT HOURS OF THE DAY, WHAT PRODUCT MIX WOULD THEY LIKE, YOU KNOW, FRESH VEGETABLES, PREPARED FOOD, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS. SO WE WANT TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLUE ZONES PROJECT TO HELP WITH THE SURVEYING FOR THE MARKET. WE REALLY WANT THIS MARKET TO CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY. WE THINK THAT'S HOW THIS MARKET WILL BE SET APART FROM OTHER MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE LEHIGH VALLEY. AND SO WE WANT TO LOOK AT BOTH AT THE PRODUCT MIX, THE FOOD, THE ENTERTAINMENT, ALL OF THAT TO CELEBRATE THAT CULTURAL DIVERSITY THAT'S SO PREVALENT IN ALLENTOWN. WE ALSO WANT IT TO BE WALKABLE, FRESH PRODUCE. WE THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME LOCAL FARMERS THAT SPECIFICALLY GROW FOR FARMER'S MARKETS AND, AND MAKE IT A PLACE THAT DOWNTOWN VISIT, BUT ALSO EMPLOYEES CAN GRAB AND VISIT AND GO HOME, YOU KNOW, TAKE HOME WITH THEM IF THEY'RE NOT LIVING DOWNTOWN. SO AND THIS IS WHERE THE, OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE AND A PLACE FOR ENTREPRENEURS OR CREATIVE PEOPLE TO BE VENDORS AND THEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE ON THROUGH THE CHANNEL, WE'RE ENVISIONING A SHARED SPACE WHERE THEY MIGHT GRADUATE TO IF THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, BEEN 
          [01:20:03]
SUCCESSFUL AS VENDORS AND THEN ULTIMATELY HELPING THEM TO FIND A SPACE DOWNTOWN THAT FITS THEIR NEEDS, IF THAT'S WHAT, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO. WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD TO CENTER SQUARE BEING FINISHED IN MANY WAYS. AND WHEN THAT'S DONE, WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PROGRAMING THAT BOTH WITH MUSIC AND, AND HOPEFULLY THE MARKET WOULD. THAT'S THAT WOULD BE THE LOCATION OF THE MARKET AT SOME POINT. SO AND THEN WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF HIRING A PART TIME EVENT COORDINATOR. THIS PERSON WOULD ASSIST ME, BUT THEY WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE IMPROVED COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE EVENT ORGANIZERS, THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, AND AGAIN, COMPLEMENTING EXISTING EVENTS WITH ADDITIONAL ACTIVATIONS. SO IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE EVENTS ARE AND, AND FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT THEM WITH THESE ADDITIONAL ACTIVATIONS. SO A LOT ON OUR PLATE AS FAR AS THE, THE PUBLIC SPACE VIBRANCY GOES, I'M GOING TO PIVOT INTO A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF THE REVENUE AND EXPENSES. I'M GOING TO START WITH EXPENSES AND LOOK AT OUR YEAR ZERO, 2020 FIVE, 26 ACTUALS COMPARED TO OUR 2020 627 BUDGET. AND, AND HERE YOU CAN SEE IN THE FORMATIVE YEAR, WE HAD VERY HIGH ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, REALLY DUE MOSTLY TO THE UNITED WAY CONTRACT. THEY WERE ACTING AS OUR INCUBATOR. SO THERE WAS A MONTHLY FEE FOR THAT CONTRACT THAT ENDED IN MAY. SO WE ARE WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT EXPENSE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL STARTUP COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH, YOU KNOW, FORMING THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF. BUT EVEN SO, 64% OF THE DOLLARS SPENT WENT DIRECTLY TO THE PROGRAMS. SO WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT IN, IN YEAR ONE, THIS CURRENT YEAR, THE BUDGET CALLS FOR A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. AND THEN THE PROGRAM, THE DOLLAR SPENT ON THE PROGRAMS JUMPS TO 81% OF OUR BUDGET. SO WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THIS SHOWS THAT WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. WHEN I MOVE OVER TO THE REVENUE SIDE IN YEAR ZERO, THE ORIGINAL YEAR, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE REVENUE WAS REALLY EVENLY SPREAD, SPREAD AMONG THE CITY, OTHER PUBLIC SOURCES AND PRIVATE DOLLARS IN YEAR ONE. THAT REALLY CHANGES THE CITY FUNDS WOULD REPRESENT 24%, RATHER THAN 34% OF THE TOTAL, AND DUE IN PART TO THE PIE GETTING BIGGER. AND THE PIE GOT BIGGER BECAUSE OF THE NPP CONTRIBUTORS. SO THAT PROGRAM WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR US. 
          IT WOULD GIVE US A STABLE REVENUE STREAM FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS. WE HAVE NINE CONTRIBUTORS, FOR A TOTAL OF $675,000 A YEAR. BUT NONE OF THAT IS CERTAIN AT THIS POINT. 
          SO IF IF YOU LOOK AT THE THE NEXT SLIDE IS SHOWS THE SAME REVENUE PIE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, BUT THE GRAY SPACES ARE NOT CONFIRMED. THEY ARE PROJECTED. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S QUITE A LOT OF IT. AND WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST THE BUDGET. IF ANY OF THIS DOES NOT COME THROUGH. SO WHILE WE EXPECT THAT THE REMAINING PRIVATE DOLLARS WILL DEFINITELY BE SECURED, YOU CAN JUST SEE ON THIS CHART HOW CRITICAL THE THE CITY FUNDING IS AS AN ANCHOR FOR THE REST OF THE BUDGET. SO AND YOU KNOW, MATT BROUGHT THIS UP AS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS SO CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS ORGANIZATION THAT IT REMAINS THAT WAY, THAT IT IS REALLY, TRULY, YOU KNOW, A BLEND OF ALL OF OF THESE AREAS. BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS YEAR OR THIS PAST YEAR, THE CITY'S PORTION WAS 34%. SO IT REALLY WAS EVENLY SPLIT WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE THREE DIFFERENT AREAS. AND THEN JUST A HIGH LEVEL UPDATE ON THE, THE YEAR ZERO MILESTONES. THIS IS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE HARRIS REPORT. THESE WERE WERE SIX MILESTONES THAT WERE ESTABLISHED IN THAT REPORT THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWED. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE'VE COMPLETED ALL 
          [01:25:04]
OF THEM. SO WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, VERY GOOD ABOUT THE PROGRESS IN THAT AREA. AND THEN YEARS ONE AND TWO, WHICH WERE ALSO LAID OUT EXACTLY AS YOU SEE IN THE REPORT, WE'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED FIVE OUT OF THE NINE, AND WE'VE MADE SOME GOOD PROGRESS ON ON THE PILOTING CULTURAL PROGRAMS AND TENANT IMPROVEMENT GRANTS. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT BOTH OUR PROGRAM COMMITTEE AND OUR RETAIL COMMITTEE ARE HAVE ON THEIR WORK PLANS TO FOCUS ON. SO SO WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, REALLY GOOD WHEN WE'RE MEASURING OURSELVES AGAINST THIS REPORT, WHICH WE'RE USING AS THE BASIS FOR OUR ORGANIZATION THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MEETING OUR TARGETS. AND THEN FINALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT NOT ONLY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, BUT ALSO TO RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR THE SAME LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT YOU PROVIDED IN OUR YEAR ZERO TO CONTINUE IN 2027. AND THAT WOULD WOULD CONTINUE TO FUND, YOU KNOW, THE AMBASSADOR SERVICES IN LARGE PART, THAT HAS BEEN CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR FUNDING THAT PROGRAM. IT WOULD PROVIDE SOME SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT AND THEN ALSO HELP WITH THE PUBLIC SPACE ACTIVATIONS. SO ALL THREE OF US ARE HERE. WE ALSO HAVE JIM STANG, WHO'S OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. SO WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES. ANY. MR. BENDER, GO AHEAD. I HAVE A HANDFUL. SORRY. I GUESS THE FIRST ONE FOR THE. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE REPORT, SO I HAVE NOT READ IT. BUT MY QUESTION WAS HOW IN THE VISION 2030 THAT WAS DONE? I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT WAS DONE SOME TIME AGO. HOW MANY OF THOSE ASPECTS DO YOU KNOW? LIKE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR IS CAPTIONED SOME OF THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS. IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT, I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT SURE THAT I HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT. THE THE REPORT WAS DONE, YOU KNOW, WITH SURVEYING TO OVER 1700 PEOPLE. 
          AND SO THAT'S REALLY BEEN THE BASIS THAT WAS DONE IN 24 AND 25. SO MORE RECENT. BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE VISION. 2030. OKAY. WOULD YOU LIKE US TO ADDRESS THAT? YEAH, I GUESS. SURE. 
          SORRY. YEAH. SO AS PART OF THE REPORT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID WAS LOOK THROUGH VISION 2030. SO A LOT OF THAT STUFF DID GET INCORPORATED INTO IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT WAS KIND OF MY MAIN QUESTION ON THAT ONE. AND THEN I GUESS WITH THE SPECIFIC TO SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT THAT YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC POLICIES OR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HELP AID IN SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES YOU'RE GOING TOWARDS? YOU CAN THINK OF LIKE, IS THERE, IS THERE SOME LIKE, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO DO THIS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOTICING IS THERE'S TOO MUCH OF THIS OR THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF THIS. 
          LIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP FROM A DOWNTOWN PERSPECTIVE IN HELPING PEOPLE? I THINK THAT WILL THAT HAS ALREADY COME UP IN THE RETAIL DISCUSSION SPECIFICALLY. SOME OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO I THINK AS WE GET FURTHER INTO OUR MEETINGS WITH OUR RETAIL COMMITTEE FOLKS, THEY'LL BE ADDRESSING THAT. THAT'S PART OF WHAT IS IN THEIR LIST OF RESPONSIBILITIES IS REALLY ADVOCACY AND, AND COLLABORATING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE BARRIERS FOR OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND OUR CREATIVE PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE AND SO THAT THEY CAN ESTABLISH BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES IF THEY SO CHOOSE. OKAY. SO I MEAN, THAT THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE, I THINK, HELPFUL FOR US BECAUSE GETTING K FROM, FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE COMMUNITY IS HELPFUL TO SHAPE THAT. I'M SORRY, DID YOU WANT TO JUST TWO THINGS. THE VACANT PROPERTY REGISTRY HELPS US ADDRESS SOME OF THE VACANT BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T BEEN DEVELOPED. SO THAT WAS WHEN WE ENACTED THAT THAT WAS IN MIND TO SUPPORT THEM. AND THEN OUR COMMERCIAL PRE-SALE INSPECTION PROGRAM IS THE OTHER ONE THAT I WOULD SAY. BUT AS THEY IDENTIFY MORE STUFF, WORKING WITH THE RETAIL COMMUNITY WILL BE HAPPY 
          [01:30:01]
TO BRING SUGGESTED LEGISLATION TO YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, MARK IS IS PART OF OUR BOARD. VICKY'S MADE HERSELF VERY AVAILABLE TO ME AS I GET UP TO SPEED ON EVERYTHING. AND BOTH DANIEL DIAZ, WHO'S HERE OR, AND, AND MICHAEL ALCOHOL HAVE ALSO GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH US TOO. SO WE ARE COLLABORATING, WHICH IS, IS THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS FOR FOR THAT. THANKS. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAD MENTIONED WAS THE DOWNTOWN IDENTITY. WHAT DO YOU IF YOU WERE TO SUMMARIZE THAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK OR FEEL CURRENTLY IS THE DOWNTOWN IDENTITY HAVE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE? I PERSONALLY FEEL AND AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY THAT IT'S ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. I THINK IT'S THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE IN TERMS OF BRINGING FOLKS FROM OUTSIDE THE REGION, BRINGING TOURISTS IN. WE HAVE THE MUSEUM, WE HAVE THE MONUMENTS, WE HAVE THE MURALS, WE HAVE THE VENUES, PARTICULARLY IN THIS DOWNTOWN STRIP, OF COURSE. BUT AGAIN, I BELIEVE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT IS OUR NORTH STAR, IF YOU WILL. AND I THINK IF WE ALL GET BEHIND THAT, THAT WILL CREATE THAT IDENTITY AND MORE MORE THAN THAT, A SENSE OF PRIDE FOR THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, PARTICULARLY DOWNTOWN. I JUST HAVE TWO MORE. SORRY. ONE THING WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKET, I GUESS I WOULD JUST ASK IF THERE COULD BE IN THOUGHT PROCESS IN THE IN THE TIMING, BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY HISTORIC RUNNING ALLENTOWN FARMER'S MARKET THAT WE MAYBE DON'T TRY TO CONFLICT, BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE SOME PEOPLE THAT FUNCTION IN THAT MARKET MAY WANT TO FUNCTION IN THIS ONE AS WELL. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. AND THEN THE NPP FUNDING. WHEN DO YOU THINK THAT THAT WILL COME THROUGH OR WHEN DO YOU WHEN WILL YOU IDENTIFY THAT THAT WOULD BE LIKE A KNOWN THING. WE SHOULD FIND OUT FROM DCED IN NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER. 
          OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW. THANKS. THANK YOU. ANY ANYONE ELSE, MR. PONGO? GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT. JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT ONE, JUST BECAUSE HE JUST ASKED, IT WAS ON MY LIST THAT WAS GOING TO BE LAST. BUT I'LL GO INTO IT. NO, BUT WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE THE THE NPP, I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW MUCH ARE ONLY THE PRIVATE DOLLARS, THE 13% OR ARE THERE PRIVATE DOLLARS AS PART OF THAT NPP CONTRIBUTION? SO THE NPP CONTRIBUTION IS ALL PRIVATE DOLLARS. YEAH. SO THERE'S NINE CONTRIBUTORS. THE MINIMUM FOR THAT PROGRAM IS A $50,000 A YEAR CONTRIBUTION. SO WE HAVE NINE CONTRIBUTORS THERE. AND THEN THE PRIVATE DOLLARS ARE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS THAT ARE WERE EITHER NOT INTERESTED IN THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT DIDN'T FIT THEIR BUSINESS OR DID NOT WANT TO CONTRIBUTE AT THAT LEVEL. AND SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL A GROUP OF, OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE DA, BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY WITH DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS, I GUESS. AND THEN I GUESS MY QUESTION WAS, ARE THERE ANY STIPULATIONS? SO I SEE YOU'RE PROJECTING 53%. I KNOW THAT'S NOT CONFIRMED AT THIS POINT. DO ANY OF THOSE EXPECT SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT IN ANOTHER WAY IN ORDER TO LIKE ASSURE THEIR CONTRIBUTION? OR IS THAT JUST PURELY ON TIMING OF WHEN THOSE FUNDS ARE FINALIZED? I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND. I GUESS FOR YOUR PROJECTED REVENUE FOR 2020 627, THE NPP CONTRIBUTIONS ARE SHOWN, AS YOU KNOW, NOT CONFIRMED. AND I'M WONDERING, IS THAT JUST A TIMING OR IS ARE THE OR ARE THERE SOME PEOPLE WHO THEIR SUPPORT IS CONTINGENT ON OTHER SUPPORT? NO, THEY ARE ALL CONFIRMED. AS FAR AS THE PROGRAM GOES. THEY'VE ALL SIGNED AN MOU STATING THAT THEY ARE MAKING THAT CONTRIBUTION. THE ONLY THING NOT CONFIRMED IS WHETHER OUR NPP APPLICATION IS APPROVED. SO IF THE APPLICATION IS APPROVED, THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE SECURE. ALL RIGHT. PERFECT. THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO JUMPING TO SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS I HAD. SO I'M CURIOUS ON HOW MUCH WHETHER THE REPORT OR EVEN YOURSELVES AS A BOARD ARE LOOKING INTO, YOU KNOW, THE ORGANIC NATURE OF THE GROWTH OF WHAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN. SO IS, IS I KNOW WE MENTIONED THE OUTREACH TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. I THINK SO MUCH OF THESE BUSINESSES WILL FLOURISH. I THINK ASKING PEOPLE TO COME FROM OUTSIDE OF ALLENTOWN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BEING OUR CHALLENGE UNTIL, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, FEEL LIKE THERE'S A DIFFERENT PERCEPTION. 
          AND JUST HAVING BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, I KNOW I CAN REMEMBER THE DAYS WHERE THE PPL PLAZA HAD THE FOUNTAINS ON AND EVERYONE WENT DOWN BECAUSE THEIR KIDS LOVED TO RUN AROUND IN THE FOUNTAIN. AND I THINK SO MUCH OF THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KNEW TO EXPECT THAT THEY KNOW 
          [01:35:01]
TO GO THERE. AND HOW, HOW CAN WE CREATE A SPACE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, KNOWN AND IDENTIFIED FOR PUBLIC SPACE WHERE PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY, SOMEBODY WHO LIVES ON EIGHTH AND TURNER CAN FEEL LIKE, YEAH, I WANT TO WALK DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THAT'S A SPACE FOR ME. I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITIES FEEL LIKE THERE'S THESE BUILDINGS GOING UP WITH SHINY WALLS AND IT'S LIKE, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE A WALL THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, AS OPPOSED TO A PLACE WHERE THEY SOMETIMES FEEL INVITED TO. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ON WHAT EFFORTS WE'RE MAKING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY TO ALSO BE ENGAGED. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY SPECIFIC INITIATIVES FOR THAT. YEAH, SURE. I, I USED OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS, WHICH IS PICKING UP IS VERY LOCAL, I BELIEVE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT'S, THAT'S REGIONAL OR OUTSIDE OF OUR MUCH OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT AT THIS POINT AS, AS LISA TALKED ABOUT, THE, THE FLOWER SHOP WITH 13,000 VIEWS, PRINCE, WHATEVER THAT'S THE PROPER TERM IS FOR THEM IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. I THINK THAT IT'S SHOWING US THE POWER OF THAT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF A NEW INITIATIVE FOR US. NOW, WE'VE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT WHERE SOCIAL MEDIA, THE ACTIVATIONS WHICH FILL THE SPACE, BECAUSE THIS IS A GOOD LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT WILL TELL YOU IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDINGS ARE GREAT, BUT IT'S A SPACE IN BETWEEN WHERE THE HUMAN ACTIVITY HAPPENS, WHERE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE IT'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FEELING, THERE'S A VIBE, THERE'S A COMFORT, THERE'S A WELCOMING NESS TO IT. SO I THINK THE, THE ACTIVATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON, PEOPLE WALKING BY, THEY HEAR MUSIC AND WE SEE THIS ALL THE TIME. AND THE AMBASSADORS CAN TELL US ALL THE TIME. PEOPLE WANDER IN TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A PERCENTAGE OF THEM THAT STICK AROUND, WHETHER THEY'RE PLAYING CORNHOLE OR THEY JUST DECIDE THEY'RE GOING TO STAND HERE AND WATCH THE MUSIC FOR A WHILE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THAT COULD BE DURING THE DAY OR IN THE EVENING, BECAUSE WE TRY TO COMPLIMENT AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE SHOW. WE WANT TO COMPLIMENT WHAT'S GOING ON. SO IF THERE'S A CERTAIN ARTIST PLAYING, YOU KNOW, AT ARCHER OR PL AND LET'S SAY IT'S A COUNTRY ARTIST, WELL THEN PERHAPS THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACTIVATION WILL BE FOLK OR COUNTRY SOMEBODY BUSKING KIND OF KIND OF THING. SO THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING US FROM HERE OR OUTSIDE OF THE AREA FIND IT INTERESTING AND LINGER ON THEIR WAY TO THE VENUE THAT THEY HAPPEN TO BE GOING TO. SO WE ACTIVATE UP THE PATH, WE ACTIVATE IN THE POCKET PARK AND DLP PLAZA. ANYTHING ELSE I'M MISSING ON DRAWING PEOPLE IN WITH THE ACTIVATIONS? JUST TO ADD TO THAT, I THINK THE AMBASSADORS, YOU KNOW, CREATE THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY. THEY HELP TO DO THAT. EVEN AS FAR AS THE WEBSITE IS CONCERNED, THERE WERE SOME SURVEYING THAT WENT ON AND TOOK PLACE TO GET THE LOCAL INPUT ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THEY WOULD WANT TO SEE ON THE WEBSITE. SO I THINK THIS MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ABOUT INVOLVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. MAKE SURE THEY FEEL HEARD, SEEN, REPRESENTED ACCURATELY. AND I WOULD AGREE, MUCH OF WHAT'S GOING UP IS IN THE CITY, BUT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL IT'S FOR THE CITY. WE WANT DA TO BE VASTLY DIFFERENT. SO WE'RE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL WITH HOW WE DO THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS GERLACH. GO AHEAD. YES. TRY TO ORGANIZE MY THOUGHTS HERE. SO I GUESS BUILDING OFF OF THAT FOR A WHILE, PEOPLE HAVE SAID, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THAT IT'S DOWNTOWN IS TO BRING PEOPLE IN THAT HAVE MONEY TO SPEND, NOT NECESSARILY FOR LONG TERM RESIDENTS. THAT'S JUST THE FEELING THAT INCLUDES ME. SO IN ADDITION TO THE SOCIAL MEDIA, LIKE SO I HEAR ACTIVATIONS YOGA, WONDERFUL. I'M NOT SURE HOW POPULAR YOGA IS IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY. I DON'T KNOW, BUT LIKE, ARE THERE ACTIVATIONS TO ACTUALLY BRING THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY LATINO AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT MAYBE ARE, YOU KNOW, MORE CULTURALLY EXCITING? YEAH, I WOULD SAY YOGA HAS YET TO START. 
          SO THAT WILL BEGIN NEXT WEDNESDAY. UP UNTIL THIS POINT, IT'S BEEN ZUMBA, WHICH IF YOU'VE EVER PARTICIPATED, IT'S ESSENTIALLY SALSA AND EVERYONE'S SWEATING. EVERYONE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME. SO MUCH OF THAT LATIN COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED IN THAT ACTIVATION. 
          BUT MORE THAN THAT, WE'VE BEEN VERY STRATEGIC AROUND CINCO DE MAYO. WE HAD A LATIN BAND PERFORM, AND THE LOCAL DANCE CREW CAME OUT AND DANCE SALSA TO THAT. SO AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL IN REPRESENTING THE CULTURAL MELTING POT THAT IS DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN. AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN THAT HAVE MONEY, AND THAT'S WHAT IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE. THESE ACTIVATIONS ARE FREE. THEY ARE MEANT TO BE ZERO BARRIER FOR ENTRY WHEN EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE AND AGAIN, REFLECT MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT LIVE DOWNTOWN. OKAY, YOU WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING TO SEE IN THE YEARS TO COME, ESPECIALLY WITH FUNDING GOING TO YOU ALL. LIKE HOW, HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT PERCEPTION? OR MAYBE SOME MIGHT SAY MISPERCEPTION. YOU KNOW, THE AREA HAS BEEN GENTRIFIED, 
          [01:40:06]
SOME MIGHT NOT WANT TO USE THAT TERM. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE GENTRIFICATION OR YOU HAVE A DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE, A CHANGING OF DEMOGRAPHICS AND ECONOMIC LEVELS, YOU'RE BOUND TO HAVE MAYBE SOME FEELINGS. SO BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT. YEAH, I AGREE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS AS WE WORKED THROUGH THE MARKETING STRATEGY, THAT IS KIND OF THE NEXT STEP IN THE BRAND AND MARKETING PROCESS WAS REALLY IDENTIFYING THOSE FOUR AUDIENCES AND MAKING SURE THAT ONE WAS THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SURROUND DOWNTOWN. AND, AND AGAIN, WITH THE MARKETPLACE. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE THOUGHT THERE TOO, BY HAVING IT POTENTIALLY, AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE, BUT POTENTIALLY ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, YOU KNOW, THAT IT BRIDGES THAT END OF WORK TIME. IT WOULD ALLOW FOR PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THAT COULD WALK THERE, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND MAYBE HAVE DINNER, YOU KNOW, OR GRAB AND GO OR AT LEAST PICK UP FRESH PRODUCE OR WHATEVER. SO WE ARE TRYING TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL. AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE FOUR GROUPS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MARKETING TO. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, KYLE SAID, WE'RE CONSIDERING IT AS WE AS WE PLAN OUR ACTIVATIONS AND WHAT OUR NEXT PHASE OF THOSE ACTIVATIONS ARE. AND SO WHEN WE'RE BUILDING OUR COMMITTEES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME YOUNGER PEOPLE, SOME OLDER PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THE CITY BUT DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY, AND SOME PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE CITY BUT DON'T WORK IN THE CITY. SO REALLY TRYING TO GET THAT GOOD REPRESENTATION SO THAT WE CAN HEAR ALL THE VIEWPOINTS BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE I THINK WE'RE JUST AT THE BEGINNING PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION ON THAT, BUT DEFINITELY VERY AWARE OF IT. SO OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN YOU KIND OF READ MY NOTES SOMEHOW THAT MARKET. SO LIKE WHAT I SEE IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING MINE, IS YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, SELLING LIMAS, BRAIDING HAIR MAKING PLATTERS, UNOFFICIALLY. IS THERE AND MAYBE THIS IS A CITY, MAYBE THIS WOULD BE A CITY EFFORT, A WAY TO AN EFFORT, OR THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SOME OF THOSE FOLKS INTO MORE OF THE LIKE OFFICIAL ECONOMY AND WHICH WOULD REQUIRE LIKE THIS MARKET WOULD REQUIRE LIKE LOWER BARRIERS OF ENTRY. YOU GOT TO GET INSURANCE, YOU GOT TO PAY. 
          WHEN I WAS GOING TO SELL LEMONADE, YOU DON'T PAY THE CITY VENDING FEE, YOU PAY CITY CENTER, YOU PAY THEM BECAUSE THEY OWN THE LAND THERE. SO YOU PAY THEM A VENDING FEE, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. YOU GOT TO GET, LIKE I SAID, INSURANCE, YOU GOT TO HAVE YOUR BUSINESS LICENSE. IT'S IT'S A LOT. AND FOR SOMEONE SELLING LEON BAYS, IT MIGHT BE A BIT MUCH. RIGHT. 
          AND SO THAT'S EXACTLY THE POINT WOULD BE THAT THE MARKET WOULD BE REALLY AN INCUBATOR OF SORTS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST ENTERING BUSINESS. IT WOULD BE THEY'D BE SUPPORTED. PART OF WHAT THE RETAIL COMMITTEE WILL DO IS PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. I THINK LIKE A QUARTERLY MIXER, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, COFFEE OR AN AFTERNOON SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, ALTERNATING THEM IS HELPFUL BECAUSE OF PEOPLE'S HOURS, BUT GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL SUPPORTED, TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS, TO PROVIDE SOME EDUCATION. WE'VE CONNECTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH EL TRI, WITH THE PSU, THE LAUNCHBOX THAT'S COMING DOWNTOWN WITH ALVERNIA, THAT'S COMING IN. THEY HAVE AN OPAQUE INSTITUTE THAT HELPS WITH PROJECTS, INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS FOR BUSINESSES. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES AND WE LOOK AT DA AS NOT HAVING ALL OF THE ANSWERS OR BEING ABLE TO SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM FOR EVERYBODY, BUT REALLY BEING THAT CONNECTOR WHERE WE HAVE THAT RESOURCE BASE THAT WE CAN HELP GET, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESSES, THE SUPPORT TO, TO INCUBATE THEM THROUGH FROM MARKET VENDOR TO, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO'S MAYBE SHARING A SPACE AND THEN ON TO THEIR OWN BRICK AND MORTAR STORE. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS OUR LONG TERM GOAL AND WHY WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE MARKET BECAUSE WE THINK IT IS, YOU KNOW, FROM A MARKET POINT OF VIEW, IT'S A GREAT THING, BUT ALSO FROM WHAT IT CAN DO AS A BUSINESS INCUBATOR, IT ALSO REALLY IS WILL BE BENEFICIAL, I BELIEVE, TO THE DOWNTOWN. COOL. LET'S 
          [01:45:02]
SEE DATA AND DON'T HAVE TO PRESENT THIS TONIGHT, BUT IS THERE GOING TO BE DATA COLLECTED TO REALLY QUANTIFY IF PEOPLE ARE FEELING SAFER VISITING DOWNTOWN AND THE FOOT TRAFFIC, I THINK PRESIDENT NAPOLI HAD MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE GETTING LIKE WAY BACK WHENEVER WE PASSED THE AMBASSADOR FUNDING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, GETTING FOOT TRAFFIC TRAFFIC, LIKE, ARE WE, ARE WE GOING TO MEASURE LIKE, ARE BUSINESSES MAKING MORE MONEY ESSENTIALLY? LIKE, IS THAT A PLAN? BECAUSE IF THAT'S WHY WE'RE FUNDING AND PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE FUNDING AMBASSADORS IS THAT BUSINESSES NEED TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL SAFE. DO WE HAVE PROOF THAT THEY ARE RIGHT? AND, AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THAT. HOW DO WE COLLECT SOME OF THESE DATA POINTS? AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE RESOURCES, BOTH FINANCIAL AND JUST TIME, YOU KNOW, SO FAR BEYOND THE THE FOUR AMBASSADORS, IT'S JUST ME. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIMITED A LITTLE BIT IN WHAT WE CAN DO. BUT AS PART OF THE NPP, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF REPORTING THAT'S INVOLVED THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO, TO EVERYBODY HERE. SO THAT DATA COLLECTION AND HOW WE DO IT AND WHAT WE COLLECT ARE TOP OF MIND FOR ALL OF US. AND AS A BOARD, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT. SO I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER YET ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AND EXACTLY WHAT. BUT I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO. SO WE ARE FOCUSED ON THAT. GOT YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK MY LAST THING IS JUST LIKE KIND OF PICKING UP FROM COUNCIL PERSON PONGO ABOUT LIKE I LOOK AT SEVENTH STREET AND IT'S HOPPING DAY, NIGHT, MORNING DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S HOPPING. IT CATERS TO THE RESIDENTS. AND THAT'S FROM OUTSIDE NON BUSINESS EXPERTISE. JUST IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S WHY IT'S WORKING. IT'S WE'RE HERE. THE RESIDENTS ARE HERE. WE'VE GOT DISPOSABLE INCOME. WE NEED TO SPEND IT SOMEWHERE IN SEVENTH STREET HAS BUSINESSES THAT CATER TO THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THERE. AND IT SEEMS TO BE I KNOW YOU KNOW LIKE PETER LUNA'S LIKE WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY INVOLVED. AND THERE WAS SOME LEVEL OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND LIKE ORGANIZING AND BUILDING THAT AND MAINTAINING IT. YEAH. YES, 100%. AND THERE ALSO IS AN ORGANIC ELEMENT. IT JUST FEELS LIKE MORE ORGANIC THAN JUST LIKE CORPORATE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME BEST PRACTICES TO LOOK AT FROM SEVENTH STREET ON HOW THEY DID IT, HOW THEY DO IT BECAUSE IT'S WORKING. SEVENTH STREET DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FOOT TRAFFIC. SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WAS JUST GOING TO TAG INTO SOMETHING ELSE. I, I HAD IT ON MY LIST, BUT I FORGOT TO MENTION IT, BUT IT'S KIND OF WHAT KYLE MENTIONED. I LOVE THE IDEA OF TRYING TO CATER TO THE DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT LIKE EXIST OR THE CULTURAL EVENTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE CINCO DE MAYO IS A GOOD ONE. I MEAN, I KNOW AS A CITY WE DO DIFFERENT EVENTS LIKE A FLAG RAISING. I CAN SPEAK TO THE COLOMBIAN COMMUNITY. WE'RE LOOKING TO CONTINUE GROWING THE COMMUNITY THAT COMES OUT FOR THAT. AND IF THERE WAS A COORDINATED EFFORT WITH DHA TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, ONE OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE DLP IS GOING TO OPEN UP THE PLAZA. WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING THERE, WE CAN HAVE VENDORS OR, YOU KNOW, ROSABLANCA WILL DO A SPECIAL EVENT OR, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF COLLABORATE AND FIND THE DIFFERENT CITY EVENTS. AND HOW CAN WE OPEN UP DOWNTOWN FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY GOING TO COME OUT FOR THIS EVENT TO FEEL LIKE, OKAY, LET'S HAVE A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE BUSINESSES. SO THAT WAY THE PUBLIC CAN FEEL ENGAGED. AND AGAIN, JUST TIME OF YEAR, I THINK THERE WAS IN THE PAST DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED DOWNTOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS THAT WERE ENGAGING TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          I REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT FOR THE TREE LIGHTING THAT WAS AT PL PLAZA, AND NOW IT FEELS LIKE, OKAY, THAT KIND OF HAS SHIFTED DOWN TO FIFTH STREET AND MAYBE THE SAME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LIKE, OH, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED HERE? THEY DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S OVER THERE. SO ANY WAY WE CAN CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR SOME OF THESE MORE ROUTINE HOLIDAYS EVENTS, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE PROGRESS THAT THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO DO. AND I'M I THINK WE'RE ALL ROOTING FOR THE SUCCESS OF ALLENTOWN, OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR RESIDENTS BEING IN THAT FUTURE. SO THANK YOU. SO I JUST LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE JUST A COUPLE THOUGHTS. FIRST, YOU KNOW, REGARDING DATA, I MEAN, YES, I'M I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF COLLECTING DATA. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT, YOU'RE NOT THERE YET. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, LIKE CENTER CITY, PHILADELPHIA HAS THEIR DISTRICT AND THEY'RE COLLECTING DATA ON HOUSING, THEY'RE COLLECTING DATA ON TRAFFIC. YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEIR BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS? THEY'RE COLLECTING DATA ON 
          [01:50:04]
WORKFORCE. HOW MANY FOLKS ARE WORKING IN CENTER CITY, PHILLY, WHAT DAYS OF THE WEEK, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AT SOME POINT TO COLLECT THIS DATA. AGAIN, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN YEAR. YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN INFANCY STAGE RIGHT NOW. SO I WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, COGNIZANT OF THAT. BUT, BUT FOR US, FOR THIS ORGANIZATION TO REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT LONG TERM, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO START COLLECTING THAT DATA SO THAT YOU CAN, WHEN YOU GO TO RECRUIT A NEW, A NEW SMALL BUSINESS, YOU CAN SAY, LISTEN, THIS IS HARD CORE DATA. THIS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE BITS AND PIECES FROM DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS. YOU KNOW, ONE DEVELOPER WILL SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THIS DOWN HERE. OKAY, THAT'S GREAT, BUT THAT'S ONLY A PART OF THE PUZZLE BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING THEIR DATA. SO, SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE VACANCY, NO VACANCY DATA AND, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALITY DATA. SO I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT I THINK WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES, I THINK WE CAN GET THERE FASTER AND START ESPECIALLY WITH TECHNOLOGY NOW WE CAN DEFINITELY COLLECT MORE OF IT FASTER. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON DATA TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, AS A FUNDER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT. NUMBERS DON'T LIE. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. LASTLY, I DO ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. THERE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED IT THAT HAVE A TON OF PASSION. THEY HAVE A LOT OF DRIVE AND JUST NEED SOME HELP, WHETHER IT'S SOME TECH ASSISTANCE, WHETHER IT'S SOME MARKETING ASSISTANCE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE FOLKS THAT COULD SUCCEED AND THRIVE IF THEY JUST HAD A LITTLE BIT OF HELP. SO FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO IDENTIFY THOSE PROSPECTS AND HELP, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OR YOU MENTIONED THE INCUBATOR, LIKE, HOW DO WE GET THESE FOLKS TO A POINT WHERE THEY ARE OPERATING A SMALL BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN FOOTPRINT, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THRIVE, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE A FOCUS ON THAT DOWN THE ROAD AS WELL. SO, MR. BENDER, GO AHEAD. YOU FINISHED ONE OTHER QUESTION. JUST BECAUSE IT CAME UP WITH THE BUSINESS INCUBATOR, I KNOW THAT DIRECTOR KESSLER PRESENTED, AND THIS WAS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ABOUT SOME OF THE I'M FORGETTING THE ACRONYM WITH THE BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT FOR SPARK PROGRAM. YEAH. SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS JUST I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT WE'RE COMPLEMENTING OR WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER. WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING IN ANY OF THOSE EFFORTS. SO WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT CAME UP AGAIN, THE GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION ON LATINO AFFAIRS HAD A SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR. 
          AND AND A LOT OF THE INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED BY THE SBDC. SO HE AND I SPOKE AFTERWARDS AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT DA IS DOING AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE. AND SO IT'S THAT TYPE OF THING IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY THE EXPERTS, BUT WE CAN CONNECT THE SMALL BUSINESS PERSON TO THE SBDC AND SAY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE AND I KNOW WHAT THIS BUSINESS OWNER IS DEALING WITH, I CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, AGENCY OR ORGANIZATION OR PERSON THAT CAN HELP THEM. SO THANK YOU. YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALMOST LIKE A CLEARINGHOUSE. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I MEAN, I AM AWARE OF THE SPARK PROGRAM, BUT I HAVING AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN REALLY CONNECT ALL THE DOTS DOWNTOWN, WHETHER IT'S FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WHETHER IT'S FOR ACTIVATION, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, YOU KNOW, THIS ORGANIZATION HAS TO PLAY THAT PART. SO, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I JUST WANT TO ASK, IF YOU DON'T ALREADY FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PLEASE DO SO. SPREAD THE GOOD WORD OF WHAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN, OUR EFFORTS, THE ACTIVATIONS, THE BUSINESSES. WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THAT. SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO COMBAT THAT, THAT NARRATIVE, RIGHT? SO IT ALL HELPS. SO THANK YOU. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT, I'LL TAKE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT IF ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SPEAK ON DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE, MISS, MISS ONE, COME ON UP AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK. WELL, WELCOME. DO I HAVE TO GIVE MY ADDRESS, JENNIFER? NO, I JUST HAD I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE, WHERE ARE YOU ADVERTISING ON THESE EVENTS? BECAUSE I LOOK EVERY WEEK FOR WEEKEND EVENTS AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE ONES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. SO I DON'T KNOW 
          [01:55:02]
WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT THERE'S A REAL DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE STUFF THAT HAPPENS IN THE CITY AND THE INFORMATION THAT GOES OUT THERE. I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY, I THINK IT WAS JUNETEENTH, AND IT TOLD ME IT WAS AN ARTS PARK AT NOON. IT WAS NOT THERE. IT WAS AT CEDAR CREST THE NEXT DAY AT SOME OTHER TIME. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND ALL THESE EVENTS, BUT IT IS VERY HARROWING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING YOU CANNOT. OKAY, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW IT. THERE'S A PLACE ON THE CITY COUNCIL. THERE'S A PLACE ON THE CITY WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN ADVERTISE THESE THINGS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ONLY BEING ADVERTISED IN INSTAGRAM. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO COMMENT ON, WHICH IS MY PERSONAL VENDETTA, ARE PUBLIC RESTROOMS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO HANG OUT DOWNTOWN, UNLESS YOU WANT A PUBLIC HORROR AWFUL THING TO HAPPEN, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE MORE PUBLIC RESTROOMS. AND I KNOW THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH HAVING PORTA POTTIES AND ET CETERA. ET CETERA. ET CETERA. THERE IS NO PLACE DOWNTOWN TO USE A PUBLIC RESTROOM. IF YOU'RE DOWN THERE DOING ANYTHING, HERE IS THE ONE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GO THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. I HOPE THAT GOES INTO YOUR REPORT. I APPRECIATE THE DIVERSITY THAT'S ON YOUR BOARD, BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS CITY IS 56% HISPANIC LATINO. SO IT'S ONLY 38% WHITE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT YOUR BOARD IS NOT REFLECTING THE CITY VERY WELL. AND THE FINAL THING THAT I HAVE TO SAY IS THAT. THE CRISTINA DE PERIO WAS HERE. SHE WAS THE CO-CHAIR OF THE HOMELESS COMMISSION. SHE WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT MEETING IS HAPPENING NEXT WEEK AT 10 A.M. HERE. THE HOMELESS COMMISSION, SHE WANTED TO INVITE THIS GROUP AND THE PREVIOUS JULIO TO THAT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE DEALING WITH AND TALKING ABOUT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THAT COMMISSION AS WELL. AND SO I HAVE HER CARD. SHE LEFT ME IN THE CARDS TO GIVE TO YOU. AND THEN MY LAST COMMENT, 33 SECONDS. WAS THIS MEETING SUPPOSED TO BE ON ZOOM? BECAUSE IT'S NOT. I HAD TO COME IN HERE BECAUSE IT WASN'T ON ZOOM. YOU MADE ME GET OUT OF MY HOUSE. 
          I'M JUST CURIOUS, ARE THESE MEETINGS ON ZOOM OR ARE THEY NOT? DOES NOBODY KNOW THEY'RE ON THE WEBSITE? THEY'RE ON THE WEBSITE, AND NOW THEY'RE STREAMED ON FACEBOOK. OKAY. OH, ON FACEBOOK, BECAUSE I WENT TO THE WEBSITE, THE THING SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN. AND I WENT TO SAFARI AND IT SPUN AND SPUN AND SPUN. SO IF THAT INFORMATION COULD BE PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE THAT COULD HELP WITH THESE TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE NO IDEA THAT THEY EVEN HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T COME TO THIS MEETING. SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. SORRY TO GO OVER. NO THANK YOU. NO, IT'S OKAY, MR. BRENNAN. GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS, JUST FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES FOR THE WEBSITE. I DID MEET WITH DIRECTOR OF IT BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WAS LAST FRIDAY, ABOUT GETTING SOME OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED THERE AS A AS A CENTRAL POINT THAT CAN THEN BE PUSHED OUT. SO THAT'S I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S IN THE WORKS, BUT WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT. SO HOPING THAT THAT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSOLIDATED GOING FORWARD BEFORE YOU DO IT, THE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. YEAH. MISS ORTEGA, IS GRANICUS GOING TO BE UP AGAIN OR ARE WE JUST AN UPDATE? SO WE'RE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRANSITION WITH GRANICUS. WE'VE UPGRADED THE CAMERAS. WE'VE UPGRADED THE WEBSITE. WE'RE STREAMING ON FACEBOOK. PART OF THAT, WE HAVE SOME HICCUPS. SO IT'S THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE TRANSITION. SO THAT'S WHY TODAY THE MEETING WE'VE HAD SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. SWAGGER EMAILED ME DURING THE MEETING AND THEY SAID THEY WERE HAVING SOME HICCUPS, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO UPLOAD THE VIDEO TOMORROW. SO OKAY. SO MISS SWAN, JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, THE VIDEO OF TONIGHT'S MEETING WILL BE UPLOADED TOMORROW TO THE CITY WEBSITE. SO IT WAS NOT IT WAS NOT LIVE STREAMED DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WE JUST WENT THROUGH A BIG UPGRADE WHICH INCLUDED SOME EQUIPMENT, BUT ALSO THE ACTUAL CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY THAT'S GOING TO RUN OUR MEETINGS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. SO SO THERE ARE SOME HICCUPS, BUT TOMORROW THE MEETING WILL BE UPLOADED AND AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE TO WATCH WITH THE LINK. YEAH, YOU COULD PUT A NOTICE LIKE THAT ON THE CITY WEB PAGE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. OKAY. THERE ARE THE LAST MEETING I WAS AT AND THIS ONE IMPLY THAT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THIS BODY AND THE CITY. YEAH, WE APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK AND WE'RE VERY AWARE OF IT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING DOWNTOWN ALLENTOWN ALLIANCE AND THE PRESIDENT? IF I CAN JUST SAY FOLLOW THEM THEM ON FACEBOOK. IF YOU FOLLOW THEM 
          [02:00:02]
ON FACEBOOK, YOU GET, I DON'T WANT TO SAY BOMBARDED, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERY ACTIVITY THAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE IN REAL TIME THERE, THAT IS HELPFUL. WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES IN DC FOLLOWING JUST SO WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING, WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT, WHERE WE CAN BE, HOW WE CAN DO OUTREACH. BUT IF YOU FOLLOW THEM, YOU GET THAT CALENDAR. IN THE MEANTIME UNTIL WE CAN FIX THE REST. OKAY. JUST ANOTHER NOTE TO THAT REGARD. I DID ALSO WANT TO COMMEND. THERE IS I DO APOLOGIZE THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD ACCESS TO IT YET, BUT I KNOW I SOMEHOW GOT INTO THE NEWSLETTER THAT LISA, YOU SEND OUT. AND I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY GREAT BECAUSE IT'S LITERALLY I SIT DOWN AND I READ IT BECAUSE I'M JUST LIKE, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          BECAUSE HONESTLY, SOMETIMES HALF THE STUFF THAT'S ON THERE, I HAVE NO OTHER WAY OF KNOWING BECAUSE MAYBE I DON'T FOLLOW THAT BUSINESS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO THAT BUSINESS YET. OR I DIDN'T REALIZE LIKE, I'VE, I TYPICALLY HAVE A BUSY WEEK. I'M NOT ALWAYS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SO WHEN I GET THAT EMAIL, I CAN SAY, OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT HAD BEEN ADVERTISING. LIKE, OH, THERE'S A SPECIAL LIKE DINNER OR BRUNCH EVENT AT THIS TIME. AND LIKE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS MANY PEOPLE CAN GET ON THE NEWSLETTER, I KNOW IT'S HARD SHARING EMAILS BECAUSE WE ALL GET PLASTERED IN IT, BUT THERE IS AN EFFORT TO GO OUT THERE. AND I KNOW AS A COUNCIL BODY, WE ALL KNOW THAT WE WE PUT OUT A LOT OF INFORMATION. NOT ALWAYS EVERYONE GETS IT. SO YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, JUST TRYING TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE NEWS OF WHERE TO GET THAT INFORMATION, HOW WE CAN ALL JOIN TOGETHER AND, AND HITTING EVERYONE. SO THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. AND MR. BENDER, ONE LAST THING, SIR. I THINK TO THAT POINT, WITH ALL THE WITH THE MARKETING AND WE ALL GET HIT BY STUFF. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS A CONTRACT TO DO SOME WORK WITH DIGITAL SIGNAGE. SO SOME OF THESE LARGER EVENTS, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THAT COULD BE PUT UP THERE IN PREPARATION, BECAUSE WE ALL SEE THEM WHEN WE'RE DRIVING IN AND OUT OF THE CITY. AND IT'S VERY FOCUSED ON ON, YOU KNOW, TARGETING ANYONE WHO'S DRIVING IN. SO ANY WAY THAT THAT COULD BE UTILIZED, I THINK WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. 
          SO THANKS. OKAY. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. OKAY. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOOD TO GO. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.