[00:00:01]
          THAT. I FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING LOOKS SIMILAR. OKAY, EVERYONE, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, WE'RE 
          [Roll Call: Chair Gerlach, Binder, Napoli]
          [15-8639 Bill 63
Amending the Allentown City Code by adding Chapter 653, Workforce Housing to promote the development of workforce housing in the City of Allentown by requiring certain multifamily housing projects benefiting from public funding or tax incentives to include housing units affordable to moderate-income households.]
GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS, ONE OF WHICH IS AN ITEM TO BE VOTED ON. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND AND SAY THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE MYSELF, MR. BINDER AND MR. NAPOLI. THE FIRST THING WE HAVE. OH WAIT, GENESIS, ARE WE GOOD? OKAY. THE FIRST THING WE HAVE ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA IS BILL 63, BILL 63 AMENDS THE ALLENTOWN CITY CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 653 WORKFORCE HOUSING TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN BY REQUIRING CERTAIN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS, BENEFITING FROM PUBLIC FUNDING OR TAX INCENTIVES TO INCLUDE HOUSING UNITS AFFORDABLE TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. ORTEGA. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS A MUNICIPAL BODY AND AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO LOOK OUT IN CALIFORNIA AND RHODE ISLAND AND ALL THESE WONDERFUL STATES. BUT SOMETIMES YOUR NEIGHBOR RIGHT NEXT DOOR IS DOING SOMETHING AMAZING. AND YOU OUGHT TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THE CITY OF EASTON HAS PASSED THIS LEGISLATION. AND SO HERE TONIGHT, RATHER THAN ME TALK. WE HAVE A COUNCIL PERSON FROM EASTON, MR. FRANK PETTIBONE, AND HE DOES. HE WAS HE LED THIS EFFORT. SO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE'S THE BEST PERSON TO SPEAK ON THIS. SO I THINK THERE IS A POWERPOINT AND I WILL STOP. AND WHENEVER YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE MIC IS ON. UP ON THE HANDLE RIGHT THERE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. SO AS THE SLIDE IS LOADING, SOMETHING I BEGAN WORKING ON ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AS. AS MOST OF US HAVE AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE THE COUNTRY, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY, JUST HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES A DECENT JOB WITH THE LOW INCOME HOMES. OUR DEVELOPERS ARE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB AND WE PROMOTE THE HIGH RENTAL HOMES. BUT THAT FORGOTTEN MIDDLE IS ALWAYS LEFT OUT. SO I BEGAN WORKING ON IT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, ABOUT 3 OR 4 MONTHS BY MYSELF. THEN I BROUGHT IN OUR DIRECTOR OF DCED, AND THEN A COUPLE MONTHS LATER, WE REACHED OUT TO SOME DEVELOPERS, OUR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND TRIED TO WORK ON A PLAN TO HELP THAT FORGOTTEN MIDDLE THE WORKFORCE HOUSING CLASS. IF YOU HAVE THE SLIDE READY. OKAY, BOY, THAT CHANGES THINGS A LOT. EASTON STARTED WITH A LERTA SOME YEARS AGO. IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THE LERTA HAS HELPED US TO DEVELOP 20 PROPERTIES. THERE WE GO. 20 PROPERTIES THAT FOR 30 PLUS YEARS HAVE BEEN NO INTEREST IN DEVELOPING. OUT OF THOSE 20 PROPERTIES, WE'VE CREATED ABOUT 1500 RENTAL UNITS. SO THE LEARNER PROGRAM HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS FOR US. WE'RE PRO DEVELOPMENT IN EASTON SMART DEVELOPMENT, AND THE LERTA HAS BEEN A GREAT INCENTIVE TO GET DEVELOPERS TO TAKE ON HARDER PROJECTS AND DEVELOP, WHICH STRENGTHENS OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE AS WELL AS OUR EIT REVENUE. 
          WITH THIS NEW PLAN, I FIGURED THERE WAS A WAY TO, FOR THE DEVELOPERS GETTING LERTA IS THERE ANY TYPE OF GRANTS, RAG PIECE PA SITES OR ANYTHING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT? THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROGRAM. SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE WORKFORCE HOUSING POLICY APPLIES TO NEW MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS WITH TEN OR MORE UNITS THAT USE PUBLIC FUNDING, QUALIFYING TAX INCENTIVES, CONTROLLED LAND OUTSIDE OF FAIR MARKET ARMS LENGTH SALE. IT CALLS FOR AT LEAST 25% OF THE UNITS TO BE WORKFORCE HOUSING DISTRIBUTED PROPORTIONATELY. WE DIDN'T WANT DEVELOPERS TO MAKE A REAL SMALL BOX AND SAY, THIS IS YOUR YOUR ALLOCATED UNITS. SO WE MADE SURE THAT THEY WERE COMPARABLE TO THE MARKET RATE UNITS AS WELL. IN THE ORDINANCE, THE HOUSING COSTS MAY NOT EXCEED 30% OF THE GROSS HOUSEHOLD INCOME. THE INCOME LIMITS USE. EASTON MEDIAN INCOME. WHEN I LOOKED AT LEHIGH COUNTY FOR US IN EASTON, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT $88,000 A YEAR. AND RIGHT AWAY I KNEW THAT DOESN'T REALLY 
          [00:05:04]
REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS STRUGGLING IN THE CITY OF EASTON. SO WHEN WE PULLED NUMBERS, JUST OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE SOUTH SIDE, DOWNTOWN COLLEGE HILL AND THE WEST WARD, WE WERE ABOUT $67,000. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BASING THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME ON. LET'S SEE. SO FOR A STUDIO, YOU COULD MAKE 75% OF THAT 66,000. A ONE BEDROOM IS 80%, TWO BEDROOM IS 90%. THREE OR MORE BEDROOMS IS 95%. THE HUD NUMBERS, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL AWARE, IS 80 TO 120. IF YOU'RE MAKING 120% OF $88,000 A YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT. 
          IT'S THE ONES THAT ARE MAKING LESS THAN THAT, THAT THAT NEED OUR ASSISTANCE. SO THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T USE THE 80 TO 120 HERE. WE DID 75 TO 95. THE AFFORDABILITY TERM IS 20 YEARS WITH INITIAL AND ANNUAL INCOME VERIFICATIONS, REPORTING, MARKETING AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT OUR HOME, EASTON, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT WE CREATED IN THE CITY JUST TO FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY AND LOW INCOME. PARDON ME. NOW AN OWNER CAN PAY THE $30,000 FOR EACH REQUIRED WORKFORCE HOUSING UNIT AS AN OPT OUT FEE. AND ON THE SIDE, WE JUST SHOWED A LITTLE EXAMPLE. IF THERE'S 100 UNITS, 25% IS 25. IF THEY WANT TO OPT OUT, THEY'LL PAY THE 30,000 TIMES, 25 IS 750,000. NOW, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WORK IN EASTON. AGAIN, WE ARE PRO DEVELOPMENT AND BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. SO WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE ALL TYPE OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY AS WELL AS HELPING FOR AFFORDABLE. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS JUST FOR EASTON. SO ALLENTOWN WOULD HAVE TO WORK ON WHATEVER WORKS FOR THEM. AND I SEE THAT COUNCILWOMAN JOE DANIELS FROM BETHLEHEM IS HERE AS WELL TO GAIN SOME UNDERSTANDING. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES IN EASTON HAVE ADVANCED ACROSS SEVERAL AREAS FINANCIAL AND GRANT MANAGEMENT, NEW CONSTRUCTION, BLIGHT REMEDIATION AND REHABILITATION, AFFORDABLE RENTAL PORTFOLIO AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION. YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SOME OF THE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, HOME ARPA, AND CITY OF EASTON ARPA FUNDS. SOME OF THE COMPETITIVE FUNDING AWARD SOURCES IS FOR FAIR FUNDS. PHFAHOPMFPHFACRFRP AND COUNTY OF NORTHAMPTON AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO 14 UNITS IN 2025 MOVED THROUGH THE PIPELINE FROM VARIOUS GRANTS. AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PROGRAM, EVEN IF A DEVELOPER CHOOSES TO OPT OUT, WILL GO INTO THIS FUND TO HELP US CREATE EVEN MORE. SO WE COMPLETED THE TWO UNITS. THREE WENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, TWO RECEIVED MUNICIPAL APPROVALS, AND SEVEN WERE IN MUNICIPAL REVIEW. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO ON 322 COLE STREET, IT WAS AN OLD PROPERTY THAT BURNED DOWN. 
          THEY CLEARED OUT THE LOT. IT SAT VACANT FOR MANY YEARS HOME. EASTON PURCHASED THE VACANT LOT AND WE BUILT TWO SINGLE FAMILY TOWNHOMES THERE, THAT WHICH HAVE BOTH BEEN SOLD TO LONGTIME EASTON LOW INCOME RENTERS. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US THAT WE PRIORITIZE CITY OF EASTON RESIDENTS AND NOT PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST MOVING IN WITH BETTER INCOMES FROM NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. IN THE MIDDLE, WE HAD THREE OF THE BLIGHTED PROPERTIES THAT ARE UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS FOR OWNER OCCUPANCY, INCLUDING THE ONE IN THE PICTURE. 748 WASHINGTON AND THEN WE HAVE A LIFE CYCLE HOUSE COMBINES AN OWNER OCCUPIED HOME WITH ADA COMPLIANCE, GROUND FLOOR APARTMENT THAT SUPPORTS AGING IN PLACE OR RENTAL INCOME. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ADDITIONALLY, WE DO A LOT OF MIXED USE INFILL FILL AND NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION. SO 504 CENTER. 645 WEST BERWICK. 
          THE CORNER PROPERTY HAS BEEN THERE FOR MANY YEARS. THIS IS THE AFTER PICTURE NEXT DOOR HOUSE BURNED DOWN ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS JUST AN OPEN LOT. SO WE ACQUIRED THE LOT AND WE ARE PUTTING THE NEW RENTAL INFILL ALONGSIDE REHABILITATION OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE. THERE'S A ONE THERE'S ONE TWO BEDROOM APARTMENTS AND ONE ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT. ON THE FIRST FLOOR IS COMMERCIAL SPACE, WHERE HOME EASTON WILL HAVE ITS OFFICE. WE EXPECT IT TO BE UP AND RUNNING NOVEMBER 26TH, WITH THE TOWNHOUSES TO FOLLOW A FEW MONTHS LATER IN JANUARY. ADDITIONALLY, YOU'LL SEE ON NORTH SEVENTH STREET AND PROSPECT AVENUE, WE HAVE TWO MORE HOMES FOR AFFORDABLE RENTS. FORWARD AGAIN, PLEASE. AND THEN THESE ARE SOME OTHER PROJECTS STABILIZATION PROJECT, PROJECT PROTECTED BUILDINGS AND 
          [00:10:03]
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE REHABBED. AND THEY'RE ALL FOR LOW INCOME. NEXT SLIDE. I BELIEVE THIS IS 20 NO, IT'S STILL 2025. SO WE HAVE FOUR RENTAL UNITS COMPLETED AND SIX EXISTING UNITS REMODELED. THE 824 FERRY STREET WAS AN OLD CHURCH THAT WAS EMPTY FOR MANY YEARS. WE CONVERTED IT INTO FOUR UNITS AND WE USED THAT WITH OUR SAFE HARBOR HOMELESS SHELTER. SO RESIDENTS TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE HOMELESS SHELTER BEFORE WE SEND THEM RIGHT OUT INTO THE WORLD TO PAY BILLS AND THINGS THEMSELVES. WE GIVE THEM UP TO TWO YEARS TO LIVE IN APARTMENT HERE WITH A REDUCED RENT. WE GIVE THEM HOUSING, COUNSELING, HOW TO PAY THEIR BILLS, HOW TO BUDGET, HOW TO DO ALL OF THAT. SO TO SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS WHEN THEY MOVE ON TO ANOTHER PROPERTY, AND THEN WE'LL PUT MORE PEOPLE IN THERE. THE BUSHKILL STREET PROPERTY IS ANOTHER ONE FOR LOW INCOME. THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER OF EASTON HAD IT FOR REALLY LOW INCOME PEOPLE. THEY COULDN'T COVER IT ANYMORE. SO WE TOOK THE GRANT FUNDS, WE PURCHASED IT, REHABBED IT, AND WE'RE RENTING IT BACK OUT. SAME THING WITH 140 BUSHKILL STREET. THAT'S SIX UNITS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE 2026 PORTFOLIO INCLUDES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SPACE, 19 OR 18 AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL UNITS, AND ONE COMMERCIAL SPACE. WE TRY TO SPLIT IT OUT THROUGH THE WHOLE CITY, AS OPPOSED TO JUST HAVING CERTAIN ECONOMIC POSITIONS IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          SO THERE'S NINE IN DOWNTOWN, FOUR IN WEST WARD, FIVE IN SOUTH SIDE, AND ONE COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT'S ALWAYS IN SOUTH SIDE, ALSO IN SOUTH SIDE. AND THEN WITH TENANT SUPPORT RELATIONSHIPS, WE WORK WITH SAFE HARBOR HOMELESS SHELTER, THE EASTERN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, THIRD STREET ALLIANCE WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S CENTER, AND WE CONNECT RESIDENTS TO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, DIFFERENT TRAININGS, WAYS TO, TO GET THEM SUCCESSFUL AND STABLE. IN THEIR NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE HOME. EASTON IS WHAT WE CREATED. AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S EASIER FOR THE NONPROFIT TO OBTAIN GRANTS AND DO OTHER DIFFERENT THINGS THAN IT IS FOR THE MUNICIPALITY. SO THEY DO EVERYTHING FOR AFFORDABILITY. IN THE MIDDLE IS A LANDLORD TENANT ENGAGEMENT ORDINANCE THAT I DEVELOPED AND PASSED LAST YEAR THAT BRINGS LANDLORDS AND TENANTS TOGETHER TO TEACH LANDLORDS HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE, TO TEACH TENANTS THEIR RIGHTS AND WHAT THEIR DUTIES ARE AS A AS A LANDLORD. AND WE PARTNER WITH NORTH PENN LEGAL. SO EVERY MONTH WE GO OUT TO THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE DO A DIFFERENT SEMINAR FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS WITH FREE LEGAL ADVICE AND COUNSELING FROM NORTH PENN LEGAL, AND YOU'LL SEE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOPS THERE ON THE RIGHT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND THEN FINALLY, WE PARTNERED WITH GREATER SHILOH CHURCH. WE PURCHASED LAND BUILDING, EIGHT TOWNHOMES FOR OR ALMOST COMPLETE. EACH HOME IS IS DELIVERED AT 335,000. BUT DUE TO GRANT AND DIFFERENT ASSISTANCE, EACH HOME WILL BE SOLD TO A LOW MODERATE INCOME, FIRST TIME HOME BUYER FOR 210 000. THERE WILL BE DEED RESTRICTIONS ON. WE WILL COVER THEIR THEIR DOWN PAYMENT AND THEIR CLOSING COSTS. AND WE HAVE BANKS THAT HAVE AGREED TO, WHEN THEY'RE READY TO CLOSE 1% BELOW PRIME ON THEIR MORTGAGE RATES. SO WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR PEOPLE. EASTON RESIDENTS WHO'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME WILL PURCHASE THEIR FIRST HOME AT THE END OF THE YEAR ON THE FOUR, AND THEN THE OTHER FOUR WILL START BUILDING AFTER THAT. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE. 
          OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NOW I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS. AND THEN WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. AND THEN WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS LERTA THROUGH EMAIL. AND THEN ALSO RIGHT NOW. SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALERTA. SO FIRST, WHAT I'LL DO IS I'D LIKE TO KNOW, SO YOU HAD ALL OF THIS HAPPENING WITH OUT A WORKFORCE ORDINANCE. AND BECAUSE THIS WORKFORCE ORDINANCE DIDN'T GET PASSED UNTIL LIKE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. SO WHAT WAS THE THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHY DID YOU FEEL LIKE EASTON NEEDED THIS WORKFORCE ORDINANCE? LIKE, HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS, THIS, THIS LAW WILL AMPLIFY WHAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE. SO THE ORIGINAL LERTA, WHEN WE STARTED DOING THE LERTA, THERE WAS NO AFFORDABLE COMPONENT TO IT. WE JUST NEEDED TO ENTICE DEVELOPERS TO, TO DEVELOP IN EASTON. WE NEEDED THE REVENUE. 
          WE HAVE AN INCREASED PROPERTY TAX IN 19 STRAIGHT YEARS, BUT OUR REVENUE HAS INCREASED BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT. SO AGAIN, WE'RE VERY PRO-DEVELOPMENT AND WE HAVE BROWNFIELDS AND OTHER JUST ABANDONED FACTORIES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN THEY'VE BEEN 
          [00:15:01]
EMPTIED 30, 40 YEARS THAT THIS INCENTIVE INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS TO COME IN AND WANT TO DEVELOP IT. SO THERE WAS NO AFFORDABLE OR LOW INCOME COMPONENT TO ANY OF THAT PRIOR TO MYSELF COMING ON AND LOOKING AT WAYS TO TRY TO GENERATE MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS, I USE THIS WAY TO, TO DO IT. SO WE JUST STARTED, I WILL TELL YOU THAT DEVELOPERS ARE ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF LERTA. WE'RE GOING TO ADD SOME MORE PROPERTIES TO LERTA, AND THEY KNOW THIS WORKFORCE HOUSING PLAN IS ATTACHED TO THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THEY'RE FINE WITH IT. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE ALERT APPROVED THROUGH THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, AND THEN START WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS THEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I ALSO WILL PREFACE EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT TO DISCUSS AND LEARN WITH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS, THIS BILL ON THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, I TOOK IT OFF SO THAT WE CAN FINE TUNE SOME NUMBERS. WE CAN HAVE SOME MEETINGS WITH VARIOUS DEVELOPERS AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS WILL WORK. THIS WILL BE PASSED BY AT THE LATEST. WELL, THIS WILL BE VOTED ON BY DECEMBER. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE GIVE US SOME TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE WHAT WE PASS, IF WE PASS, SOMETHING IS ACTUALLY GOING TO WORK WITH MAYBE A POTENTIAL LERTA IN THE FUTURE. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON THE THE AGENDA AND THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. SO IF ANYONE HERE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING MISTER COUNCILPERSON PETTIBONE SAID, OR ANYTHING YOU THINK HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER? MR. PUNGO, UNLESS YOU HAD ANYTHING, YOU'RE ACTUALLY ON THE COMMITTEE, SO. YEAH. OKAY. MR. BENDER, YOU GOT ANYTHING? WELL, I'LL MAKE MY QUICK. SO YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOUR YOUR CONTROLLING THIS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LONG TERM RESIDENTS OF EAST. AND I'M JUST WONDERING, HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT FROM LIKE A FAIR HOUSING PERSPECTIVE? WELL, WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE MARKETING TO PEOPLE FROM EASTON, RIGHT? MY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE EASTON PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE CAN AFFORD TO STAY HERE, UNFORTUNATELY OR NOT, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT IF OTHER PEOPLE COME IN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT THEM TO THE SIDE. WE HAVE TO TAKE THEM, BUT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUR WORD OUT TO TO LONGTIME EASTERN RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING, STRUGGLING, RENTING HERE FOR GENERATIONS. OKAY. AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE FOCUS OF IT. I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU WERE IF THERE WAS A WAY YOU WERE EXCLUDED BECAUSE THAT SEEMED LIKE THAT WOULD BE A NO, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T EXCLUDE. SO OKAY. AND THEN I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW. SO I'LL. OKAY. MR. PUNGGOL. ABSOLUTELY. I GUESS I'M CURIOUS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE ON IN EASTON HAS SEEN OTHER PUBLIC FUNDING AND, AND GRANTS THAT MAYBE HAVE OTHER REQUIREMENTS. 
          AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU WROTE ANY PROVISIONS INTO THIS THAT PRETTY MUCH SET LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE THE BUYOUT PORTION OF IT IS, IS LIMITED TO ANY OTHER FUNDING PROGRAMS. I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE IF THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR, LET'S SAY, A SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, STATE PROGRAM OR GRANT, THAT'S 10%, JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH ANY OF THAT. SO NOT THAT WE HAVE FOUND YET. WHEN I WAS WORKING ON THIS, I WENT THROUGH RICK SEEGER'S OFFICE AT ECD IN HARRISBURG, SHAPIRO'S OFFICE. WE TOOK A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO UNDER THIS BILL. IT APPLIES TO ANY SUBSIDY. IF IF MR. DE LORENZO'S MOTHER IN LAW GIVES HIM A LOAN, WE'RE GOING TO PUT HIM IN THIS PROGRAM. RIGHT? SO ANY SUBSIDY THAT THAT THEY GET FROM THE COUNTY, THE STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL TAX INCENTIVE RACK, P PA SITES WOULD PUT YOU IN THIS PROGRAM. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE, MR. NAPOLI? SURE. MY ONLY QUESTION OR CONCERN IS WITH THE BUYOUT. YOUR YOUR EXAMPLE HAD 25 EQUALS 750. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COST TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING TODAY, I WORRY ABOUT IF THAT'S ENOUGH BECAUSE HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU KNOW, TO BUILD THREE AFFORDABLE UNITS IN TODAY'S MARKET, THE AVERAGE IS AROUND 250 A UNIT WITHOUT ANY FINANCING THAT'S JUST GOING OUT AND DOING IT ON YOUR OWN. NO, NO LIE TECH, NO SUBSIDIES OR ANY ANY GRANTS. SO LIKE IF A, IF A DEVELOPER GETS TO OPT OUT OF 75 UNITS, WE GET TO BUILD THREE UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WITH THAT IN LIEU OF, I JUST, I JUST WORRY THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT ENOUGH BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD. OF COURSE, WE LOVE TO BUILD HUNDREDS OF AFFORDABLE 
          [00:20:02]
UNITS, BUT AT THAT RATE, IT WOULD TAKE A VERY LONG TIME AND A LOT OF. IN LIEU OF. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE JUST HOW THE NUMBERS WORK. I GUESS YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT IN EASTON YET, OR SO WE HAVEN'T. BETHLEHEM HAS. THEY HAD TWO DEVELOPERS, ACTUALLY THE SAME DEVELOPER COME ONCE AND THEN COME AGAIN TWICE. AND THEY PAID THE FEE. THE FIRST FEE WAS $25,000 A DOOR. BETHLEHEM ENDED UP INCREASING IT TO $52,000 A DOOR. AND THAT SAME DEVELOPER CAME BACK FOR ANOTHER PROJECT AND PAID THE $52,000 A DOOR. SO. SO IT'S NOT THE ANSWER FOR TO TO SOLVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR LOW INCOME HOUSING. IT'S HARD FOR US TO COMPETE BECAUSE WE'RE DEPENDING ON GRANT MONEY AND LIHTC AND OTHER OTHER FUNDS WHERE A DEVELOPER CAN FINANCE $100 MILLION, RIGHT. AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS. SO THEY'RE BUILDING 100 PLUS UNITS LIKE THAT, AND WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET 2 OR 3 UP. IT'S IT'S IN THE MEANTIME BETWEEN TIME, RIGHT? IT'S SOMETHING TO ADD SOMETHING, RIGHT? IT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEM, BUT IT'S DOING SOMETHING UNTIL WE CAN FIND A BETTER WAY TO DO IT. I BELIEVE THAT OUR DEVELOPERS ARE STILL BENEFITING WITH PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM. AND AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE'RE VERY PRO-DEVELOPMENT. WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP WITH THE WORKFORCE HOUSING ISSUE THAT WE HAVE, BUT NOT CURTAIL DEVELOPMENT. AS I STATED, WE HAVEN'T RAISED PROPERTY TAX IN 19 YEARS, BUT OUR REVENUE OF I T IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE IN 2026, 7.9% JUST FOR PEOPLE MOVING IN AND OUR REAL ESTATE TAXES, THE REVENUE IS SUPPOSED TO GO UP 4% THIS YEAR AND THE YEAR, JUST BY NEW DEVELOPMENTS COMING ON ONLINE. SO THAT DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THAT AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE WORKFORCE HOUSING. OKAY. I MEAN, I, I GET IT, I GET WHERE THE DIRECTION IS. I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I MESSAGED, I MESSAGED MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INCENTIVIZING THE DEVELOPERS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT BUILD AND BUILD WELL, LIKE WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING UNITS. I MEAN, THE CITY IS IN THE BUSINESS OF DELIVERING SERVICES, AS YOU KNOW. I MEAN, PUBLIC SAFETY AND FILLING POTHOLES, ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, I DON'T KNOW. YES, THE CITY CAN BUILD UNITS, BUT JUST NOT AS AS EFFICIENTLY AS A DEVELOPER. SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST SPEAKING TO MISS GERLACH'S POINT ABOUT FINE TUNING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO TRY AND FIND WAYS TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD THESE AFFORDABLE UNITS, BECAUSE THEY COULD DO IT BETTER, FASTER, AND PROBABLY A LOT CHEAPER, RIGHT, THAN WE CAN. SO IT'S JUST A CONCERN I HAD ABOUT THE IN LIEU OF, WE'LL FLUSH IT OUT AND FIGURE IT OUT JUST FOR CLARITY, THIS WE'RE NOT BUILDING ANYTHING. SO OUR NONPROFIT WILL TAKE THE FUNDS AND WORK WITH DEVELOPERS TO CREATE THE UNITS. THAT'S HOW WE'VE CREATED THEM. SO AS YOU SEE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING SOME HEADWAY IN CREATING UNITS. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER RESOURCE TO ADD MORE MONEY TO DO MORE. OKAY, I GOT IT. I MEAN, THE RESULTS ARE GREAT. I'M NOT, I'M NOT DISPUTING THAT. I JUST IT'S MORE OF A CONCERN ABOUT IS IT ENOUGH FOR TO DO, TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION, WHICH IS BUILD A LOT OF UNITS? AND THE ANSWER IS NO, IT'S NOT ENOUGH, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN WE WERE DOING A YEAR AGO IN EASTON OR TWO YEARS AGO IN EASTON. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SOME STEPS. YES. MR. BENDER, THANK YOU. JUST ANOTHER QUESTION. SO THE ORDINANCE YOU HAVE IN PLACE IN EASTON RIGHT NOW IS THAT IS CITY WIDE. YES. 
          OKAY. BUT THE FOCUS THAT YOU PRESENTED IN YOUR IN YOUR SLIDE DECK WAS MOSTLY ON HOUSES THAT ARE PART OF A LERTA OF A LERTA, RATHER CORRECT? YES. OKAY. HAVE YOU FOUND, SINCE THAT'S THE CASE, I MEAN, HOW MANY TIMES HAS HAVE HAVE PROPERTIES OR BUILDINGS BEEN OCCURRING THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THESE LERTA PROPERTIES THAT YOU MENTIONED? 1 OR 2 THAT DEVELOPERS IS IT IS IT DO YOU FEEL LIKE I GUESS MY QUESTION IS LIKE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S FLOWING DEVELOPERS TO GO TOWARDS THE LERNER PROPERTIES YOU HAVE, OR DO YOU THINK IT'S, IT'S CAUSING DEVELOPERS TO NOT WANT TO DEVELOP IN AREAS BASED ON THE ORDINANCE? SO EASTON IS, IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN ALLENTOWN, RIGHT? WHAT'S NOT DEVELOPED IN EASTON IS PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP AND IT'S JUST NO INCENTIVE. SO WHAT'S BEING DEVELOPED ARE LERTUS BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S VERY, VERY HARD FOR DEVELOPERS TO DO IT. SO THE, THE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EMPTY SPACE. SO THE SPACE WE DO HAVE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR DEVELOPERS TO DEVELOP. SO THEY'RE ALL IN ALERTA. OKAY. THE PRESIDENT OF COUNTY COUNCIL TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WAS MEETING WITH HIM ABOUT THE LERTA, THAT THE WHOLE CITY'S ALERTA IN EASTON. AND IT MIGHT BE RIGHT BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WAS ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED RELATIVELY EASY FOR A DEVELOPER HAS ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED. SO ALL THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN LERTA HAVE BEEN SITTING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. SO AND THAT WAS THAT WAS KIND OF MY NEXT QUESTION IS BECAUSE YOU HAD SAID EARLIER ON IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU WERE PLANNING ON ADDING MORE TO THE LERTA. BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION THEN IS, DO YOU HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT KIND OF ESTABLISHES THAT AND ANNUALLY REVIEWS WHAT PROPERTIES OR TO YOUR EARLIER POINT JUST A SECOND AGO, IS THAT IS IT JUST 
          [00:25:04]
KIND OF PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU HAVE IS WHAT'S AVAILABLE, AND THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH MORE YOU CAN EXPAND ON. YEAH. I MEAN, WE FOCUS SOME BUILDINGS COME AVAILABLE OR PROPERTIES BECOME AVAILABLE DUE TO TO BLIGHT DUE TO A FIRE OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. SO THE DCD DEPARTMENT, OUR DIRECTOR AND HIS, HIS STAFF AND THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MYSELF, THE MAYOR ARE ARE LUIS CAMPOS, WHO IS OUR CITY ADMINISTRATOR. WE'LL GET TOGETHER AND GO THROUGH THE LIST AND SEE WHAT WE WANT TO ADD, WHAT WE THINK WE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE, AND WHAT WE DON'T THINK WE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE. AND WE WON'T PUT IT ON. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, SO I'LL GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE. BUT SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT LERTUS. SO IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS YOU'RE ABLE TO PUBLICLY TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF ALERTA AND WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FIRST, I'M SO GLAD THAT THIS LEGISLATION HAS CONNECTED US TO COUNCILPERSON PETTIBONE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONVERSATIONS. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR DCED WHEN I SAY THAT WE WERE NOT APPROACHING ALERTA IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IN A SIMILAR WAY THAT EASTON IS APPROACHING ALERTA, EASTON HAD SITE SPECIFIC ALERTAS FOR ANY DEVELOPMENT, NOT AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENT, BUT ANY DEVELOPMENT WE. AFTER SPEAKING WITH KAREN BLACK AND DOING OUR HOUSING ANALYSIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALERTA SPECIFICALLY TO INCENTIVIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THE LERTA WOULD BE STRUCTURED THAT THIS LEGISLATION WOULD NOT BE NEEDED IN THAT LERTA, BECAUSE THE LERTA WOULD BE CONDITIONAL ONLY TO PROJECTS THAT WERE WILLING TO COMPLY WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABILITY, AND THAT THAT PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABILITY WOULD BE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN ALERTA, ANYWHERE THAT FOLKS WERE WILLING TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THAT THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WOULD HAVE SOME SIMILARITIES TO WHAT WAS PRESENTED. INSOFAR AS IT COULDN'T BE ALL STUDIOS. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A MIX OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNITS WITHIN THAT STRUCTURE. THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY ANYONE WHO ISN'T TRULY A SKILLED TECHNICAL DEVELOPER. WE DON'T HAVE CHODOS, WE DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY HOUSING DESIGNATED ORGANIZATIONS LEFT. WE HAVE SILVA RIGHT NOW AND HABITAT. 
          BUT HABITAT ISN'T EVEN APPLYING TO USE CHOTTO MONEY. SO THE PUBLIC MONEY THAT WE TALK ABOUT ATTACHING RESTRICTIONS TO OUR DEVELOPERS DON'T WANT, AND THE REASON OUR DEVELOPERS DON'T WANT THAT MONEY IS BECAUSE IT COMES WITH THE OBLIGATION FOR DAVIS-BACON, NOT JUST TO APPLY TO THE AFFORDABLE UNITS, BUT TO APPLY ACROSS THE BOARD TO ALL OF THE UNITS. SO WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND GOD FORBID WE SHOULD GET A POT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY, QUOTE UNQUOTE, TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A MECHANISM TO DO THAT. AND UNLESS WE CAN GET THESE NUMBERS TO WORK TO MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT MORE AFFORDABLE, WHICH WITH THE PUBLIC MONEY COMES BABA AND TARIFFS AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, WE'RE INCENTIVIZING A REALLY DIFFICULT THING TO MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK. AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO CAREFULLY STRUCTURE ALERTA THAT WILL HAVE A REIMBURSEMENT RATE THAT HAS A RATE OF RETURN FOR OUR DEVELOPERS THAT MAKE SENSE, AND WE'LL NEED THEM AT THE TABLE. 
          BUT WE WERE NEVER THINKING OF OFFERING LERTA TO ANY PROJECT THAT DID NOT HAVE AN ALREADY BUILT IN AFFORDABLE COMPONENT. SO THAT WAS ONE THING. WE DO HAVE SOME FOR PROFIT DEVELOPMENTS THAT CAN APPLY FOR THINGS LIKE AN AR CAP, BUT WE DON'T TYPICALLY GET REQUESTS FOR HOME OR CDBG FUNDS OR ANY OF THAT, UNLESS THE PROJECT IS 100% AFFORDABLE, BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER REALLY GRANTED THAT MONEY TO ANYBODY BUILDING MARKET RATE HOUSING. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T IT'S IT'S HUD RESTRICTED MONEY. I LOOK FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN AND CRAFTING SOMETHING BECAUSE I HAVE TO GIVE MARC CREDIT FOR SITTING FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS NOW, WORKING NUMBERS IN ALL DIFFERENT WAYS, TRYING TO MAKE NUMBERS WORK USING PROFORMAS PROVIDED TO US BY DEVELOPERS TO SAY HOW, UNDER THESE TREMENDOUS CONSTRAINTS OF THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS RIGHT NOW, CAN WE MAKE THIS WORK? I BELIEVE WE CAN. AND I BELIEVE IF WE LOOK AT KAREN 
          [00:30:02]
BLACK'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE HOUSING STUDY FOR HOW SHE STRUCTURES ALERTA, I THINK WE CAN MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT I, I DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT OF THIS LEGISLATION UNLESS WE HAVE ALERTAS THAT ARE GOING OUT FOR PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE AFFORDABILITY ALREADY BUILT IN. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A CHALLENGE. I MEAN, I GUESS WE COULD GET AN R CAP OR SOMETHING THAT'S A FOR PROFIT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS LEGISLATION TO SAY, THIS IS THE WAY WE GO. BUT IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF WHEN WE PASSED LEGISLATION THAT SAYS, YOU CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW, BUY A FERRET IN THE CITY. AND WE DON'T HAVE A PET STORE THAT IF NO ONE IS COMING FOR THIS PUBLIC MONEY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT A RESTRICTION ON THE PUBLIC MONEY. I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY. AS COUNCIL PEOPLE WERE SAYING, TO INCENTIVIZE THE DEVELOPER. AND THAT'S WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WITH OUR ZONING CODE. WE GAVE EXTRA HEIGHT, WE GAVE EXTRA PARKING RELIEF, WE GAVE SMALLER UNIT SIZE, AND WE HAVE DEVELOPERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT. BUT AS YOU SAW IN THAT LETTER THAT CAME TO YOU FROM ONE OF OUR DEVELOPERS WHO IS BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT DEVELOPER GAVE BACK A $700,000 GRANT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE HE COULDN'T MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK. WHEN HE HAD TO APPLY DAVID BACON TO THE WHOLE PROJECT. SO RESTRICTING LEGISLATION TO PUBLIC MONEY RIGHT NOW, PUBLIC MONEY ISN'T WORKING FOR PEOPLE. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN AND CRAFTING A LERTA LEGISLATION THAT HAS SOME OF THE RESULTS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. HE'S TALKED ABOUT CRAFTING A LERTA THAT DOESN'T PUT AN UNDUE BURDEN ON A SCHOOL DISTRICT, CRAFTING A LERTA THAT HAS PROPER UNIT SIZE. LOOKING AT THOSE HUD NUMBERS, I, I AGREE, I DON'T THEY WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE EASTON NUMBERS. OUR ALLENTOWN HUD AFFORDABILITY NUMBERS ARE SO LOW THAT A DEVELOPER WILL NEVER GET THE RATE OF RETURN. WE HAVE TO USE THE HUD NUMBERS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER IN THAT METRICS, NOT ALL THE WAY TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY, 80% MEDIAN INCOME, BUT THAT HUD, FAIR MARKET RATE INCOME, PERHAPS TO TRY TO REACH SOMETHING THAT THE DEVELOPERS CAN GET A RATE OF RETURN FOR. SO I, I PERSONALLY REALLY HOPE THAT COUNCIL WILL ENGAGE US TO SIT DOWN AND WORK COOPERATIVELY TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A PRODUCT THAT WORKS HERE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE 15 PROJECTS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SAY, PLEASE COME DEVELOP HERE. WE'RE NOT IN THAT POSITION. WE HAVE DEVELOPERS PURCHASING PROPERTIES THAT ARE PRIME REAL ESTATE FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY'RE REALLY INCENTIVIZED TO BUILD MARKET RATE HOUSING. UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING THAT CHANGES THAT INCENTIVE. MARK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? YOU KNOW, I THINK IN EASTON IT WORKS LIKE THEIR LERTA. I WAS A PART OF CRAFTING SOME OF THOSE ALERTS WHEN I WAS WITH NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, AND THE COUNTY NEEDED TO APPROVE THEM. WHERE I FEEL WE'RE DIFFERENT HERE, AND WHAT I THINK HELPS MOVE THE NEEDLE EVEN MORE IS IF WE CAN GET THE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD THE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THAT HUNDRED UNIT APARTMENT EXAMPLE, TO GET A DEVELOPER TO BUILD 20 OR 25 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S 25 UNITS THAT COME ONLINE RELATIVELY QUICK. WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE AN OPT OUT OPTION AND THEY PAY US $30,000, WE GOT TO GET THE $30,000 WE GOT, THEN WE HAVE TO GO FIND THE PROJECT. WE HAVE TO HELP TAKE IT THROUGH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE. LIKE, THERE'S A LOT MORE LIFTING AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET 20 OR 25 UNITS. YOU'RE GOING TO GET 2 OR 3 FROM THAT ONE PROJECT. SO TO ME, WHERE I THINK THE SWEET SPOT IS, IS GETTING LEGISLATION THAT WORKS, THAT INCENTIVIZES THE DEVELOPERS TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE HOUSING UNITS. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE OR NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS? MR. PONGO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, SO YOU'VE MENTIONED WE'RE RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF OUR FUNDING SOURCES GO TO WHOLLY AFFORDABLE PROJECTS. AND I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE I KNOW BASED OFF THE REPORT THAT MISS BLACK PUT TOGETHER FOR US, WE'RE VERY INCENTIVIZED TO DO THAT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW THAT THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO CREATE AS MANY AFFORDABLE UNITS AS POSSIBLE. HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED, AND I KNOW IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED THE THE 
          [00:35:03]
CONTRARY? LIKE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE VALLEY AT LARGE FEELS THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING. AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE MAKE THE ARGUMENT OF SUPPLY HELPS, YOU KNOW, REDUCE DEMAND AND THEN PRICES GO DOWN. I FEEL LIKE TO SOME DEGREE, THERE'S SOME TRUTH IN THAT. BUT THEN I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PARTS WHERE YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO MOVE THE MARKET'S HAND. 
          I'M JUST CURIOUS, HAS THE CITY EVER CONSIDERED EXPANDING THAT FOR PROJECTS THAT AREN'T WHOLLY AFFORDABLE? I CAN'T SAY PRIOR TO MY TIME HERE IF THE CITY HAS EVER CONSIDERED THAT AS AN OPTION. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE MUCH OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW IS MONEY THAT IS RESTRICTED TO AFFORDABLE PROJECTS. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER BEEN IN THE POSITION WHERE WE COULD LOOK AT A DEVELOPER AND OFFER AN INCENTIVE TO MARKET RATE HOUSING, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS. I MEAN, I'M UNAWARE OF THAT. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, LIKE THE CONCEPT THAT WE'RE KIND OF KICKING AROUND AND DEVELOPING, AND WE'VE STARTED TO DO THIS ALREADY WITH OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, OUR MIXED INCOME PROJECTS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START SAYING, IF THERE'S 100 UNITS IN A PROJECT, 20% OF THOSE UNITS HAVE TO BE AFFORDABLE. THE OTHER 80% CAN BE MARKET RATE, WHAT HAVE YOU THAT HELPS SUBSIDIZE THE AFFORDABLE ONES. AND WE HELP SUBSIDIZE IT. WE'RE PAYING FOR THOSE AFFORDABLE ONES THROUGH AN INCENTIVE LIKE LERTA. AND THEN YOU LAYER IN THE ZONING RELIEF OR THE DENSITY BONUSES. SO YOU GET TWO MORE FLOORS. AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE YOUR PARKING REQUIREMENT. LIKE THE COMBINATION OF THOSE THINGS HELPS US CREATE MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO THINK THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TIME AND A PLACE FOR LIKE A PROJECT THAT IS 100% AFFORDABLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'D BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW MANY OF THOSE YOU DEVELOP BECAUSE YOU START TO CONCENTRATE POVERTY. 
          AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING. I THINK SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY ARE MIXED INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, WHERE YOU HAVE MARKET RATE, VERY HIGH END, BUT RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO IT IS AFFORDABLE. SO TO ME, IF WE COULD DEVELOP THE WHOLE CITY AS A MIXED INCOME KIND OF THING, THAT'S THE GOAL. AND THAT'S REALLY, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DRIVE TOWARD. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT ALBERTA COULD ALSO BE A BIGGER INCENTIVE BASED ON HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABILITY, MEANING THAT IF SOMEBODY COMES TO US AND PERHAPS WE SCHEDULE ALBERTA WITH A PAYBACK OR AN OR A AN ASCENDING TAX BURDEN, SOMEBODY COMES AND PRESENTS A 50% AFFORDABLE, MAYBE THAT GETS EXTENDED A LITTLE LONGER. MAYBE WE WE CAN BE THAT FLEXIBLE IF WE CAN CONSTRUCT THE APPROPRIATE LERTA. AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PLAY AROUND WITH NUMBERS. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN WITH SOME OF OUR DEVELOPERS WHO GAVE US SOME PERFORMANCE TO START AND SAID, WILL THIS REALLY BE AN INCENTIVE TO YOU? WOULD THIS ENCOURAGE YOU? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY 100% AFFORDABLE PROJECTS THAT THAT HAPPEN ARE LIKE OUR TAX CREDIT PROJECTS, AND THEY TAKE YEARS IN THE MAKING AND YEARS TO GET APPROVED. WE NEVER KNOW IF WE'RE GETTING THEM. THEY'RE A CHALLENGE. THEY'RE DONE WELL WHEN THEY'RE DONE, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO COME BY. SO THIS THE STRUCTURE OF THE LERTA IN AND OF ITSELF, I THINK COULD BE REALLY POWERFUL IF WE DO IT RIGHT. IF I MAY, I AGREE WITH WITH MR. HARTNEY ON A COUPLE OF THINGS. NOT HAVING ONE SPECIFIC AREA, LOWER INCOME IS WHY I WANTED TO SHOW THAT WE SPLIT THEM UP AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR LOWER INCOME ARE DOWNTOWN. SO WE HAVE A $100 TWO BEDROOMS RIGHT NEXT TO A $2,800 A MONTH TWO BEDROOM. SO YOU'RE REALLY RIGHT ON THAT. AND, AND ZONING, AS I SAID EARLIER, EASTON AND ALLENTOWN ARE DIFFERENT. WE LOOKED AT THE ZONING. THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO INCENTIVIZE. THE REASON WE PULLED BACK ON IT IS JUST QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. SO WHEN WE STARTED GOING HIGHER ON BUILDINGS, WE STARTED JUST ENGULFING THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE ALREADY THERE. IT JUST DIDN'T LOOK GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN WHEN WE LOWERED FOR US, THIS IS JUST EASTON. WHEN AND AS YOU IF YOU COME TO EASTON, YOU KNOW, PARKING IS AT A PREMIUM. WHEN WE STARTED TO LOOK AT GIVING PARKING INCENTIVES AND ZONING, IT JUST EXACERBATED A PARKING PROBLEM AND CAUSED THE RESIDENTS MORE OF AN ISSUE. SO WE THEY JUST DIDN'T WORK FOR US. 
          BUT IT MIGHT WORK FOR FOR ALLENTOWN. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE, MR. BENDER? YEAH. SO FIRST OF ALL, I DID WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND SAY, I APPRECIATE. I THINK IT IS 
          [00:40:04]
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE INTERMIX OR DISTRIBUTE MIXED INCOMES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. THAT'S I THINK THAT IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MODEL. SO WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY CREATING POCKETS. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD HAD THAT YOU HAD BROUGHT UP WAS THE, THE TENANT LANDLORD TENANT ENGAGEMENT. I KNOW YOU HAD SPOKE OF IT. BETHLEHEM HAS LIKE A WHOLE PACKET THAT THEY GIVE OUT TO, TO LANDLORDS. COULD COULD YOU JUST BRIEFLY SPEAK, WHAT DOES ALLENTOWN DO IN THAT IN THAT ARENA? WE ALSO HAVE INFORMATION THAT GOES TO LANDLORDS. WE PARTNER WITH AGENCIES THAT DO NORTH PENN LEGAL IN PARTICULAR, DOES A LANDLORD TENANT ENGAGEMENT FOR US. THAT HANDS OUT ALL OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS AND RULES AND REGULATIONS. WE ARE WE CORRESPOND THROUGH GOV WITH LANDLORDS, BUT IN HONESTY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET LANDLORDS TO COOPERATE. WHEN WE HOLD OUR FAIR HOUSING. WE DON'T SEE A TON OF LANDLORDS ATTEND. WE INVITE THEM. WE SEND INFORMATION TO THEM. WE DO OUR BEST TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, BUT WE DON'T GET A LOT OF INTERFACE FROM THE MAJORITY OF LANDLORDS THAT WE REACH OUT TO. 
          I THINK THE LAST ONE THAT WE HAD, PERHAPS 22 PEOPLE CAME, AND THAT WAS BOTH LANDLORD AND TENANT SIDE. SO WE'RE NOT SEEING A TON OF RESPONSE FROM LANDLORDS WANTING TO ENGAGE. 
          OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I'M WONDERING, I GUESS MAYBE YOU'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST. 
          IF THERE'S A WAY OF INCENTIVIZING FROM THE LANDLORD PERSPECTIVE, GIVEN THAT THERE IS A, A FEE FOR, FOR RENTING APARTMENTS, IF THERE WOULD BE SOME WAY TO INCENTIVIZE THAT, SO THERE'D BE MORE ENGAGEMENT. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. THAT CERTAINLY CAN BE SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING EASTON'S PROGRAM. IT'S RELATIVELY NEW. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD IT IN PLACE LIKE LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WANT TO LET THEM SEE WHAT WORKS OUT, FIGURE IT OUT. 
          AND THEN WHEN IT'S SUPER SUCCESSFUL, WE COULD COME IN AND COPY IT. OKAY. AND THEN I'M SORRY, WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THE GOOD LANDLORDS PARTICIPATED, THE BAD ONES DIDN'T. SO WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY LIKE YOU, YOUR RENTERS LICENSE. SO WHAT I DID WAS DOUBLE THE FEE ON THE RENTERS LICENSE EVERY YEAR. BUT IF THE LANDLORDS TAKE THE PROGRAM AND GO THROUGH THE TRAINING, WE WILL KNOCK THE EXTRA OFF SO THEY DON'T PAY ANY EXTRA. AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY HELPED ENTICE THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PAY THE DOUBLE FEE. SO WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. 
          SO WE JUST MARKED THE PRICE UP AND THEN GAVE THEM A DISCOUNT IF THEY TOOK THE TRAINING. OKAY. 
          AND THEN ONE OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO HOW EASTON'S WORKING WITH THIS. SO THE CURRENT SETUP IS THAT A LOT OF THIS IS IF WE WERE IN A SCENARIO WHERE THERE WAS A DEVELOPER PUTTING FORTH AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT FORTH 20% OF THIS. 
          IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT COMPONENT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FROM AN AUDITING PERSPECTIVE AND ENFORCEMENT FOR THAT MATTER? YEAH. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD DO IT. I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE INNER WORKINGS OF ALLENTOWN. WE KNEW IT WOULD BE A BURDEN FOR OUR STAFF TO DO IT. 
          SO WE CREATED HOME EASTON TO TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THIS. OKAY. SO SO THEY TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR US. IF IF WE HAD TO DO IT, IT'D BE VERY HARD FOR OUR DC D DEPARTMENT WITH EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING TO DO IT. SO WE CREATED A NONPROFIT, WHICH FOR US JUST DOES MUCH MORE THAN JUST OVERSIGHT. THEY CAN GO AFTER GRANTS AND INCENTIVES AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, AS A MUNICIPALITY, WE CAN'T GO FOR. AND I MEAN, THEY'RE AVERAGING TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE GRANTS THEY GO FOR. SO IT'S, IT'S IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THEM, BECAUSE WE PUT THAT IN PLACE PRIOR FOR THAT PURPOSE. BECAUSE, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE. AND LIKE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ALL TRYING TO GO TOWARDS THE SAME OBJECTIVE, BUT I WOULD HATE TO HAVE A DEVELOPER SAY, YES, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. AND THEN A YEAR LATER, EVERYTHING'S JUST AT MARKET RATE AGAIN. AND THEN WHAT HAVE WE DONE? SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO, WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO TALK ABOUT CAPACITY. 
          YEAH. AND THAT THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE INITIAL IDEAS ARE IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN OUTSOURCE TO THE DEVELOPER TO DO, LIKE THE INCOME QUALIFICATION AND THEN SUBMIT LIKE A THIRD PARTY AUDIT TO THE CITY AS PART OF THEIR RENTAL LICENSE APPLICATION? AND WE WOULD RESERVE THE RIGHT TO GO AND DOUBLE CHECK WHATEVER GOT SUBMITTED. BUT TO WE NEED TO SET IT UP SO IT'S NOT OVERLY BURDENSOME ON US. IT'S NOT OVERLY BURDENSOME ON THE DEVELOPER. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S KIND OF HAPPY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF THOUGHT. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I THINK AS PART OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND IT'S WHATEVER ITERATION IT IS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BOTH 
          [00:45:03]
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT THAT IMPACT IS AND ALSO TO ENSURE THAT ON FUTURE AND CURRENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, THAT THAT SAME AUDITING MODEL IS IN PLACE. SO THANK YOU. 
          DEFINITELY. MR. NAPOLI, I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY THANK COUNCIL PERSON FOR ATTENDING. I APPRECIATE IT ALSO. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES WHO TOOK THE TIME TO MEET WITH DEVELOPERS AND OUR MEETING WITH DEVELOPERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION. SO I THINK IT'S GREAT. SO JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE. DEFINITELY. DOCTOR MOTA. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALSO FOR FOR BEING HERE AND TELLING US, YOU KNOW, THE WONDERFUL JOB THAT THIS PROGRAM IS, IS, IS DOING IN THE CITY OF EASTON. I KNOW THAT WE MET A YEAR AGO AND WE SPOKE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT ABOUT THE, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING. AND I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS COMING. YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN INTO FRUITION. BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT ALTHOUGH WE WANT THIS, YOU KNOW, THE SOONER THE BETTER. THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, ESPECIALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE NUMBER MATCHES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ALLENTOWN IS VERY UNIQUE AND WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE THINGS WORK. I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. I'M REALLY AM. I WAS A CITY CENTER. I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE HALF AN HOUR AGO. YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THEIR OPENING OF, OF A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING CALLED THE STANDARD. AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED. AND IT'S AFFORDABLE. SO WE NEED MORE STUFF, MORE STUFF LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO THE RESIDENCY, I SAW A LOT OF A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. AND IT WAS, IT WAS NICE. YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY NICE. SO I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE MORE WE WE GET AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOING, THE BETTER, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, THAT THE NUMBER WORKS. AND I GUESS THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 
          YEAH, DEFINITELY. AND EARLIER IN THE COMMITTEE, WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THAT. I MEAN, JUST VERY SPECIFICALLY, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PARAMETERS WILL BE IN TERMS OF LIKE, ARE WE USING THE REGIONAL AMI, ALLENTOWN AMI THIS, LEHIGH COUNTY, THIS, WHAT'S IT FAIR MARKET FROM FAIR MARKET FOR HUD FAIR MARKET, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE AND THE PARAMETERS WITHIN THIS BILL MESH WITH A POTENTIAL LERTA. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH OF AN INCENTIVE FOR A DEVELOPER TO BUILD, OR THAT THERE'S ENOUGH OF A FEE IN LIEU OF THAT, WE CAN ACTUALLY WORK WITH THAT. SO YEAH, THERE IS A LOT TO WORK OUT. WHAT I ALSO BELIEVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED THE COUNTY. SO YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE HAVE TWO. SO WE HAVE THE LERTA. AND THAT WILL HAPPEN HOPEFULLY. BUT THEN BEFORE US TONIGHT IS BILL 63. WILL BILL 63 BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH ALERTA? OF COURSE. AND ALSO THERE ARE OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT THAT BILL 63 WOULD AFFECT. THE LERTA IS NOT THE ONLY PUBLIC MONEY THAT COMES TO A MUNICIPALITY. THIS BILL 63 WOULD BE ANY LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDING. AND I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FIGURE OUT ALL THE FINE DETAILS, ALL, ALL, ALL THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS FOR ALLENTOWN. AND ALSO I THINK WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME. I THINK WE CAN DO MULTIPLE THINGS AT ONCE. AND I THINK THAT BILL 63 WOULD ENHANCE ALERTA WHEN WE EVENTUALLY PASS IT. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT. IT WOULD BE GREAT WHENEVER WE PASS LEGISLATION TO SEE IT EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. THAT'D BE GREAT. BUT AS WE KNOW, WE PASS A LOT OF LEGISLATION IN WHICH WE DON'T REALLY SEE THE FULL BENEFITS UNTIL, YOU KNOW, SOME TIME. AND I THINK THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE BILLS. AND I, I THINK I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING. MY APOLOGIES. I, I THINK THAT IF WE PASS THIS LATER, SAY, IN DECEMBER AND WE DON'T HAVE A LERTA, I THINK THE IMPACT OF BILL 63 COULD BE LIMITED. BUT WHEN WE PASS THAT LERTA OR IN 2027, BILL 63, IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT PARAMETERS, WOULD YOU WOULD SEE AN AMAZING IMPACT FROM THAT. SO I THINK IT'S LIKE 
          [00:50:08]
OTHER OTHER BILLS THAT WE MIGHT PASS. LIKE, I MEAN, WE PASSED FORMING A COUNCIL OF YOUTH YEARS AGO, AND WE NEVER FILLED IT UNTIL RECENTLY. SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETIMES YOU PASS LEGISLATION AND YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR IMMEDIATELY. AND I THINK THAT'S OKAY. I THINK IT'S LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR US TO. CAN I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION, MISS MISS GERLACH? SO THIS IS GOING TO GO TO COMMITTEE OR. SO WE'RE IN THE COMMITTEE NOW. SO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WHO I THINK THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ON THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS WHY THEY SHOWED UP AT THIS TIME. AND SO AND BECAUSE ME ESPANOL IS MY EMAIL MIGHT NEED SOME HELP WITH TRANSLATION FROM SOMEONE. SO ORIGINALLY THE WORKFORCE HOUSING OR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILL WAS GOING TO BE VOTED ON LIKE THE FINAL TIME AT THIS NEXT MEETING AT 630. BUT AS YOU KIND OF HEARD US UP HERE, THERE'S THERE'S SOME DETAILS WE GOT TO WORK OUT. SO TONIGHT, ALL I'M GOING TO DO IS JUST ASK FOR A MOTION TO FORCE THIS TO A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE GET THESE DETAILS WORKED OUT AND THE DETAILS DON'T GET WORKED OUT TO YOUR SATISFACTION AND VOTE NO AGAINST IT WHEN IT COMES UP, REMEMBER THAT WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'S WHAT WE MADE AN EFFORT TO MEET WITH PRINCIPAL. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO WORK HARD ON THIS SO THAT HE CAN SO THAT HE CAN PASS. AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS IN SPANISH BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE HERE. MAKE THE ROAD FOR THE ACTUAL BILL. YEAH. OKAY. DICIENDO ESCUE HOY ESTAMOS HABLANDO ACERCA ACERCA DE THE THE LEGISLATION. PERO HOY NO TENEMOS QUÉ HACER ALGUNAS COSAS VERDAD TENEMOS Q HABLAR MAS Y MAS COSAS Q PODEMOS HACER MAS POSITIVA PARA QUÉ PUEDA PASAR. PERO ASI COMO ESTA ESTA MUY PREMATURE AHORA MISMO. BUT I WILL AS PART OF THIS MEETING IF YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKFORCE HOUSING YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO COME UP AND MAKE YOUR REMARKS. 
          ACERCA DE THE ESTA. LEGISLATION PUEDEN VENIR AL PODIUM Y PUEDEN HABLAR ACERCA DE COMO. LA PALABRA NO SE VAN HOY, PERO SE PUEDEN SER ACERCA DE COMO SE SIENTE COMO ESTA LEGISLATION. 
          SO WITH THAT SAID, IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND MAKE ANY COMMENTS PUEDEN VENIR JUST COME ON VENGAN A TRADUCIR. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ARMANDO JIMENEZ. I LIVE IN ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. AND YEAH, I'M HEARING THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT WITH THIS BILL, BUT JUST TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SEES ALL THE LUXURY BUILDINGS BEING BUILT AT A VERY FAST PACE. AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE, WHERE'S THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T EARN A LOT OF MONEY? I WAS APPLYING, I WAS, YOU KNOW, RENTING, I'M CURRENTLY RENTING, BUT I WAS LOOKING FOR A NEW PLACE. AND I SWEAR, LIKE YOU CANNOT FIND THINGS THAT ARE LESS THAN 1800 $900. OR IF YOU DO FIND THEM, IT'S PLACES THAT YOU GET ONE ROOM AND MAYBE YOU SHARE A BATHROOM, RIGHT? THAT'S CRAZY. OR YOU SHARE THE KITCHEN. 
          SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY LIVES YOUR TODO MUNDO CUANDO ESTA BUSCANDO SOLO SE ENCUENTRA LUGARES DE CIENTOS Y SE ENCUENTRAN UN CUARTO COMPARTIR LA COCINA COMPARTIR ESTA PASANDO LA GENTE VER COMO SE ESTAN ARMANDO LOS EDIFICIOS DE LUJO RAPIDO Y LA GENTE NO LA CASA PARA ESO. PEOPLE WORK MULTIPLE JOBS JUST TO AFFORD GROCERIES. AND IT'S A HUGE, HUGE BURDEN TO GET A MORTGAGE OR EVEN RENT. SO I AGREE, THINGS SHOULD BE WORKED OUT AND SEE HOW WE CAN FIND SOMETHING BECAUSE YEAH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NEEDED IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MISS GERLACH. IF THERE AREN'T OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, CAN I JUST MAKE ONE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT WHILE THE PUBLIC IS HERE? SURE. TUESDAY, 
          [00:55:04]
OCTOBER 6TH AT BUCKY BOYLE PARK, WE'RE HAVING A UTILITY FAIR FROM 3 TO 6 P.M. FOR ANYONE TO COME TO SPEAK WITH PPL UGI. LLS. LCACILVS WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM. OUR OWN WHOLE HOME PROGRAM, ALLENTOWN WORKS. YOU'LL ALL BE GETTING A FLIER AS SOON AS IT GETS CLEARED THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, BUT WE JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO MARK THEIR CALENDARS FOR OCTOBER 6TH. 
          THE BUCKY BOYLE FROM 3 TO 6 FOLKS CAN COME IN AND REGISTER FOR ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS WITH ALL OF THOSE UTILITIES OR OUR WHOLE HOMES, OR REGISTER FOR ALLENTOWN WORKS. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT WORKFORCE OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING? AND IF SPANISH IS YOUR PRIMARY LANGUAGE, WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS UP HERE THAT CAN TRANSLATE, AND THE REST OF US CAN PICK UP KEY WORDS. THANK YOU. CYNTHIA Y HABLA ESPANOL. SHE SAID SHE'S GOING TO SPEAK IN SPANISH. I FEEL BETTER AND I'LL DO THE TRANSLATION. OKAY. BUENAS NOCHES. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH POLANCO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH POLANCO. SOY DE AQUI DE LA CIUDAD DE ALLENTOWN. E TAMBIÉN TRABAJO COMO ORGANIZADORA COMUNITARIA AND PENNSYLVANIA. SHE SAID THAT SHE LIVES IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, AND SHE AND SHE WORKS FOR MAKE THE ROAD. AND TAMBIÉN TENGO EL PRIVILEGIO DE REALTOR IN ESTA CIUDAD. SHE ALSO HAS THE PRIVILEGE. SHE TO. SHE HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING A REALTOR IN THE REALTOR BUSINESS IN THIS CITY. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT Q PUEDEN PODEMOS TENER A FONDOS PARA CONSTRUIR A. ASEQUIBLES PORQUE RECIBIO DIFERENTES CLIENTES PERSONAS DE LA COMUNIDAD BUSCANDO AYUDA. LO PRIMERO ES SI PUEDES HACER PARA Q ES DIFICIL LE. QUALIFICATION PARA TRATAR ENTONCES TAMBIÉN ES UN PROBLEMA MUY. ESTA DE LA RENTA. ENTONCES ALGO BUENO SI USTEDES PUEDEN APOYAR A LA CIUDAD Y LAS PERSONAS PUEDEN TENER UNA MAS ASEQUIBLE. HE SAYS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS CITY. SHE SAYS THAT IN THE JOB THAT SHE DOES IN REAL ESTATE, SHE HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO PURCHASE A HOUSE AND AT TIMES TO RENT A HOUSE, BUT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO RENT IN THIS CITY. SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THAT WE CONCENTRATE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD IT. MUCHAS PERSONAS DE ESTA COMUNIDAD ACERCANDO ESTAN PREOCUPADOS PORQUE NO PUEDEN HACER UNA VIVIENDA SALUDABLE PORQUE HAY MUCHAS RENTAS SON ALTA NO ESTAN SALUDABLES. HE SAYS THAT THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THAT SHE SEES EVERY DAY. AND THEY'RE, THEY REALLY WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY RUN AND THE PLACES THAT THEY RENT IS NOT IT'S NOT REALLY HEALTHY. I MEAN. TO LO. AT PUEDO VER QUÉ ES UNA RENT CIENTOS $1,850 RENT FOR. ONE ROOM MAXIMUM DOSE MAX TWO. DESTRUCTION. HE SAYS A HORRIBLE KITCHEN, ROACHES, VICES. I MEAN YOU NAME IT HE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT HEALTHY. HABITACIONES CON CUATRO CIENTOS DE. DOLARES MINIMUM. SI ES SI ESTA HABITABLE. HE SAYS THAT IF YOU ARE A PERSON WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND A RENT A PLACE FOR $1,450, YOU'LL BE SURPRISED IF IT'S IN A HEALTHY PLACE, IN A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MUCHAS GRACIAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MOTA, FOR YOUR TRANSLATION. AND THANK YOU, ELIZABETH. GRACIAS. ANYONE ELSE? MR. SHUE? AND THEN I SEE YOU, MR. SHUE. I'M NOT GOING TO TRANSLATE FOR YOU. THAT'S OKAY. I HOPE THEY GET THE GIST OF IT. 
          LOU. SHOOP, ALLENTOWN, POCONO SUMMIT, PA. 30 YEARS AGO, I USED TO WORK FOR THE LATE JOE CLARK. I WAS HIS NUMBER ONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AND DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, I GOT VERY 
          [01:00:03]
FAMILIAR WITH THE REAL ESTATE MARKET. ROOMS BACK THEN WERE GOING FOR 75 TO 100 A WEEK. 
          APARTMENTS WERE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 3 TO 500 A MONTH. SINCE THAT TIME, DURING COVID, FOR EXAMPLE, BIDEN HAD HIS EVICTION MORATORIUM THAT, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, DROVE THE PRICES UP THROUGH THE ROOF AND MADE THEM SO HIGH AND UNATTAINABLE AS THEY ARE TODAY. AND WHEN THAT EVICTION MORATORIUM WAS OVER, A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT EVICTED. AND MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL OUT IN THE STREET RIGHT NOW. SO THIS IS A POSITIVE STEP IN THAT DIRECTION, I BELIEVE. BUT MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SHOOP. ANYONE ELSE? HEY, I'M ALICIA RUTHRAUFF, I LIVE IN ALLENTOWN. SORRY, I'M NOT, LIKE, SUPER PREPARED FOR THIS, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS BILL BEING INTRODUCED AND BEING WORKED ON. AS OTHERS HAVE SAID BEFORE ME, THERE IS A REAL LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN GENERAL, JUST LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE RENT IN ALLENTOWN RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT WAS LIKE $1,600. I JUST LOOKED IT UP A COUPLE MINUTES AGO, WHICH IS OVER DOUBLE WHAT I WAS PAYING WHEN I MOVED TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY, WHICH WAS ONLY 13 YEARS AGO. I KEEP SEEING, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE LUXURY TOWNHOMES, LUXURY CONDOS, EVERYTHING'S LUXURY BEING BUILT IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY. AND I THINK ALL THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT IS YOU'RE GOING TO DRIVE OUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. IF WE DON'T HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I GOT. SORRY. 
          THANK YOU. ALL GOOD. ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC GOING TO DO A LAST CALL OR. MISTER? YES. 
          IF I MAY BE EXCUSED. YES. I JUST WANT TO. IN THE SPIRIT OF MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIP, I WANT TO OFFER ANY OF YOU A FREE TICKET TO SIT WITH ME IN EASTON, SEPTEMBER 25TH TO WATCH THE ROVERS BEAT ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC. ALL GOOD. ALWAYS. MR. PRINCIPAL, THE ONE AND ONLY. 
          THANK YOU FOR COMING. OH, BOY. ALL RIGHT, MR. BENDER. I HAD ONE QUESTION ON PROCEDURE. MR. HANLON CAN COMMENT ON THIS OR IF YOU WANT TO. IS IT? SINCE THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE OR THERE'S THERE'S SEVERAL QUESTIONS HERE. IS IT BETTER FOR US TO. ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MAYBE DECEMBER TO ACTUALLY WHERE THE VOTE MIGHT BE OR POTENTIALLY IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER? YEAH. I'M JUST WONDERING, IS IT PROCEDURALLY BETTER TO HAVE US KEEP IT HERE, KNOWING THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE IT A WEEK LATER, SINCE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM BEFORE MOVING IT FORWARD, RATHER THAN MOVING IN AND TRYING TO MAKE A LOT OF THESE CHANGES AS IT'S PRESENTED. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY KIND OF MY QUESTION I'M PUTTING OUT THERE. MAY I? SO FROM ROBERT'S RULES, WE CAN DO A RECOMMIT TO THE COMMITTEE, AND THAT WILL GIVE YOU TIME TO DO THE RESEARCH YOU NEED. AND I HAVE LANGUAGE, IF YOU WANT TO USE THAT. WHEN IT COMES UP ON THE AGENDA, WOULD WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMIT? OKAY, A MOTION. ALL RIGHT. MY THOUGHT WAS THE SAME. I THINK IF WE IF WE SCHEDULE A COMMITTEE MEETING, A MEETING FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER OR SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER, WE COULD STILL GET ON THE COUNCIL CALENDAR FOR THE SECOND COUNCIL MEETING OF NOVEMBER TO MEET A DEADLINE, SO I. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN DO. BUT TO. TO MR. BENDER'S POINT, THE LEGISLATION NEEDS WORK. LET'S KEEP IT IN COMMITTEE AND LET'S. AND GET IT RIGHT AND THEN FORWARD TO COUNCIL CLEAN AND READY TO GO. DEFINITELY. YEAH. I THINK I THINK IS FAIR. YEAH. 
          NO LET'S DO THAT. AND FOR ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE MAYBE THINKING LIKE WHAT I WOULD BE THINKING, OH, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO PUSH THIS OFF. NO, THIS, THIS, WE'RE DOING THIS. 
          THINK ABOUT THE OTHER LEGISLATION WHERE THINGS HAPPEN. YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FINE TUNE IT AND THEN BOOM, WE VOTE ON IT UP OR DOWN. SO THIS, THIS IS GOING TO GET A VOTE. IT'S JUST WE WANT IT. WE DON'T WANT IT TO JUST DO IT IN A PERFORMATIVE WAY WHERE, HEY, WE DID SOMETHING AND IT DOESN'T EVEN WORK. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, LET'S DO IT RIGHT. TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND WE CAN CELEBRATE WITH THE HOLIDAYS THAT WE HOPEFULLY PASS THIS AND YOU'LL FIND THE COOKIES AND THE CAKE AND THE PINEAPPLE WILL DO THAT. I'M BROKE. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMIT THIS TO THE. SO DURING THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, SINCE IT'S ALREADY ON THE AGENDA, IT'S ON THE AGENDA. CORRECT. I THINK IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE REGULAR COUNCIL. YEAH. SO THEN RIGHT NOW. ALL RIGHT, SO I WILL OH, YOU WROTE IT DOWN. 
          THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY, SO I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMIT BILL 63 TO THE CED COMMITTEE WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND REPORT BACK. I'LL SECOND THAT. 
          [01:05:10]
OR I GUESS, SORRY, I'LL TAKE THE MOTION, COUNCILPERSON BENDER WITH THE MOTION AND I WILL SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, I. OKAY, SO THIS WILL BE RECOMMITTED, WHICH MEANS IT WILL BE BACK IN THIS MEETING DURING COLDER WEATHER. AND WE I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT THE TIME 
          [15-8661 Discussion: Encampment Policy]
HERE, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER ITEM, BUT WE HAVE A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. SO WHAT I WILL SAY TO YOU, MR. KANE, IS IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN LIKE MAYBE FIVE OR SO MINUTES, IF NOT, ESSENTIALLY, WE'VE GOT THAT HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT POLICY. THE ADMINISTRATION IS FINISHED. 
          THEY'RE READY TO ROLL WITH IT. SO YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL TELL YOU, WE HAVE PRESENTED TO YOU, I THINK IT'S AN ORDINANCE FORM. SO WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT ENCAPSULATES THE POLICY THAT A COUPLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE WORKED ON WITH ME AND OTHERS IN THE ADMINISTRATION. WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHERE IT IS. IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT. IF THERE ARE THINGS YOU WANT TO CHANGE OR IF THERE IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS, SOME OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T MAYBE BEEN REPRESENTED, I THINK NOW IS THE TIME. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE UP MUCH TIME IN COMMITTEE. THE RUBRIC PART OF THIS POLICY HAS INCLUDES A RUBRIC WHERE SOME GROUP OF PEOPLE WILL WILL GO THROUGH ENCAMPMENTS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING DISMANTLING AND SCORE AS TO HOW NECESSARY THAT IS. THIS IS A DIFFERENT RUBRIC THAN YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE. THIS ONE IS VERY BASIC. THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THE ONLY BIG CHANGE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, TODAY I WAS AT JORDAN WHERE A FEW PEOPLE HAVE MOVED BACK IN. I DON'T NEED A POLICY TO TELL ME TO TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE, TO TRY TO WORK WITH THEM. THEY'RE KNOWN TO US. THEY'RE ONLY 2 OR 3. WE'RE CONNECTING THEM TO SERVICES. SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS. AND THAT'S THE WAY, YOU KNOW, WITH OR WITHOUT A POLICY. THAT'S THE WAY WE'LL CONTINUE TO APPROACH THESE THESE THESE ENCAMPMENTS, IF YOU CALL THEM THAT AS THEY COME UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THE GOAL IS THAT THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING OF OCTOBER, WE WILL HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION'S ORDINANCE INTRODUCED. SO PLEASE READ THROUGH THAT SO THAT WHAT GETS PASSED OR NOT PASSED IS TO THE IT'S IT WILL NOT BE 100% TO YOUR LIKING. IT'S NOT TO MINE, BUT IT WILL BE AS CLOSE AS IT CAN GET SOME SORT OF CONSENSUS. SO PLEASE READ THROUGH THAT. AND THIS ONE IS THE ADMINISTRATION'S. IT'S LITERALLY THEIR POLICY AND ORDINANCE FORM. SO BECAUSE WE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS HAVE A FRANK KANE AND A MATT TURK, WE MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE ELSE ONE DAY. BUT. 
          SO WHAT DO YOU SAY? I SAID, I HOPE YOU DO. WE DO NOW. BUT. TERMS IN. SO YES, JUST A QUICK QUESTION. SO I KNOW WE RECEIVED THIS RUBRIC HERE. I ALSO SEE I HAVE A DIFFERENT RUBRIC. RUBRIC IN MY SYSTEM SUPERSEDES THE RUBRIC. THAT RUBRIC I THINK IS UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATED AND DEALS WITH A LOT OF THINGS THAT AREN'T GOING TO BE PRESENT IN THESE AREAS THAT WE'VE DETERMINED NOT TO BE EMERGENCIES. UNDERSTOOD. MY BIGGEST THING IS CAN'T READ SOMETHING I DON'T GET. SO IF I JUST MAKE SURE WE GET IT WITH TIME AND TO GO THROUGH IT, AND I KNOW THIS IS HERE, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A CHANGE. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST PROVIDING THAT TIMELY, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO GO THROUGH. 
          THE CLERK ALREADY HAS IT. OKAY. SO IF WE CAN JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE ON COUNCIL HAS THE ORDINANCE THAT'S COMING UP IN OCTOBER, AND THIS RUBRIC, AND MAYBE VISUALLY, I'M VERY MUCH A VISUAL. I NEED LIKE LINES AND CHARTS. AND IF THERE'S A WAY, MAYBE GENESIS OR SOMEONE CAN LIKE MAKE THIS INTO A CHART FORM, THAT'D BE COOL. YES. JUST FOR OH, SORRY FOR ORDER HERE. YOU'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS ON THE THIRD. AND THEN WE WOULD GET IT. IT WOULD GO TO YOUR COMMITTEE AND THEN WE WOULD BE HOPING TO VOTE ON IT. BY WHEN. I MEAN IT WOULD GO TO COMMITTEE THE NEXT WEEK. AND I MEAN, IF EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY AND THERE'S NOT MUCH QUESTIONS AND POSSIBLY BY THE END OF OCTOBER, I DON'T THINK IT'S ME. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S YOU HAVE IT NOW. YOU REFER IT OUT OF COMMITTEE. I THINK IT'S IN. AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? IT'S IN YOUR. YEAH. IT WOULD BE ON COUNCIL'S HANDS. BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WITH I MEAN, THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A YEAR, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT POP UP. I MEAN, LET'S JUST LET'S JUST SHOOT FOR THE SECOND COUNCIL MEETING IN OCTOBER AND WORK OUR WAY BACKWARDS. AND IF WE NEED TO SCHEDULE A MEETING THE SECOND WEEK OF OCTOBER, THEN WE TEE IT UP FOR THE THIRD WEEK. IT'S. BUT JUST FOR CLARITY, THE THING THAT WAS PRESENTED FOR US RIGHT NOW HAS CHANGED SINCE WHAT WAS PUBLICLY PUT FORWARD. SO CAN WE MOVE THAT FORWARD RIGHT NOW OR. WELL, TONIGHT WE'RE NOT MOVING ANYTHING FORWARD. TONIGHT'S JUST A DISCUSSION ON YEAH, WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD AT THE NEXT MEETING. WELL, TECHNICALLY, 
          [01:10:03]
BECAUSE AN ORDINANCE, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NEVER PRESENTED, AN ORDINANCE, THEY'LL HAVE TO INTRODUCE IT THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF OCTOBER AND THEN IT WILL BEGIN ITS PROCESS. THIS IS LIKE YEAH, AND IT WILL BE PUBLIC. IT'LL BE PUBLIC. SO THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE IT. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR BECAUSE YOU HAD YOUR ORDINANCE. AND THEN THERE'S THIS ONE. YES. YEAH. MY ORDINANCE IS WITHDRAWN UNTIL. 
          AND IF IT NEEDS TO COME BACK UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO. ALL RIGHT. UNLESS THERE IS, I GUESS I SHOULD ASK IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ENCAMPMENT POLICY ORDINANCE. 
          OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THEN WITH THAT. OH, SORRY, MR. PUNGGOL, YOU HAD SOMETHING. NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE LIKE A LINE IN THE SAND WHERE IT'S THERE AND IT'S IN. JEREMY COUNCILPERSON, YOU BASICALLY HIT THAT. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE IT'S PRESENTED AT THE FIRST MEETING AND WE GO FROM THERE. GOT YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP. WE WILL SEE YOU HOPEFULLY AGAIN WHEN THE WHEN THE WEATHER HAS CHANGED AND LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUSY OCTOBER NOVEMBER DEALING WITH THE UNSHELTERED AND ALSO WORKFORCE HOUSING. SO THANKS AGAIN
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.