Oct 14, 2026 Community and Economic Development Committee

[Roll Call: Chair Gerlach, Binder, Napoli]

[00:00:05]

RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. WE HAVE QUITE A LENGTHY AGENDA TONIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO BEGIN ON TIME.

MYSELF AS WELL AS MR. BINDER AND MR. NAPOLI ARE ALL PRESENT. THE. I HAVE A FEELING WHY MOST OF YOU ARE HERE. NO DISRESPECT TO THE OTHER BILLS, BUT OUR BILL 82 AND BILL 66. SO WE'LL

[15-8737 Bill 82 Amending the Allentown City Code by adding Chapter 653, Workforce Housing, to promote the development of workforce housing within the City of Allentown by establishing affordability requirements for certain multifamily rental housing developments involving ten (10) or more dwelling units that receive tax abatements under the City's Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) Program, receive at least $250,000 in City Housing Trust Fund funding, or acquire or utilize publicly owned or controlled land, subject to certain exceptions.]

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, COUNCIL PERSON PETTIBONE OVER OR VICE MAYOR PETTIBONE OVER IN EASTON.

HE WAS PLANNING TO INTRODUCE SOMETHING. SO DOCTOR MOTA, I BELIEVE, MET WITH HIM. THIS IS MAYBE EVEN LONGER THAN A YEAR AGO. AND GOT SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION. AND THEN THE LEGISLATION FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING IN EASTON THEN PASSED IN THE SPRING OF 2026. SO MYSELF, COUNCIL PERSON. BENDER. COUNCIL PERSON. MOTA. GENESIS AND MR. PETTIBONE, WE MET AND WE GOT SOME MORE DETAILS. AND THEN SOON AFTER, A BILL WAS INTRODUCED THAT ESSENTIALLY MODELED RIGHT AFTER EASTON'S DOWN TO THE T, EVEN THE NUMBERS. AND THAT WAS A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED. WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK. MYSELF, MR. BENDER AND DOCTOR MOTA THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT WORKS FOR EASTON MIGHT NOT WORK FOR ALLENTOWN, SO WE NEED TO FINE TUNE THE NUMBERS. WE NEED TO FINE TUNE THE LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE PASS WILL WORK IN ALLENTOWN. WE. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE MEET WITH DEVELOPERS. OH BOY, DID WE MEET WITH DEVELOPERS. WE. MANY OF THE DEVELOPERS ARE IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT. DOCTOR MOTA TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO GO THE EXTRA MILE AND MEET WITH EVEN MORE DEVELOPERS. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK FROM DEVELOPERS AS WELL AS SEVERAL MEETINGS THAT WE BROUGHT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND MARK CARTNEY, WHO ALSO SAT IN ON THESE MEETINGS WITH DEVELOPERS. SO IT WAS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, VERY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS. THROUGH ALL OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO FINE TUNE THAT LANGUAGE. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT MORE ALLENTOWN CENTERED AND MAKE IT SO IT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK IF A DEVELOPER CHOSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LEGISLATION ONCE WE HAVE A LERTA. SO I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT IT WAS A VERY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS. AND WE NOW WE HAVE A A PRODUCT THAT WILL WORK FOR FOR MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS. YOU KNOW, I AM ALSO NOT GOING TO BE SHY TO SAY IT'S NOT IT'S NOT IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT YOU'VE GOT COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DON'T EXACTLY TALK FAVORABLY OF DEVELOPERS AND DEVELOPERS IN FAVOR OF THE SAME PIECE OF LEGISLATION DOESN'T HAPPEN TOO OFTEN. BUT NONETHELESS, WE DID RECEIVE A LETTER FROM ONE DEVELOPER WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT HERE TONIGHT, WHO IS IN FAVOR WITH A TWEAK, BUT IS IN FAVOR OVERALL OF THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION. PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME OTHER DEVELOPERS HERE THAT WILL SPEAK IN FAVOR. THERE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF OF THIS LEGISLATION.

THIS LEGISLATION IS NOW IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR ZONING REWRITE. BEFORE, IT WASN'T. SO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM DEVELOPERS, MYSELF, MR. BENDER AND MISS MISS MOTA, IS THAT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN ALIGNMENT THAT IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS CREATE AN UNDUE BURDEN ON DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE TO BE IN ALIGNMENT FOR THIS FUNDING MECHANISM AND THAT FUNDING MECHANISM. NOW WE'RE ADDING ANOTHER LAYER OF OF REQUIREMENTS. SO THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE. NOW, IT IS SUCH THAT OUR REQUIREMENTS 20%, 80% AMI OVERALL WEIGHTED AND 20 YEARS DIRECT ALIGNMENT WITH OUR ZONING REWRITE THAT THE CITY WORKED TIRELESSLY ON. AS WE KNOW, A BIG COMPONENT OF THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS THE LERTA. IN ADDITION TO ANY PIECE

[00:05:05]

I'M GOING TO KEEP GOING. SO WITH THIS LERTA. A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS HAVING A LERTA. NO ONE CAN DENY THAT THIS LEGISLATION WILL BE AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE WITH A LERTA. WE RECEIVED A HOUSING STUDY TWO YEARS AGO THAT SAID WE NEED TO BEGIN WORKING ON ALBERTA. WE STILL DON'T HAVE A LERTA. SO IF THE PREMISE OF NOT DOING ANYTHING TONIGHT IS. LET'S WAIT TILL WE GET ALBERTA. WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR TWO YEARS, DO WE CONTINUE TO WAIT ANOTHER TWO YEARS UNTIL WE CAN GET ALBERTA, OR DO WE PASS THIS LEGISLATION KNOWING THAT ONCE WE PASS A LERTA, OR IF WE PASS A LERTA IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY, THAT THERE COULD BE SOME TWEAKING TO THIS TO THIS LEGISLATION? DO WE WAIT TO PASS THAT IN HOPES THAT SOMEHOW SOMETHING THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS SOMEHOW MAGICALLY HAPPENS NOW? OR DO WE PASS IT NOW KNOWING THAT IT WILL SPARK THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE NOT NECESSARILY HAPPENED OVER THESE LAST TWO YEARS? BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? IT ALREADY HAS. THERE'S A MEETING SCHEDULED WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION AND THE LERTA THAT WASN'T HAPPENING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. IT IS NOW SCHEDULED. AND WHY IS IT SCHEDULED? BECAUSE OF THIS LEGISLATION.

THIS LEGISLATION WILL SPARK THE LERTA. IT LAYS THE FRAMEWORK. IT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE LERTA. THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION NOW. IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY WON'T HAVE A SAY IN. THIS IS NOT A LEGISLATION. THIS IS BILL 82 SAYING THAT IF WE EVER HAVE A ALERTA, WE NEED TO HAVE PARAMETERS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING. THE LEARNER LEGISLATION WILL BE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WITH THE COUNTY. THAT WILL COME. THAT WILL COME. NO WORRIES. THAT WILL COME.

IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING ON THE 23RD. SO I WOULD I WOULD JUST SAY THAT AS WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AS A DAIS, AS THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE PUBLIC, THAT WE KEEP SOME OF THESE THOUGHTS IN MIND THAT I THAT THAT I JUST MENTIONED. WE PASSED A ZONING REWRITE A YEAR AGO IN THAT ZONING REWRITE. THERE IS LANGUAGE. THERE IS THERE ARE INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPERS TO BUILD WORKFORCE OR AFFORDABLE UNITS. WE PASSED IT KNOWING THAT IT MIGHT NOT WORK ON DAY ONE, THAT IT'S NOT LIKE WE PASSED THE ZONING REWRITE WITH THESE INCENTIVES.

AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S A YEAR LATER. DO WE HAVE ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM THAT ZONING REWRITE? IF WE DO, GREAT. IF NOT, THEN YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M OKAY WITH. NOT EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION YOU PASS IS GOING TO BE 100% EFFECTIVE THE NEXT DAY. THIS IS ONE OF THEM. BILL 82 WILL NOT BE THE GOLDEN GOOSE THE NEXT DAY. IT JUST WON'T BE. BUT ONCE WE HAVE THE LERTA, IT WILL. I THINK FOR NOW, THE FINAL THING I WILL SAY IS THAT PASSING THIS LEGISLATION NOW, OR FORWARDING IT TO FULL COUNCIL TO BE PASSED WILL GIVE THE ADMINISTRATION WILL GIVE THE CED DEPARTMENT TIME TO ORGANIZE AND TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WILL IMPLEMENT THIS WITHOUT BEING BOMBARDED BY LERTA APPLICATIONS. JUST IMAGINE WE WAIT TO PASS THIS AND WE PASS IT WITH ALERTA. THEY'RE GOING TO GET A BUNCH OF APPLICATIONS, AS WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM DEVELOPERS ALL AT ONCE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ON THE SPOT HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE EVERYTHING. VERSUS IF WE PASS THIS NOW, IT WILL GIVE THEM PERHAPS MONTHS, MAYBE A YEAR TO REALLY FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO OPERATIONALIZE THIS. BY THE TIME THE LERTA APPLICATION, BY THE TIME THE WORD IS PASSED AND THE APPLICATIONS START COMING IN, WHO THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE GOOD TO GO BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD THE TIME TO GET THEIR STUFF TOGETHER. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I'M SURE I'LL HAVE MORE AND I'M

[00:10:05]

I LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION JUST I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES YOU MENTIONED.

YOU MENTIONED THEM A FEW TIMES. I THINK THEY SHOULD CHIME IN. SO I'M GOING TO DO COUNCIL AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO THE ADMINISTRATION. THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OF YOUR OWN? RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, I STILL HAVE CONCERNS. I MEAN, LISTEN. YOU KNOW, THIS LEGISLATION. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MISS GERLACH, ABOUT. LET'S JUST PASS IT. BUT TO ME, IT JUST IT'S IT'S SOMETHING WHERE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S MORE DATA THAT WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT. I THINK OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND, AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT COULD PLAY A ROLE. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE FROM FROM THE ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THEY'RE THE ONES TASKED WITH ADMINISTERING THIS. I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM. I WASN'T ABLE TO TAKE PART IN THOSE MEETINGS WITH DEVELOPERS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK HEARING FROM THEM WOULD BE IMPORTANT. I'VE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES THAT IF IF A LERTA IS PASSED AND WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE, YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DON'T KNOW.

ULTIMATELY, WE NEED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY TO PLAY BALL. IF ONE OF THOSE ENTITIES SAYS, WE'RE NOT PLAYING BALL, THEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE HOPE. I WOULD LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT WE GET THIS PASSED. BUT BUT IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CONCERN BECAUSE THIS LEGISLATION IS TIED TO IT. I DO KNOW THAT THE ZONING REWRITE DID PUT A LOT OF. YOU KNOW, IT ENCOURAGED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'D BE CURIOUS IF WE HAVE ANY DATA FROM OUR CD DEPARTMENT OF HOW THAT'S WORKED SO FAR. IF HOW MANY HOW MANY AFFORDABLE UNITS DO WE HAVE BASED ON THAT? SO, AND I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I HEARD AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, AND I THINK THIS, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP, IS IF WE DO ALERTA, THAT THE LEGISLATION WOULD ALMOST HAVE THIS AS PART OF IT. SO IT COMES DOWN TO, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT LOOKS.

AGAIN, I WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR ADMINISTRATION IF THE LERTA HAS THIS, THE THE THE WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS A DUPLICATION. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

I'VE NEVER DONE A LERTA. SO AGAIN, I'M HERE TO LISTEN TONIGHT AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW THIS LOOKS AND HOW IT WORKS. BUT LISTEN, I'M ALL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'S THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING. I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE. AND, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE DO THIS, WE GET IT RIGHT AND NOT RUSH IT THROUGH. SO THAT'S JUST HAPPY TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION AND SEE HOW WE CAN GET IT THERE. SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. BENDER. THANK YOU. SO I JUST KIND OF ECHOING THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE VISION AND THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATION. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GRATEFUL THAT COUNCILPERSON GERLACH BROUGHT THIS UP. I'M GRATEFUL THAT VICE PRESIDENT MOTA ACTUALLY WORKED ON THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, STARTING THIS PROCESS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN THIS WAS IN BILL'S 63 FORMAT, I WAS A CO-SPONSOR ON THAT BILL WITH COUNCILPERSON GERLACH AND VICE PRESIDENT MOTA. AFTER THAT MEETING, IT BECAME IT BECAME CLEAR ONCE WE MET WITH SOME DEVELOPERS THAT ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS TO THIS, WHICH WE'LL SAY THIS WORD MULTIPLE TIMES TONIGHT, IS THIS IS THIS NEED TO HAVE A LERTA OR A TAX INCENTIVE PROGRAM IN PLACE IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHEN VICE ITS VICE MAYOR, NOW VICE MAYOR PETTIBONE, TOOK TIME OUT OF HIS SCHEDULE, WHICH I TRULY APPRECIATE TO COME AND PRESENT TO THIS BODY, IT EVEN BECAME MORE CLEAR THAT THOUGH THERE'S SUCCESS IN THIS IN EASTON, THE THREE COMPONENTS THAT THAT LEANS ON IS BOTH A NONPROFIT ENTITY THAT'S ACTUALLY MANAGING AND ENSURING COMPLIANCE IN THIS, THAT THERE WAS AN ESTABLISHED LERTA IN PLACE. AND I THINK THEY SPOKE OF IT WAS FIVE PROPERTIES, I THINK IS WHAT HE SAID. IT WAS EITHER 5 OR 10 PROPERTIES THAT THEY'RE FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW. AND THEY ALSO HAD A TAX RATE THAT WAS ACTUALLY ATTRACTIVE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. THIS LEGISLATION, AS YOU HAD STATED, IT LEANS VERY HEAVILY ON ON HAVING ALERTA IN PLACE. I KNOW THAT IT CALLS OUT A LOT OF THE PUBLIC FUNDING AND HOW THAT IS INCORPORATED INTO THIS LEGISLATION, BUT THE PUBLIC FUNDING THAT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, AND DIRECTOR KESSLER COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE STATE ALREADY MANDATES MOST OF THIS OR ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IN WHEN YOU'RE USING THAT, THOSE FUNDS. SO THAT'S ALREADY

[00:15:05]

THAT BILL WAS PASSED. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE AT YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAD A MEETING EARLIER THIS YEAR ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION OF ACTUALLY HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE FUNDING, THOSE FUNDS. YOU HAD MENTIONED COUNCIL, YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS STARTED TWO YEARS AGO IN THE DISCUSSION OF THE LERTA. TO YOUR POINT, IT TOOK THREE YEARS TO DO THE THE ZONING REWRITE THAT WENT THROUGH CONSULTANTS THAT WENT THROUGH MULTIPLE HEARINGS TO GO, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN THIS, BUT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DATA OF OF BACK END FRAMEWORK THAT WAS IN PLACE IN ORDER TO DO THIS IN, IN WHAT I'M OBSERVING NOW. YOU KNOW, WE STARTED WITH BILL 63, THEN WE PULLED IT, REWROTE IT WITH. AND I APPRECIATE AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS I'M HAPPY THAT I WAS GRATEFUL THAT YOU INVITED ME TO SOME OF THE MEETINGS. AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE MET WITH A LOT OF DEVELOPERS IN THIS TO HELP PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE. DATA TO, TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING. BUT THEN WE BASICALLY IT WAS, IT WAS CHANGED A LOT. IT WAS MODIFIED A LOT. AND THEN IT WAS INTRODUCED LAST TUESDAY. SO WHAT'S CONCERNING ME, I GUESS, IN THIS CASE IS THE PACE THAT WE'RE GOING TO YOUR POINT, THIS REALLY DOESN'T DO MUCH UNTIL THERE'S A LERTA IN PLACE. BUT WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF PLOWING AHEAD REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER INFORMATION THAT I THINK WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE WE PUT FORTH LEGISLATION, BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN COMPONENTS TO THIS THAT I DON'T THINK ARE NECESSARY. IF WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GOOD TAX PROGRAM IN PLACE OR TAX INCENTIVE PROGRAM. YES, THOSE CAN BE REMOVED LATER. WE CAN ADJUST THINGS LATER. BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE THINGS. IT'S A IT'S A IT'S LEGISLATION THAT IS KICKED OFF WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS. AND I KNOW MANY OF US SAT ON THIS DAIS TWICE THIS YEAR, WE HAD TO VOTE ON SOMETHING BECAUSE SOMEONE MADE A DECISION BEFORE WE WERE HERE, AND THEN WE HAD TO THEN I DON'T SAY BE FORCED TO VOTE ON IT, BUT WE. WE HAD TO GO AND VOTE ON SOMETHING. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF JUST PUTTING LEGISLATION FORWARD FOR THE POINT OF JUST PUTTING IT FORWARD. I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SET THAT VISION AND THAT TONE. I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE WELL DEFINED, LIKE, PATH IN PLACE FOR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR A LETTER OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE NEXT STEP. BUT JUST PUTTING SOMETHING IN RIGHT NOW FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT, IT I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S GETTING US THERE. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THIS IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THING. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO SO MANY RESIDENTS IN ALLENTOWN. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS, IS SOMETHING WE HEAR EVERY DAY. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ZONING REWRITE WORKED DILIGENTLY ON. AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE SEEING FROM THAT. BUT WE ALSO ONLY HAVE TEN MONTHS OF DATA ON IT.

I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT TOO, IN THIS PROCESS. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE BEFORE, MAYBE IN TANDEM WITH, BUT IF WE MAKE SO MANY CHANGES SIMULTANEOUSLY, THAT MIGHT BE GREAT. THAT ALSO COULD BE SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS. PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO ADJUST ON THINGS. SO I GUESS I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS THAT I, YOU KNOW, I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND SOME FEEDBACK BEFORE I MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW WITH THIS. SO THANKS. OKAY.

THANK YOU. AND I'LL GO TO BACK TO SANTO OR MISTER NAPOLI. THEN I'LL GO TO NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS. AND ONE THING I WANT TO ADD, BECAUSE THERE ARE FOLKS HERE THAT WEREN'T AT THE LAST MEETING, ONE OF MY CONCERNS AND I'LL JUST ECHO THEM BECAUSE AGAIN THERE'S SOME FRESH FACES HERE. THE IN LIEU THE IN LIEU FEE IS CONCERNING. YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT $30,000 A UNIT.

SO IF A DEVELOPER WANTS TO BUILD A APARTMENT BUILDING, THEY CAN PAY THE CITY $30,000 A UNIT TO SAY, WE DON'T WANT TO INCLUDE AFFORDABLE. OKAY. SO LET'S SAY THE CITY GETS FOR 20 UNITS. I THINK THE NUMBER IN THE LEGISLATION WAS $600,000 FOR THE CITY TO ACTUALLY BUILD AFFORDABLE. IT'S AROUND 300,000 A UNIT. SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE LETTING THE DEVELOPER, WE'RE GIVING A GIFT TO A DEVELOPER THAT THEY CAN HAVE 20 MARKET RATE APARTMENTS. AND MEANWHILE, WE CAN TRADE OFF FOR TWO, TWO, TWO AFFORDABLE UNITS. DO THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE. SO THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN FOR ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS LEGISLATION COULD JUST LET DEVELOPERS JUST BUY THEIR WAY OUT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD BE INCENTIVIZING THEM TO ACTUALLY BUILD IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOOD AT. WE'RE GOOD AT SENDING AMBULANCES TO PEOPLE'S HOMES WHEN THEY NEED HELP.

[00:20:04]

WE WORKED SO HARD WITH THE WITH THIS LEGISLATION, WE MET WITH MANY DEVELOPERS BECAUSE WE WERE ASKED TO MEET WITH THE DEVELOPERS BECAUSE THE NUMBERS NEEDED TO MATCH, THE NUMBERS NEEDED TO MAKE SENSE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE ALL IN SYNC. I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE ALL. I MEAN, WE WORKED SO HARD. MR. BENDER, YOU WERE THERE THROUGHOUT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CHANGED. WE CAN ALWAYS AMEND IT, YOU KNOW. WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE. THIS IS A WORKING DOCUMENT. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW. THIS CAN BE CHANGED. THIS IS THE BEGINNING SO THAT WE CAN GET A LAWYER. IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS IT WAS NOTHING NEW. WE WE KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IN ORDER FOR THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION TO WORK, WE NEEDED WE NEEDED A LERTA AND WE NEEDED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY WORKING TOGETHER. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. I'M JUST IN SHOCK. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR MODA. ANYONE ELSE? MR. PONGO? YEAH. THANK YOU. SO I GUESS I JUST KIND OF WANT TO REALLY DIG INTO THE ACTUAL LEGISLATION A LITTLE BIT AND JUST TALK THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT. SO I THINK THE KEY, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE LERTA, BUT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT ALSO INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, THE STIPULATION ON USING CITY HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY.

THERE'S ALSO STIPULATION ABOUT ACQUIRING PUBLICLY OWNED LAND AT A, YOU KNOW, DISCOUNTED PRICE BELOW MARKET RATE. SO I THINK THERE ARE OTHER PARAMETERS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GO INTO EFFECT HERE, EVEN WITHOUT ALERTA. I AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENTS THAT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO AND NEED TO HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TO TALK ABOUT ANY INPUT ON THAT SIDE. I AM GLAD TO SEE THE STEPS THAT THIS HAS TAKEN FROM WHERE IT WAS AT 63 NOW TO 82. I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY DONE A LOT TO AVOID SOME OF THE KIND OF COMPLICATIONS WITH OTHER PIECES OF PUBLIC FUNDING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING WILL TAKE PRESIDENT PRECEDENCE OVER ANYTHING THAT WE PASS. AS FAR AS SOME OF THE TERMS, I DO HAVE TO AGREE. A BIG CONCERN OF MINE IS ALSO THE IN LIEU OF FEE, I THINK OBVIOUSLY WE CAN WORK ON THE AMOUNT BEING IN THE INDUSTRY. I CAN TELL YOU THERE IS SO MUCH THAT GOES INTO USING STATE, FEDERAL, ANY SORT OF PUBLIC FUNDING THAT MAKES BUILDING THAT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. SO I THINK A ONE FOR ONE COST OF WHAT IT COSTS TO BUILD AN AFFORDABLE UNIT AS IN LIEU OF FEE, YOU KNOW, COULD GET US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EITHER PROGRAM. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I THINK THE AMOUNT COULD BE WORKED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT KIND OF I THINK I THINK THERE'S WAYS TO ACHIEVE IT, WHETHER THAT'S LIKE PROGRESSIVE RATES FOR THE IN LIEU OF FEE. BUT I DON'T LIKE THE CONCEPT THAT RIGHT NOW, AS WRITTEN, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE TO ENTER A LERTA AND POTENTIALLY BUY THEIR WAY OUT OF ALL THE AFFORDABLE UNITS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE AGAIN, THE LERTA IN ITSELF IS A TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM. SO I THINK WHILE THE ECONOMICS MAY WORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE UNITS AND MAYBE PAY IN LIEU OF FEE, WE GOT SOME MONEY TO BUILD AFFORDABLE UNITS. BUT THEN THERE'S THE IMPLICATION THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD IT AT A MORE EXPENSIVE RATE. BUT THEN ALSO THE TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED TOO. SO LIKE, WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT ALSO HAVE? ESPECIALLY IF, YOU KNOW, WE GOT, YOU KNOW, $600,000 FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT NOW THERE'S ALSO THIS, YOU KNOW, TAX ABATEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO AFFECT ALL THESE

[00:25:05]

I UNDERSTAND WE ALL UNDERSTAND NO ONE HERE. I DON'T THINK IN THE ROOM, ESPECIALLY IN THE DAIS, DOESN'T WANT TO SEE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE ARE PROBLEMS. AND I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP. LERTA. WHAT, TWO YEARS? WE'RE WAITING. ARE WE GOING TO WAIT ANOTHER TWO YEARS? THIS IS THE ARGUMENT I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU, BUT FOR NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE THE D, C, D DEPARTMENT AND SO ON. AND SO BEFORE I MAKE ANY OF THE DECISIONS, LIKE I SAID, YOURS WAS VERY POWERFUL. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM NOW TOO. OKAY, MR. BENDER, YEAH, I CAN ADD SOMETHING ELSE. SO TWO THINGS.

ONE TO, TO JUMP ON. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SAID. SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU IN LIEU OF THE OTHER THING IS THE WAIVER SIDE, WHICH IS, IS IS TERRIBLY CONCERNING TO ME AS WELL. I IT FEELS LIKE A LOT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS CREATING WAYS TO MAKE IT WORK WHEN IF THERE'S A TAX INCENTIVE PROGRAM IN PLACE, IT WOULD JUST DO THAT. YOU WOULDN'T NEED ALL OF THESE OTHER ASPECTS. AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF, TO YOUR POINT, WHEN YOU'RE ASKING WHAT HAS CHANGED, IT'S THE ORDER OF EVENTS LIKE, AND I UNDERSTAND THE WAITING FOR TWO YEARS. AND THAT'S THE CONCERN. AND I'M, I'M, I HAVE NOT I WAS NOT AWARE OF TWO YEARS. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE THE PROCESS, NOR DO I KNOW EVEN WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS FROM THE LERTA. BUT LIKE THE THE ANCHOR POINT TO THIS BEING SUCCESSFUL BOTH IN EASTON AND FOR US IN THE CITY IS HAVING THAT PROGRAM. WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROGRAM AND WE'RE MAKING LEGISLATION. AND I, I, I GET IT A LOT OF WORK TO DO THIS. AND I'M NOT NOT DISCREDITING THAT, BUT LIKE WE'RE MAKING LEGISLATION TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THAT WHEN WE REALLY SHOULD JUST BE PUTTING THAT IN PLACE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING IS WE'RE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE IN THIS CASE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M, I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THIS. AND IT JUST DOESN'T IT, IT FEELS DISJOINTED RIGHT NOW. SO I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THOSE TWO THINGS. SO I JUST THINK THAT. INCENTIVIZE THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TO WORK TOGETHER. SO THIS IS THE BEGINNING. LIKE, LIKE MISS GERLACH SAID, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING GOING ON IN TWO YEARS. NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS, THIS IS THE STEP TO GET AN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY, THE CITY, WORK TOGETHER.

YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY TO THAT POINT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY TO THAT POINT, I THINK WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BOTH IN ESPECIALLY AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHERE THERE'S A LOT MORE INTEREST, I THINK, IN THIS THAN THERE WAS TWO YEARS AGO. SO THAT THAT THAT CHANGE ALONE, I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY AS A CATALYST TO THIS IN ADDITION TO THE LEGISLATION THAT'S HERE. BUT THE DYNAMICS HAVE CHANGED.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THIS. AND I PUTTING THIS FORTH CHANGES THE DYNAMICS. AND I AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THIS THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO, TO MOVE FORWARD OR WE MAINTAIN WITH WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AND WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE AND WHAT FEEDBACK THEY HAVE. I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT ROUTES WE CAN TAKE, BUT BUT I CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS THE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED? WHAT IS THE INFORMATION THAT YOU THAT YOU WANT TO GET OR BILL 82 NOT THE LERTA FOR THIS BILL. WHAT DATA DO YOU NEED? WHAT IS THE INFORMATION? YEAH. SO FOR THIS INFORMATION, I MEAN, THE LERTA IS A COMPONENT OF IT COMPONENT. BUT AS YOU ACKNOWLEDGE, IT'S NOT THE ENTIRE THE ENTIRE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT. SO FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS BILL, WHAT DATA DO YOU AND MR. NAPOLI NEED? SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SINCE THE ZONING CODE HAS CHANGED, IS THAT WE IDENTIFY HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THESE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE NOT THE PROGRAMS, THE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ZONING, ARE WE SEEING A POSITIVE THING? AND TO THAT POINT, I SAID THIS HAS ONLY BEEN GOING SINCE JANUARY.

WE. IT WAS ENACTED BY THIS PREVIOUS. WELL, IT WAS ENACTED BY THIS COUNCIL WHEN I WASN'T ON. BUT IT WENT INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE IMPACT IS FOR D, C, D TO ACTUALLY ADMINISTER THIS

[00:30:03]

I'VE ONLY SEEN THIS FOR EIGHT DAYS. SO LIKE, I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT. I THINK WE COULD DO A LOT MORE. I'M NOT SAYING IT SHOULD GO AWAY. I'M NOT SAYING IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DISBANDED. BUT LIKE, I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS. WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOUSING FUND, THERE WAS PUBLIC CONVERSATION. AND IF NOT, IT WAS PRIVATE. AND NOW IT'S GOING TO BECOME PUBLIC ABOUT GIVING $1 MILLION FROM, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE HOUSING FUND TO HELP HIM DEVELOP WORKFORCE HOUSING.

SO NOT FROM THE HOUSING FUND. WHERE WAS THAT MONEY GOING TO COME? OH, I'LL WAIT. OH, WAIT, BECAUSE I WANT TO STICK TO A ORDER. OKAY. SO YOU CAN CORRECT ME WHEN THAT TIME COMES. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'D BE OPEN TO CHANGING LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAIVER AND MAKING IT. SO IT'S VERY, VERY STRICT. ORIGINALLY, THERE WAS NOT A PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY ASPECT TO THE WAIVER, WHICH CONCERNS ME AS WELL. MY CONCERN WAS THAT THE CITY WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, GRANT WAIVERS FOR ANYTHING, AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, NO ONE WOULD BE DOING FEE IN LIEU OF OR BUILDING HOUSING. THE OTHER THING IS MY UNDERSTANDING. AND IF, IF ANY DEVELOPERS CHOOSE TO SPEAK, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO USE THE, THE DEVELOPER LINGO. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS BASED ON MEETING WITH DEVELOPERS MYSELF, MR. BENDER AND DOCTOR MODA, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE. AND THEN MISS KESSLER AND MARK HARTNEY IS THAT WHAT WAS EXPLAINED IN THOSE MEETINGS IS THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE MORE OF AN INCENTIVE TO BUILD THE

[00:35:02]

WE'RE. WE'RE SAYING TO THE PUBLIC AND THE ADMINISTRATION THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T THIS IS A DEFINITE AREA OF CONCERN FOR US. AND WE WANT TO SEE HOW TO HOW TO HOW TO FIX IT. BUT WE'RE GENERATING LAW THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. AND IT'S, IT'S LIKE IT TO ME. IT'S JUST IT'S DISJOINED FROM THE, THE, THE APPROACH OF SAYING, HEY, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO FIX THIS.

WE KNOW HOW TO GET THERE. THAT GOES IN PLACE WHILE THAT'S GOING IN PLACE, WHEN IT WHEN IT GETS FIGURED OUT, THEN WE PUT ON THE REQUIREMENTS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING. AND WE'RE GREAT. IT'S JUST WE'RE PUTTING SOMETHING IN THERE TO PUT SOMETHING IN THERE SO WE CAN SAY IT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SAY SO IT FEELS LIKE WE CAN SAY, GREAT, WE DID SOMETHING WHEN WE REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. AND I JUST, I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC GETS FRUSTRATED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THE POLITICAL PROCESS. AND LIKE, I THINK WE ALL WANT TO DO SOMETHING. WE ALL WANT TO SEE A POSITIVE MOVEMENT IN THIS. BUT LIKE, THERE'S A LOT HERE. AND I JUST I'M NOT SURE THAT THE HARM THAT YOU'RE SAYING, I THINK, IS JUST ANOTHER BILL THAT GREAT. YOU GUYS DID THAT. AND SO WE BUT WE DID DO SOMETHING BECAUSE LOOK, ALL THE DEVELOPERS HERE AND LOOK, PART OF THE COMMUNITY IS HERE. SO WE DID ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING. YEAH, I KNOW, I THINK IT'S ALL HERE. YOU STARTED THIS IS THE POINT OF THE CONVERSATION. I THINK THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS THIS IS A GREAT MOMENTUM IN THAT THE THING TO FIX IT IS GETTING ALERTA IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN GET THE TAX ADVANTAGE IN. AND THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THIS PRODUCT WORK. THAT'S, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE KEY THAT'S MISSING. AND I THINK THAT'S THE ORDER OF EVENTS, WHICH IS I'M GETTING THROWN OFF. SO IF WE PASS THIS AND WE NEVER HAD A LERTA. AND THEN THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT DECIDES THAT HARRISON MORTON IS NO LONGER. AND NOW WE HAVE A SCHOOL DISTRICT, AN EMPTY BUILDING, AND A DEVELOPER WANTS TO BUY THAT BUILDING AND PUT HOUSING WHERE HARRISON MORTON IS. THIS WOULD THEN KICK IN EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A LERTA AND ANY ANY GOVERNMENTAL PROPERTY, IT WOULDN'T. WE WOULDN'T HAVE. AND THE SAME THING WITH THE COUNTY.

IF THE COUNTY WERE TO HAVE A PIECE OF PROPERTY OR THE CITY OR THE ALLENTOWN PARKING AUTHORITY, SOME GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY WERE TO HAVE A PIECE OF LAND AND SELL IT TO A DEVELOPER

[00:40:05]

JUST IMAGINE. SO TO SAY THAT THIS WON'T HAVE ANY EFFECT, THAT THIS IS JUST PERFORMATIVE IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT BASED ON THE LANGUAGE IN THE LEGISLATION. SO, I MEAN, IMAGINE IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD THIS FOR MCKINLEY, IMAGINE IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD THIS FOR CLEVELAND. LIKE THIS IS EFFECTIVE EVEN WITHOUT THE LERTA NOW, OF COURSE, MORE EFFECTIVE WITH ALERTA, BUT EVEN IT'S EFFECTIVE EVEN WITHOUT THE LERTA. IF A PUBLIC ENTITY IS SELLING PROPERTY TO A DEVELOPER BELOW FAIR MARKET RATE, IT OUGHT TO BENEFIT THE PUBLIC. NONE OF US HERE WANT TO SEE LUXURY LUXURY APARTMENTS IN IN A FORMER SCHOOL OR I MEAN, LIKE NONE OF US WANT THAT THIS WILL THIS WILL PREVENT THAT. IF YOU WANT TO FINE TUNE SOME OF THE WAIVER LANGUAGE, LET'S GO AT IT.

BUT TO SAY THE WHOLE THING IS NO GOOD BECAUSE YOU WANT DATA ON ALERTA THAT IS GOING TO BE WORKED OUT. LIKE CAN'T BUY THAT. ANYONE ELSE ON COUNCIL BEFORE I MOVE TO THE ADMINISTRATION? OKAY, MISS KESSLER, MR. HARTNEY. OKAY, I'M HOPING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO INDULGE ME BECAUSE I'VE GOT, LIKE, TEN POINTS TO THIS. YES. AND I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT THE DEVELOPERS IN THE ROOM ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH IN PARTNERSHIP ALL THE TIME. AND I MEAN NO DISRESPECT. AND I'M HOPING THAT WE COME OUT OF THIS ALL IN THE SAME PAGE. THE ADVOCATES FOR HOUSING IN THE ROOM ARE ALSO PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH, AND WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN TASKED WITH AND CHARGED WITH IS THE CREATION OF MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO I WANT TO START BY SAYING NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE THOSE MEETINGS. IN THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WITH DEVELOPERS, WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THAT DIFFERENCE CAN OR CANNOT HAPPEN. SO FOR EXAMPLE, WELL, FIRST I REALLY WANT TO START WITH, WE HAVEN'T JUST SAT AROUND IGNORING ALERTA OR A HOUSING STUDY AND ITS EFFECTS FOR TWO YEARS. IF YOU RECALL, WE'VE HAD NOTHING BUT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ZONING REWRITE, WHICH IN FACT, THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS IN CONFLICT. ON PAGE FIVE POINT, SEE WHERE IT SAYS THAT EVERY UNIT WILL BE THE SAME SIZE, WHEN IN FACT, THE INCENTIVE WITHIN THE ZONING REWRITE IS THAT WHEN YOU BUILD AFFORDABLE, YOU GET EXTRA UNITS AND YOU GET A SMALLER SIZE PER UNIT AND YOU GET A PARKING ALLOWANCE. SO WE DO HAVE A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE TWO LEGISLATIONS, WHICH BY THE WAY, WE DIDN'T SEE THIS FINAL DRAFT UNTIL IT GOT POSTED TO THE PUBLIC AGENDA. SO WE'RE READING IT EVEN MORE RECENTLY THAN MR. BENDER. THE SECOND THING IS WE TALK ABOUT A WAIVER AND A BUYOUT. WHERE DID $30,000 COME FROM? $52,000 IS IN BETHLEHEM'S LERTA. WHERE DID THAT NUMBER COME FROM? HAVE WE DONE A PERFORMA WHERE, AGAIN, NO DISRESPECT THAT WE TALK TO THESE DEVELOPERS ABOUT A $17 MILLION PROJECT AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM IF WE GIVE THEM THE LERTA, AS WE ARE CRAFTING IN OUR MINDS OF A TEN YEAR WITH A GRADUATED TAX RELIEF FORM, WHAT IS THE HIT TO THE CITY'S TAX BASE ON THAT OVERALL PROPERTY? AND WOULD IT BE SMARTER TO SAY 1% OF EVERY NEW COST OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T GO TO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT GOES INTO A HOUSING TRUST FUND? WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. WE'VE PULLED NUMBERS FROM SOMEWHERE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE EASTON GOT THAT NUMBER. I HAD NO IDEA A YEAR AGO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ALERTA, BECAUSE IN HONESTY, I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM COUNCIL IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE PRIORITY IS ALERTA, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SETTING THE STAGE FOR ALERTA. WE HAVE MET WITH VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA. WE MET WITH THE UNITED WAY. WE MET WITH MICHAELS OUT OF PITTSBURGH, ALL ABOUT CREATING A HOUSING ENTITY HERE THAT COULD ACTUALLY BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEARN FROM SOME OF THESE DEVELOPERS. ONE IN PARTICULAR, WHO I THINK HAS HIS UNIT COST REALLY LOW, TO SAY, IF WE HAD A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT GROUP HERE, WHICH NONE OF THEM, BY THE WAY, WERE WILLING OR ABLE WITH THE BANDWIDTH, THEY HAVE TO CREATE ONE HERE FOR US. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BUILD THOSE UNITS? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU TAKE $30,000 PER UNIT AND YOU PUT IT IN AN ACCOUNT, I CAN'T BUILD A HOUSE. OUR CITY STRUCTURE CAN'T BUILD A HOUSE. SO WHAT WE GOT TO DO IS WE GOT TO ACCUMULATE TEN OF THOSE $30,000. AND THEN I GOT A CONTRACT WITH ONE OF THESE GUYS WHO'S GOING TO CHARGE ME A DEVELOPMENT FEE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO, TO BUILD US A UNIT. ONE UNIT? IS THAT REALLY THE BEST USE WE'RE GOING

[00:45:02]

WE'RE BRINGING UP THIS LEGISLATION WHEN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN TOTALLY OCCUPIED WITH THE BUDGET. SO I CAN'T GO TO THEM AND SAY, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT A TAX RELIEF ON ALERTA AT AN 80/20 WILL GIVE US ON A $20 MILLION PROJECT RIGHT NOW? AND THEN TELL ME, WHAT WOULD BE SMARTER? WHAT ARE WE LOSING OVER TIME MONEY WISE? I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU SHOULD NEED TO KNOW. WE ALSO HAVE NOT HAD THE POLITICAL CLIMATE WHERE EVERYONE HAS SAID LERTA. SO DON'T THINK WE HAVEN'T BROUGHT UP THE DISCUSSION BEFORE. WE HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN A DIFFERENT POSITION ON HOUSING THAN WE'VE HAD BEFORE. WE NEED THAT PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE, FRANKLY, THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN'S TAX BASE IN ALERTA IS THE SMALL PART OF WHAT THESE GUYS ARE PAYING IN TAXES. BUT THE COUNTY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO WE THINK WE NEED TO GO INTO A DISCUSSION AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN ME WITH WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOUR TAXES? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOING TO LOSE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WHAT THE COUNTY IS GOING TO LOSE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WHAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO GAIN? AND THEN WHAT COLLECTIVELY HAPPENS TO THAT MONEY IN THE HOUSING TRUST FUND? IN EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION I'VE HAD BEFORE YOU, IT'S BEEN ON HOME OWNERSHIP AND OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON BEEFING UP OUR STAFF, BEEFING UP THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO BETTER HOME OWNERSHIP, TALKING WITH KALIV ABOUT THEIR CAPACITY, LOOKING AND WRITING GRANTS, MR. COLASUONNO APPROACHED THE CITY ABOUT WRITING A GRANT TOGETHER, AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THE LETTER CAME TO YOU ABOUT HOW HE GOT THE GRANT AND CAN'T USE IT BECAUSE IT HAS GOVERNMENTAL STRINGS AND IT MAKES IT SO AFFORDABLE. IN HIS TRYING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE UNITS, THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA ACTUALLY REQUIRED HIM TO PAY MORE MONEY AND TO MAKE THE WHOLE ENTIRE BUILDING, DAVIS-BACON AND PREVAILING WAGE. THAT'S WHY NO ONE WANTS OUR MONEY. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CITY OWNED LAND.

THE REASON THE CITY OWNED LANDS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SWAMPS, THEY'RE UNDEVELOPABLE. SO WE NEED TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES, HUGE INCENTIVES TO SOME OF THOSE. IF WE EVEN GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE WANT TO SELL THEM. BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT THE CITY OWNS. THE OTHER THING IS, LEGALLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN IMPOSE THIS ON SOMETHING THAT IS SOMEBODY ELSE'S GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY THAT GETS SOLD. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. AND AGAIN, I'M HOPING MARIA HAS HAS RESEARCHED THAT FOR YOU. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN SAY WE'RE COLLECTING THIS MONEY OFF OF SOMETHING THAT THE STATE SELLS TO SOMEONE ON A DEAL WE'RE NOT INVOLVED WITH. MAYBE WE CAN, BUT I THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I KNOW WE'VE FLIPPED TOTALLY TO DATA CENTERS AND TO ALL DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR ZONING CODE, BUT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT AMENDING THE ZONING CODE TO REFLECT THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT. HUD AND FEDERAL FUNDS ARE USELESS TO THESE GUYS. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY COME WITH RESTRICTIONS. IS THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND PAY THEM TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS NO RESTRICTIONS. I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T BUILT THAT IN. THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH I DO BELIEVE THAT IN HERE, IT SAYS THAT DEVELOPERS ARE GOING TO SELF-REPORT. YOU STILL NEED SOMEBODY TO SELF-REPORT TO, AND YOU STILL NEED A SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES. WE NEED TO GO OUT AND AUDIT. THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE INCOME ELIGIBLE AND THEY NEED TO BE AUDITED. I NEED TO DEVELOP A STAFF TO DO THAT. I DON'T HAVE EXTRA PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND DO MONITORING. SO IS THE COST OF THAT COMING OUT OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND? WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR. SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT FIRST STEP FOR DISCUSSION. I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS A GREAT FIRST STEP FOR PASSING. I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A LOT MORE CANDID CONVERSATIONS. AND AGAIN, NO DISRESPECT TO MY FRIENDS, BUT ARE THEY GOING TO LOOK AT YOU AND SAY $30,000 IS TOO LOW? I DON'T THINK SO. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE JUMPING OFF PART FOR A WHOLE LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, A WHOLE LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER. I MEAN, YES, MARK MET WITH MR. JANDL AND TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE. I MET ONLY WITH MR. AND MR. STRAUSS AND 1 OR 2 COUNCIL PEOPLE. SO YEAH, WE LOOKED AT THIS AND SAID, THIS IS A GREAT JUMPING OFF PART, BUT NEVER DID WE THINK IN LESS THAN A MONTH WE'D BE VOTING ON IT. SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY PREMATURE. AND I HOPE THAT WE HAVEN'T OFFENDED OUR CITY OR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR COUNTY PARTNERS, BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED SOME DEEP IN DEPTH CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM IF WE'RE GOING TO PASS A LERTA. AND AGAIN, I MEAN NO DISRESPECT, BUT WE PASSED LEGISLATION IN THE PAST THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T SELL SOMETHING IN THE CITY, THAT WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE THAT SELLS IT. SO I AGREE WITH MR. BINDER. I DON'T

[00:50:04]

WE HAVEN'T DONE AN ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT MEANS. SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOUSING. I WISH WE WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION FROM THE BEGINNING. THEN WE WOULD HAVE A YEAR INTO THIS, LIKE ALL OF YOU DO. BUT FRANKLY, TO HAVE THIS COME THE WAY IT'S COME AND TO SAY WE'RE PUSHING THIS THROUGH. I JUST WONDER WHY, WHY, WHY NOW? AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SITTING AROUND SAYING, WE DON'T WANT TO LERTA WE'RE ABSOLUTELY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY, AND WE'RE WELCOME FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND OUR LEADERSHIP TO APPROACH OUR COUNTY AND CITY PARTNERS AND SEE IF IT'S EVEN A POSSIBILITY.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION TO GIVE $250,000 OF HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY TO ANY DEVELOPER AT THIS POINT, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANY CITY LAND THAT ANYBODY WANTS. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME HAVE EVER USED ANY OF OUR FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR HUD PROGRAMS. SO I JUST THINK THIS IS A GREAT JUMPING OFF POINT, AND I HOPE WE CAN CREATE A THINK TANK TO GO MUCH FURTHER, BUT I THINK IT'S WAY PREMATURE. MARK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ANY. TO ECHO? TO ECHO. ALL RIGHT. THERE WE GO. I THINK A LOT OF GOOD WORK HAS COME IN HERE. AND I THINK WHEN I LOOK AROUND THE ROOM AND SEE THE DEVELOPERS, I THINK WHAT HAS COME OUT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS IS, YES, WE NEED TO DEVELOP SOME INCENTIVES TO INCENTIVIZE THE CREATION OF WORKFORCE HOUSING. IT'S A CRITICAL NEED FOR THE CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK REALLY CAME OUT OF THIS IS AN AGREEMENT ON THE DEFINITION OF WHAT AREA MEDIAN INCOME IS TO START MODELING THESE PROFORMAS TO ME, THAT THAT WAS A HUGE PIECE OF CLARIFYING INFORMATION THAT WE CAN TAKE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE AND, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE LERTA, IF WE DID ALERTA, IT WOULD BE A WORKFORCE HOUSING LERTA YOU WOULDN'T NEED LEGISLATION LIKE THIS BECAUSE THESE RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE BUILT INTO THE LERTA ORDINANCE. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE WHERE THIS LEGISLATION GETS US TO BUILDING MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS THE GOAL IS BUILDING MORE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS. AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BUYOUT CLAUSE IN THIS, I DO HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. TO ME. YEAH, I'M NEVER GOING TO TURN DOWN $600,000 TO ADVANCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT I THINK IT'S WAY MORE EFFICIENT. IF WE CAN GET THE FOLKS THAT BUILD STUFF TO BUILD IT, LIKE YOU ALREADY HAVE A HOUSING PROJECT, YOU ALREADY HAVE A LOCATION. IT'S GONE THROUGH ALL THE LAND DEVELOPMENT. LIKE IF THEY CAN BUILD THE UNIT WHILE THEY'RE BUILDING THE REST OF THEM, THAT'S WAY MORE EFFICIENT THAN US GETTING $600,000. AND THEN WE GOT TO FIND A SITE, WE GOT TO GO THROUGH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT WE GOT TO, AND IT'LL BE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR US TO BUILD IT. SO AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD JUMPING OFF SPOT, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO BUILD CONSENSUS WITH THE OTHER TAXING BODIES AND BUILD THOSE PARTNERSHIPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET A LERTA IN PLACE. AND I WOULD JUST BE REALLY CURIOUS WHEN THE DEVELOPERS GIVE THEIR COMMENTS, IF THERE IS NO LERTA IN PLACE, DOES THIS PROVIDE ANY INCENTIVE TO YOU TO BUILD AFFORDABLE UNITS? ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION? NO. OKAY. SO WE'LL BE TURNING IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC. AND IF THERE ARE ANY DEVELOPERS HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, DEFINITELY COME UP.

IT'S DEFINITELY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL. AND JUST AS A GENTLE REMINDER, THIS, ALTHOUGH

[00:55:06]

I THINK YOU WERE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE DATES, MISS GERLACH. YOU WERE VERY CLEAR. OKAY, I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT IT WASN'T CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT WE'D BE VOTING ON THIS SO SOON. NO, I TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU WANTED TO VOTE ON THIS SO SOON. I JUST FEEL THAT IT'S TOO SOON.

OKAY? AND I JUST WANT TO JUST ONE THING BEFORE THE PUBLIC IS WHEN I BELIEVE IN THE SPRING OF 2026, WHAT EASTON PASSED WAS AN AMENDED VERSION OF SOMETHING THEY HAD ALREADY PASSED. SO THEIR ORIGINAL LEGISLATION WASN'T PERFECT EITHER. I DON'T EVEN THINK, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I WISH WE COULD GET FRANK ON THE LINE RIGHT NOW. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY PASSED THEIR LEGISLATION, THEY TOO DID NOT HAVE A NONPROFIT ENTITY TO HANDLE THE COMPLIANCE. BUT THEY PASSED IT. THEY THEY DID IT. AND THEN THEY DEVELOPED THAT. AND I ALSO REMEMBER IN CONVERSATION MYSELF, DOCTOR MOTA, MISS KESSLER, I THINK MARK HARTNEY WAS THERE. AND IT WAS EITHER WITH CALISSANO OR STRAUSS. THE CONVERSATION ABOUT. WE ALREADY HAVE AN AUDITOR THAT I GUESS WE USE IN SOME CAPACITY, THAT THAT PERSON WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WOULD HELP WITH THE COMPLIANCE AND AND MAKE SURE THAT THESE DEVELOPERS ARE IN COMPLIANCE. DID I MISS REMEMBER, WE HAVE OUR GRANTS TEAM WHO MONITORS THE HUD GRANTS, AND THEY HAVE A CONSULTANT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CONTRACT WITH, SOMEONE WE'D NEED TO BUDGET FOR AND CONTRACT WITH SOMEONE TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY OR CREATE A NONPROFIT. OKAY, SO THERE'S A POTENTIAL PATHWAY THERE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR. LET'S SEE. I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC IF ANYONE. SO I KNOW IF YOU GO TO COUNCIL MEETINGS, YOU NEED TO FILL OUT THE CARD. IT'S A COMMITTEE MEETING. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, PLEASE COME UP TO THE MIC. STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SAY YOUR CITY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE YOUR FULL ADDRESS, JUST YOUR CITY THAT YOU LIVE IN. AND THAT'S IT. SO AND TRY TO WE HAVE A TIMER, THREE MINUTES. TRY TO KEEP IT TO THREE. I KNOW THIS IS A PASSIONATE ISSUE. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. I AM HERE IN SUPPORT OF BILL 82. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY IRONIC THAT THIS IS BEING FOLLOWED BY AN ENCAMPMENT BILL, BUT WHAT DO I KNOW? EVERY TIME I SPEAK HERE, I FEEL LIKE I OPEN UP A DOOR TO MY LIFE AND I TELL YOU GUYS SOME THINGS THAT I'M GOING THROUGH, AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TODAY. I'VE BEEN IN ALLENTOWN RESIDENT FOR THREE YEARS AND I LOVE IT HERE. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT HERE. AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHERE I'D BE WITHOUT THIS CITY. I STRUGGLED FOR A LONG TIME, THOUGH. I DIDN'T KNOW IF I'D BE ABLE TO EAT OR PAY MY RENT, OR EVEN AFFORD THE BUS TICKET THAT WAS GOING TO TAKE ME TO WORK.

INITIALLY, I DIDN'T MOVE HERE VOLUNTARILY. I WAS GENTRIFIED OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTH BETHLEHEM, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY THE POOREST PART OF BETHLEHEM, AND IT'S BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE WEST END OF ALLENTOWN, WHICH IS KNOWN FOR BEING UNAFFORDABLE. I FELT CALLED TO COME HERE TODAY BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO BE GENTRIFIED TWICE, OR WATCH PEOPLE THAT ARE BORN AND RAISED HERE BE KICKED OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEIR FAMILIES HAVE LIVED IN FOR DECADES. I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT IT'S FAIR THAT DEVELOPERS THAT ARE OFTEN NOT FROM THE LEHIGH VALLEY HAVE MORE SWAY ON OUR LIVING STANDARDS. THE RESIDENTS. I DO ALSO CRITICIZE THE $30,000. I DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH. THERE SHOULDN'T BE A NUMBER TO KICK PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES. AND IF THERE HAS TO BE ONE, IT SHOULD BE A HELL OF A LOT MORE. THE THE DEVELOPERS CAN AFFORD IT AND THEY WILL UTILIZE IT TO PUSH US OUT. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU RAN FOR OFFICE TO REPRESENT ALLENTOWN AND OUR RESIDENTS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT IDEA AND SAY YES TO 82 TO PROTECT YOUR CONSTITUENTS. SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT SOMETHING CAN BE AMENDED AT A LATER DATE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD TO MR. BINDER, YOU HAD MENTIONED NOT WANTING TO PUSH THINGS JUST TO PUSH THINGS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE IDEA OF TRIGGER PROVISIONS, WHICH THEY WOULD EFFECTIVELY HAVE AN ORDINANCE ON HOLD UNTIL THE PREDEFINED THRESHOLDS ARE MET. SO YOU'RE NOT JUST PUSHING JUST TO PUSH

[01:00:06]

HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PROJECT AT EIGHTH AND WALNUT CITY COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATION WERE EXTRAORDINARILY SUPPORTIVE, THEY AWARDED OUR PROJECT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY AS GAP FUNDING THAT ALLOWED US TO GO PROCURE TAX CREDITS. WE BROUGHT $14.5 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE CITY. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE CLYDESDALE CONCEPT. YOU'VE GOT A CLYDESDALE THAT CAN PULL 10,000 POUNDS. YOU PUT TWO OF THOSE TOGETHER AND YOU CAN PULL 40,000 POUNDS, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT COUNCILWOMAN GERLACH IS IS CORRECT. LIKE MOMENTUM IS THE KEY HERE. AND I THINK THAT THAT THIS DOES TRIGGER THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE LERTA. I KNOW WAIVERS WAS A CONCERN. I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE WAIVER LANGUAGE BECAUSE THERE ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBILITY.

THERE'S TWO DEVELOPERS IN THIS ROOM, ACTUALLY THREE DEVELOPERS IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW THAT FACE ISSUES ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT SITES, SUCH AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. SOMEONE BROUGHT UP THE STATE HOSPITAL SITE. I DON'T KNOW IF MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT THE STATE HOSPITAL SITE ACTUALLY HAS A LANDFILL BURIED ON IT. THE RIVERFRONT WAS HISTORICALLY INDUSTRIAL LAND. THERE'S REMEDIATION THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE. I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A WAIVER MECHANISM TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY, AND IT REALLY IS GOING TO COME DOWN TO THE CITY'S PRIORITIES. DO THEY WANT TO CLEAN UP BROWNFIELDS OR AND HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO TO, YOU KNOW, PAUSE ON A WORKFORCE COMPONENT TO ALLOW THAT CLEANUP TO HAPPEN? WELL, WITH ALERTA AND WITH WORKFORCE ORDINANCE, I THINK WITH THE RIGHT LANGUAGE, YOU'LL GET BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.

AND THEN LASTLY, A POINT TO, TO HOPEFULLY ADD CONTEXT AND PUT THE ADMINISTRATION'S MIND AT EASE A LITTLE BIT IS EVERYONE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCE. ALL OF THAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE CITY OF EASTON DID, WHICH I THINK IS ACTUALLY A MORE ONEROUS TASK, WHICH IS ASSEMBLING AND CREATING A NONPROFIT TO GOVERN THIS. OR YOU COULD VERY SIMPLY DO WHAT A LOT OF TECH DEVELOPERS DO. THEY HIRE A CONSULTANT CALLED SUCH AS M AND L COMPLIANCE. THEY'RE A VERY AFFORDABLE GROUP THAT CONSULTANT VETS AND AUDITS THE DEVELOPERS INCOME CERTIFICATION DOCUMENTS, AND THEN THAT GETS PACKAGED AND SENT TO THE CITY. IF THE CITY CHOOSES THAT THERE'S A REASON TO AUDIT A DEVELOPER, YOU CAN TAKE A DEEPER DIVE. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE ONUS SHOULD BE OR NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THE CITY. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SPEAKING QUICKLY TO KIND OF STAY WITHIN THIS TIME FRAME, BUT THOSE ARE SOME POINTS THAT I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF LAY OUT. AND I WANTED TO REITERATE, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF A WORKFORCE HOUSING ORDINANCE. I THINK DEVELOPERS WOULD BE HAPPY TO BUILD WORKFORCE HOUSING. AND, AND THE WAY THAT THIS WAS WRITTEN WITH A WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMPONENT, WE COULD EVEN GET

[01:05:02]

SO YOU'RE NOT BEING. ANYONE ELSE WANT TO COME UP AND FOR THEMSELVES OR AN ORGANIZATION FOR OR AGAINST OR JUST QUESTIONS. AND JUST SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OR. HI, I'M ALAN JENNINGS. I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY, MY ADULT, MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.

WHAT SHE SAID. I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN GERLACH. I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. THERE IS A HUGE MARKET SHIFT TAKING PLACE OUT THERE. THE LEHIGH VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION SAYS WE NEED 6000 UNITS OF HOUSING IN LEHIGH VALLEY. THE. THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT IS BRINGING IN WHEN I. WHEN WE. WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE LILY PROJECT, I SENT A NOTE TO DON CUNNINGHAM SAYING, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR LILY WIN. WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE GOING TO LIVE? AND SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY OUT HERE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BLOW IF WE DON'T GET THIS DONE AND DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I AGREE WITH VICKI THAT THE CITY STAFF IS DESPERATELY UNDER CAPACITY, IS WAY OVER OVERTAXED. WHEN I WENT ON THE BOARD, I WAS A FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER OF AN SDA AND I FROM THE DAY I GOT ON THERE, I WAS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO STEAL AS MUCH OF THAT MONEY AS I COULD FOR THE. FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SURROUNDING THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND I FAILED. I TRIED ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS, INCLUDING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS PROPOSAL I WAS TOLD WAS, WELL, WE NEED 1200 UNITS FIRST.

AND WE GOT TO 1200 AND THEY SAID, NO, IT'S 2000 UNITS. WE DIDN'T SAY 1200 SAID 2000. SO THE TARGET KEPT MOVING. SO I THINK YOU NEED TO MOVE ON THIS TODAY AND MAKE SOME SOMETHING HAPPEN. MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE DEVELOPERS, NOT JUST THESE GOOD GUYS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT, BUT ALL DEVELOPERS, THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING COME WITH A PRICE OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. THE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT DID IS IT EXPANDED THE TAX BASE. SO THERE'S NEW REVENUE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE THAT THE CITY, THE COUNTY AND THE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE ALL GETTING THE BENEFIT FROM. I THINK WE NEED TO GET A PIECE OF THAT. AND FOR COUNCIL TO SET IT ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE STAFF FOR THE D, C, D OFFICES, THEY CANNOT POSSIBLY HANDLE THE DEMAND.

REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S WORK THAT'S COMING. ALL THESE NEW INITIATIVES, THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, NEED STAFF SUPPORT TO MAKE THEM WORK RIGHT. AND OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO SCREW IT ALL UP. AND THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY'S FAULT EXCEPT OURS FOR NOT BEING FORESIGHTED ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN. SO I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN GERLACH. I THINK SHE DESERVES CREDIT FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO CONFRONT US AS AGGRESSIVELY AS SHE HAS, AND SHE ALWAYS DOES. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT VICKI KISTLER'S ISSUES ARE VERY REAL. BUT I DON'T THINK WE PUT OFF DEALING WITH THIS. I THINK THIS GETS DONE. IT GETS DONE NOW GETS DONE VERY AGGRESSIVELY, AND WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO DEVELOPERS THAT WANT TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. THIS IS THE PRICE OF DOING BUSINESS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. PERFECT TIMING. ANYONE ELSE? AND JUST SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OR ORG. JOSE RIVERA, COMMUNITY MEMBER, ALLENTOWN. I HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOT OF YOU, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK WHAT I KNOW ABOUT. AND THAT'S COMMUNITY. AS A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF ALLENTOWN, I'M ASKING YOU TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY A WIN. WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT ECONOMIC GROWTH, STABILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT HOW CAN WE BUILD STRONGER COMMUNITIES IF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE RAISE THEIR FAMILIES HERE AND HAVE INVESTED YEARS OF THEIR LIVES HERE, CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE HERE? WHAT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS IS GOOD FOR COMMUNITY. WORKFORCE HOUSING IS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. OUR RESIDENTS NEED A FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO FIND HOUSING THEY CAN AFFORD, PUT DOWN ROOTS, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND BUILD THEIR FUTURE RIGHT HERE IN ALLENTOWN, THE CITY'S OWN HOUSING PLAN RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE 2024 HOUSING ASSESSMENT, RENTS ROSE BY OVER 44% OVER FIVE YEARS, AND MORE THAN HALF OF THE REGION'S WORKERS COULD NOT AFFORD A TYPICAL ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY. THIS WAS NOT JUST A TALKING POINT. IT IS A REAL LIFE CHALLENGE FOR WORKING PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. OUR

[01:10:02]

YOU SAT HERE AND YOU HAD YOUR LITTLE TALKING POINTS. I DON'T AGREE ON THIS. I DON'T AGREE ON THIS. BUT WHAT DO YOU AGREE ON? BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE KICKING THIS DOWN THE ROAD, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE CHECK BY CHECK WHILE WE'RE SITTING HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S NEXT. WE HAVE PEOPLE BEING EVICTED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THESE RENTS, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OUR WORKING CLASS. YES, CHANGE COMES WITH CHALLENGES, BUT OUR RESIDENTS ARE LIVING WITH THE FEAR OF RISING COSTS, HOUSING INSECURITY, AND NOT KNOWING WHETHER THEY WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO STAY IN THE CITY THAT THEY CALL HOME. I'M ASKING YOU TO BUILD THAT BRIDGE, BRING RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO THE TABLE, FIND PRACTICAL WAYS TO EXPAND THAT WORKFORCE HOUSING WHILE PROTECTING NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY, MAINTAINING QUALITY, AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES. IN DEVELOPMENT. GROWTH SHOULD NOT JUST MEAN GROWTH SHOULD NOT JUST MEAN BUILDINGS AND NEW INVESTMENTS. IT SHOULD MEAN THAT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ALLENTOWN WHAT IT IS CAN SHARE IN THAT GROWTH. I'M ASKING YOU TO HELP LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A STRONGER FUTURE WHERE WORKING FAMILIES HAVE STABILITY, LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE STRONGER COMMUNITIES TO SERVE, AND THE RESIDENTS HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE, WORK AND GROW. HERE. ALLENTOWN BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE WHO CALL IT HOME. LET'S MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A FUTURE HERE TOO. LIKE I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS. I MAY NOT AGREE WITH A LOT OF IT, BUT I ALSO SEE THAT THE FOUNDATION NEEDS TO BE LAID AND USED. LIKE I'M ASKING YOU, PLEASE, LET'S START MOVING FORWARD. LIKE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DISAGREE ON SOME THINGS, BUT LET'S WORK ON WHAT WE AGREE TO AT LEAST MOVE THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN THE PUBLIC? HI, I'M CHRISTINA DE PIRO FROM ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS FOR THE COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS. I ALSO LIVE IN ALLENTOWN. SO YEAH, IT IS VERY IRONIC AND COINCIDENTAL THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT FROM THIS TO THE ENCAMPMENT ORDINANCE. AND I KNOW WE I'VE BEEN UP HERE BEFORE AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ALL OF YOU FOR ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS TO HOMELESSNESS IS MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO I 100% SUPPORT THIS BILL TO CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE OUR CITY ABSOLUTELY NEEDS THAT. I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON LEARNER, LEARNER OR WHAT THAT IS FROM WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE AND WHAT THE OTHER GENTLEMAN WAS SAYING, THAT THE ONE THING LET ME GO BACK WHEN THE OTHER GENTLEMAN WAS SAYING THE THING THAT I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU AGREE UPON IS THAT THIS CITY DOES NEED MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND WAITING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND JUST WAITING FOR IT TO COME AND NOT TAKE ACTION WHEN YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT NOW, WITH OR WITHOUT THE LERTA, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU GET IT FROM. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WANT SOME ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MAYBE ALSO BE A CO-SPONSOR TO ALSO PROVIDE FUNDS. SO. RIGHT. IT COULD COME, BUT YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. YOU WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE CITY IS DESPERATE TO NEED IT. 18102 IS THE HIGHEST EVICTION RATE FOR THE ENTIRE LEHIGH VALLEY. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE IN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE HOMELESSNESS, WHICH WE KNOW IS INCREASING AS WELL. SO I HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY YOU WILL ALL GET TO THAT PAGE WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THIS AND TO APPROVE IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROBERT DE LORENZO. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF CITY CENTER GROUP.

WE'RE AN ALLENTOWN BASED DEVELOPER. WE'VE DEVELOPED OVER 1800 MARKET RATE UNITS HERE IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN OVER THE LAST DECADE. I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILPERSON GERLACH BINDER AND FOR MEETING WITH US UPON THE INITIAL BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED, WE QUICKLY GOT TOGETHER AND HAD DISCUSSIONS AROUND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE SAW IN THE INITIAL BILL.

I'LL ALSO JUST STATE I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY OF EASTON. WE'VE DEVELOPED OVER 500 UNITS IN THE CITY OF EASTON. TWO PROJECTS, BOTH THAT USED ALERTA IN THE CITY OF EASTON, AND THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WERE NOT FOR ALERTA TO MAKE THOSE PROJECTS

[01:15:01]

I ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WITHOUT THE LERTA, THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T NECESSARILY DO ANYTHING OR MAKE A HUGE IMPACT TO ACTUALLY SEEING TANGIBLE RESULTS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING ACTUALLY BEING DEVELOPED. BUT I DO THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD POSITIVE START.

AND WE TALK ABOUT THE MOMENTUM. I DO THINK THAT THIS BILL IS CREATING MOMENTUM AROUND HAVING PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE START OF PUTTING TOGETHER SOME TYPE OF ORDINANCE. I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT HERE IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, HAVING DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST DECADE, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN USED TO SEEING CITY CENTER DO A BUNCH OF RIBBON CUTTINGS WITH NEW BUILDINGS OPENING, YOU KNOW, BUT WE CURRENTLY HAVE A BUILDING THAT JUST OPENED UP A FEW WEEKS AGO OR THAT WE OPENED UP THIS PAST JUNE. AND, YOU KNOW, SINCE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER APARTMENT PROJECTS PLANNED THAT ARE TEED UP TO BREAK GROUND ON. SO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT IS SLOWING DOWN. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS SLOWING DOWN. IN SPITE OF ALL OF THE STUDIES THAT WE'RE READING, LPC'S, ATTAINABILITY AND HOUSING SUPPLY STUDY, YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT THE NEED FOR ALERTA AS AN INCENTIVE TO SEE MORE WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPED AND TO MEET OUR HOUSING NEEDS. THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN ISSUED THEIR HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT TWO YEARS AGO. ONE OF THE ONE OF THE FINDINGS OF THAT STUDY WAS THE NEED FOR ALERTA. SO I GUESS I'LL JUST SAY I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE DIALOG THIS EVENING AMONGST EVERYONE. I APPRECIATE THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT AROUND STARTING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND LERTA. I HOPE THAT THE DEVELOPERS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED, JUST AS WE WERE AS A PART OF THIS, THIS BILL. AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL SAY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE BILL FROM THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I THINK THAT IT'S RELATIVELY OVERALL SOUND AND DOES SUPPORT AND INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT. BUT WITHOUT THE LERTA, OBVIOUSLY THERE ISN'T GOING TO NECESSARILY BE A HUGE TANGIBLE IMPACT TO THE BILL UPON BEING PASSED. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD A GOOD DRAFT. I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE AS THIS MOVES FORWARD. I HOPE TO SEE THAT IT DOES MOVE FORWARD, AND I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? PUBLIC COMMENT. I SEE YOU ASSERTED YOURSELF. YEAH. I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW I HATE DOING THAT, BUT HERE WE ARE. I'M ALICIA RUTHRAUFF, I'M AN ALLENTOWN RESIDENT. I TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STATE THIS MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN ALL OF THE PEOPLE BEFORE ME HAVE, BUT I WILL DO MY BEST. AS SOMEONE. I'VE LIVED IN ALLENTOWN FOR SIX YEARS. I HAVE LIVED IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY FOR OVER 13 YEARS NOW. AS OTHERS HAVE STATED BEFORE ME, AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE STATED AS YOU GUYS YOURSELF HAVE STATED, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS SUCH A BIG NEED AND IT IS JUST EVER GROWING. THE PRICE OF APARTMENTS AND RENT AND HOUSING PRICES HAS JUST GONE UP AND UP.

I CAN TELL YOU IT'S LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE APARTMENT RENT. I THINK RIGHT NOW IS OVER DOUBLE WHAT I WAS PAYING WHEN I MOVED TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN 2013, WHICH IS CRAZY. THAT'S NOT THAT LONG OF A TIME. YEAH, I, I, EVERY ELECTION I GO OUT AND I KNOCK DOORS AND I TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE ABOUT THE ISSUES THEY ARE FACING. YES. TO GET THEM TO GO OUT AND VOTE ULTIMATELY. BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I DO HEAR ABOUT IS HOUSING AND THINGS LIKE WORKFORCE HOUSING. I LITERALLY TALKED TO SOMEONE A FEW WEEKS AGO WHO WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE WORK THAT COUNCIL AND THAT THE CITY, THE CITY IS DOING FOR THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S GREAT. BUT WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO, LIKE, WE'RE WORKING, WE'RE CLOSE TO THE MEDIAN INCOME, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON FOR LIKE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR ME? AND I THINK THAT THIS BILL IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE COMMUNITY, WHO ARE WHO NEED THIS HOUSING.

I, I DO HEAR PEOPLE'S CONCERNS, I REALLY DO. I APPRECIATE I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE WANTING MORE DATA. I AM AN ENGINEER. I LOVE DATA. BUT I WOULD ASK THAT WE DON'T HOLD UP PROGRESS FOR THE SAKE OF PERFECTION. I THINK UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE DO THAT, WE JUST END UP IT JUST KEEPS KEEPS BEING PUSHED OUT AND PUSHED OUT AND PUSHED OUT. AND I THINK, LIKE I SAID, I THINK

[01:20:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PERSONS. MY NAME IS ZACHARY JAINDL. I REPRESENT JAINDL ENTERPRISES AND WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY HERE IN ALLENTOWN. I DO CARRY A LAST NAME THAT COULD BE SOMEWHAT REGARDED AS A BAD WORD IN SOME COMMUNITIES, BUT I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT MORE OF MY PASSION FOR ALLENTOWN, AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, NOT TO LOOK AT THIS BILL AND BEG FOR ANY CHANGES OTHER THAN JUST AN ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE COUNCIL TO BASICALLY LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE WITHIN THE BILL. I REALLY LOOK AT THIS FROM A PERSPECTIVE. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED AND THE VALUE OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IN ALLENTOWN, AND I ENCOURAGE THIS. I THINK ROBERT SAID IT BEST, WERE INSPIRED BY THE DIALOG THAT COUNCILPERSON GERLACH AND MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE THE COUNCIL HERE TONIGHT, BUT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SIT WITH COUNCILPERSON GERLACH AND COUNCILPERSON BENDER, ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, AND I THINK IT WAS A GREAT DIALOG, A GREAT CONVERSATION, AND I LOVED THE BILL FOR WHAT IT IS LOOKING TO DO. I WOULD JUST REALLY ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO REALLY LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE AND IRON OUT SOME OF THE SPECIFICS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. JUST BETWEEN NOW AND THE VOTING, VOTING, THE VOTE ITSELF, I SHOULD SAY, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE FIRST THING AND FOREMOST THAT SCARES DEVELOPERS IS THE UNKNOWN. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT DOES HAVE SOME GRAY TO IT THAT CAN BE MISCONCEIVED BY FUTURE COUNCIL PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE, AT WHATEVER TIME, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST THING THAT'S GOING TO INHIBIT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. AND AS CLINTONIAN SIX GENERATION, VERY PROUD. I LIVED IN THE WEST PARK DISTRICT FOR UNTIL MY FAMILY COULDN'T LIVE IN THE HOUSE WE WERE IN ANYMORE DUE TO OUR OUR OWN FAMILY EXPANSION. ALL I WANT TO DO IS SEE ALLENTOWN SUCCEED. AND THAT MEANS WORKFORCE HOUSING. THAT MEANS ALL KINDS OF DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THIS BILL IS OBVIOUSLY INTENDED TO INSPIRE. SO ALL I WOULD REALLY DO FROM THE DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT IS NOT TO ASK YOU TO CHANGE ANY OF THE TERMS. I'M NOT HERE AT HAND ASKING YOU TO CHANGE ANY OF THE IN LIEU FEES OR REMOVE OR ADD OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. IT'S MORE SO JUST MAKING SURE THE DETAILS ARE IRONED OUT JUST THROUGH YOUR CONVERSATIONS, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY PROCEED WITH A VERY POSITIVE FORWARD MOMENTUM INTO THE FUTURE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE HAVE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. HELLO, JOSH FINKELSTEIN WITH MAKE THE ROAD. PA WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF SOME OF OUR MEMBERS WHO CAME HERE TONIGHT. IT IS NOT VERY EASY FOR US TO GET A GROUP TOGETHER TO COME TO A MEETING.

THEY HAVE FAMILIES, JOBS THEY HAVE TO GET TO. SO I REALLY WANT TO JUST STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING ACTION NOW ON THIS. I HAVE HEARD FROM THE MAYOR AND OTHER OFFICIALS DESCRIBE WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING AS A HOUSING CRISIS. AS YOU KNOW, EVICTION RATES ARE HIGH IN THIS CITY, AND OUR RESIDENTS ARE DEALING WITH ENOUGH PROBLEMS. OUR COMMUNITY WORKS IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING TARGETED VIOLENCE, AND THE HOUSING CRISIS JUST MAKES THAT SO MUCH WORSE IS, OF COURSE, THE BIGGEST COST IN THEIR LIFE, THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO LIVING A FREE AND HAPPY LIFE. ON TOP OF ALL THE CHALLENGES THEY ALREADY HAVE. SO. I KNOW THAT THE PROCESS ISN'T ALWAYS AS SMOOTH AND CLEAN AS IT COULD BE IN AN IDEAL WORLD, BUT I JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE, TO SEE THE COMMUNITY'S PASSION ABOUT THIS AND KNOW THAT THE MOMENTUM WILL NOT ALWAYS BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR COUNCILPERSON GERLACH. COUNCILPERSON MODE, I UNDERSTAND YOU STARTED WORKING ON THIS YEARS AGO. PLEASE DON'T LET THAT DISSIPATE. I KNOW THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED, SO LET'S FIX THEM TOGETHER. LET'S SEIZE THIS MOMENTUM AND AND SEE THIS THROUGH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? AND I ESPANOL. DOCTOR MOTA CAN TRANSLATE. OTRO PERSONAS RIGHT OTRA PERSONA. SI YO PUEDO TRADUCIR. THAT'S MY. OKAY. I'M

[01:25:21]

LIZ'S. NO, NO NO, YOU'RE SITTING DOWN. I WAS ABOUT TO SAY OKAY, SO THEN PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO PROVIDED COMMENT, MY COLLEAGUES, THE ADMINISTRATION, THIS I MEAN, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BILL. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH BASED ON PUBLIC COMMENT, BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM COLLEAGUES, THAT THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF FOLKS WANT TO TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION ON THIS. MY FEAR IS THAT, AND I'LL JUST BE HONEST AND TRANSPARENT, IS THAT TONIGHT, THE ONLY WAY THAT ACTION WILL BE TAKEN ON THIS BILL IN THE FUTURE IS IF IT IS FORWARDED FAVORABLY OR EVEN UNFAVORABLY, BUT FORWARDED TO A FULL COUNCIL MEETING. MY COLLEAGUES, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO GET TO DECIDE THAT TONIGHT ARE MYSELF, MR. BENDER AND MR. NAPOLI. SO I UNDERSTAND MR. NAPOLI AND MR. BENDER, YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL, AND THAT IS WELL WITHIN YOUR RIGHT TO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL. THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF LEGISLATION I HAVE NOT SUPPORTED AND I VOTE NO. WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT DEVELOPERS, AND IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME A YEAR AGO, I'D BE SITTING DOWN WITH DEVELOPERS. I WOULD HAVE SAID, FUNNY, JUST FUNNY. GOOD LAUGH. WE'VE GOT DEVELOPERS, WE'VE GOT HOUSING EXPERTS, ADVOCATES, RESIDENTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AARP MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, CO-CHAIRS OF CITY COMMISSIONS WHO WANT A VOTE ON THIS BILL UP OR DOWN. I WOULD ASK MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS COMMITTEE TO NOT STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING. IF YOU DON'T THINK THIS BILL SHOULD BE PASSED, THEN VOTE NO AT FULL COUNCIL.

BUT TO STOP IT NOW IS IS DISRESPECTFUL TO ALL OF THOSE FOLKS THAT I JUST NAMED. SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL MAKE A MOTION. AND GO AHEAD. I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR CHOICE OF WORDS, NEVER AGAINST IT. WE WE ALL AGREE WE NEED MORE WORKFORCE HOUSING. SO FOR YOU TO SAY THAT I THINK IS DISINGENUOUS. I MY ONLY CONCERN WAS IT'S BEING RUSHED. AND WHEN THINGS ARE RUSHED, THEY TEND NOT TO BE AS GOOD AS THEY SHOULD BE. NO MATTER WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHETHER IT'S HERE, WHETHER IT'S IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, WHETHER IT'S IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES, WE RUSH THINGS. THINGS TEND TO NOT BE AS GOOD AS YOU WANT THEM TO BE. THAT WAS MY ONLY CONCERN, MISS GERLACH. ALL FOUR OF THE BILL. OKAY, SO TO MAKE THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR, OKAY. BECAUSE YOUR WORDS WERE DIFFERENT. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT MAYBE SOME MORE DATA WOULD BE BENEFICIAL JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT AS GOOD AS WE CAN GET IT. I'M LOOKING AT SOME FOLKS IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW WHEN WE WHEN WE ALL WANT THIS TO BE BETTER, IF POSSIBLE, IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOMETHING BETTER, OR SHOULD WE JUST STAY WITH WHAT WE HAVE? I MEAN, THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. WE SHOULD ALWAYS WANT THE BEST. DO WE WANT PERFECTION? AGREE. THERE'S NEVER PERFECTION. SO I'M NOT LOOKING FOR PERFECTION, NOT LOOKING TO FIND WAYS TO STALL THIS OR TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STUFF YOU SAID IT'S WRONG. OKAY. JUST WANTED MORE DATA. AND I THINK I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED. I MEAN, WE HEARD FROM OUR ADMINISTRATION, THEY SAW THIS WHAT, SEVEN DAYS AGO? LIKE IT'S IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST I WISH THERE WAS MORE TIME TO WORK ON MAKING THIS THE BEST IT COULD BE. YOU HAVE YOU HAVE, OBVIOUSLY A TIME FRAME IN YOUR MIND WHERE YOU WANT IT DONE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT'S YOUR THAT'S FAIR IF YOU WANT THAT DONE. BUT FOR ME, MY CONCERN AGAIN WAS HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS THE BEST POSSIBLE LEGISLATION THAT I WOULD 100% SUPPORT? BECAUSE I WANT WHAT YOU WANT.

WE ALL WANT WORKFORCE HOUSING. THERE'S NO DISPUTING THAT. I JUST WANT IT TO BE BETTER.

[01:30:04]

THAT'S IN DIRECT CONFLICT, DIRECT CONFLICT. IT'S IN CONFLICT WITH THE BILL THAT THIS BODY VOTED ON IN 2025 FOR WHAT THAT MONEY WAS INTENDED FOR. SO EFFECTIVELY, THAT LINE IS NOT REALLY DOING ANYTHING FOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. SO THEN WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE. CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SCREEN BY CHANCE? YOU CAN'T GO TO THAT SCREEN. OKAY. THE NEXT THE NEXT LINE, I WILL JUST READ IT FROM THE FROM THE THING HERE IS OR ACQUIRE OR UTILIZE PUBLICLY OWNED OR CONTROLLED LAND. SO WHAT'S CONCERNING IS EVEN IN THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP WITH, WITH THE STATE HOSPITAL OR ANY OF THE SCHOOLS, I THINK WHAT DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER BROUGHT UP IS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN CONTROL THAT. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE EVEN HAVE A LEGAL LEVER TO PULL ON THAT LINE. SO I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON. I JUST THAT THAT WAS THE WHOLE PARAGRAPH. LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ACTUALLY IMPACT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. I THINK THAT THERE'S A TON OF GOOD THINGS IN HERE. AND I THINK TO, TO, TO, TO ECHO WHAT COUNCIL PRESIDENT NAPOLI IS SAYING IS LIKE, WE ALL WANT TO DO THIS. I WOULD LOVE IF WE HAD SOMETHING IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW. AND I GUESS THIS WOULD THIS IS MY QUESTION IS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN SPEAK TO THIS, BUT HOW COULD THIS BODY, EITHER LEGISLATIVELY OR WHAT WHAT VEHICLE COULD WE TAKE TO MOVE OR INCENTIVIZE ALERTA PROCESS? BECAUSE THAT FEELS LIKE WHAT I'M HEARING FROM EVERY DEVELOPER IS THE THING WE NEED TO DO. THE CITY OFFICIALS, COUNTY OFFICIALS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS FIRST HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE'S INTEREST AMONG THE THREE BODIES FOR ALERTA, IF THERE'S INTEREST FOR THE LERTA, WE'RE PREPARED TO VET OUT THERE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF LERTA THAT HAVE BEEN UTILIZED IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT IT COMES DOWN TO THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF THOSE THREE ENTITIES AGREEING TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND DISCUSS THE LERTA. AT THAT POINT, I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD VET WHATEVER LERTA CONDITIONS WOULD COME OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

ASSUMING ALL THREE PARTIES ARE INTERESTED. TO A NATIONAL HOUSING EXPERT ON LATAS AND AN ATTORNEY, ALL THREE ATTORNEYS AND ALL THREE FINANCE DIRECTORS, SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. AND THEN SHOULD ALL THREE, I BELIEVE, HAVE TO VOTE THAT IN AMONG THEIR GOVERNING BODIES TO ACCEPT THE LERTA? SO IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD. I GUESS I UNDERSTAND ALL THE COMPONENTS HERE, BUT WHAT WHAT CAN WE DO? IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? CAN WE BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL COULD APPROACH THE ADMINISTRATION, MAYOR TURK, AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY AND CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO GET TO THAT POINT? SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHY ARE WE NOT GIVEN WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE DEVELOPERS, GIVEN THAT THE MAJORITY OF THIS HAS BEEN IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, AND THAT INFORMATION, WHY ARE WE NOT DOING THE THING THAT WILL ACTUALLY FIX HOUSING AFFORDABILITY? SO THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION WILL SPARK THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE YET TO HAPPEN. I DO KNOW YOU'VE MENTIONED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LERTA HAVE HAPPENED WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BUT NOT THE THREE ENTITIES THAT WE NEED, THAT WE LEGISLATE THAT THAT IF WE PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS LERTA IS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THIS ORDINANCE BEING EFFECTIVE, THAT THEN PUTS PRESSURE ON US TO STEP UP THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. IT'S NOT JUST, OH, WE'LL MEET WHEN WE CAN GET AROUND TO IT. NO, WE'VE GOT TO MEET BECAUSE WE LITERALLY JUST PASSED A BILL THAT IS HIGHLY RELIANT ON THE LERTA THAT YOUR QUESTION IS VALID. WHAT I WAS HOPING TO

[01:35:01]

WE'RE A LEGISLATIVE BODY. SO LEGISLATIVELY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT ALERTA HAPPENS? I DON'T I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, IS IT A IS IT A FUNDING? LIKE, IS IT THE KIND OF THING WHERE WE COULD, AS PART OF OUR PROCESS, SAY, HEY, WE WOULD LIKE TO FUND THIS RESEARCH PROCESS OR WE'D LIKE? I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A CONVERSATION AMONG THE THREE ENTITIES, AND CERTAINLY THE ATTENTION THAT OUR PUBLIC DISCUSSION HAS HAD. NOW, I'M SURE THAT THAT'S GOING TO SPARK CONVERSATION, WHETHER THAT BE POSITIVE OR WHETHER THAT BE NEGATIVE. I MEAN, IDEALLY, I IDEALLY, I THINK WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT OFFICIAL TO OFFICIAL, TO OFFICIAL, THEY SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION FIRST. UNFORTUNATELY, I DO BELIEVE NOW THERE IS THERE IS PRESSURE JUST BECAUSE WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS PUBLICLY. NOW THERE'S PRESSURE.

SO WHETHER THAT WILL AFFECT THEM POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY, I'M HOPING FOR POSITIVELY, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT. BUT I DO THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND I WILL CERTAINLY TAKE IT BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THAT IS THE THE SITUATION WE'RE FACING. AND I'M SURE THAT CONVERSATIONS WILL HAPPEN NOW IF THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED AT THIS POINT IN ALERTA, IF THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THEIR RESEARCH AND HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN, THEN THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY. BUT I THINK WE'VE HEARD CONFIDENTLY FROM DEVELOPERS THAT WITHOUT ALERTA, THIS LEGISLATION ISN'T AFFECTING WORKFORCE HOUSING. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. YES. SO I GUESS MY OTHER YOU HAD ASKED WHAT NEGATIVE POSSIBILITY THINGS. YES. SO IN HEARING FROM DIRECTOR KESSLER IN OUR ZONING CODE FROM. AND IT'S BEEN A BIT SINCE I READ IT, BUT MY. IF I'M CORRECT ON IT, THERE IS A CLAUSE IN THAT SAYS IF THERE'S A MORE RESTRICTIVE ORDINANCE THAT'S PASSED IN THE CITY THAT TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE ZONING CODE. SO EFFECTIVELY, IF WHAT DIRECTOR KESSLER IS SAYING IS THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT WITH THE ZONING CODE IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, I KNOW IT'S RATHER NUANCED AND WE MIGHT NOT, BUT BUT IT'S A HUGE ISSUE. OKAY. AND THE REASON IT'S A HUGE ISSUE IS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE INCENTIVE IS THAT THE UNITS ARE SMALLER. IF THE UNITS GO TO COMPARABLE SIZE AS WRITTEN IN THIS, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT NO LONGER AFFORDS THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE ANY MONEY. HOWEVER, THEY WOULD HAVE TO WEIGH THAT AGAINST THE BENEFIT THEY GET FOR THE PARKING REDUCTION AND THE TWO EXTRA FLOORS STORIES. SO I THINK IT WILL MAKE SOME THINK A LITTLE MORE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S TRULY AN INCENTIVE, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENS. I THINK THE ZONING CODE WOULD BE NEGATED, BUT I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY. AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THEY'VE LOST THE INCENTIVES IN THE ZONING CODE.

IF THIS IS MORE RESTRICTIVE AND I THINK I'M SORRY, NO, I WAS JUST SO THEN POTENTIALLY IF THAT IS THE CASE, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAYBE CHANGE THE LANGUAGE OF BILL 82 SO THAT IT WOULD BE IN DIRECT ALIGNMENT WITH THE ZONING CODE. AND THEN THE PROBLEM SOLVED. I THINK PART OF OUR ISSUE, LIKE OUR LAWYERS HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THIS ORDINANCE. SO THERE'S BEEN NO LEGAL REVIEW. I DON'T AGAINST THE ZONING CODE. SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D WANT TO LOOK AT. SORRY. NO, NO GO GO AHEAD. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I CAN'T I UNDERSTAND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO LIKE. WE'RE ALL MOVING ON THIS THE SAME DIRECTION. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS. AND I, I, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO JUST SHOEHORN THIS THROUGH FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT. IT'S NOT REALLY MOST IT'S NOT REALLY DOING ANYTHING. AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING IT. AND WE COULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THE ZONING CODE.

SO IT'S LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE THE PRUDENT THING AT THIS POINT WOULD BE TO DO IS TO SAY, LET'S GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED. LET'S REFINE IT SO THAT IT'S DOING WHAT WE WANT IT TO DO. AND HOPEFULLY WE BY DOING THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING WHAT YOU WANT, NOT WHAT YOU WANT, SORRY, WHAT WE ALL WANT IN THIS PROCESS. AND THAT IS TO GET THE CONVERSATION OF THE LETTER GOING THAT LIKE, THAT'S THE THING. LIKE, SO I GUESS THAT'S WHY I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE INFORMATION THAT'S NEEDED. I MEAN, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME INFORMATION I'D LIKE TO RECEIVE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I AM ABOUT BILL 82 OR THE ALBERTA, ABOUT BILL 82. WHAT SPECIFICALLY? BECAUSE I JUST HEARD DATA THAT YOU WANTED. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WHICH WAS WITH ALERT IS PART OF IT. SO IT'S LIKE BECAUSE AND THIS IS WHERE IT'S LIKE, I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T DEVELOP ALERT WITHOUT THE OTHER ENTITIES. THIS IS JUST BILL 82 THAT SAYS WHEN WE HAVE ALBERTA, THIS IS AN ALERT ALERT, IS IT? THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LEGISLATION THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. SO ALBERTA

[01:40:05]

IT WOULD TAKE IT. WHAT'S THE POINT? LIKE THEN THAT'S BACK TO LIKE, WHAT'S THE POINT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING? BECAUSE LIKE, THAT'S THE, THE CRUX OF IT IS GETTING THAT FOUNDATION IN PLACE, GETTING ALL THE ENTITIES TO AGREE TO SOMETHING. I BELIEVE EVERYONE ON THE DAIS HERE WOULD, WOULD TAKE THE, THE I CAN'T SAY EVERYONE, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, BUT LIKE THE THINGS THAT WERE IN HERE, THE MEAT OF THIS, THE GOAL OF THIS IS WOULD BE PUT TOGETHER WITH THAT LERTA AND IT WOULD BE PUT IN PLACE AND WE'D BE EFFECTIVELY DOING SOMETHING TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS WORKFORCE HOUSING. YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK I THINK THE POINT I THINK WE HEARD IT FROM, FROM MULTIPLE PEOPLE, INCLUDING DEVELOPERS, IS IT, IT, IT GETS THAT MOMENTUM GOING. BUT THAT'S, I MEAN, ON, ON, ON OCTOBER 23RD, WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING WITH DOCTOR BURKS. THAT CONVERSATION HASN'T HAPPENED. LIKE THAT HASN'T HAPPENED UNTIL THIS LEGISLATION. NOW BECAUSE OF THIS LEGISLATION, THERE IS GOING TO BE CONVERSATION ABOUT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT BILL 82 AND AT LEAST THE INITIAL CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE LERTA AND WHAT HER INITIAL THOUGHTS ARE THAT WASN'T HAPPENING BEFORE. SO IT'S ALREADY BEEN EFFECTIVE WITHOUT EVEN PASSING MY WOULD YOU LIKE TO TABLE THIS? SO I ASKED THE SOLICITOR AHEAD OF TIME AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR YOUR GOALS ON THIS THING, BUT I ASKED WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THINGS ARE IN COMMITTEE LIKE THIS? BECAUSE WHAT IS THE PREFERRED ROUTE? THE RESPONSE FROM THAT IS WHEN WHEN A MATTER IS REFERRED TO.

COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO STUDY AND REPORT BACK. THE COMMITTEE MAY CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE REPORT AND REPORT WHEN IT IS READY. COMMITTEES CAN GENERALLY TAKE AS LONG AS NEEDED. SUSPECT, SUBJECT TO COUNCIL'S RIGHTS, TO GIVE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS OR POTENTIAL DISCHARGE OF THE COMMITTEE AND AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, A COMMITTEE CHAIR SHOULD REPORT BACK ON THE PROGRESS SO THE. IT ISN'T IDEAL BECAUSE I ASKED THIS QUESTION LIKE SHOULD IT BE TABLED? AND IT'S. IT'S. THE ACTUAL RESPONSE IN COMMITTEE IS NO, WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IS WE WE DIALOG AT LEAST HOW I'M UNDERSTANDING FROM THE FROM THE ATTORNEY WHICH ATTORNEY THE CITIES OR CITIES, HOURS, HOURS. OKAY. IS THAT WE DIALOG IN IT. WE GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE QUESTIONS. WE RECEIVED SOMETHING FROM AARP ASKING FOR SOME CHANGES. WE RECEIVED SOMETHING FROM A DEVELOPER ASKING FOR SOME CHANGES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S TOO MUCH STUFF THAT'S OUTSTANDING RIGHT NOW. I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US RECEIVE SOME INFORMATION FROM FINANCE, SOME INFORMATION FROM DC. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE FEEDBACK OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE MEETING YOU'RE HAVING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE, IN THE AND THE COUNTY. THOSE ALL SHAPE WHAT THIS LEGISLATION WILL LOOK LIKE. AND THERE'S NOTHING SINCE IT'S LITERALLY SINCE IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO TIME CONTINGENT TO MOVE IT JUST TO MAKE CHANGES LATER IF WE CAN MAKE IT RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT I.

I'M NOT HEARING ANYONE ANSWER THE TIME THING SINCE IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING. SO WITH THE TIMING ASPECT. SO THEN I'M HEARING YOU SAY THEN IF WE WERE TO. SO WHEN YOU WHEN WE HAVE THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. YES. DIALOG AND QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSING POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS. AND TYPICALLY THERE ARE BILLS THAT ARE REFERRED TO FULL COUNCIL ACTIONABLE ITEMS. CORRECT. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BILLS THAT IS AN ACTIONABLE ITEM. IT'S NOT A DISCUSSION ITEM. SO THEN MOVING IT FORWARD TO FULL COUNCIL DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT'S NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. IT MEANS A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING THAT THIS WILL BE ON THE AGENDA.

SO IS THAT OBJECTIONABLE TO TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING? WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AT ALL, KNOWING THAT THERE WILL BE CONVERSATIONS TO CLEAR UP AND MAKE POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS AVAILABLE AT THAT FULL COUNCIL MEETING. AND ALL I'M GOING OFFER IS WHAT THE SOLICITOR SUGGESTS WHEN IT GOES TO COMMITTEE. THE POINT, TO MY UNDERSTANDING AND ANYONE CAN, WHO'S BEEN HERE LONGER THAN I CAN IS TO DIALOG IS TO COME BACK, IS TO GET REPORTS IS TO SAY LIKE, OKAY, WE DO NEED TO CHANGE THIS. MAYBE WE NEED TO SHAPE THIS ONCE IT MOVES TO COUNCIL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS, YEAH, WE CAN MAKE AMENDMENTS,

[01:45:02]

[01:50:01]

WELL, THEN BY ALL MEANS, I'M SURE YOU'LL SPEAK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES AND, AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL GET FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, BE IN ALIGNMENT OR PERHAPS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN ON THE 23RD, WE'RE ALL RIPPING AND READY TO GO. WHO KNOWS? I THINK IT DOES. SAYING A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING DOES PROVIDE A LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY FOR LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BODY AND THE OTHER ENTITIES, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO CAME AND SPOKE FAVORABLY. AND I DON'T WANT TO DRAG ANYTHING OUT. I THINK WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE JUST, AGAIN, GOING ON RECORD, THE ISSUES, THE CONCERNS WE HAVE. LET'S GET TO IT TOMORROW. LIKE IF THERE'S CONFLICT WITH THE ZONING CODE, LET'S FIGURE THIS OUT SO THAT AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING, IT'S CLEAN BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT. AND THAT'S ALL THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED TONIGHT WEREN'T IN OPPOSITION. IT WAS MORE ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT. SO AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S NEEDS TO BE CLEAR. AND I THINK IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS FOR IT TO BE ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WE NEED TO START SEEING SOME SUBSTANTIAL SOME SOME CHANGES TO MAKE IT MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING FOR. POINT OF ORDER. YEAH. YES. IN THIS PROCESS. SO YOU'RE ASKING FOR SOME THINGS I HAVE I WOULD LIKE SOME THINGS. YOU HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE IT FORWARD. IS YOUR IS YOUR SECOND. ARE YOU ARE YOU MAKING LIKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE THINGS YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE BEFORE THAT GOES FORWARD? BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T MAKE AMENDMENTS IN COUNCIL. WE CAN DISCUSS THINGS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE AMENDMENTS ON AT THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, BUT WE CAN'T ACTUALLY MAKE THE AMENDMENTS IN COUNCIL. I MEAN, IN IN COMMITTEE MEETING. YEAH. NO, WHAT I'M WHAT I'M WHAT I'M SAYING IS LIKE, IF THERE'S IF THERE'S THINGS THAT PRESIDENT NAPOLI IS CONCERNED ABOUT AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT, IS THERE A METHOD OR A METRIC FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THIS IS MORE PROCEDURAL LIKE SHOULD THAT BE OUTLINED BEFORE LIKE NOW? MAYBE NOT AT THIS MOMENT, BUT WE'LL WORK WITH OUR CITY CLERK THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

RIGHT. AND, AND GET THIS STUFF IS YOUR OPTIONS. YOU CAN CALL BACK TO YOUR COMMITTEE EVEN IN YOUR MY MOTION AND I'LL, I'LL MAKE A VERBIAGE CHANGE. SO MY MOTION WILL BE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL STILL. SECOND, IT IS THAT WE FORWARD BILL 82 TO A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING.

WITH POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS, KNOWING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AMENDMENTS. I MEAN, I HAVE AMENDMENTS I'D LIKE TO TO MAKE. I'M JUST ASKING. THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE GET THE HOW DO WE GET THE INFORMATION FROM THIS CITY AND THAT IT'S THE SAME WAY WE'VE BEEN. I MEAN, WHEN WE FIRST INTRODUCED THAT ORIGINAL BILL, THEY SAID, THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. SO WE ALL GOT TOGETHER, WE MET, WE MADE CHANGES. WE MET WITH DEVELOPERS, WE MET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MISS KESSLER AND MARK AND, AND WE, WE GOT TOGETHER AND WE DEVELOPED SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE MORE AMENABLE. IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING. SO WE I KNOW SOME OF THE DEVELOPERS HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN, IN, IN THE, IN THE

[01:55:05]

[15-8726 Bill 66 Amending the Allentown City Code by adding Chapter 130, Allentown Outdoor Encampment Response Ordinance, establishing requirements and procedures for the City’s response to outdoor encampments on City owned property. ]

I'M GLAD THAT COUNCILPERSON GERLACH, YOU KNOW, ALSO KEPT MOVING MOVING FORWARD TO GET THIS INTO A INTO SOME SORT OF DOCUMENT FORM. YEAH. I'M JUST I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY MOVING PROGRESS ON THIS. SO THANKS. MR. NAPOLI. ANYTHING I, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH IT. I'M GLAD THAT THEY, I THINK THAT THE, THE FEEDBACK WE HEARD A WHILE AGO WAS THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT PARKS THAT'S CLEARLY STATED IN HERE. SO I THINK WE'RE GOOD. I THINK THE CONCERNS I HEARD I THINK AT THE. WAS IT A YEAR AGO? IT'S BEEN A WHILE. I THINK PARKS WAS A BIG CONCERN. SO THE FACT THAT THAT'S SPELLED OUT. YEAH. I'M GOOD. OKAY. MR. BINDER YEAH, JUST ONE OTHER THING. I ALSO WANTED TO JUST SAY THANK YOU. I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION MET WITH A TON OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ON THIS. IT WASN'T JUST US UP HERE. I MEAN, IT WAS IT WAS LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS OF FOLKS WEIGHING IN ON THIS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THERE WAS AN EFFORT AND A FOCUS ON ACTUALLY INCLUDING ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO,

[02:00:03]

SO I THINK IT TRIES TO CAPTURE AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE. THANKS. YEP. AND YEAH, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS IN TERMS OF RISK, BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD IS THERE'S RISK RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS ROOM, THE MOMENT WE OPEN UP THIS BUILDING TO ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC, THERE'S A RISK SOMEONE COULD FALL. THEY COULD SUE US.

LIKE SO NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, THERE'S ALWAYS A RISK. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THIS IS NOT THE ORDINANCE I WOULD WANT TO PASS, BUT IT'S NOTHING IS EVER WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANT. THIS IS WHAT WE COULD COME UP WITH TOGETHER. AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO ADVOCATES AND THE COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS AND ANYONE THAT'S PAYING ATTENTION TO THE UNSHELTERED CRISIS IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN AND THE LEHIGH VALLEY MORE BROADLY TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY DOCUMENT. AND IF YOU SEE ELEMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE THAT ARE WORKING WONDERFULLY OR NOT WONDERFULLY, BE READY TO COME PREPARED WITH PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY SO THAT IT CAN BE MADE EVEN BETTER. BUT WITH THAT SAID, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AGAIN.

COME UP. YOU DON'T NEED TO FILL OUT A CARD OR ANYTHING. JUST SAY YOUR NAME OR YOUR AND THEN YOUR ORG OR YOUR CITY, WHATEVER YOU'VE GOT. IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SPEAK. WHAT DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? JUST YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY, YOUR ORG. I'M JENNIFER SWAN, I'M IN ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. MY, MY, IN READING THE ORDINANCE. I APPRECIATE THE DETAIL THAT'S IN THERE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I AREN'T QUITE CLEAR. AND ONE OF THEM IS THE RUBRIC. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE. THERE'S A RUBRIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE TO DECIDE THINGS.

SORRY, THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE. AND IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. OH, I SUDDENLY HAVE IT. I GAVE IT TO THEM. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S IN THE. I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ATTACHED TO THIS BILL. IT IS DESCRIBED 2 OR 3 TIMES IN THERE, AND IT'S NOT WHEN YOU PULL THE BILL DOWN OR WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S CALLED A BILL. WHEN YOU PULL IT DOWN, THIS DOES NOT COME WITH IT. AND I THINK THAT IS A SHORTCOMING OF THE BILL ITSELF. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO SAY, WHICH IS KIND OF OFF TOPIC, BUT NOT I AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE APPLIED TO BE ON THE COMMISSION.

THE COMMISSIONER HAS ASKED THE LEADING COMMISSIONERS HAVE ASKED FOR MORE PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION. WE HAVE PUT OUR APPLICATIONS IN AND WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING. AT ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I'M SURE THAT'S NOTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION IN TERMS OF APPLICATIONS AND THE COMMISSION MEETINGS ALL THE TIME. I'LL. YEAH, I'LL LOOK INTO THAT. YES, YES. MR. BENDER, JUST FOR CONFIRMATION, WAS THE RUBRIC ADDED TO THE BILL? I KNOW IT WASN'T ON THE DOWNLOADABLE VERSION. IT DID JUST NOT MAKE IT IN BECAUSE IT WAS A PDF.

THAT WAS WEIRD OR. WELL, WE HAD A VERSION OF THE RUBRIC THAT I SENT OUT TO EVERYBODY, BUT I DIDN'T GET FEEDBACK ON THOUGHTS, SO I DIDN'T ADD IT. OH, OKAY. AND THEN TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THE LANGUAGE IS THE SAME. IT'S JUST VISUALLY MORE UNDERSTANDABLE. IT'S LIKE A GRAPH, A CHART. YES.

SO THEN ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? CAN I SAY ONE MORE? SO I SEE CHRISTINE FROM THE COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS HERE. OH WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY

[02:05:04]

SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THE ESTABLISHED REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES, WHAT'S TIMELINES, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO JUST THINK ABOUT THAT WITH THE UNHOUSED. ARE WE REALLY THINKING IT THROUGH? THANK YOU. SO SO IN THE ORDINANCE. SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST LIKE A SUMMARY THAT'S ON THE SCREEN. BUT IN THE ORDINANCE, IT DOES GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC, LIKE 30 DAYS NOTIFICATION. YEAH. SO IS THERE A COPY IN THE BACK? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. IS THERE A COPY? JENNIFER. JENNIFER. IS THERE NOT WHAT'S UP THERE? SO THERE'S NO LIKE ACTUAL COPY OF THE ORDINANCE. IT'S NOT THE RUBRIC.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE COME UP. HI. MY NAME IS MARINA PATTERSON. I'M AN OUTREACH CASEWORKER AT THE CONFERENCE OF LEHIGH VALLEY. SO I GO OUT TO THE ENCAMPMENTS FOUR OUT OF FIVE DAYS OF THE WEEK. AND WE WORK WITH PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY IN THE THE ENTIRETY OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY. OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, BUT I DO WANT TO COME UP HERE AND KIND OF SHED LIGHT ON THE ISSUES THAT THEY FACE OUTSIDE, SPECIFICALLY WITH EVICTIONS. THERE'S BEEN SO MANY INSTANCES WHERE, YES, THEY HAVE OUTREACH CASEWORKERS, BUT THERE'S SUCH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF OUTREACH CASEWORKERS AND OTHER CASEWORKERS IN THE VALLEY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH HOUSING. AND THERE'S LIMITED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL IN THE VALLEY, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, AS PER THE LAST BILL THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT. SO WITH THE EVICTION SITUATION.

ARE THERE IS THERE ANY CRITERIA SET UP TO PUT PEOPLE IN PLACE WITH LIKE MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD MAINTAIN WHATEVER COMES AFTER THE EVICTION, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GOING TO END UP ON THE SIDEWALKS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE STEPPING OVER THEM. OKAY. SO IS THERE LIKE A CITY POLICY OR LAW, LIKE AN EVICTION MITIGATION SORT OF THING WITHIN, WITHIN THIS BILL? NOT NECESSARILY. IT JUST IT'S MORE SO SAYING THAT BEFORE. SO THE CITY GOES OUT, THEY FIND AN ENCAMPMENT, THE ENCAMPMENT RISES TO A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OF PROBLEMATIC THAT BEFORE THE CITY JUST REMOVES PEOPLE THAT THEY MUST MAKE SOME SORT OF ATTEMPT TO OFFER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING WHAT WHAT NOT. THEY CAN'T JUST SAY YOU GOT TO GO. SO IT DOES IT. BUT LIKE THAT'S IN THERE. IT'S IN THERE. YES. OKAY. AT LEAST AN ATTEMPT MUST BE MADE. IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT IT'S REQUIRED BECAUSE, I MEAN, YOU JUST SAID THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SERVICES. SO TO REQUIRE US TO DO SOMETHING AND THEN THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HOUSING. LIKE, YEAH, AT LEAST LIKE IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF JUST LIKE, OKAY, YOU'RE OUT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO NEXT, BUT GOOD LUCK. YEAH. I MEAN, AND CHRISTINA MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK MORE TO LIKE THE RESOURCE HUB, LIKE WITH THE EVICTION WHERE NOT COUNCIL, BUT SOME PEOPLE DECIDED TO IN THE CITY DECIDED TO EVICT ALL THE FOLKS DOWN AT JORDAN. I BELIEVE THERE'S LIKE A RESOURCE HUB THAT WAS SET UP AND SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES INVOLVED MENTAL HEALTH. I THINK CONFERENCE MAYBE WAS YES, THERE MAYBE OR TRIED TO BE PART OF IT. YEAH. BUT YEAH, SO DEFINITELY. AND THEN I ALSO HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS FOR THE RUBRIC THAT YOU JUST HANDED ME. IT SAYS HAZARD RISK. I KNOW ONE THING THAT WE COME ACROSS A LOT IN THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITIES ARE LIKE HUMAN HAZARD WASTE. IS THAT INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE, IN THE BILL? AND IF SO, WHAT IS TO HAPPEN WITH THE HUMAN WASTE? WHERE ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO? ONLY IF THAT'S. I DIDN'T THINK WE INCLUDED TRASH ACCUMULATION, WHICH I GUESS IS WHERE THAT WOULD FALL. I MEAN, WE DIDN'T BREAK OUT A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR BIO WASTE. THE POINT OF THIS IS TRASH ACCUMULATION AND HAZARD RISK. SO I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED THERE. NO, HAZARD RISK IS LIKE THERE'S A FIRE. THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. BUT, BUT BUT FOR THE TRASH ACCUMULATION, ONE THING IS, ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT THEY OUGHT TO BE ALLOWED THE OPPORTUNITY TO

[02:10:06]

IT'S NOT IN THE IN THE RUBRIC. IT DOESN'T SAY 20 POINTS ON THE RUBRIC. NO, IT'S. NO, IT DID.

IT WAS THERE. WE ALL HAD IT WAS IT SAID 20 POINTS. WHEN I GAVE IT, IT WAS THERE. OH CRAP. SO THE ORDINANCE DOES SAY IT'S ON THAT RUBRIC, BUT THIS JUST LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THAT. SO WE DON'T SEE THE WHOLE HALF OF THAT. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THAT GENESIS PREPARED FROM THIS. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE ONE THEY'RE GOING TO. IT LOOKS NICER AND RIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT YOU. THAT'S THERE. BUT COUNCIL PERSON ASKED. YEAH, SO LIKE ON THE OTHER END OF VIRGINIA, WE APOLOGIZE DOWN BECAUSE I NOTICED IT WASN'T ATTACHED. WE APOLOGIZE FOR DIRECTOR KANE'S LACK OF TECHNICAL CREATIVE SKILL. OKAY, THAT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW OUT OF WHAT THAT. THANK YOU. I'LL READ THIS. YEAH, YEAH. 130-12 DOES NOTE THE 20 POINT. YEAH. YEAH, I SEE THAT. GOOD. BECAUSE YEAH IT WAS THERE. YES I. SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME, A VERY LONG TIME AND A LONG PROCESS OVER A YEAR AND. CC BROUGHT THIS TO THE COMMISSION WHEN THE JORDAN CREEK ENCAMPMENT, AFTER THE JORDAN CREEK ENCAMPMENTS WERE BEING SWEPT. SO I DO WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK THE ADMINISTRATION AND ALL OF YOU FOR REALLY TAKING THE TIME AND TRYING TO EMBRACE THIS, TO COME

[02:15:07]

[02:20:07]

I'LL SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. NOW THE REST OF THE ITEMS ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT. AND ALSO IT'S OKAY TO LEAVE. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

[15-8655 Bill 64 Amending the 2026 General Fund Budget to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Fifteen Thousand ($15,000.00) Dollars from the PA Historical & Museum Commission to fund year two of the contract on preserving and providing public access to historically significant records that document the development, planning, and cultural heritage of the City of Allentown.]

THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS. THEY WANT SIGNIFICANT RECORDS, AND WE'VE GOTTEN A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION. GOT YOU, MISS KESSLER, BECAUSE, I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THESE ARE JUST, LIKE OBVIOUS THINGS TO APPROVE, BUT DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THEM WHEN IT COMES UP, OR WOULD YOU PREFER JUST, HEY, MISS ORTEGA READS IT AND THEN WE TAKE A VOTE OR IT'S IT'S FINE IF YOU WANT TO READ THEM AND VOTE. AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, JUST FLAG. OKAY, SO I'LL ASK IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS. IF THEY DO, THEN OKAY. SO DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WITH BILL 64 ON THE COMMITTEE OR OFF THE COMMITTEE? OKAY. SO WITH THAT SAID, IS THERE A MOTION TO FORWARD BILL 64? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO FORWARD IT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT. SO ALL IN

[15-8707 Bill 67 Amending the 2026 Grant Fund to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) from the PA DCED Local Share Account Grant. These funds are a pass-through grant that will support the Ripple Community, Inc.]

I FILED A WRITTEN MEMORANDUM TO THAT EFFECT WITH THE ALLENTOWN CITY CLERK, AND I WILL NOT VOTE, SO I'LL JUST MOVE THAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO FORWARD BILL 67 TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND

[15-8714 Bill 69 An Ordinance providing for the expenditure of certain monies received by the City of Allentown under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1976, as amended; The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009; and Title II of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended; for the purpose of undertaking programs of housing and community development within the city.]

[15-8704 Bill 72 Amending the 2026 Grant Fund to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Three-Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand Forty-Eight Dollars ($384,048.00) from the PA DCED Local Share Account Grant. These funds are a pass-through grant that will support the Civic Theatre of Allentown.]

[02:25:07]

[15-8705 Bill 73 Amending the 2026 Grant Fund to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Twenty-Nine Thousand Four Hundred Dollars ($29,400.00) from the PA DCED Local Share Account Grant. These funds are a pass-through grant that will support the Planned Parenthood.]

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD? MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD FAVORABLY. I'LL SECOND IT. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE AYE. OKAY. MOVES

[15-8718 Bill 78 Amending the 2026 Grant Fund to provide for a supplemental appropriation of One Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,300,000.00) from the State Office of the Budget, Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). These funds are a pass-through grant that will support Resurrected Community Development Corporation Early Childhood Education Facility. ]

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. MOVE IT

[15-8703 Bill 79 Amending the 2026 Grant Fund to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Eight-Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand Dollars ($855,000.00) from the PA DCED Local Share Account Grant. These funds are a pass-through grant that will support the Allentown Art Museum.]

THANK YOU

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.