Nov 11, 2026 Special City Council

[Roll Call]

[00:00:06]

TO KICK START THIS MEETING. THANK YOU, EVERYONE FOR FOR ATTENDING. SO THIS IS A SPECIAL A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH. AND WE WILL START WITH A ROLL CALL. I'LL JUST ASK. HERE WE GO. HERE. PRESENT. SANDRA'S HERE. HERE. MR. PRESIDENT.

EVERYBODY'S HERE EXCEPT FOR MR. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS. FIRST, I WANT TO WISH I WANT TO HONOR ALL VETERANS TODAY. OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE SERVING IN NOT JUST HERE, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ALSO ACROSS THE WORLD. SO I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A VETERANS DAY AND THANKFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE TO ALL OF US. SO THAT SAID, I WANT TO MOVE ALONG. FIRST OFF, THIS EVENING WE DID HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THE CITY AND COUNCIL SOLICITORS TO REVIEW CURRENT LITIGATION. ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, WE WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT STARTING WITH THE OCTOBER 21ST MEETING, SOME OF THE INTRODUCTORY DATES AND BILL NUMBERS DID NOT MATCH UP CORRECTLY. THAT WAS THE MEETING THAT WAS NOT LIVE STREAMED AS A RESULT OF SOME GLITCHES IN OUR SYSTEM. BUT THE VIDEO WAS CAPTURED AND SINCE POSTED.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED, BUT THE BILLS AND DATES FOR INTRODUCTION WERE CHANGED TO ALIGN. ALSO FOR THOSE VISITORS TO CITY COUNCIL. AS ALWAYS, IF YOU PARK IN THE GOVERNMENT DECK NEXT DOOR, PLEASE SEE OUR CLERK FOR A CHASER TO PAY FOR YOUR PARKING. SO FOR TONIGHT'S SPECIAL MEETING, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE AGENDA AS FOLLOWS. FIRST OFF, WE'RE GOING TO DO RESOLUTIONS FOR FINAL PASSAGE. WE HAVE TWO RESOLUTIONS THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED AND VOTED ON THIS EVENING. THESE RESOLUTIONS WILL REPLACE ARE 153 THAT WAS PASSED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING. SECOND, OUR BUDGET REVIEWS A REVIEW OF THE LAW. HUMAN RESOURCES, INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONTROLLER, MAYOR AND NON-DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS AND COUNCIL BUDGETS. THIS WILL BE PRESIDED OVER BY THE CHAIR OF HR. MY COLLEAGUE CHAIR BINDER OF APPOINTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE. THIRD, THIS EVENING, OUR BILL REVIEWS CHAIR BINDER WILL CONTINUE TO CHAIR THE MEETING AS WE REVIEW BILLS 93 AND 94, WHICH ARE CABLE FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS WITH RCN AND VERIZON. AFTER REVIEW, WE WILL CONSIDER FORWARDING THE BILLS TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 18TH. FOURTH IS A BUDGET REVIEW CHAIR OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE COUNCIL COUNCIL PERSON. GERLACH WILL THEN LEAD A REVIEW OF THE BUDGETS THAT FALL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THAT COMMITTEE.

AND FIFTH, WE DO HAVE SOME BILL REVIEWS. AFTER THE BUDGET REVIEW, CHAIR GERLACH WILL PRESIDE OVER DISCUSSION ON BILL 84 AND BILL 82. AFTER REVIEW THE BILLS. WE WILL CONSIDER FORWARDING THE BILLS TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 18TH FOR FINAL PASSAGE.

BILL 84 AMENDS THE RENTAL INSPECTION FEE STRUCTURE TO ESTABLISH A FEE FOR ADDITIONAL SYSTEMIC INSPECTIONS REQUIRED AT RENTAL UNITS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S REGULARLY SCHEDULED FIVE YEAR INSPECTION CYCLES AND REVISES THE MIXED USE INSPECTION. NO SHOW SLASH CANCELLATION FEE. THE $75 ANNUAL RENTAL FEE CURRENTLY COVERS THE RENTAL LICENSING PROGRAM AND SCHEDULED FIVE YEAR INSPECTION CYCLE, BUT DOES NOT RECOVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS RESULTING FROM COMPLAINTS, UNRESOLVED VIOLATIONS OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRING AN INSPECTION BEFORE THE NEXT SCHEDULED CYCLE. ABILITY TO IS

[15-8825 R157 Certificate of Appropriateness for work in the Historic Districts: 509 N 6th Street; 1035 W Turner Street; 223 N 17th Street; 37 N 17th Street ]

THAT'S OKAY. JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD PLEASE. NO PROBLEM. MY NAME IS JOHN VALENTIN. JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS THE PROPERTY AND INTEREST. SO WE SEPARATED IT

[00:05:01]

YEP. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON R 157. CAN YOU CALL THE VOTE PLEASE? AGAIN R 157 MISS ZAFAR. YES. MR. BENDER. YES, MISS GERLACH. YES. MISS MONA. YES. ABSENT. MR. YES.

SANTOS. YES. AND MR. NAPOLI. YES. MR. PRESIDENT, FOR SIX YEARS AND NO DAYS. AND NEXT UP

[15-8826 R158 Certificate of Appropriateness for work in the Historic District: 421 N 10th Street]

MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE FIVE YEAS. ONE ABSTENTION. OKAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE. SORRY AGAIN FOR THE

[Budget Review HR, Appointments and Administration Committee - Chair Binder Topics: Law, Human Resources, Information Systems, Controller (Budget Presentation is included in Budget Material below), Mayor, General and Civic, Council ]

THANK YOU ADAM. AS ALWAYS, YOU YOU HAVE OUR BUDGET. OUR BUDGET IS FAIRLY SIMPLE. WE. THE BUDGET WE PRESENTED THIS YEAR REDUCES OUR NON-PERSONNEL EXPENSES BY APPROXIMATELY $100,000, WHICH IS ABOUT A 20% REDUCTION FROM LAST YEAR AND BRINGS OUR BUDGET IN BELOW BOTH THE 2025 AND 2026 BUDGETS FOR THE OFFICE. WE'RE PROPOSING KEEPING STAFFING THE SAME THREE ATTORNEYS FOR PARALEGALS. WE DO HAVE A SUMMER LAW CLERK, PLUS MYSELF AS A PART TIME. I'M NOT AN EMPLOYEE, BUT A PART TIME SOLICITOR. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY RECLASSIFICATIONS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO. AND I GIVE MY MY TEAM A LOT OF CREDIT. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE OUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL EXPENDITURE BY BRINGING A LOT OF THE LITIGATION IN-HOUSE TO BE DONE BY THE ATTORNEYS ON STAFF, WITH PARALEGAL ASSISTANCE. AND WE ARE EXPECTING THAT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL COSTS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ABLE TO PROPOSE A LOWER BUDGET, A LOWER BUDGET, THIS YEAR. I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH ANY DETAILS AND IF YOU'D LIKE. AND JUST REAL QUICK, I'M TRYING TO FIND THE PAGE. BUT IF I RECALL, YOU WERE AT THE LOWEST STAFFING LEVEL SINCE, WHAT WAS IT, 20, 20 OR SO A YEAR BEFORE I WAS APPOINTED. SO 2022, THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE HAD FIVE FULL TIME LAWYERS PLUS SUPPORT STAFF, AND WE'RE NOW AT THREE FULL TIME LAWYERS, PLUS A PART TIME LAWYER. SO IT'S THE LOWEST STAFFING LEVEL IN IN A LONG TIME. AND FRANKLY, IF I HAD MY WISH, IT WOULD BE HIGHER. THERE IS THERE IS MORE OUR OFFICE COULD DO. WE ARE NOT COMPETITIVELY STAFFED WITH OTHER SIMILAR CITIES.

HARRISBURG, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY A THIRD OF THE SIZE OF ALLENTOWN, HAS FIVE FULL TIME LAWYERS. SCRANTON, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF OF OUR SIZE, HAS FOUR. REDDING, WHICH IS ABOUT 25% SMALLER, HAS FOUR. PITTSBURGH, WHICH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY DOUBLE US. MOST PEOPLE

[00:10:03]

WE'RE WE'RE REDUCING OUR BUDGET FOR OUTSIDE LEGAL SERVICES. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT BY DOING MORE AND MORE IN-HOUSE AS OPPOSED TO BEFORE I STARTED, A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE LITIGATION WAS MORE OF THE LITIGATION WAS BEING REFERRED TO OUTSIDE LAWYERS TO HANDLE IT. AND THROUGH THROUGH HARD WORK, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO MORE AND MORE OF THAT IN-HOUSE, WHICH THEN REDUCES THAT COST BECAUSE IT'S BEING DONE BY BY STAFF WHO ARE PAID A SALARY. OKAY. YEAH.

I GUESS MY QUESTION WAS MAINLY THE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE INFLECTION POINT IS, WHERE THE CASELOAD IS INCREASING TO THE POINT WHERE IT BECOMES LIKE STAFFING BECOMES THE CHALLENGE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE. AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT GOT, YOU KNOW, AS I AS I SAID, WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED, WE'RE GETTING THE WORK DONE. OKAY. AND I AM PROPOSING THE BUDGET, BELIEVING THAT WE CAN GET THE WORK DONE WITH THIS OUTSIDE COUNSEL BUDGET AND WITH THIS STAFF FOR 2027. BUT I FULLY EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE ASKING AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO GET OUR STAFFING LEVEL TO A PLACE THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR COMPARABLE CITIES. OKAY. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COUNCIL. SO SO LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT. IF YOU HAD 1 OR 2 MORE ATTORNEYS, USING THE OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS WOULD BE LESS COSTLY TO THE CITY. IT WOULDN'T BE USING AS MANY OUTSIDE. IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, ACTUALLY, NO, WE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE OUTSIDE WORK BACK IN. THERE ARE SOME SPECIALIZED LEGAL SKILLS THAT WE WILL ALWAYS BE MORE EFFICIENT TO HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL DO, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE LAWYERS WHO HANDLE ALL SPECIALTIES IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT WAITING. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BRING THE THINGS THAT ARE MORE TYPICAL IN-HOUSE, SO THAT WE DON'T NEED OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR THOSE. THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS THAT OUR OFFICE COULD BE DOING FOR THE CITY. THAT SOLICITOR'S OFFICES IN OTHER CITIES DO THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE RIGHT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT THIS YEAR TO BE TO HAVE IN EXCESS OF 1900 RIGHT TO KNOW REQUESTS. THREE YEARS AGO, IT WAS 1300. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GROWING AT AN ENORMOUS RATE. AND IT'S NOT JUST RESPONDING TO THE REQUESTS. THERE ARE MORE APPEALS TO THE OFFICE OF OPEN RECORDS, MORE APPEALS TO THE TO THE APPELLATE COURTS REGARDING THOSE DECISIONS. THE WORK, ASIDE FROM LITIGATION, LITIGATION IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF WHAT WE DO CONTINUES TO GROW AND. AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING MORE NEXT YEAR. I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THAT. I EXPECT THAT I WILL NEED TO AT SOME POINT. I'M I'M WILLING TO HELP OUT. BUT I STILL DIDN'T GET MY QUESTION ANSWERED TO MY SATISFACTION. IF YOU HAD ANOTHER ONE MORE LAWYER OR TWO MORE LAWYERS TO PUT US UP TO STATUS WITH MOST OF THE CITIES, WOULD THIS SAVE US MONEY IN THE LONG RUN AT ALL? I MEAN, MAYBE NOT SAVE US MONEY, BUT I KNOW IT TAKES THE WORKLOAD OFF OF YOU. BUT ABOUT THIS OUTSIDE COUNSEL, IT WOULDN'T IT WOULDN'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD DIRECTLY RELATE TO A REDUCTION IN THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL BUDGET.

I DON'T I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD DIRECTLY RELATE TO A REDUCTION IN THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL BUDGET. WE'VE ALREADY REDUCED THAT SUBSTANTIALLY, AND IT IS PRIMARILY FOR SPECIALIZED LITIGATION THAT WE'RE SPENDING THAT MONEY NOW. IT WOULD INSTEAD BE THOSE LAWYERS DOING OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT LITIGATION, BUT YOU'RE HANDLING IT RIGHT NOW. SO. SORRY. YEAH, WE ARE HANDLING MANY THINGS. THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT WE COULD BE DOING THAT WERE NOT THE RIGHT TO KNOW. I THINK WE DID. WE GO FROM PART TIME TO FULL TIME. WE HAVE A

[00:15:06]

ANYONE ELSE DIES. JUST QUICKLY TO FOLLOW UP, YOU MENTIONED WHAT I HEARD WAS YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU COULD BE DOING MORE. DO YOU HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF LIKE MAYBE SOME THINGS THAT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE COULD DO, GIVEN THE MANPOWER THAT WOULD BENEFIT OUR WORKFORCE OR RESIDENTS? ABSOLUTELY. I MENTIONED TO YOU AFFIRMATIVE LITIGATION. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MY OFFICE HAS PRIORITIZED THIS YEAR, BUT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THE THE MANPOWER TO FULLY DEAL WITH THAT. SO THE CITY IS INVOLVED IN CASES REGARDING PFAS OPIOIDS AND NOW FIRE TRUCKS. THERE ARE OTHER TYPES OF AFFIRMATIVE LITIGATION THAT NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DISCOVER THEM, WE NEED TO WORK ON THEM, AND WE NEED TO ACTIVELY PURSUE THEM. THAT, AT THE MOMENT JUST CAN'T BE A PRIORITY BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THAT'S SOMETHING WE CHOOSE TO DO. IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO, BUT IT, IT WE CHOOSE TO WHEN WE DO IT, IT CAN BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY. THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THEN. WHAT ELSE THEN? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. AND NEXT UP, WHICH WOULD YOU LIKE? YOU CAN JUST FOLLOW THE ORDER. I ASSUME WE WOULD JUST FOLLOW THE ORDER. OKAY, HR. THERE WE GO. OKAY, OKAY. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE BIND CHAIRS. NO.

I'M KIDDING. I'M ALWAYS. GOOD EVENING. GET MYSELF ORGANIZED HERE FOR A SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

SO I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THE HR BUDGET, WHICH YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TWO, IS FAIRLY EASY TO UNDERSTAND. OUR IN SOME AREAS, WE'VE ACTUALLY CUT BUDGET IN ORDER TO HOPEFULLY SAVE SOME MONEY. WE'RE PLANNING ON LOOKING AT BEING MORE EFFICIENT AND HOW WE DO THINGS, WHICH IS WHY I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT WE CAN DO SOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH LESS MONEY. I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS IN THE BUDGET AND THEN WE CAN TALK FROM THERE. ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE TO ASK? I DO HAVE OUR RISK MANAGER WITH ME. SHE CAN SPEAK TO ANYTHING YOU MIGHT HAVE OR WANT TO KNOW WITH RESPECT TO THE RISK BUDGET. KUMARI, OUR D AND E PERSON IS ALSO WITH ME IN THE BACK. AND SO WE CAN I'M GOING TO HIT ON THAT JUST BRIEFLY, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE SOME NEED THERE THAT I'D LIKE TO SORT OF PLANT A SEED IN YOUR MINDS GOING FORWARD. SO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THAT TOO WOULD BE WELCOME. AND KUMARI IS HERE TO HELP ANSWER ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL. SO SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS I WOULD POINT OUT, REALLY, I THINK THE BIGGER BUCKET ITEMS ARE THE ONES TO START WITH. WE HAVE ACCOUNT 30 FOR TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS A ONE OF THE BUDGET AREAS WHERE WE HAVE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. CONTINUING EDUCATION CERTIFICATIONS COME OUT OF THERE. NON-BARGAINING AND SEIU COSTS, CDL TRAINING, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. IT'S A VERY LARGE BUDGET ITEM FOR US. BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. AND JUST TO SAY THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT. WE WANT TO ACTUALLY HOPEFULLY INCREASE USE, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT UNTIL WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, OBVIOUSLY, WE WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS

[00:20:02]

OKAY. AND THEN I HAVE A BUNCH OF I HAVE A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO IF I HAVE ONE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE HAD AN OUTSIDE LAW FIRM DO SOME INVESTIGATIONS AS TO HOW WE COULD BE BETTER. CAN WE CAN WE SPEAK TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SO FAR WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND MAYBE WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON GOING FORWARD? THAT THAT SPEAKS TO SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? SURE. I'M GUESSING THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, I THINK, IS ONE OF THEM. I THINK TRAINING DEVELOPMENT IS A BIG ONE. THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR, MUNIS PROVIDES US WITH THE

[00:25:05]

AND THEN COULD YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION AND OPERATIONS ROLE IS THAT'S IN YOUR NARRATIVE? GIVE ME. 143. LET'S SEE. OH, THAT'S IN THE NARRATIVE. YEAH, WE HAVE THE WRONG BOOK. OH. I GUESS THAT THAT SECTION JUST TALKS ABOUT DATA DRIVEN GOVERNANCE, BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES, HIRING AND WORKFORCE SYSTEMS. I'M JUST DOING THOSE PARTICULARLY RING A BELL WITH ANY SPECIFIC INITIATIVES OR. I JUST WANT TO. HEAR SOME. OH, OKAY. SO IT'S A SERIES OF THINGS, OBVIOUSLY. YES. AND IT SAYS TO ENSURE EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING MORE COHESIVELY AND DELIVERING CLEAR, EFFICIENT AND EQUITABLE SERVICES ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, THE ADMINISTRATION CAN BUILD UPON TWO ACTIVE DATA WORKFORCE PROGRAMS DATA DRIVEN GOVERNANCE. AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOME OF THE THE EFFORTS THAT I THINK COME FROM THE MAYOR AS FAR AS USING DATA TO TO DRIVE OUR DECISIONING, WHERE WE'RE GOING HIRING IS GOING TO BE A BIG FOCUS FOR US RECRUITING AND DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE WE HAVE ACTUALLY RETOOLED OUR RECRUITING PROGRAM IN ORDER TO BETTER SOURCE CANDIDATES, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE WE SEEM TO HAVE DIFFICULTY. ANOTHER THING THAT MUNIS SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE US NOW IS A REGULAR TRACKING OF TURNOVER. AND SO I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T I HESITATED SAYING THAT BECAUSE I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE CAN WE CAN IMPROVE THE WAY WE RECRUIT, THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE DO, MAKING SURE MANAGERS ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS IT RELATES TO DO'S AND DON'TS, THINGS WE CAN ASK, THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T ASK.

WE'RE GOING TO. WE WILL BE INSTITUTING A A INTERVIEW PROCESS CALLED THE STAR PROGRAM, WHICH TALKS ABOUT A FOCUS ON THE SITUATION, THE TASK, THE ACTION, AND THE RESULT. AND IT'S SIMPLY DESIGNED TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT SPEAK TO THE CANDIDATE'S PAST BEHAVIOR. SO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES? DO THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS AND BE SPECIFIC FROM A PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND SAY, WHAT WAS THE SITUATION YOU HAD? WHAT WAS THE TASK YOU HAD AT HAND, THE ACTION THAT YOU HAD TO CREATE AS A RESULT OF THAT TASK? AND THEN THE RESULT. AND THEY SPEAK TO REAL LIFE PAST EXPERIENCE.

AND THE IDEA IS THAT IF YOU CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS PROPERLY AND GET HONEST ANSWERS, OF COURSE, THEN YOU PASS PAST BEHAVIOR IS A GOOD PREDICTOR OF FUTURE BEHAVIOR. AND SO WE'VE

[00:30:06]

IS THAT THIS THAT IS CORRECT. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THE BUDGET FOR THAT PARTICULAR POSITION AND AREA IS. WE COULD PROBABLY USE MORE SUPPORT AS IT RELATES TO THE TRAINING, BECAUSE TRAINING IS GOING TO BE A TOP PRIORITY, NOT ONLY WITH REGARDS TO THE VENDOR THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING ON AND THE TRAINING FOR MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES. BUT ALSO, AS IT RELATES TO OUR OUR CURRENT SCHEDULE, OUR PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR WOULD BE TO FOCUS MORE ON THINGS LIKE, LET'S SEE.

I DON'T KNOW, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT? WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP? OH. MY APOLOGIES.

BETTER THAN I CAN. THANK YOU. SOME OF THE TRAININGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING ARE.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. I'M ACTUALLY STARTING THAT TOMORROW WITH C. D CULTURAL HUMILITY IS ALSO ONE OF THE ONES WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING AS WELL. WE'VE ALREADY STARTED WORKING WITH EAP TO DO CONFLICT RESOLUTION, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DEESCALATION AS WELL.

AND THEN LEADERSHIP TRAINING, LIKE MARTY MENTIONED ALREADY, TO MAKE SURE THAT MANAGERS ARE READY TO BE MANAGERS AND READY TO BE PEOPLE MANAGERS AS WELL. SO A LOT OF THESE TRAININGS HAVE A SCHEDULE. WE CAN SEND THIS TO YOU IF YOU NEED IT. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ALSO ONE OF THE ONES WE'RE TRYING TO ALSO OFFER, AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS AND DECISION MAKING SKILLS. OKAY, SO THEN THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION IS THAT FOR I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WE'RE WORKING WITH DIRECTORS FOR ALL OF THIS. OKAY.

RIGHT. SO I MEET WITH DIRECTORS. I THINK YOU ALSO KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWING STAFF SINCE I'VE STARTED IN THIS ROLE IN 2024. I'VE NOW INTERVIEWED ABOUT 329 PEOPLE, AND I'M CURRENTLY IN LEGAL AND A P D. SO I'VE I'VE INTERVIEWED THAT MANY FOLKS SO FAR, AND I'M GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK ON WHAT NEEDS TO SHIFT WITH A PART OF THE CULTURE SHIFT WITHIN THE CITY SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE BEING HEARD AND THAT THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE'RE DOING THIS WORK, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE FEELS HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD WITHIN THE CITY. SO YOU'RE EFFECTIVELY MANAGING THE DATA, YOU'RE AGGREGATING ALL THE DATA INSIDE, AS WELL AS THE MANAGING OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE AS WELL.

I'M ALSO ON A BUNCH OF INITIATIVES THAT THE MAYOR HAS TO BE A PART OF, SOME PART OF THE AGING INITIATIVE. RAB, THE REGIONAL HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD, THE DEI PRACTITIONER AS WELL.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT I'M ALSO A PART OF MY, WHICH IS A PART OF THE M I INDEX, THAT

[00:35:05]

SHE TRACKS THINGS LIKE THAT, MANAGES THEM FROM BEGINNING TO END AND, AND RESOLVES, YOU KNOW, MORE COMPLEX PROBLEMS ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IT'S MORE THAN A FULL TIME JOB FOR ONE PERSON. BUT SHE DOES THAT IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER THINGS THAT MARTY SAID. IS THERE A TIE IN TO? I KNOW SINCE THE CITY HAS DEPLOYED, IT'S THEIR 311 APP OR WHATNOT. IS THAT IS THAT GOING TO BE GETTING TO THAT PERSON? SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE MONITORING THAT TO SOME DEGREE.

YEAH, WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE VERY NEAR TO CHOOSING A CRM SYSTEM. OKAY. OKAY. I THINK REPRESENTATIVE ELECT GERLACH HAS A QUESTION. I HAVE A COUPLE. THE ONE I THINK HAS BEEN COVERED. SO WHEN COUNCIL PERSON NAPOLI HAD SAID ABOUT ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT IF THE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, THAT'S REFERENCING THE DUANE MORRIS THAT WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS.

OKAY. SO THOSE ARE BEING ADDRESSED THROUGH THIS BUDGET. OKAY. SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING.

[00:40:01]

YOU CAN'T DO IT WITH LIKE A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN ONE ROOM. IT'S A LOT. SO AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, LIKE I AM, THAT'S WHY I'M STARTING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FIRST, BECAUSE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE INTO CULTURAL HUMILITY AT SOME POINT IN TIME. MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE CAN GET TO IT. GOT YOU. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH IS YOU GOT TO TACKLE IT HEAD ON AND GET UNCOMFORTABLE. SO BUT OKAY, I THINK THE LAST THING IS I FORGET THE EXACT ISSUE, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN A GLACIER WAS HERE, HE HAD MENTIONED HE BROUGHT UP IN ONE OF HIS REPORTS, THERE WAS SOME KIND OF LIKE INCONSISTENCY OVER SPENDING OR SOMETHING WITH TUITION. THERE WAS SOMETHING YOU REMEMBER THAT? YEAH. WHERE LIKE PEOPLE WERE MAYBE GETTING OVERLY REIMBURSED, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY LIKE, ARE WE GOOD WITH THAT NOW? OR LIKE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE, LIKE, THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. THEY HAD MET THEIR THRESHOLD, BUT THEY WERE CONTINUING TO. YEAH, I'M NOT REMEMBERING THE EXACT CONVERSATION. I'M NOT EVEN SURE I WAS HERE WHEN HE MENTIONED IT. I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK YOU WERE. AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU I CAN SPEAK TO IT BECAUSE I DID THE AUDIT. YEAH, YEAH. YOU REMEMBER. YES. YEAH, YEAH. A LOT OF WORK GOING INTO IT. YEAH. IT WAS TUITION REIMBURSEMENT.

YEAH. WHAT WE FOUND WERE WE WE HAVE A CAP ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN BE REIMBURSED BY A YEAR. WE FOUND THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE EXCEEDING THAT CAP. THE OTHER THING THAT WE FOUND WAS THAT WE AFTER YOU HAVE TO BE HERE A YEAR. AND IF YOU'RE NOT HERE A YEAR, THEN WE ARE. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUEST THAT MONEY, THAT REIMBURSEMENT BACK. WHAT WE FOUND WAS WE HAD SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD EXCEEDED THE CAP AND HAD ALSO RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT AND LEFT BEFORE A YEAR. AGAIN, YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BUT ONCE WE IDENTIFY THAT WE WORKED WITH MARTY, AND I BELIEVE WE HAD ONE EMPLOYEE WHO WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE BEFORE THEY TERMINATED.

[00:45:07]

AND THE RESULT OF ALL THIS, BECAUSE THERE ARE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE THAT.

THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WHERE IF YOU LEAVE WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, YOU WOULD OWE US MONEY BACK. AND THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT KINDS OF AREAS WHERE THAT. THAT'S TRUE. WE'VE ACTUALLY FINALIZED THE PROCESS. WE FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROCEDURES WE NEED TO TAKE UP TO, EVEN IF NEEDED, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER LEGAL STEPS THAT WE, WE COULD TAKE TO GET THAT MONEY BACK IF IT'S NOT. SO WE'RE WATCHING IT NOW. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WITHIN POLICY AND PROCEDURE, WE WILL TURN PEOPLE DOWN IF THEY DON'T MATCH, IF THEY DON'T MEET THE EXACT LANGUAGE OF THE POLICY. AND WE HAVE A MECHANISM WHERE THEY'RE THEY'RE NOTIFIED AND REMINDED OF THAT COMPONENT WITHIN THE POLICY THAT IF YOU LEAVE WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, YOU WOULD NEED TO REIMBURSE US WITH THAT MONEY. AND WE HAVE A PROCESS NOW IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO TRY TO GET THAT MONEY BACK.

SO. ALL RIGHT. COOL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING AND PUTTING IT INTO WORDS. I THINK THAT YEP. I THINK THAT'S IT. YEAH. THANK YOU. I DID HAVE A QUESTION ACTUALLY KIND OF STEMS FROM THAT SAME VEIN. SO I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. SO MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE AROUND THE TRAINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HERE. I'M CURIOUS. I KNOW WHEN WE MET EARLIER IN THE YEAR, WE TALKED THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HAD UNDERGONE A LOT OF TURNOVER AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO KIND OF CREATE SOME MORE STABILITY, CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND GET FOLKS WHO ARE PREPARED TO TAKE ON THIS. I'M CURIOUS, OVER THE PAST YEAR, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THAT EFFORT? AND HOW DO SOME OF THESE HAVE ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS EITHER BEEN ADDED OR ADJUSTED BASED OFF OF THAT? OR ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE ADDING VALUE? MAYBE NOT. SORRY, I KNOW IT'S A LOADED QUESTION. NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. IN REFERENCE TO THE HR TEAM, I THINK THERE'S SEVERAL APPROACHES TO THIS BECAUSE OF LIMITED FUNDING, RIGHT? I CAN'T SEND EVERYBODY TO THE TRAINING, ALL THE TRAINING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO. SO WE'VE DONE SOME OF THAT THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS, LIKE THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS. THEY OFFER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT THERE'S AN ENTITY CALLED MISHRA, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR, HR ENVIRONMENT, WITH HR PROFESSIONALS DEALING WITH HR ISSUES IN THE PUBLIC AREA, AND THEY OFFER TRAINING AS WELL. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE GOING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

WE'VE WE STARTED THAT PROCESS AND HAVE IT PLANNED AGAIN FOR THIS COMING YEAR. COULD WE USE MORE MONEY TO DO THAT? SURE WE COULD, BUT THAT'S THE EXTERNAL. BUT THEN THERE'S AN INTERNAL EFFORT ON OUR PART TO TO CONTINUE TO TRAIN AND DEVELOP THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT OF OUR OWN PROCEDURES, OUR OWN SOPS, BECAUSE INCLUDED IN THAT MUST BE THOSE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROPERLY IDENTIFYING RISK AND EMPLOYMENT, YOU KNOW, RELATIONS KINDS OF ISSUES AND MAKING SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE RIGHT PROCEDURES. THE PM, ONCE IT ROLLS OUT, WE'LL HAVE A MUCH MORE ROBUST SECTION ON THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT FALL RIGHT IN OUR SCOPE. SO WE'RE DOING IT AS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN. YEAH, YEAH. CAN'T DO ENOUGH. NO.

COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. BUT YOU FEEL LIKE THESE THESE ARE GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO CONTINUE.

ABSOLUTELY. KEEPING THE STAFF. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. I GUESS OTHER QUESTION RELATED TO STAFF. AND I THINK AGAIN, WE MIGHT HAVE COVERED THIS BEFORE, BUT I KNOW WE WAS IT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY OR THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL, OR MAYBE IT WAS JUST THE SYSTEM ITSELF. BUT FOR FMLA, I KNOW WE HAVE THE THIRD PARTY. I'M WONDERING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT EVENTUALLY I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING TO TAKE IN-HOUSE, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE THINK? WELL, WE JUST WE JUST SENT IT OUT. SO I THINK I'M GOING TO USE THIS TIME RIGHT NOW TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE TEAM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR APPROVING MY ADDITIONS TO STAFF, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN SOME OF THAT EXPERTISE THAT CAN HELP TO PASS ON THAT TRAINING. MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR IS HERE, PANKTI PATEL, AND SHE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE. SHE BRINGS A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF LABOR RELATIONS EXPERIENCE, AND SO SHE'S FOCUSED ON THAT AND INVESTIGATIONS AND HELPING TO TRAIN THE TEAM IN THAT AREA, OTHER THINGS AS WELL. BUT OBVIOUSLY, THOSE ARE TWO VERY IMPORTANT BUCKETS THAT I WAS SORELY IN NEED OF. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THE WELCOMING AMERICA. IS THAT

[00:50:02]

BUT THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF RECERTIFICATION. DO YOU SEE THAT LEVEL? I CAN IMAGINE AGAIN, AS YOU ATTAIN THESE STARS, THERE'S A HEAVY LIFT. ONCE YOU ATTAIN THE STAR, DO YOU THINK THAT EFFORT CONTINUES TO THE SAME LEVEL OR IS THIS IS THE INVESTMENT IN, IN, IN ATTAINING AND ESTABLISHING THESE RELATIONSHIPS? AND THEN AFTER THAT POINT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN SELF-SUSTAIN ITSELF. I'M JUST CURIOUS. IT CAN SELF-SUSTAIN ITSELF AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE PARTNERSHIPS AND AS LONG AS I HAVE THE SUPPORT INSIDE.

UNDERSTOOD. YEAH. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF IT HAPPENED BECAUSE WE ARE A CITY THAT'S VERY DIVERSE. SO, I MEAN, WE HAVE THAT STAR DESIGNATION. IT WOULD BE PHENOMENAL FOR THE CITY. IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN TELL EVERYONE THAT WE'RE DOING. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. WE ALSO HAVE RISK CARE THAT'S WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. BUT I'LL HIGHLIGHT JUST ONE PARTICULAR ITEM THAT'S IN THE BUDGET. AND THAT IS A CHANGE, AN ADDITION TO STAFF. WE HAVE PROPOSED A BENEFITS COORDINATOR. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE PERSON HANDLING ALL BENEFIT ISSUES. THAT INCLUDES OPEN ENROLLMENT. THAT INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH CONTRACTORS THAT WE DEAL WITH ALL OF ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND YOU CAN IMAGINE NOW WITH OPEN ENROLLMENT, THE AMOUNT OF WORK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE NEED TO HELP HANDLE VOLUME, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE IF THAT OTHER PERSON IS NOT HERE, NOT ABLE TO BE HERE FOR A TIME, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, IT CAN CREATE A SIGNIFICANT RISK. YOU KNOW, FOR US, WHEN IT COMES TO FOLLOWING UP ON BENEFIT RELATED ISSUES. SO THAT TO ME WAS IS ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT POSITION THAT I THINK WE NEED TO SOLIDIFY THAT AREA. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT IT, BUT.

[00:55:01]

SO THE REASON FOR THAT OR OTHER INSURANCES ARE NOT SELF-INSURED. AND I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR OUR BROKER TO GET GOOD RATES. WE DID GET A DISCOUNT FOR THE 26 TO 27 POLICY YEAR.

IT STARTED JUNE 1ST. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT TREND KEEPS UP. WE SAVED ABOUT 32,000 ON OUR RENEWALS FOR THOSE POLICIES. SO HOPING THAT THAT TREND STAYS THAT WAY. WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES WITH PRESCRIPTION COVERAGES FOR 2027 WITH NOT COVERING GLP ONE FOR WEIGHT LOSS ONLY. THAT'S EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO THE CITY AND WITH NOT HAVING NOT COVERING THAT BENEFIT WILL SAVE QUITE A LOT OF MONEY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT RENEWAL AS WELL. OUR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS WENT UP ABOUT 11.6% WITH THE ONE ONE RENEWAL.

JUST TRENDING UP. YOU KNOW, AS MOST I'M SORRY. WHAT'S THAT. SO WHAT IS OUR AVERAGE NOW PER FAMILY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR ALL DIFFERENT PREMIUMS. BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE THE WE HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FIRE OF THE POLICE SO THAT IT'S NOT ONE NUMBER ACROSS THE BOARD, THE WAY THAT THE WAY THAT WORKS. OKAY. BUT THEY DO PAY 25% OF THE PREMIUMS. SO WE PAY THE BALANCE OF THAT. SO I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS SPEAKING WITH DEAN, I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING IT AVERAGED OUT ABOUT 30,000 SOMETHING. RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT.

YEAH. AND BEING SELF-INSURED IN THAT AS WELL. BUT THEY DID THAT IS THAT INCENTIVE TO DO THE WELLNESS. SO THAT REALLY HELPS A LOT WITH THAT. AND IT KEEPS THEM HEALTHY TO KEEP OUR COSTS DOWN ON THAT PIECE. WE ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN SOME TRAININGS FOR FOR DRIVER SAFETY TO HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE AUTO LOSSES THAT WE'RE HAVING WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE BROKER ON THAT. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT WILL HELP TO SEE WHERE THE NEED IS. WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING DO THEY NEED? DO THEY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, LEARN THE VEHICLE BETTER? DO THEY NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE ROADS? SO I'M WORKING ON THAT AS WELL TO CUT SOME OF THOSE COSTS DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH TRAFFIC IN THE AREA NOW WITH THE MORE POPULATION. SO WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, SOME A LOT OF ACCIDENTS OUT THERE, BUT EACH YEAR THAT SORT OF HAPPENS, IT'S REALLY NOT SPIKED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT WE JUST TRY TO MITIGATE THE COST EACH YEAR.

AND I WANT TO PUT IN SOME NEW TRAININGS FOR THAT. AND IT COMES WITH OUR BROKER. SO THERE'S NO EXTRA FEE FOR THAT. SO I'M WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THAT. IT'S ONE OF THE VALUES OF ADDING THIS ANALYSIS AND GATHERING THE NUMBERS. AND THE INFORMATION IS TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING PROACTIVELY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS, JUST ONE EXAMPLE. WE'RE DOING THAT ACROSS HR. AND THEN I BELIEVE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF STOP LOSS, ARE WE EVALUATING WHERE THAT THAT NUMBER IS? SO STOP LOSS, THE PREMIUM WENT WAY UP FOR 2027. SO IT WAS CURRENTLY AT 260,000 AND THE STOP LOSS KICKS IN. SO FOR 2027 IT'LL BE 265 BECAUSE THE COST OF THE PREMIUM TO KEEP IT AT 260, IT WAS IT WAS NOT DOABLE. DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE TO DO THAT. SO IT'LL BE 265. SO ONCE A CLAIM GETS THAT NUMBER TO THAT NUMBER, THEN THE STOP LOSS KICKS IN AND WE RECEIVE THE THE FUNDS BACK. WE DID HAVE A LOT OF HIGH DOLLAR COSTS CLAIMS IN 2026. SO WE TOOK A LITTLE HIT ON THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN'T YOU KNOW, PROJECT. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN A YEAR. THE SAME

[01:00:02]

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD FROM A RISK PERSPECTIVE? NOT REALLY. UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER, I WILL I WILL FORWARD. GOING BACK TO THE DUANE MORRIS COMMENT, I WILL FORWARD A MORE DEFINITIVE RESPONSE TO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HAVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE WE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT. YEAH. TWO MEETINGS AGO TO PUT THAT FORTH IN A COMMITTEE MEETING. SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO I DEFINITELY WANT TO GO THROUGH THE LINE ITEMS OF THINGS AND HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THEM. SO I WILL ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, I THINK I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK WE ALL WOULD. MY LAST QUESTION, THE PPM IS THAT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN CHATTER OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. IS THAT DO WE HAVE A DEFINITIVE DATE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT I'M I'M BEV, WHO'S BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ME WITH THIS, HAS BEEN OFF. WHEN SHE COMES BACK TOMORROW, WE'LL FINALIZE A FINAL DRAFT. THEN WE DO HAVE TO SEND IT TO LEGAL. THEY HAVE TO REVIEW IT AND THEN THEY WILL ALSO PREPARE THE THE ORDINANCE THAT NEEDS TO ACCOMPANY IT AND SUBMIT IT FOR YOUR APPROVAL. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL. YEAH. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. I GUESS I T IS NEXT. OKAY. JUST. YEAH, BECAUSE I. JUST DON'T. GOOD EVENING. IT'S CRAZY TIMES. YES. HELLO. I THINK YOU GUYS ALL RECEIVED A COPY OF A BRIEFING THAT I PUT OUT. THE TWO IMPORTANT PIECES. THERE ARE THE CHARTS, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, OUR BUDGET IS ABOUT 11.89% BELOW 2026. WE GOT HIT IN A COUPLE OF AREAS. THE GOOD POINTS ARE WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO TODAY, SO WE WON'T CHANGE ANY CONSTITUENT SERVICES, ANY EMPLOYEE SERVICES FOR THE CITY THROUGHOUT. SO THAT'S THE GOOD PART OF IT, OUR STAFFING LEVELS WERE 20 POSITIONS, 18 IN IT AND TWO IN PRINT AND MAIL. WE HAVE ONE OPEN POSITION AND ONE CURRENTLY HIRING STARTING NOVEMBER 23RD. SO LOOKING AT THE CHART FOR THE IT BUDGET, WE HAVE AN OVERALL DECREASE OF $461,942. THAT'S ABOUT 10.88% OF THE BUDGET. AS YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S DISTRIBUTED PRETTY WELL ACROSS THE BOARD THROUGHOUT VARIOUS CATEGORIES.

SO WE'RE NOT TAKING A LARGE HIT IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA. THAT'S A GOOD THING. THE PRINT AND MAIL BUDGET ONCE AGAIN GOT HIT PRETTY HARD. SO IT'S A MUCH SMALLER BUDGET. SO IT TOOK A 25% HIT, SPECIFICALLY IN TWO AREAS. POSTAGE AND SHIPPING WERE REDUCED AND PRINTING WERE REDUCED. WE THINK WE'LL BE FINE IF WE NEED MORE MONEY, WE'LL OBVIOUSLY COME TO YOU, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO CONTROL COSTS AS BEST WE CAN. IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO MAIL THINGS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK FOR OTHER WAYS TO HANDLE THOSE PROCESSES. SO WE'VE ALREADY BROUGHT AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR IN TO COLLECT OUR MAIL. EVERY DAY. WE SAVE APPROXIMATELY 4.3 CENTS ON EVERY ENVELOPE THAT GOES OUT. SO WE'RE TRYING TO CUT COSTS AND REDUCE WHERE WE CAN COST. THE POSTAGE GOES UP. SO IT'S SORT OF A TRADE OFF, BUT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO CONTROL THE COST. THERE ARE SOME HIDDEN COSTS THAT YOU DON'T SEE IN OUR BUDGET. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST SITTING HERE TWO MINUTES AGO WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS A NEW HIRE. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT NEW HIRES ARE COMING AT US. TO PUT A PERSON IN A SEAT ON DAY ONE COST US ANYWHERE FROM 2200 TO $6000, DAY ONE TO PUT SOMEBODY IN A SEAT. SO THOSE ARE UNSEEN, UNFORESEEN UNBUDGETED EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE TO INCUR. YOU KNOW, IT JUST DEPENDS UPON THE LEVEL OF THE POSITION, WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT KIND OF LICENSING THEY NEED AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING UPON WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY'RE NEEDING TO DO OVER THE YEAR, IT COULD GET VERY IMPACTFUL ON OUR BUDGET, TRYING TO LOOK FOR A BETTER WAY TO, TO LOOK AT THAT FOR THE FUTURE AND SEE HOW WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A SEPARATE LINE ITEM BUDGETED JUST FOR NEW HIRES THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING IN A PARTICULAR YEAR, BUT IT'S HARD TO PREDICT. THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING THAT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, IS NOT ON THE SHEETS THAT I PROVIDED. THERE WERE A SERIES OF NEW

[01:05:03]

IT'S LIKE A CAR. SOONER OR LATER YOU HAVE TO REPLACE IT. THAT TOTALED ABOUT $850,000 IN REQUESTS. NOW, THE LARGEST BY FAR WAS ONE SINGLE ITEM, AND THAT WAS A TODDLER TECHNOLOGY PIECE OF SOFTWARE AND WHICH ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH ENTER. GOV IS THE ONLY PIECE OF TODDLER TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE THAT WE STILL HAVE ON OUR OWN SERVERS. SO IT'S CALLED ON PREM. THEY'RE ENDING THOSE PROCESSES. SO THEY'RE IF BY THE END OF 2027, IF WE DON'T MOVE THAT SOFTWARE TO THEIR SERVERS, THE IMPACT IS WE WILL NEVER GET ANY UPDATES ANYMORE. SO WE'LL BE STUCK WITH THE LEVEL OF SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE NO ENHANCEMENTS, NO ANYTHING. THEY'LL SUPPORT IT, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO SEE ANY ENHANCEMENTS IN SOFTWARE. SO WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STUCK WITH. SO THAT'S THE IMPACT. AND THAT THAT THERE ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 54% OF THAT REQUEST THAT I MADE. I MEAN, IT'S A LARGE TICKET ITEM. IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YEAH, WE CAN DEFER AND WE CAN PUSH IT OFF A LITTLE BIT YET, BUT SOONER OR LATER, WE JUST HAVE TO ADDRESS IT AND WE HAVE TO GET IT DONE. SO OUTSIDE OF THAT, I'M GLAD TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CHARTS THAT I PROVIDED AND ANYTHING ELSE IN OUR BUDGET.

DOES ANYONE WANT TO START FIRST? JUST ON THAT NOTE OF THE INTER GOV MIGRATION, I'M CURIOUS. SO THAT COST IS TO, YOU KNOW, GET IT TO THEIR SERVER. I'M. IS THERE ANY ASSOCIATED LONG TERM COSTS WITH THAT. YOU KNOW EVERYONE SUBSCRIPTION MODELS ARE THE FAD NOWADAYS. EVERYBODY WANTS TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF SUBSCRIPTIONS. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY THEY WANT TO DO IT.

OF COURSE. YEAH. THERE WILL BE SOME YOU KNOW ONGOING COST YEAR OVER YEAR. IT WON'T BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN WHAT WE PAY NOW FOR SERVICE AND SUPPORT ON THE ON PREM MODEL WILL BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER. THE BIGGEST COST, THE BIGGEST LIFT IS THAT ONE TIME EXPENSE TO GET IT THERE. SO AND EVERY EVERY YEAR THAT WE DELAY OF COURSE THOSE COSTS GO UP. SO YOU KNOW BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE THE SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW LONG WE WANT TO DEFER THIS AND PUSH IT OFF. THAT'S ALL. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. RIGHT NOW, THE TICKET IS ABOUT 456,000. TO GET THAT MOVE. SO SIGNIFICANT. YEAH. ANYONE ELSE? I'LL ASK ANOTHER QUESTION. I KNEW YOU WOULD. I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE WITH THE PRINTING I'M JUST WONDERING BECAUSE WE, WE, WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS IN OUR MEETINGS. COULD COUNCIL IN 2027 RECEIVE SOME SORT OF EVALUATION TO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO LEVERAGE AN OUTSIDE PRINT SHOP VERSUS INTERNAL. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PRINT AND MAIL, CORRECT? SPECIFICALLY NOT THE PRINTERS THAT YOU LIKE HAVING YOUR OFFICE. NO, NOT THE PRINTERS. YEAH. THAT THAT EVALUATION IS ONGOING. OKAY. SO I SHOULD HAVE THAT FOR YOU IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 27. OKAY. PERFECT. YEP. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS SORRY I HAD HAD WAS I GO BACK. YEAH. SO I KNOW WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CITY'S WEBSITE. I BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE IN A PREVIOUS MEETING IN OUR 2026 BUDGET. IN THE CURRENT ONE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE WE HAD ALLOCATED 29,590. AND THEN WE HAD IN WHAT THIS YEAR'S ONE IS, I THINK WE WELL OVERSPENT. WE EXCEEDED THAT EFFECT. CORRECT. SO THAT WAS A MISTAKE ON MY PART. SO THE 29,500, WHATEVER DOLLARS WAS ACTUALLY THE 2025 AMOUNT. I NEVER INCREASED IT FOR 2026.

THERE WAS A 10% ESCALATION CLAUSE IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT. SO IT ACTUALLY CAME IN AT ABOUT 34. OKAY. IN 2026. SO WE'VE REDUCED THE BUDGET FOR 2027 TO 25,000. WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN RFP. WE ACTUALLY DID THE TECHNICAL OPENING JUST YESTERDAY FOR NEW VENDORS FOR THE WEBSITE BECAUSE THE CURRENT VENDORS JUST HE'S NOT SERVICING US AND THE COSTS ARE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL. SO WE THINK WE'LL COME IN WELL UNDER THAT 25 BUT IT'S UNKNOWN YET. YEAH, I WOULD HOPE SO TOO. BUT I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE WE WERE CAPTURING THAT IN THIS ONE, THE OTHER ONE IN THE 2025, SORRY, 2026 BUDGET YOU HAD YOU HAD COMBINED IT WAS 26 K FOR MAINTENANCE FOR HVAC FIRE AND UPS FOR BOTH THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY. AND THEN IN THIS BUDGET, YOU SPLIT IT INTO TWO ABOUT IT CAME ABOUT THEY'RE ABOUT EQUAL. THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE. YEAH IT WAS IT'S 29 VERSUS 26 K. BUT IS THIS RECURRING MAINTENANCE ONE TIME MAINTENANCE BECAUSE WE USED IT IN THAT ACCORDING TO THE FINANCES THESE ARE RECURRING MAINTENANCE COSTS. OKAY. YEAR OVER YEAR. WE'VE WITH MOST OF THE VENDORS, WE HAVE SINGLE YEAR CONTRACTS. BUT THERE IS ONE VENDOR WE HAVE A MULTI-YEAR

[01:10:04]

GENERAL CIVIC. WHAT IS GENERAL CIVIC? DO YOU HAVE A SLIDE? MIKE? I CAN'T PULL IT UP. OH, YOU CAN'T PULL IT UP. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. FILE NOT FOUND. GOOD. DO WE EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS? JUST REAL QUICK, MIKE. MIKE, WHAT IS GENERAL AND CIVIC IN THE LIST HERE? SO GENERAL AND CIVIC IS SOMETHING THAT INCLUDES LIKE THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT'S A SECTION IN THE BUDGET. IT INCLUDES WHAT? SORRY. SO TYPICALLY WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.

YEAH. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. CAN YOU COME. YES. SO GENERAL AND CIVIC IS A SORT OF MONEY THAT IS SET ASIDE FOR THE CONFERENCE OF MAYOR. USUALLY THE THE MAYOR WOULD HANDLE THAT. VERBENA. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT ACCOUNT, I DON'T KNOW. THAT IN GENERAL. SO IT'S A NON-DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET. THE NON WHAT NON-DEPARTMENTAL. OKAY. SO IT'S THE NON DEPARTMENT. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BACK. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M I'M ASKING THE QUESTIONS IN THE APPROPRIATE SECTION HERE. IT'S NOT IN THE MAYOR'S BUDGET ACCORDING TO BINA. SO IT'S THE NON GENTLEMAN.

CIVIC IS INVOLVES THE TRANSFERS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND FINANCE BUDGET. SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT BUDGET WAS TRANSFERRED FROM. IT USED TO BE UNDER THE MAYOR'S. ONE OF THE PROGRAMS UNDER THE MAYOR'S WHERE THE TRANSFERS FOR THE DEBT PAYMENT EQUIPMENT RISK, PROPERTY AND CASUALTY. SO ALL OF THOSE WERE LINED UP UNDER THAT PROGRAM. OKAY. FOR THE FOR THE CLARITY OF THINGS, BECAUSE ACTUALLY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING THOSE TRANSFERS. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS FROM THAT FUND, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE EXPENDITURE WILL BE PAID FROM.

SO DEBT DEBT IS PAID FROM THE DEBT FUND. SO WE WOULD TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND WHEN WE ARE MAKING THE PAYMENT ON ON DEBT, IT GETS TRANSFERRED INTO THE DEBT. AND THEN WE ACTUALLY MAKE THE PAYMENT. SO TO MAKE IT THE FLOW EASIER, WE MOVE THAT UNDER FINANCE. OKAY, SO WE'RE NOT RECEIVING A PRESENTATION ON UNDER. I JUST I WAS TRYING TO I'M GOING IN ORDER HERE AND I JUST, I SAW IT AND I WAS NOT SURE WHAT THAT WAS. SO WE'RE NOT RECEIVING ANYTHING TONIGHT ON THAT. IT JUST IT'S RIGHT. IT'S NOT. I COVERED THAT UNDER MY BUDGET UNDER FINANCE. OKAY.

THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION THEN. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL RETURN BACK TO THE MAYOR. IT'S BUDGET. I FEEL BAD WE SKIPPED THE COMPTROLLER THOUGH. SHE HAS A GREAT PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT.

I'M GOING TO ORDER. THE MAYOR STOOD IN FRONT OF THE COMPTROLLER ON YOUR ON YOUR LIST HERE. I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDE THAT ACCORDING TO THE SCREEN. OH. SHE'S A LOT OF FANCY. OUR COMPTROLLER HAS A LOT OF FANS HERE TONIGHT. WE CAN, WE CAN WE CAN GO WITH WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN. DO YOU WANT ME TO GO? MY APOLOGIES, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T CARE. SO WE'RE SWITCHING. OKAY, SO WE'RE PIVOTING TO THE COMPTROLLER TO TO ALIGN WITH THE SCREEN. DO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION? SO I CAN'T PULL IT UP. IT'S NOT ALLOWING ME TO PULL IT UP. THEY ALL HAVE IT. OH, OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M SORRY EVERYBODY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID HAVE A SLIDE SHOW AND WE'RE I'M BEING TOLD WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PULL IT UP AT THE MOMENT. SO I APOLOGIZE. HE'S RIGHT THERE. I JUST SPEAK LOUDER. OKAY. I CAN. WE CAN TAKE WE CAN TAKE JUST

[01:15:17]

JERRY, LOOK AT IT. SO WATCH WHEN I GO TO SHOW IT. JERRY SPRINGER. IF YOU ATTACH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. YEAH. WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PULL IT UP. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IT'S NOT GRABBING THE FILE. I KNOW IT'S WRONG, BUT WE CAN'T FIX IT RIGHT NOW. WHAT'S WRONG? WE TRIED. OKAY, WE GOT TO FIGURE IT OUT. SERVER ERROR.

JERRY. WE ALWAYS HAVE. I DON'T THINK IT'S A PART. IF IF WE CAN. IF THE MAYOR WANTS TO GO FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET THE PRESENTATION EMAIL DOWN TO YOU. SO IT'S JUST THE SERVER'S BLOCKING ME FROM GETTING IT. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. SO RIGHT NOW. SORRY. OKAY. ROCK PAPER, SCISSORS IT. OR DO YOU WANT TO JUST WE'LL GO AHEAD. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I WANT TO THANK CITY COUNCIL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND OUR PROPOSED 2027 BUDGET. I APPRECIATE THE TIME EACH OF YOU HAS GIVEN ME BEFORE TONIGHT'S MEETING. I MADE IT A POINT TO SIT DOWN INDIVIDUALLY WITH EVERY MEMBER OF COUNCIL IN MY IN MY OFFICE TO DISCUSS OUR NEEDS, ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND SHARE WHERE I BELIEVE THIS OFFICE NEEDS TO GO. I ALSO MET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND MAYOR TURK. I WANTED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN BEING IN BEING TRANSPARENT, NOT JUST WITH COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT WITH THE RESIDENTS OF ALLENTOWN. TONIGHT, I'M HERE TO EXPLAIN HOW THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE GOT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHAT THIS OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP IT MOVING FORWARD. I'M SORRY YOU CAN'T SEE IT, BUT THE HISTORY OF THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BRIEF BREAKDOWN. I WANT TO START WITH THAT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THIS OFFICE HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. UNDER COMPTROLLER HERSHMAN, FROM 1976 TO 99, THERE WERE NO FORMAL AUDITS BEING DOCUMENTED UNDER CONCANNON. FROM 2000 TO 2007, THE OFFICE HAD TWO AUDITORS, BUT THE WORK WAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON MANUALLY REVIEWING CHECKS. FORMAL AUDITS WERE STILL NOT BEING DOCUMENTED. THEN CAME COMPTROLLER HOFFMAN.

FROM 2008 TO 2011, AND IN 2010, SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT HAPPENED. JACKIE MOORE JOINED THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE. I WANT TO SPEND A MOMENT TALKING ABOUT JACKIE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERYONE REALIZES JUST HOW MUCH SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY. JACKIE BRINGS 40 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN AUDITING, ACCOUNTING, FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AND INTERNAL CONTROLS. HER CAREER INCLUDES WORKING IN BANKING, CORPORATE ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING FOR A MAJOR NATIONAL RETAILER. SHE HAS MANAGED AUDIT TEAMS, IDENTIFIED FINANCIAL RISKS, RECOVERED OVER $1 MILLION IN OVERPAYMENTS DURING HER CAREER, AND HELPED ORGANIZATIONS PUT STRONGER FINANCIAL CONTROLS IN PLACE. WHEN JACKIE CAME TO ALLENTOWN IN 2010, SHE HELPED CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THIS OFFICE. SHE ESTABLISHED STRUCTURED AUDIT WORK PAPERS, FORMAL REPORTING PROCEDURES, AND A PROCESS FOR DOCUMENTING FINDINGS AND COMMUNICATING THEM TO COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATION. SHE HELPED BUILD THE FOUNDATION OF THE AUDIT FUNCTION WE HAVE TODAY 100%, AND I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT JACKIE PERSONALLY. SHE DOESN'T KNOW THIS PART. I CALL HER MY PITBULL. I MEAN THAT WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT. SHE'S TOUGH, SHE'S CONSISTENT, SHE'S THOROUGH, AND SHE'S FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT DEPARTMENT SHE'S REVIEWING OR WHO'S SITTING ACROSS THE TABLE. THE RULES ARE THE RULES, AND SHE'S GOING TO HOLD EVERYONE TO THE SAME STANDARD.

SHE SUPPORTS ME WHEN I ASK HARD QUESTIONS, AND SHE ISN'T AFRAID TO STAND BESIDE ME WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS GET UNCOMFORTABLE. WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIRECTION I WANT TO TAKE THIS INDEPENDENT OFFICE. SHE UNDERSTANDS MY VISION. SHE BELIEVES IN THE WORK WE'RE DOING, AND SHE'S JUST AS COMMITTED AS I AM TO MAKING SURE THIS OFFICE OPERATES WITH FAIRNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INTEGRITY. AND I COULDN'T ASK FOR A STRONGER PERSON TO HAVE

[01:20:04]

UNDER THE FIRST SCENARIO, WE CAN CONTINUE OUR REQUIRED REVIEWS, BUT REGULAR AUDITS WILL REMAIN LOW AND OUR INTERNSHIP PROCESS FLOW AUDITS MAY EVENTUALLY COME TO AN END.

SCENARIO TWO IS WHAT I'M ASKING COUNCIL TO CONSIDER. THE ADDITION OF ONE FULL TIME INTERNAL AUDITOR. WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANY. WE'RE NOT. WE'RE NOT CREATING AN UNNECESSARY POSITION. IN FACT, THIS POSITION EXISTED BEFORE AND WAS ELIMINATED IN 2012. I WANT TO BRING BACK A POSITION THAT ALLOWS US TO TRAIN SOMEONE ALONGSIDE JACKIE, PRESERVE THE KNOWLEDGE SHE BUILT OVER THE YEARS, AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. THIS ALLOWS NATASHA TO MANAGE THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF THE OFFICE AND CONTINUE HER EDUCATION WHILE DEVELOPING HER AUDIT SKILLS. THIS ALSO GIVES US THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE CONDUCTING REGULAR AUDITS SUCH AS BANK RECONCILIATIONS, PURCHASE CARDS AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CHECKS. INSTEAD OF SPENDING NEARLY ALL OF OUR TIME KEEPING UP WITH THESE REQUIRED REVIEWS, I DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL JACKIE RETIRES TO REALIZE HOW MUCH KNOWLEDGE JUST WALKED OUT THE DOOR. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO PLAN AHEAD, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THAT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS OFFICE BELONGS TO THE RESIDENTS OF ALLENTOWN. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT THEIR TAX DOLLARS, ASK QUESTIONS, IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, AND HELP MAKE SURE CITY OPERATIONS ARE BEING HANDLED PROPERLY. AND TO DO THAT WELL, WE NEED THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND THE RIGHT RESOURCES. JACKIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD THERE? NO, NOTHING. OKAY. NOW I WANT TO TURN OVER THE MIC TO JACKIE BECAUSE THE NUMBERS REALLY HELP TELL THE REST OF THE STORY SHE'S GOING TO WALK EVERYONE THROUGH HOW OUR TRANSITION, HOW OUR TRANSACTION VOLUME HAS CHANGED WHAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH ITS REVIEWS AND AUDITS AND WHY THAT MATTERS AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. AND AT

[01:25:02]

OKAY. THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH IS THE TRANSACTIONS REVIEWED. WHAT WE DID WAS SELECTED A SAMPLE MONTH. AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT I WAS WORKING ON THE JUNE P CARDS.

SO WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL? WE TOOK THE SAMPLE MONTH OF JUNE FOR ALL YEARS AND GAVE YOU A GRAPH OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 2020, BECAUSE WE COMPARED 2020 TO 2026, WE STARTED OUT WITH REVIEWING 333 CHECKS FOR THE MONTH AND 260 £0.03 CARD TRANSACTIONS. I HAVE TO PREFACE, THE TRANSACTION DOES NOT EQUATE TO AN INVOICE. A TRANSACTION CAN HAVE MULTIPLE INVOICES. THE TOTAL FOR THAT MONTH LOAN WAS 596 TRANSACTIONS. NOW LET'S GO TO 2026 SAME MONTH JUNE. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT 546 CHECKS. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT 690 £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

WE'RE SAYING, HEY, IS THIS HAS THIS ALREADY BEEN PAID AS A WIRE OR A P CARD? ARE WE NOW SUBMITTING IT AS AN INVOICE? SO THERE ARE THINGS WE'RE DOING. BACK IN 2020, WE HAD ISSUES WITH A DEPARTMENT THAT WAS ENTERING WIRES. AND ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T RECOVERY FOR THE CITY, WE STOPPED THE WIRES FROM BEING PROCESSED IN OUR GENERAL LEDGER MULTIPLE TIMES. SO AGAIN, OUR INVOICE REVIEW IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST SALES TAX. WHO CARES ABOUT SEVEN, 20 OR $2 OR WHATEVER. I REALLY DON'T, BUT IT'S THE PROCESS. WHO'S LOOKING AT IT WHERE WHERE THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. TURNING TO. AND AGAIN, THE NEXT PAGE OF THE HANDOUT JUST KIND OF EXPLAINS WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR. THE NEXT THING WE DO IS THE NUMBER OF REGULAR AUDITS. THAT'S WHAT I CALL REGULAR AUDITS. THEY'RE NOT THE REQUIRED AUDITS. THEY'RE THE P. THEY'RE THE NON P CARD NON AP NON BANK RACK. AND AS OUR ILLUSTRATION DEMONSTRATE AS OUR NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS HAVE INCREASED, SO HAVE THE NUMBER OF REGULAR AUDITS THAT WE HAVE TIME TO DO.

[01:30:07]

IT JUST MEANS THAT THEY WERE BEING DUPLICATED TO GO OUT, WHICH THAT PARTICULAR YEAR, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR WASN'T VERY HAPPY BECAUSE IT WAS A NOT A LOVELY SURPRISE TO FIND THAT HE HAD TO COME UP WITH THIS MONEY AT THE TIME. ALONG WITH THAT, WE'VE DONE AR AND GARAGE PARKING. YOU MENTIONED GARAGE PARKING, WE'VE DONE THAT AUDIT. WE CAME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATIONS, PROVIDED THEM TO ADMINISTRATION. AGAIN, WE CAN ONLY PROVIDE THE INFORMATION. WE CAN ONLY PROVIDE THE RECOMMENDATION. IT'S UP TO ADMINISTRATION TO EITHER IMPLEMENT OR NOT TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. THAT WAS THE LAST AUDIT I WAS ABLE TO DO TIME WISE. AGAIN, LOW HANGING FRUIT. WE USED TO CALL IT SOMETHING THAT I CAN LOOK AT QUICKLY. QUICKLY DOES NOT MEAN A DAY QUICKLY MEANS LIKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT AND WITH, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH HR, WE SPOKE TO THEM. WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME REAL SAVINGS. THEN WE TURN TO INTERNS. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED DURING OUR BUDGET REVIEW IS WE WANTED TRAINING MONEY. HERE WE ARE. WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE INCREASING OUR STAFFING, AT LEAST BY NATASHA GOING FULL TIME. AND WE NEEDED MONEY. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE USE INTERN MONEY. AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU BECAUSE I HOPE THAT THAT DOESN'T COME INTO PLAY RIGHT NOW. IT HASN'T YET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T REALLY ASKED FOR THE TRAINING MONEY, BUT THERE'S A BANG FOR THE BUCK FOR THE INTERNSHIPS. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INTERNSHIPS, WE PROVIDE AN INTERNSHIP FOR THREE STUDENTS EVERY YEAR. THERE ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS. WE TRY TO GET THEM LOCALLY. WE GAVE YOU A COST ANALYSIS JUST TO SHOW YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE INTERNS, WE. WITH MATTOX APPROVAL, WE ARE PAYING THEM. IT'S $18 AN HOUR. I ONLY ALLOW THEM TO WORK 20 HOURS A WEEK. I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT FULL TIME, BUT FOR ME, I'D RATHER HAVE THEM FOCUSING 20 HOURS OF REAL TIME TO A PROJECT VERSUS HAVING 40 HOURS AND NOT HAVING THEM IDENTIFY ANYTHING. DID I MISS SOMETHING? OKAY, SO THAT EQUATES TO FOR THREE INTERNS FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME, $16,200. SO WE'RE NOT PAYING BENEFITS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FULL TIME. THE ONLY THING WE'RE PAYING IS, IS THE FICA, ETC.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART, THOSE PROCESS FLOWS. NOT ONLY DO WE PROVIDE A HOW TO DOES

[01:35:03]

SO AS WE CAN SEE, THE INTERNS REALLY DO PAY FOR THEMSELVES. SO AND IT'S DEAR TO MY HEART, I'VE BEEN ASKED BY A COUPLE OF CITIES, LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO IT? AND I'M LIKE, OH, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE. SO AND I ALSO ATTACHED SOME AND THIS WAS JUST FOR ME, I GUESS. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE GET BACK FROM THE INTERNS AND THERE ARE A LOT MORE. I ONLY GAVE YOU TWO EXAMPLES OF HOW THE INTERNS COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY THRIVE ON THIS PROJECT.

AND WE'VE EVEN HAD A FEW PEOPLE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ONE INTERN THAT ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR THE CITY. AND THAT'S GREAT IN MY MIND, BECAUSE THAT'S SHOWING THAT WE CAN RETAIN AND KEEP THESE PEOPLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JACKIE, NOT ONLY FOR WALKING US THROUGH THOSE NUMBERS, BUT FOR THE WORK YOU CONTINUE TO DO EVERY DAY TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS. I KNOW YOU DESERVE IT. YOU DESERVE IT. I ALSO WANT TO JUST COME BACK A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE RESIDENTS CAN'T SEE THESE SLIDESHOWS UNLESS YOU'RE LOGGED IN. JACKIE DID MENTION THAT THE LAST AUDIT SHE DID WAS THE. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT, WHICH WE DISCUSSED HERE AT H WITH HR. I JUST WANT TO ALSO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT THAT'S THE ONLY AUDIT WE DID IN 2026. WE DID ONE AUDIT DUE TO THE TIME THAT WE HAVE. SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO BRING EVERYONE'S ATTENTION BACK TO SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT OUR CITY IS THAT OUR CITY'S HOME RULE CHARTER, ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION 403, CLEARLY OUTLINES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY'S CONTROLLER. UNDER SECTION A, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY'S FINANCES, INDEPENDENT OF BOTH THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES. THAT INDEPENDENCE MATTERS. OUR OFFICE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW HOW TAXPAYERS DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT, ASK QUESTIONS, IDENTIFY CONCERNS AND REPORT OUR FINDINGS. AND WE ALREADY ARE CARRYING THOSE OUT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGH OUR REQUIRED ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND PURCHASING CARD REVIEWS. BUT BUT OUR CHARTER GOES MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT. SECTION D GIVES THE CONTROLLER THE AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT AUDITS OF CITY DEPARTMENTS, OFFICES, AUTHORITIES BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING ACCESS TO THE RECORDS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THOSE REVIEWS. SECTION G CALLS FOR ACCURATE AND TIMELY COMPLETION OF AUDIT REPORTS, ALONG WITH APPROPRIATE FOLLOW UP RECOMMENDATIONS. I DIDN'T CREATE THESE RESPONSIBILITIES. THEY THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ESTABLISHED IN OUR CITY'S CHARTER LONG BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT. I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS SECTION K, WHICH STATES THAT THE CONTROLLER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING AN ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE OPERATION OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE WITHIN APPROVED BUDGET LIMITATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR BUDGET REQUEST OR REVIEW THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR OUR OFFICE UNTIL OCTOBER 14TH. MOVING FORWARD, I INTEND TO EXERCISE THE RESPONSIBILITY OUTLINED IN SECTION K AND MAKE SURE OUR OFFICE IS INVOLVED IN PREPARING AND PRESENTING ITS BUDGET NEEDS. THIS ISN'T AT ALL. THIS ISN'T AT ALL TO CREATE A CONFLICT. IN FACT, WE PRESENTED THIS TO EACH OF YOU AND THE ADMINISTRATION PRIOR TO TONIGHT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WHAT IT NEEDS TO CARRY OUT ITS RESPONSIBILITIES. AND THAT BRINGS ME BACK TO OUR REQUEST. TONIGHT. WE ARE ASKING COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE REINSTATEMENT OF ONE FULL TIME INTERNAL AUDITOR POSITION AT PAY GRADE S 12, WITH A SALARY RANGE OF 74,272 TO 91,595.

WE'RE ALSO REQUESTING TO HAVE OUR 10%, WHICH IS $700 BACK IN OUR BUDGET, ON TOP OF $14,000 FOR EMPLOYEE TRAINING OFFICE FURNISHINGS, FOR OUR NEW FULL TIME AUDITOR, AND SUPPLIES TO

[01:40:06]

AND I DON'T WANT TO DEFER FROM THAT. I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THAT UP BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT IS EASIER TO REVIEW FIVE INVOICES IN ONE TRANSACTION FROM A TIME STANDPOINT, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT. AND I WILL GIVE YOU A GREAT EXAMPLE. THIS WEEK I WAS REVIEWING INVOICES AND I HAD ONE STATEMENT. NOT THE WHOLE MONTH, JUST ONE OUT OF 4 OR 5 STATEMENTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PERSON. IT WAS MADE UP OF 100 INVOICES, AND EACH ONE HAD TO BE OPENED UP INDIVIDUALLY AND

[01:45:01]

AGAIN, IF AN INVOICE EVEN MENTIONS SALES TAX, IT'S FLAGGED IMMEDIATELY AND YOU CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH AND JUST IMMEDIATELY THROW THAT BACK. SO I MEAN, AND I, I ASK NOT BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN ERASE AND WE CAN KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF STAFFING. I'M JUST SAYING IT BECAUSE I THINK WHAT MORE COULD WE DO IF WE ALSO LEVERAGE THOSE TECHNOLOGIES? AND ARE YOU ACCOUNTING FOR SOME OF THOSE THAT YOU KNOW, IN YOUR BUDGET OR DO WE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHAT CAN WE DO TO TYLER? I WAS ACTUALLY IN AT THE TYLER CONFERENCE THIS YEAR, AND I SPENT WAY TOO MUCH TIME AT THE HELP DESK. I MEAN, FIRST NAME BASIS WITH EVERYBODY AFTER A WHILE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW HOW WE COULD LEVERAGE IT. THEY DO YOU HAVE A PRODUCT THAT WE CAN USE IN AP? BUT IT'S GOING TO COST MONEY. IS IT WORTH THE BANG FOR THE BUCK? I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE AT THIS TIME WE'RE READY FOR THAT. BUT THAT'S JUST MY ASSESSMENT. BUT IN THE FUTURE, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO LOOK. UNDERSTOOD.

THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR MY QUESTION. I THINK I HAD ONE MORE, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT. SO I'LL GET BACK TO YOU. YOU CAN EMAIL IT. PRESIDENT NAPOLI I'M SURE.

THANK YOU. AND FIRST OFF, MISS ELGATO, WELCOME TO YOUR FIRST BUDGET MEETING. SO GET THIS GET THIS OUT OF YOUR WAY. BUT IT GETS EASIER. SO BUT AND WE DID SEE THE PRESENTATION. OUR CLERK, MR. HANLON, DID SEND IT TO US. IT WAS WELL DONE. SO I'M SORRY THAT WE CAN'T WE DON'T HAVE IT ON SCREEN. BUT IT IT WAS WELL DONE. THANK YOU. LISTEN, I'LL SPEAK TO THE INTERNS. OVER THE YEARS, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW SOME OF THEM. YOU KNOW WHEN WHEN JEFF WOULD HAVE THE MEET AND GREETS AND AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAD THE PROCESS FLOWS HERE. YOU KNOW, AT COUNCIL. I THINK IT WAS REALLY BENEFICIAL TO, TO KIND OF GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS AND SOME OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WHETHER IT WAS A PULL, WHETHER IT WAS, OH, WE GOT IT. AND THERE WE GO. I, I SPOKE, ON THE WEBSITE, SO I'M JUST BYPASSING OUR SYSTEM. BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK HAS BEEN BENEFICIAL OVER THE YEARS. SO I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF IT AND IT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IT DOES GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GET THAT INSIDE VIEW OF SOME OF HOW WE DO THINGS. AND, AND THE FACT THAT IT COULD BE A RECRUITING TOOL ALSO, I THINK IS, IS PRETTY COOL. IF SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WANT TO START WORKING HERE, IT'S KIND OF A NICE WAY TO GET THEM ONE FOOT IN THE DOOR. SO DEFINITELY A FAN OF THAT. AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I'M GOOD. YEAH. IF I CAN JUST INTERJECT ONE THING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO WITH OUR INTERNSHIPS IS ASK THE DEPARTMENTS, COUNCIL, WHOEVER, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT? ONE YEAR WAS VERY INTERESTING.

WE DID HOW TO START A BUSINESS IN THE CITY. AND I REMEMBER OUR OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AT THE

[01:50:08]

WE WERE ABLE TO BRING EVERYBODY INTO THAT ROOM, AND I GOT TO GIVE THE INTERN CREDIT, BECAUSE THERE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 18 TO 20 PEOPLE AND WE DISCUSSED WHAT COULD BE DONE, WHAT COULDN'T BE DONE. THE THE TRACTION OF WHAT HAS TO COME FIRST. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND I THINK IT HELPED. THE OTHER THING THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS FMLA. FMLA HAD BEEN A HUGE, HUGE PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. AND I THINK MARTY WOULD WOULD AGREE.

AND THAT'S WHY ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK THEY DECIDED TO TAKE IT INTERNALLY, BECAUSE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT AND SOMEBODY ELSE'S UNDERSTANDING OF IT WASN'T ALWAYS MESHING.

AND THERE WERE PROBLEMS WHICH NOT ONLY IMPACT FMLA BUT IMPACTS STAFFING. WE HAVE BECAUSE OF FMLA. SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T FILL AN OPEN POSITION THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED BECAUSE THAT POSITION IS IS, YOU KNOW, SEQUESTERED FOR THAT PERSON BY DOING THE FMLA PROCESS FLOW AND COMING UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES IN HR AND THEIR DOCUMENTATION TO THE PERSON ON FMLA AND HOPEFULLY HELP SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS WITH THEIR STAFFING ISSUES. AND I QUICKLY I'LL ADD ONE MORE THING. SOMETIMES IT TAKES AN OUTSIDE SET OF EYES. YOU KNOW, I THINK IN IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, I MEAN, SOMETIMES WE'RE JUST TOO CLOSE TO IT AND WE DON'T SEE THINGS THE WAY MAYBE SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE DOES.

SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY JUST FOR A FRESH SET OF EYES AND SAY LIKE, WAIT, WHY ARE YOU DOING IT THIS WAY? AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. SO AGAIN, I'M A BIG SUPPORTER. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE THE GRAPHICS. IT WAS IT WAS HELPFUL TO ACTUALLY TO SEE THIS DATA AND SEE THE, SEE WHERE THE, THE AMOUNT OF TRANSACTIONS YOU'RE DOING AND HOW THAT'S, THAT'S IMPACTING THE AMOUNT OF AUDITS THAT YOU CAN DO. I THINK TO COUNCILPERSON PONGO'S COMMENT, I GUESS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WHILE YOU WERE AT THE CONVENTION YOU WERE TALKING TO HELPED US. WE HAD A CONSULTANT THAT CAME IN ORIGINALLY ON THE ROLLOUT, DID WE NOT? OR AM I INCORRECT ON THAT? WHEN WE WHEN WE TRANSFERRED TO THE ON THE CLOUD BASED SYSTEM, OR WAS THAT NOT CORRECT? WE DID. OKAY. AND I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY REALLY 2 OR 3 MAJOR SOFTWARES THAT PEOPLE USE IN, IN THIS, IN THIS ECOSYSTEM TO SEE IF I'M SURE IF YOU'RE HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH P CARDS, SOMEONE ELSE IS PROBABLY HAVING A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH P CARDS. AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE ENGAGED OR IF THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS WE HAVE WITH THE CONSULTANT TO EVALUATE THAT OR, AND, AND I COULDN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER CITIES OR MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE OURS IS VERY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE TO REVIEW ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS. SO SOME OF THEM MAY CHOOSE TO ONLY DO A SAMPLING OF THEM. I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY, BECAUSE I TALKED TO THE COUNTY MORE. SO THERE, ARE REVIEWING EVERYTHING. I KNOW BETHLEHEM IS ONLY REVIEWING A SAMPLING OF THEM. YEAH, I WAS I WAS SPEAKING MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS WITH THE SOFTWARE, IF THEY CAN, IF THEY COULD, IF THERE'S POTENTIAL AREAS THAT THAT DATA COULD BE MANIPULATED OR EVALUATED WITH, WITH MAYBE NOT A THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE, BUT THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING IN THAT CAN SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN THESE SCENARIOS. AND THAT COULD MAYBE LIGHTEN THAT LOAD A LITTLE BIT. I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, OH, I DON'T KNOW. IT APPEARS THAT FINANCE HAS A, HAS A, HAS INPUT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. EXCELLENT QUESTION. SO AS WE WERE IMPLEMENTING, WE DID REACH OUT TO OTHER ENTITIES.

THIS IS TYLER IS VERY, VERY POPULAR IN IN GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND NONPROFITS. SO WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS OR HOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO AVOID WHAT THEY HAVE FACED? ANY CHALLENGES? WHAT COULD WE LEARN FROM THEM? SO WE DID TALK TO A FEW OF THEM, AND WE CONTINUOUSLY TALKED TO THEM TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. WE HAVE NOT 100% COMPLETED THE MIGRATION. WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE PAYROLL AND HR PART OF THAT. WE COLLABORATE WITH THEM, WE MEET WITH THEM, AND THEY ALSO COME HERE AND SHOW US. BUT WE HAVE NOT FINALIZED AS TO HOW TO MAKE THAT PROCESS BETTER. BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT. BUT YOU'VE NEVER ACTUALLY WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT WITH THEM? NO. OKAY. I GUESS I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY, SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE EVALUATING THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED SO FAR THAT THEY COULD MEET WITH THE COMPTROLLER, TYLER TYLER FOLKS, I THINK THE ENTIRE CITY WAS ON. SO WHEN WE HAD THE IMPLEMENTATION GOING ON, DEPENDING ON THE MODULE, SO

[01:55:05]

SO THAT CONSULTANT, THE EXPERTISE, THE SMES FROM THAT FOR THAT SUBJECT MATTER WAS ON THE CALL. AND I THINK, I THINK WE WERE ALL ON AT THE SAME TIME. SO CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WE WERE ALL ON. BUT THAT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ALWAYS DID NOT HAVE THE RESPONSES THAT WE NEEDED TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. WELL, AND JUST TO INTERJECT, THERE WERE THINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO HAVE TYLER CREATE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY, LIKE WE DO HAVE A P CARD STATEMENT REPORT, WHICH I WORKED WITH TYLER TO DESIGN TO MAKE MY LIFE A LOT EASIER.

INSTEAD OF GUESSING WHAT THE MONTH'S TRANSACTIONS ARE, IT GIVES ME A NICE LITTLE REPORT, ALTHOUGH I STILL HAVE TO EDIT IT AND VERIFY IT AND AUDIT IT. IT'S NOT 100% PERFECT, BUT IT'S BETTER. THE ISSUE REALLY WAS AND AND IT WORKED. WELL, WE I WAS ON SOME OF THOSE CALLS. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO ANTICIPATE BECAUSE WE HADN'T BEEN GOING THROUGH THE P CARD PROCESS YET.

WE HADN'T ALL STARTED DOING ALL OF THAT. SO WHEN THAT TRAINING OR, OR CONSULTING HAPPENED, WE, WE DIDN'T KNOW. WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW. SO HOW ABOUT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IF, IF WE'RE STILL MOVING MODULE, WE'RE STILL TRANSFERRING SOME MODULES OVER, MAYBE THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE LESSONS LEARNED SO FAR AND ACTUALLY ASK HOW WE COULD MAYBE BE MORE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT JACKIE WAS SAYING, THAT SHE WENT TO A TYLER. AND SO THAT'S HOW WE TRICKS AND TIPS IS WHERE I THINK WE LEARN WHEN WE GO TO CONFERENCES. AND THAT'S WHERE SHE WENT THIS YEAR AND, AND GOT SOME OF THE THINGS MORE UNDERSTANDING ON SOME OF THE THINGS, BUT NOT ALL. SO WE ARE GRADUALLY LEARNING THE MORE OF MUNIS. AND THIS IS YEAR, TECHNICALLY YEAR ONE, WE JUST WENT LIVE, I THINK JULY OF 2025. AND JUST TO YOUR POINT, WHAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING IS HERE BY THIS OTHER MODULE, AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU, ETC. ETC. AGAIN, NOT SURE WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH CUTS AND BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. WE WERE NOT SPENDING WILLY NILLY. I KNOW I HAD TALKED TO JEFF ABOUT IT, BUT I WASN'T REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT IT WAS PULLING, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS. MY QUESTION IS JUST LIKE IF IF IT'S GOING TO SAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT I WOULD EXPECT, I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY WOULD PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT YOU COULD SAY HERE, LOOK AT THIS. DOES IT WORK FOR YOU BEFORE WE WANT TO GO IN ON THAT. IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WAS NOT THE THE. YEAH, I'M ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH THE SALES REP AND IT JUST, I WASN'T GETTING THE INFORMATION I WANTED. SO I'M NOT JUST, I'M NOT DISCARDING IT. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A COST TO THE CITY. OKAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. ANYONE ELSE? DEVICE. OH, JUST YEAH, JUST ONE MORE THING. SO I, I KNOW WHEN WE MET, WE DISCUSSED AND YOU PRESENTED ON SOME OF THIS LATER IN YOUR PRESENTATION AS FAR AS SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF POTENTIAL AREAS WHERE MAYBE WE COULD BE DOING MORE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FUNDING, BUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COLLECT OR TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, RECTIFY SOME OF THOSE MISSING FUNDS. WELL, I WON'T CALL THEM MISSING FUNDS, BUT JUST UNCOLLECTED FUNDS. I, I'M CURIOUS, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S AN ASK ON THE TABLE TODAY AS FAR AS THE POSITION AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY THOUGHT AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT PORTION OF SOME OF THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WHERE, HEY, LOOK, HAVING THIS PERSON WOULD HELP US TRY TO GET SOME OF THESE FUNDS. I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE WOULDN'T BE IN A, IN A POSITION OF COLLECTIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOME EXPECTED PRODUCTION OF THAT ROLE? WE WE'VE ACTUALLY MET WITH FINANCE MIKE AND ERICA DELEON, WHO IS HERE REGARDING RECEIVABLES, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE THAT WAS A REAL BIG EYE OPENER FOR US WHEN WE DID RECEIVABLES. IT EVEN HIT THE PAPER AND IT WAS ABOVE THE LINE, ACCORDING TO JEFF. HE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND WAS OUR RETIREES WEREN'T. THEY WERE GETTING THE BENEFIT AND IN SOME CASES, SPENDING THAT BENEFIT TO A HUGE AMOUNT, THEY WERE USING THE BENEFIT, BUT THEY WEREN'T PAYING THE CITY FOR THOSE MONIES. AND WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT SOME OF THAT. REALLY, THE CITY WAS ABLE TO COLLECT THE MONIES BECAUSE WE DON'T COLLECT IT, WE IDENTIFY IT, AND WE PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION, AND THAT WAS HUGE FOR US. I'D LIKE TO REVISIT THAT. BUT AGAIN, TIMING WISE, I MEAN, WE GOT THE

[02:00:08]

I'M WRITING THE REPORTS. I'M ANSWERING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS. RECENTLY, I HAD ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP AND IT WAS JUST A QUESTION, AND IT RESULTED IN LIKE FIVE EMAILS BACK AND FORTH.

BOTTOM LINE, THAT TAKES AWAY FROM MY TIME. AND IT RESULTED IN A NON-ISSUE BECAUSE ALL I WANTED WAS A BUSINESS REASON FOR SOMETHING. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS REASON? GREAT, FINE. I'M GOOD. LET'S MOVE ON. BUT INSTEAD, IT IT IT SNOWBALLED AND IT WAS LIKE, GOD, ALL I WANT IS THEIR RESPONSE SO THAT I CAN, YOU KNOW, SAY, I DID MY DUE DILIGENCE. I FULFILLED MY FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CITIZENS OF ALLENTOWN BY ASKING THOSE TOUGH QUESTIONS. WE MAY NOT LIKE THEM, BUT IT'S JUST A QUESTION. THANK YOU. IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, I THINK THEN THAT CONCLUDES THE CONTROLLERS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND NOW, NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE MAYOR'S. YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GET TO THE MAYOR'S PRESENTATION, I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S RELEVANT THAT AND YOU MAY NOT REALIZE THAT WHEN THE COMPTROLLER MADE THEIR SUBMISSION, THERE WAS NO COMPTROLLER AT THE TIME. I MEAN, YOUR INITIAL SUBMISSION WAS MADE FROM AN EMPTY OFFICE WITH AN ACTING COMPTROLLER. I WOULD I MEAN, WE THINK THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THE THE TOOLS THAT THAT THEY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE SHOULD YOU SHOULD AT LEAST CONSIDER THAT AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS WE MAY AMEND IN THE BUDGET. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SURE, SURE. SO I SAW THIS. I SAW OUR SLIDE WENT UP A MOMENT AGO. WAS IT THERE FOR A SECOND? YOU CAN SEE IT ON YOUR IPADS. YOU CAN SEE. OKAY. WELL WHAT WHAT ARE WHAT OUR SLIDES.

LET ME GET IT RIGHT AT THE END. WHAT OUR SLIDE SAYS IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WE HAVE WE HAVE THE TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET, INCLUDING PERSONNEL OF JUST OVER $1 MILLION. AND THEN REALLY WHAT WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS IS THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH IS 138,000. AND SOME CHANGE. WE HAVE THE ORG CHART OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, WHICH WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY THE MAYOR AND THEN ME. AND THEN WE HAVE TWO BUSINESS UNITS. WE HAVE THE THE BUSINESS OPERATIONS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OPERATIONS UNIT. AND THEN WE HAVE THE COMMUNICATIONS UNIT.

WE HAVE JAY WITH ME HERE TODAY, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW, SHE IS THE SHE IS THE MANAGER OF THE BUSINESS OF ALL THE BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY.

AND THEN BEHIND ME IS CHELSEA. SHE'S THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER. SO ALL OF THE RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUTGOING COMMUNICATIONS SINCE SHE'S SINCE SHE'S BEEN BACK WITH US AND I GUESS AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER HAVE GONE THROUGH HER AND THEN THE TWO PEOPLE THAT REPORT TO HER, THE TOTAL PIE CHART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, 32% OF THE TOTAL EXPENSE IS PUBLICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS, WHICH ARE OUTLINED, 33% ARE CIVIC EXPENSES, WHICH ARE SPONSORSHIPS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HOLD EVENTS AND THAT AND THAT NEED SPONSORSHIPS. WE HAVE 16% TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THINGS LIKE THE ICMA CONFERENCE, THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE SMALL WE HAVE A 10%, ABOUT 10%, 15,000, $13,000 FOR TEMPORARY WAGES, WHICH ARE MOSTLY INTERNSHIPS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ASD STUDENTS AND OTHERS. WELL, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER STUDENTS. WE HAD MAYBE THREE THIS SUMMER. I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH THEM. THEY DID GOOD WORK, AND MANY OF THEM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDED A BENEFIT TO THE CITY. THE ASD STUDENTS ACTUALLY, ASD PAYS THEIR OWN STUDENTS, AND THEN WE HAVE 9% FOR OTHER SERVICES AND OPERATING. WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON. YOU CAN SEE I'LL JUST READ IT. SINCE EVERYONE DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE SLIDE. STRENGTHENING COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS ALL ALLENTOWN

[02:05:02]

[02:10:09]

SO YEAH, THE GRANT COVERED PART TIME FELLOW. BUT NOW THE STAFFING, THIS IS, THIS INITIATIVE IS GOING TO BE LED BY THE MANAGER OF CIVIC INNOVATION FOR 2027. SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS LOOKING AT THE BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM, LOVE YOUR BLOCK WAS GOING THIS YEAR STILL CORRECT. AND IT WAS THE YEAR PREVIOUS AS WELL. CORRECT. THE THE GRANT ENDED ON OCTOBER 31ST, 2026. SO WE'RE WORKING ON WRAPPING UP THE REPORTING FOR 20 2026. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY GRANT FUNDING FOR 2027. OKAY. I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS LOOKING AT THE WHAT WAS THE 2026, THE BUDGET WE'RE CURRENTLY IN HERE AND WHAT WAS OUTLINED FOR THAT? THERE WAS PERMANENT WAGE, AND THERE WAS ALSO TEMPORARY WAGES TO COVER.

PART OF THAT WAS FOR THAT PROGRAM. BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE CONSOLIDATING DOWN TO ONE PERSON WHERE WE NEEDED MORE THAN ONE PERSON TO DEPLOY IT.

PREVIOUSLY, WE DIDN'T HAVE PERMANENT WAGES IN THAT GRANT FOR 2026. I'M JUST LOOKING WE HAD THERE WAS THERE WAS FOR THE CIVIC PROGRAM OR NO. OKAY. SO THE CIVIC INNOVATION BUDGET IS.

SO THAT BUDGET WAS NOT USED FOR THE LOVE YOUR BLOCK PROGRAM. OKAY. IN THE PAST. SO THE INITIATIVES OF THE OFFICE OF CIVIC INNOVATION HAVE NOW SHIFTED TO THE LOVE YOUR BLOCK PROGRAM FOR YEAR THREE. SO IS THE CIVIC INNOVATIONS FOCUS. MAIN GOAL IS JUST THE LOVE YOUR BLOCK PROGRAM. IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IT FOR 2027? RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, YEAH.

AND PART OF IT IS WE ARE TRYING WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM THAT WAS GRANT FUNDED.

WE'D LIKE TO MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO DO IN PERPETUITY WITH OUR OWN FUNDING. SO RATHER THAN HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND TEMPORARY HELP, WE, WE, WE, WE ALSO HAVE IS THERE NOT TEMPORARY, THERE'S NO TEMPORARY WAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY WERE. THEY WERE THEY WERE REQUESTED, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN THIS YEAR. THAT'S WHY I WAS KIND OF ACCUSED. WELL, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE HAD MORE HELP. BUT AS YOU'VE HEARD, EVERYBODY, THAT'S BEEN A THEME ACROSS EVERYBODY, EVERY DEPARTMENT. SO IF THAT'S THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR THIS YEAR, WHAT I'M TRYING TO RATIONALIZE IN MY MIND HERE IS WE HAVE A BUDGET TOTAL OF $21,000 FOR A PROGRAM. AND THEN WE HAVE EFFECTIVELY A 161, 160,000 SOME DOLLAR BUDGET TO DEPLOY $21,000, WHICH SEEMS. RANGE. OH, THE WAGES VERSUS THE WELL, IF THAT'S WHAT THE FOCUS OF THE DEPARTMENT IS. AND IT'S CURRENTLY ONLY ONE PERSON AND IT'S TO DEPLOY $21,000. I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, THAT'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERHEAD TO DEPLOY 21 GRAND. YEAH. WELL, I MEAN, REALLY IT WAS THE WAGES OF THREE PEOPLE, LET'S SAY INITIALLY. I MEAN, IT'S A 20. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A $20,000 PER ROOM, BUT IT'S A LOT OF I MEAN, THE MATERIALS, THAT'S REALLY JUST THE COST FOR MATERIALS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE DID. PAGE 22. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT? YEAH. WELL, IN ANY EVENT, I MEAN, SO YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S THE PRIME FOCUS. BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT EMPLOYEE IS GOING TO DO. I MEAN, THAT EMPLOYEE WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THE WELCOMING CITY, WITH THE WELCOMING CITY PROGRAM THAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER. OKAY. I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THAT'S WHY. SO I GUESS TO THAT POINT, THEN YOU'RE SAYING THE OTHER THINGS.

[02:15:02]

WE WANTED TO DO MORE THAN 20. I THINK, WHERE I'M GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED. SO WE HAVE THE.

IN HR, WE HAVE A PEOPLE AND CULTURE SPECIALIST, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION FOR THE DATA DRIVING OF THE INTERNAL. THAT'S MORE THE INTERNAL WORKFORCE. I MEAN, KUMAR IS MORE, YOU KNOW, SHE INTERVIEWS OUR EMPLOYEES THE WAY THAT OUR EMPLOYEES INTERACT WITH THEIR MANAGERS.

THIS IS MORE COMMUNITY FOCUSED, EXTERNAL. I MEAN, THAT THAT THAT'S MORE OF AN INTERNAL FOCUS, THE HR POSITION. OKAY. BUT THIS IS EXTERNAL. SO. I GUESS SO WHAT WHAT IS THE SO IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU HAVE THERE IN THIS BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR, WE HAVE TWO OF THOSE CITY HALL AT THE TABLE, THE CHATS THAT'S IN THIS BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR. I SEE IT AS RENTALS FOR SPACE RENTALS, FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, CHAT. UNDER THE 50, THE 30 FOR COMMUNITY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY CITY HALL AT THE TABLE, BUT COMMUNITY? YEAH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, THE CHAT MEETINGS. OH, THIS WAS YOU. THIS WAS BEFORE YOU WERE.

YEAH. SORRY, SORRY. THERE WERE PREVIOUSLY WE HAD MULTIPLE ONES AROUND THE CITY WHERE THEY WOULD JUST, THEY WOULD BRING COMMUNITY IN TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW AT YOUR LOCAL AREA, YOU COULD COME AND ENGAGE LIKE CIVIC THEATER DID THAT. AND THERE WAS ONE ON THE FIRST AND SIXTH WARD AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND IT JUST, IT BROUGHT PEOPLE, NEIGHBORS TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CITY HALL PRESENT THERE RATHER THAN HAVING TO COME HERE DOWNTOWN.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS, I THINK IN OUR CURRENT 2026 BUDGET, WE BUDGETED FOR DOING THAT MULTIPLE TIMES. DID WE DID WE DO ANY THIS YEAR? IN THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY.

YEAH. I'M NOT. IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVEN'T. SO. OKAY. BECAUSE WHAT I'M GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED IS IF I LOOK AT THE ACTUAL ACCOUNT THAT IT'S IN THERE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ACTUALLY, WE, WE USE THAT FUNDING FOR THAT, THE RENTALS IN THAT. AND THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DID WITH IT THIS YEAR. WELL, LOOK, I'M, WE CAN WE CAN LOOK INTO IT FOR YOU AND I'LL GET YOU ANSWERS. AND WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WITH THIS PROGRAM IS I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE MEET ABOUT IT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I SUBMIT THE WHOLE BUDGET, THE THE $157 MILLION. THIS IS AN INFINITESIMALLY SMALL PART OF THAT BUDGET. YEAH. NO, IT'S NOT MUCH. I DON'T INTERACT MUCH WITH THIS. I THINK WHAT I'M WHERE I'M STRUGGLING WITH, LIKE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF ASKS FOR STAFFING. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE POSITION AND LIKE EVEN LOOKING IN HERE. LAST YEAR, WE ALLOCATED $15,000 TO DO TRANSLATIONS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. WE USED IT ACCORDING TO THAT. WE'VE NOW ALLOCATED AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND THE IT BUDGET HAS A $20,000 TO DO TRANSLATION LANGUAGE. SO I'M TRYING TO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE ALL THIS IS GOING, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE DUPLICATING THINGS OR I DON'T THINK WE USE THAT IN 2026. YOU KNOW, ON THE IN THE ACCOUNT HERE, WHAT WAS ON THE IN THE 46 ACCOUNT, IT SHOWED I'M ONLY HERE FOR HALF THE YEAR. SO NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE. I THINK WE HAD WHAT HAPPENED WAS BEGINNING OF 2026, OUR MANAGER THAT WAS RUNNING THE PROGRAM, LAURA, MOVED ON TO WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION. SHE LEFT US. SO THERE WAS A GAP IN BETWEEN. AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE SPENT ANYTHING THAT WAS BUDGETED IN, IN 2026. WE HAVE NOT MOVED FORWARD WITH ANYTHING. OKAY. I PROBABLY HAVE ONE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'M HAPPY TO MEET

[02:20:11]

THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S A THAT'S AN INCOMING POSITION. SHE DEALS WITH PEOPLE WHO CONTACT US AT ANY POINT IN THE ORGANIZATION. YOU KNOW, THAT THAT OUTREACH COMES TO US MOST LATELY IT'S BEEN IN THE FORM OF TREES. WE'VE ALL BEEN ON THOSE EMAILS, BUT LOTS OF THINGS POTHOLES, TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, SOMEBODY TRYING TO GET A POLICE REPORT, WHO HAS A PROBLEM, SOMEBODY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO COME IN AND THEY'RE THEY MAY BE UNHOUSED OR THEY MAY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT STUFF IS WHAT THAT PERSON DOES. AND IT'S REALLY A FULL TIME JOB JUST TO, JUST TO JUST, JUST TO HANDLE THAT INCOMING CONSTITUENT SERVICE, YOU KNOW? NO. AGREED. AND ABSOLUTELY. AND JUST LIKE YOU WERE ABLE TO ELABORATE, I FEEL LIKE THAT ROLE IS VERY CLEARLY ESTABLISHED. SO I APPRECIATE THAT INPUT. SURE.

YOU HAVE A QUESTION. AND ONE OTHER QUESTION, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS THIS HAS COME UP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IT IS, IS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ON THE, ON THE 34, THE TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE 25 K THAT'S ALLOCATED. SO I SEE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THE VARIOUS MEMBERSHIPS TO THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. WE ALSO HAVE DOWN HERE THE LINE. THE MAYOR AND THE STAFF WILL ATTEND BOTH MAYORS, COUNCIL COUNCILS, SORRY, CONFERENCES IN THE SPRING AND FALL. IS THAT WHAT'S WHAT'S THE DOT? BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP BEFORE. WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR THAT. IS THAT THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR WHAT? JUST FOR THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS? WELL, SO ON THE ON THE TOP HEADING HERE IN THE NARRATIVE ON PAGE 61, ON THE 534 ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE 25 GRAND, BUT THAT'S ALREADY SPELLED OUT FOR THE THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, ICMA AND YEAH. DO THOSE NUMBERS INCORPORATE THE TRAVEL IN IT OR IS IT EXTRA OR SEPARATE? SO CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, THERE'S 15,000 FOR THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ON LINE TWO. THE MAYOR GOES TO TWO OF THEM A YEAR, ONE IN JANUARY AND ONE IN JUNE. AND HE TAKES A STAFF PERSON TO THE ONE IN JUNE EVERY YEAR. SO THE 15 K IS NOT LIKE THE SUBSCRIPTION FOR IT. IT'S THE TRAVEL. THE SUBSCRIPTION FOR IT IS ACTUALLY BUDGETED UNDER PUBLICATION PUBLICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIP. THE TEN K ONE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MORE LIKE 11 K THIS YEAR. I JUST SEEN THE I JUST RECEIVED THE BILL ACTUALLY. OKAY, SO EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDER THE TRAINING ONE. AND AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO TRY TO BE CLEAR ON THIS ONE BECAUSE THIS QUESTION HAS COME UP A LOT. SO FOR THE 2027 BUDGET, FROM ANY TYPE OF TRAVEL THAT'S BEING NON NOT SPONSORED BY SOMEONE ELSE IS 25 K FOR THESE THREE DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL EVENTS.

IF I'M UNDERSTANDING. YES. OKAY. THAT IS NOT THE MAYOR. THE ICMA IS LIKE IS LIKE I'M A I'M, I'M AN ICMA ACCREDITED MUNICIPAL MANAGER. SO THAT'S LIKE THAT CONFERENCE. WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE NAME STANDS FOR. IT'S THE MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP MIT PROGRAM PROFESSIONAL COURSES.

AND THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS IS WHAT I HAVE HERE. IT WASN'T UPDATED. BUT YES, THAT'S WHERE I SEE MY. OKAY. OKAY. I THINK THAT THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE. IF ANYONE ELSE

[02:25:03]

YEAH. CITY BOUNDARIES. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THE DAIS. COULD YOU GIVE CARNAGE TO GET THIS ASSIGNMENT. YEAH. THIS IS IS THE CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL FOR VERIZON.

IT'S IT'S A FIVE YEAR RENEWAL. CITIES DETERMINED. WE'VE HAD THIS I BELIEVE SINCE 2009. THE PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN SATISFACTORY. YEAH. NO ISSUES AT ALL. AND THIS IS THIS IS A STANDARD RENEWAL. WE GET. SO THEY USE THE THIS IS WE GRANT THEM A NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE.

SO WE COULD GRANT AS MANY AS WE WANT. WE HAVE THREE RCN, VERIZON AND SERVICE ELECTRIC, SERVICE ELECTRIC AND ESSENTIALLY THE CABLE FRANCHISE STUFF IS ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, MOSTLY UNDER THE RIGHT OF WAYS, I THINK. CORRECT. AND TO USE THAT, THEY PAY US A 5% FRANCHISE FEE. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE AGREEMENT. IT'S ALL FEDERALLY REGULATED, AND I BELIEVE 5% IS THE MAX. SO AND THIS IS. YEAH. AND SO THESE THIS ONE AND THE NEXT ONE ARE BOTH IN FRONT OF YOU FOR RENEWAL TONIGHT. THANKS. THANKS FOR THAT CLARITY. COUNCIL PRESIDENT NAPOLI. YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD FOR THE PUBLIC, WE DID HAVE A MEETING TODAY WITH THE SOLICITOR AND ALSO OUR SOLICITOR, OUR COUNCIL SOLICITOR, MISS MONTERO, COUNCIL PERSON. BENDER AND I ATTENDED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS. AND THERE ARE SOME NOT QUESTIONS, BUT SOME THOUGHTS WE HAVE ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS BETTER FOR ALLENTOWN RESIDENTS.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED BRIEFLY. DEPARTMENT HEAD MR. ANTHONY WAS THERE AS WELL, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THERE'S SOME THOUGHTS WE HAVE THAT MAYBE WE COULD IMPROVE UPON WHAT'S ALREADY THERE. SO HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. AND MAYBE IF WE CAN'T HAVE IT NOW, YOU KNOW, DUE TO SINCE WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT IT, MAYBE WE TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND TRY

[02:30:02]

OKAY. I THINK BEFORE MOTION PERSPECTIVE, I JUST WANT TO SEE IF ANYONE HAS PUBLIC ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, ANY COMMENT FROM ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE SOLICITOR? NO. THIS IS JUST AS THIS IS A CONTRACT. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD AMEND. SO IF YOU DO HAVE CHANGES, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE PROVIDERS AND SORT THAT OUT FROM THERE. YEAH. I THINK THE TO PRESIDENT NAPOLI'S QUESTION, I THINK JUST SOME OF THE STUFF WE HAD ASKED ABOUT, LIKE, I WONDER IF, IF, IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD JUST HAVE A, MAYBE A BRIEF ONE WEEK JUST TO SEE IF THERE MAY BE SOME OPTIONS, BECAUSE I THINK THERE MIGHT BE WORTH EVALUATING IF, IF ANY OF THOSE COULD BE COULD BE USED. NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD TRY TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, GOING DOWN THE ROAD FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT SO I THINK FROM A MOTION PERSPECTIVE, JUST. AND I'M GOING TO PROBABLY DO THE SAME ON THE NEXT ONE IS JUST I WAS GOING TO SAY MAYBE IF WE COULD MOTION TO TABLE IT FOR JUST UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING TO BRING IT BACK. WELL, I GUESS TABLE COMMITTEE MEETING. YEAH. THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING. THANK YOU. SO WE TABLE IT FOR THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN SPEAK ABOUT IT AND THEN JUST BRING IT BACK AND MOVE IT FORWARD THEN IF NEEDED. SO YEAH, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE A TABLING FOR LONG TERM. JUST JUST GIVE US A WEEK OR TWO TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE, THESE THOUGHTS. IT'S ALL SO I KNOW TABLING CAN GO DIFFERENT WAYS AROUND HERE. I WAS GOING TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW, IS THERE, IS THERE A DATE THAT THE AGREEMENT WHAT'S THE DATE THAT THE AGREEMENT. SO WE'RE ALREADY SIX YEARS OUT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF TWO WEEKS IS GOING TO KILL ANYONE. BUT THE AGREEMENTS EXPIRED. YEAH. SIX YEARS AGO. SO WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN FUNCTIONING UNDER LIKE WE'RE OKAY. WE FUNCTION UNDER THE EXISTING AGREEMENTS. AND THESE ARE, I BELIEVE, PRETTY MUCH IDENTICAL TO THE EXISTING AGREEMENTS. BUT YEAH, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET SOMETHING ON THE BOOKS. UNDERSTOOD. YEAH. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE IT FOR TWO WEEKS. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY. SO OKAY, I'LL SECOND. YEAH, I'LL SECOND THAT. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE, AYE. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN FOR BILL 94, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO READ THAT ONE TOO, BECAUSE IT'S WE'RE GOING TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING. BUT MOST LIKELY BILL 94 IS A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND VERIZON. AND IS THERE ANY COMMENT FROM THE DAIS? IT'S THE SAME EXACT SITUATION, JUST DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT VENDOR. ANY COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS FOR TWO WEEKS, HAVE SOME INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AND I WILL SECOND THAT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. AYE. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN MIKE, I GUESS IF YOU CAN PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS. SO WE NEED TO HAVE AN HR MEETING SET UP IN TWO WEEKS TO HAVE THAT BROUGHT BACK UP. SO THAT IS IT FOR ME. I'VE CONSUMED A LOT OF TIME. SO WE'RE GOING TO PASS THAT BACK TO COUNCIL PRESIDENT NAPOLI. OKAY. THANKS EVERYONE. SO WE JUST CONCLUDED THAT COMMITTEE

[Budget Review Community and Economic Development Committee - Chair Gerlach]

WHATEVER FLOW YOU YOU'VE GOT. OUR BUDGET IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. IN DCED WE DID NOT REQUEST ANY ADDITIONAL POSITIONS. WE DID NOT REQUEST ANY UPGRADES. WE BASICALLY ADHERED TO THE 10% NON-PERSONNEL CUTS OR MORE IN EACH OF OUR PROGRAM BUDGETS WHERE WE COULD. WE BASICALLY PRESENTED, I THINK, A WORKABLE BARE BONES BUDGET. WE DID ELIMINATE SEVERAL, I WOULD SAY, PLANNING FUNCTIONS, STUDIES, THINGS THAT WE HAD PLANNED TO DO. AND INSTEAD WE ARE FOCUSING ON ENHANCING OR MOVING FORWARD IN SOME OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT WE'VE COME TO YOU THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO DISCUSS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL BILLS THAT ARE ALSO IN DISCUSSION THIS EVENING. ONE OF THOSE INVOLVES OUR RENTAL DEPARTMENT. WE CAN DISCUSS THAT MORE WHEN WE GET TO IT. BUT THE ONE THING THAT I,

[02:35:05]

AND THAT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS THAT IS TYPICALLY BORNE BY THE GENERAL FUND, ALTHOUGH IT'S REFLECTED IN AN ENTERPRISE FUND. NOW, WE'RE COMING TO YOU TO DISCUSS TONIGHT IN THE BILL THAT WE'RE PRESENTING, THE PERSON WHO HAS THE COMPLAINT. IT'S A FOUNDED COMPLAINT, AND WE RESPOND NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE COMPLAINT IS NOT RESOLVED. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BILL THAT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. THE PROJECTED REVENUES, I BELIEVE, REFLECT THAT. WE'VE MADE PROGRESS IN BOTH OF THOSE ENTERPRISE FUNDS IN GETTING CLOSER TO COVERING COSTS, DESPITE UNFORESEEN BOARD UPS OR EMERGENCY RESPONSES OR EVENTS THAT OCCUR. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, ARE THERE QUESTIONS ON ANY PART OF THE BUDGET THAT WE CAN ANSWER? ANY QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE OF HEALTH, OR DO WE WANT TO DO HEALTH SEPARATELY? WE'RE BOTH HERE, AND I ASKED DAVE TO BE HERE TO ADDRESS ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO HEALTH, SO YOU CAN FIRE AWAY ON EITHER EITHER SIDE OF THAT. ALL RIGHT. I'LL JUST LOOK AROUND ANY. MR. BENDER, I ONLY I'LL MAKE MINE QUICK. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW IN LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM HERE, I KNOW THAT THERE THE CITIES RUN THE THE BUSINESS EXPANSION AND ATTRACTION AND RETENTION PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE SPARK PROGRAM, WHICH I'M MISSING, WHERE THE ACRONYM. GREAT. THE ACRONYM OUT. WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS THE ACRONYM FOR SPARK? I'M GOING TO HAVE DAN EXPLAIN THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, THE ACRONYM AND THE DATA IN 30S OR LESS. DAN UP TO THE MIC. UP TO THE MIC. YES. SO THAT YOU HAVE SOME DATA ON THE SPARK PROGRAM.

FOR ONE, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT AN ACRONYM. I MEAN, IT'S JUST A KIND OF IT REPRESENTED ACCELERATION. SO WE CALL IT SPARK SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. SO ESSENTIALLY IT SERVES AS A GRANT WHERE A BUSINESS IS ABLE TO RECEIVE 14 HOURS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT BUSINESS FIELDS. THAT INCLUDES ACCOUNTING, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, LEGAL CONSULTING, DIGITAL MARKETING, AS WELL AS ECOMMERCE, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN STRATEGIC PLANNING. SO WE DETERMINED THAT THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL FOR A BUSINESS'S SUCCESS UP TO THIS POINT IN 2026, YEAR TO DATE, WE'VE SEEN 308 HOURS OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT THAT'S BEEN RENDERED TO ABOUT 23 BUSINESSES AT THIS TIME. WE EXPECT THAT THOSE NUMBERS WILL INCREASE GETTING TO THE YEAR'S END. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFIC CLIENT SERVICES RENDERED, WE'VE SEEN IN THE AREAS OF MARKETING TO GIVE YOU EXAMPLES OF SERVICES RENDERED IN WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT AND UPDATING, WE'VE SEEN DESIGN, LAYOUT AND PRINT PRODUCTION OF SIGNAGE AND MERCHANDISE, GOOGLE ADS MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING, AS WELL AS GRAPHIC DESIGN WORK. WE'VE SEEN DESIGN FOR DIRECT MAIL, POSTCARDS, AND DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS, AS WELL AS SERVICES FOR EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, WEBSITE SERVICES. SO THESE ARE SOME THAT I TOOK SPECIFICALLY FROM SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM THIS YEAR. AND IN THE PAST, LEGAL SUPPORT, AS AN EXAMPLE, WE'VE SEEN LEASE REVIEWS AS WELL AS NEGOTIATIONS, TRADEMARKING ENTITY FORMATION, THE DRAFTING AND REVIEW OF OPERATING AGREEMENTS, BUSINESS CONTRACTS, AS WELL AS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LIABILITY RELEASES, ACCOUNTING. WE'VE SEEN PAYROLL SUPPORT, TAX

[02:40:03]

DAN AND MICHAEL ALCOL BEAR GOES OUT TO BUSINESSES EVERY DAY. THEY'RE IN THE FIELD. THEY ARE TALKING TO BUSINESSES ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT WORKING, HOW TO GENERATE FOOT TRAFFIC, HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR SERVICES, FEEDBACK THEY'RE GETTING FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE SAYING, I WISH THIS MENU DIDN'T HAVE TYPOS. I WISH THIS MENU WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH, AND DAN AND MICHAEL PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT. THE OTHER SUPPORT THEY PROVIDE AT THE COUNTER IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE'S COMING IN TO OPEN A NEW BUSINESS, THEY'RE THE NAVIGATORS. SO THEY HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEY NEED A FIRE PERMIT, THEY NEED A HAND WASHING SINK THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH HEALTH. THEY NEED A BUILDING PERMITS IF THEY'RE DOING CONSTRUCTION. SO BEAR IS THE OVERARCHING PROGRAM. SPARK IS A SUBSET OF THAT WHERE WHEN THEY SEE A STRUGGLING BUSINESS OR A BUSINESS APPROACHES THEM AND SAYS, I WANT TO START SELLING MY I AM PINATAS. I HAVE A SPACE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'M BEING RIPPED OFF BY MY LANDLORD. WELL, LET'S MATCH YOU WITH LEGAL SERVICES. AND THOSE ARE EXISTING BUSINESSES WILLING TO MENTOR THE NEW BUSINESS THROUGH THE LEASE, THROUGH THE NEGOTIATION, THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND ARE YOU FOCUSED MOSTLY LIKE MAIN STREET BUSINESSES OR. I MEAN, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS AT THIS TIME, ABOUT 5200 IN CITY BUSINESSES THAT ARE REGISTERED. SO THOSE ARE LIKE IN CITY REGISTERED BUSINESSES. SO OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO SUPPORT THEM AND ADVOCATE FOR THEM. AS VICKI SAID, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME GETTING A LOT OF REFERRALS FOR HELPING NEW BUSINESSES THROUGH THE COMPLIANCE PROCESS OF ZONING, BUILDING STANDARDS, HEALTH REVENUE AND AUDIT. SO I THINK THAT'S A COMPONENT. THEY WERE RECENTLY ON THE EAST SIDE HELPING A BUSINESS THAT HAD TRUCKS PARKING ILLEGALLY AND BLOCKING THE ENTRY TO THEIR LOADING DOCK. THEY RESPONDED AFTER CITY EVENTS TO BUSINESSES TO FIND OUT, DID YOUR FOOT TRAFFIC, DID YOUR RETAIL SALES UP? BECAUSE WE HAD AN EVENT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THOSE TYPES OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUT IT IS CITY WIDE AND SERVING AS A LIAISON OFTENTIMES BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. SO IF SOMEONE REACHES OUT TO US AND WE KIND OF IDENTIFY THIS IS SOMEWHERE WHERE PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS TO STEP IN IF THERE'S A PARKING ISSUE WORKING WITH OUR STREETS SUPERVISORS TO, YOU KNOW, FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, WORKING WITH THE PARKING AUTHORITY, ETC. THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE CHAMBER BOARD. THEY'RE WORKING WITH DIA IN THE DOWNTOWN. THEY GO TO A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WHO WANTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO START A BUSINESS OR NEEDS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ACTIVATE THEIR BUSINESS A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THAT'S DAN AND MICHAEL. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. LAST WOULD BE WHEN MAYBE WHEN THE THE ANNUAL RENEWALS FOR BUSINESS LICENSE BUSINESS LICENSES COME OUT. IF THERE COULD BE SOME AND I KNOW WAIT ON THE WEBSITE TO BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S PRETTY, YOU CAN'T ADVERTISE ON IT REALLY WELL, BUT LIKE, I JUST THINK OF SOMETHING FOR LIKE, EVEN FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE CITY, EVEN LIKE EXECUTING AN NDA CONTRACT AND THAT STUFF WHERE YOU MIGHT NEED TO HAVE AN OUTLOOK ON SOMETHING,

[02:45:02]

THEY WRITE THE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ARTICLES THAT ARE ON THE CITY WEBSITE. BY GOING OUT AND INTERVIEWING THOSE BUSINESSES AND TAKING THE PICTURES WITH CHELSEA LIKE THEY'RE OUT THERE. SO IF THERE'S A BUSINESS AND IT'S A LEGAL BUSINESS, DAN AND MICHAEL KNOW ABOUT IT. AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, MR. BENNETT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT TO CREATE MORE AWARENESS FOR OUR OUR OFFICES AS WELL AS THE SPARK PROGRAM? I THINK THAT'S WHAT YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING BECAUSE LIKE WHEN I HAVE TO RENEW MY BUSINESS, I'M. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO BE LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS AN OPTION. SO, SO YEAH, SO JUST AS A THOUGHT. SO OKAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THAT QUESTION IN ADVANCE SO THAT WE COULD BE PREPARED. AND I HAVE A FOLLOW UP ON THAT SPARK. SO DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MANY APPLICATIONS CAME IN FOR SPARK? SO TOTAL I REFERENCED I REFERENCED THE NUMBER OF 65 BUSINESSES THAT WERE, WERE SUPPORTED WITH THE SERVICES TOTAL OVER FROM 2024 TO NOW, WE HAD OVER 140 APPLICATIONS. SOME OF THEM ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ALLENTOWN REGISTERED BUSINESSES. THEY MIGHT BE OUT OF CITY LIMITS, SO THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE. SOME OF THEM MAY, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM, WHICH IS IT'S A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM IN THE SENSE THAT A BUSINESS MAY NOT HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE. SO FOR THEM TO BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM, THEY NEED TO BE REGISTERED. AND WE ASSIST THEM WITH GETTING THAT AND THEN ENROLLMENT. SO BUT IT IS A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE PROGRAM AND WITH LIMITED FUNDS. SO SOMETIMES YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN AVERAGE OF MAYBE $2,700 FOR A SINGLE BUSINESS. SO WITH THE POT OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S RELATIVELY QUICK.

AND ONE OTHER ITEM TOO, WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY WITH WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER ON IT, THAT THERE IS TRANSLATION SERVICES THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED AS WELL, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR, FOR THE BUSINESSES WORKING WITH THESE VENDORS, DOES THE BUSINESS HAVE TO BE OF A DISADVANTAGED IN NATURE ECONOMICALLY, DEMOGRAPHICALLY, OR CAN SOMEONE WITH MONEY THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE ONE BUSINESS AND THEY WANT TO START A SECOND. LIKE IT WAS ALWAYS INTENDED FOR JUST SMALL BUSINESSES UNDER 50 EMPLOYEES. SO IT CAN BE UNDER 50 OR IT CAN BE ONE EMPLOYEE, SOMEONE STARTING UP IN THEIR HOME, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE AND THEY'RE, THEY, THEY SIGN UP AND THEY'RE IN THE QUEUE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, WE CAN SUPPORT THEM. SO IT'S ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE MANY THAT ARE ENROLLED ARE DIVERSE BASED BUSINESSES, SIGNIFICANT AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF SECTORS AS WELL, FROM RETAIL TO HOME BASED SERVICE, HOME CARE. OKAY.

NO, I JUST ASKED BECAUSE I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, LIKE CERTAIN CERTAIN FOLKS HAVE A HARDER TIME ACQUIRING, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT VERSUS OTHER FOLKS CAN, YOU KNOW, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE MAKEUP OF THE PROGRAM WAS INTENDED TO HELP WITH THAT. I MEAN, THESE ARE COSTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE YOU WOULD INCUR OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET THAT THE CITY AND OF COURSE, WITH YOURSELVES HAVE DEDICATED TO SUPPORT. SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT HELPS THE STARTUPS. AND I THINK WE'VE HAD A GREAT JOB WITHIN OUR NAME OF BUSINESS EXPANSION, ATTRACTION, RETENTION, THAT THIS IS A GREAT RETENTION TOOL FOR US. THE OTHER THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT ALTHOUGH ALL BUSINESSES MAY NOT QUALIFY TO BE MATCHED WITH A SUPPORTIVE VENDOR, BECAUSE WE DO PAY A FEE FOR THAT, AS DAN SAID, ALL BUSINESSES COMING TO THE COUNTER WITH ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO BECOME A BUSINESS. NO ONE'S EVER TURNED AWAY FROM THAT. DAN AND MICHAEL WALK WHOEVER AND HOW MANY COME THROUGH THE PROCESS AT THE COUNTER IN SPANISH, IN ARABIC, OR WE GET TRANSLATORS TO HELP THEM AND TO ASSIST. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON SPARK OR BUSINESS OR ANYTHING? C D I'LL MENTION A QUICK STORY. I WAS AT A RIBBON CUTTING FOR A RESTAURANT, I THINK A YEAR AGO, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND THE FOLKS WHO WERE OPENING THE RESTAURANT SAID THEY WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT IF IT WASN'T FOR DAN AND MIKE. SO THEY DO SERVE A ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY THEY ARE THAT LIAISON TO TRY AND GET SMALL BUSINESSES OF ALL KINDS TO THE FINISH LINE, WHICH IS OPEN AND CONDUCTING BUSINESS. SO I THINK THAT'S IT'S IT'S NICE TO SEE AND IT'S NICE TO HEAR SOMETIMES.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT STORY THAT HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT DURING THE RIBBON CUTTING. YEAH. THAT'S CONTINUES TO PUSH US TO BE MOTIVATED TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH OUT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICE TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY. OKAY. MR. PUNGGOL, THANKS. I GUESS,

[02:50:04]

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IN THIS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY ON TRYING TO MEET MANY OF THE DELIVERABLES THAT COUNCIL, THIS COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL'S. BEFORE YOU BROUGHT TO US GETTING PERMITTING AND LICENSING TIME QUICKER AND EASIER TO MAKE BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT EASIER. LOOKING AT. WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO. YEAR WITH THE HOUSING TRUST FUND AND A PLAN TO ATTACK HOUSING ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL. I'LL BE HONEST, THAT'S WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU. AND WE MAY HAVE TO SAY, IF WE REALLY WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS WE AREN'T POSITIONED FOR THAT. WE MAY HAVE TO ADD TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, CERTAINLY THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT I THINK DESERVE TO BE REWARDED AND DESERVE TO BE ENHANCED. BUT THIS ISN'T THE YEAR FOR THAT. SO I'M HOPING THAT NEXT YEAR MAYBE WE CAN ALIGN THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARITY. MR. BINDER. SORRY. RENTAL INSPECTIONS COME UNDERNEATH THIS YOUR BUDGET? YES. OKAY. HOW ARE WE DOING WITH THAT? BECAUSE I GUESS I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT THAT'S A COMMON CONCERN AMONG FOLKS. AND I'M JUST IF WE'RE CUTTING BUDGETS AND THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT IN PART OF THE BUDGET IS THE RENTAL IS THE RENTAL ENTERPRISE FUND. AND HOW DO YOU FEEL FREE TO COME UP HERE AND CHIME IN JUST LIKE DAN DID? I BELIEVE WE'VE MADE HUGE ADVANCES IN THIS DEPARTMENT. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT USED TO TAKE MONTHS TO GET A PRE-SALE INSPECTION, AND NOW IT TAKES A WEEK. WEEKS TO, DEPENDING ON WHAT MONTH YOU'RE ASKING. WITH GOV, WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER TRACKING SYSTEM, BUT WE HAVE A BATTLE ON OUR HANDS WITH RENTAL INSPECTIONS. I MEAN, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS JUST NOT LETTING THEM GAIN ACCESS. WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE COURTS RIGHT NOW WHERE INDIVIDUALS DON'T ACCEPT SERVICE. SO THEN WE CAN'T GET THEM BEFORE A MAGISTRATE, AND THEN WE CAN'T GET THEM TO HAVE A HEARING. SO WE CAN'T IMPOSE A FINE. HEIDI'S BEING INCREDIBLY CREATIVE. WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE COURT SYSTEM RIGHT NOW TO TRY TO FIND SOME WAYS AROUND THAT SO THAT THE BAD ACTORS GET A LESSON TO NOT BE A BAD ACTOR. BUT IT'S A STRUGGLE. THE AGING HOUSING STOCK, COUPLED WITH THE CRAZY RENTAL ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE WITH THE RENT SO HIGH, OUR LANDLORDS AREN'T STRUGGLING TO FIND SOMEONE TO TAKE THEIR UNITS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF TURNOVER. WE HAVE A LOT. WE HAVE A HIGH EVICTION RATE IN THE CITY. IT POSES A REAL CHALLENGE FOR THE CITIZENS, BUT AS WELL AS FOR THE TEAM. BUT HEIDI HAS WORKED. IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE LEGISLATION SHE'S BROUGHT FORTH IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF WITH STARTING A COMMERCIAL INSPECTION PROGRAM, WITH LOOKING AT HOW WE ARE IMPLEMENTING ENTER GOV WITH LOOKING. SHE'S WORKING RIGHT NOW ON TRYING TO COLLAPSE SOME BOARDS TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A STRONGER APPEALS PRESENCE. WHEN SOMEONE DOES CHALLENGE US, I PARTICULARLY THINK THAT WE'VE MADE HEADWAY, BUT IS THERE A LOT OF WORK TO DO? WE. HEIDI, MAYBE YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON HOW RENTAL INSPECTIONS ARE GOING. NUMBERS. YEAH. SO WE HAVE IMPROVED THE

[02:55:07]

SO SO DO WE KNOW OF THE OF THE RENTALS? BECAUSE I THINK THE, THE CURRENT ORDINANCES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM INSPECTED ONCE EVERY, EVERY FIVE YEARS, FIVE YEARS, ARE WE HITTING THAT? ARE WE CLOSE TO IT? ARE WE. WE ARE. AND SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WHEN WE CAME IN, I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH AND HAVING THE ENTER GOV PROGRAM HAS HELPED A LOT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO RUN ADVANCED SEARCHES, LOOK INTO THE SYSTEM AND SEE LIKE WHAT PROPERTIES HAVEN'T BEEN INSPECTED IN FIVE YEARS. AND WE MADE THOSE OUR TOP PRIORITY. LIKE WE KIND OF PUSHED SOME OF THE OTHER ONES ASIDE THAT WERE LIKE DUE FOR THE FIVE YEAR. AND WE TOOK THAT, TARGETED THOSE ONES THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE IN. SOME OF THEM HADN'T BEEN DONE IN TEN YEARS.

WHEN WE PUT THEM INTO THE SYSTEM AND WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE, WE SET THOSE AS OUR TOP PRIORITY TO GET ALL OF THOSE INSPECTED FIRST. WE ARE COMPLETED WITH THAT, AND NOW WE'RE BACK ON TO A FIVE YEAR CYCLE. A LOT OF THESE PROPERTIES, AS SHE MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER ORDINANCE THAT I'M PRESENTING TONIGHT FOR THE ADDITIONAL INSPECTION FEE. THIS IS GOING TO HOPEFULLY HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COST OF THE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS HOLD ACCOUNTABLE SOME OF THE LANDLORDS THAT ARE NOT MAINTAINING THEM DURING THAT FIVE YEAR GAP. AND AS MUCH AS WE'RE TACKLING SOME OF THAT, WE CAN'T KID YOU. WE HAVE ILLEGAL RENTALS. WE KNOW WE HAVE THEM. WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO STOP THEM. BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. WE HAVE VERY MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DOUBLING AND TRIPLING UP. AND WHEN THEY ARE, IF THEY ARE NOT RELATED, THEY VIOLATE THE CITY'S ORDINANCE THAT NO MORE THAN FOUR UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE SHARING A HOUSE. BUT HOW DO YOU PROVE IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE WHO IS RELATED TO WHOM AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN BE IN THE HOME? SO WE DO HAVE SOME PROPERTIES THAT WE BELIEVE ARE OUT THERE THAT WE'D LOVE TO GET INTO AND SEE IF IT ACTUALLY IS A RENTAL. BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLAINT, OR IF THE COMPLAINT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVE TO BE FOUNDED, THEN WE STRUGGLE. SO WE'RE MAKING HEADWAY ON THE UNITS WE HAVE REGISTERED, AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE UNITS THAT WE RECEIVE COMPLAINTS BUT HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO REGISTER IN THE SAME. I BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS MUCH MORE COMPLEX ISSUES IN THESE RENTALS THAN WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE. AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE TEAM, NOT JUST HEIDI'S TEAM, BUT THEY'VE COUPLED WITH HEALTH AND POLICE AND FIRE AND EMS. WE HAVE A UNIT RIGHT NOW OCCUPIED BY A SENIOR IN A RENTAL THAT I BELIEVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN TO OVER 60 TIMES IN SIX MONTHS FOR FALLS FOR CHECK THE WELFARE CALLS FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE RIGHT NOW HAVE PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST SUCCESS CASES GOING ON OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS IN A HOME AND WAS PLACED IN A NURSING HOME AND DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN THAT NURSING HOME, AND KIND OF WAS BEING KEPT THERE AGAINST THEIR WILL. AND WE HAD TO GET OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT INVOLVED TO PARTNER WITH US. BUT WE HAVE A TEAM THAT IS CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE, RESOLVING A HOARDING SITUATION. THE GENTLEMAN IS BACK IN THE HOUSE. THEY'RE WORKING COOPERATIVELY TOGETHER THROUGH A PROBLEM PROPERTY COMMITTEE THAT I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST HUMANITARIAN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL GROUPS WE'VE HAD WORKING TOGETHER IN A LONG TIME. BUT THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE CASES IS ASTOUNDING. AND,

[03:00:05]

THEY'RE STAYING IN THE HOME LONGER THAN MAYBE THEY POSSIBLY SHOULD, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A SMALLER HOUSE FOR THEM TO DOWNSIZE TO. THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN AN APARTMENT. SO YOU'RE FINDING A DETERIORATING HOUSE WITH A PERSON WITH LIMITED MOBILITY OR LIMITED FINANCES.

AND THESE GUYS ARE DOING EVERYTHING FROM TAKING A WOMAN'S CATS TO BE VACCINATED SO THAT SHE WOULD ALLOW THE INSPECTOR IN THE HOUSE SO THAT SHE COULD GET HER BLOOD DRAWN TO DOING ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO TRY TO GAIN ENTRY TO THE HOUSE, TO SEE IF IT'S SAFE TO ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO STAY THERE. SO IT'S BEEN A REAL EYE OPENER, I BELIEVE, FOR THE INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM, BUT THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THEM. THANK YOU MISS. OR DID YOU HAVE. YEAH. OKAY, MISS. I'M BEING VERY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THIS. I'M WONDERING IF I'M SURE YOU MIGHT KNOW ABOUT IT. I TRAVEL THE WEST DEEP WEST END ALMOST DAILY, AND I'M NOTICING RENTAL SIGNS, NOTICING MORE CARS. LET'S TAKE ALLEN STREET, FOR INSTANCE. IT WOULD BE CARS ONLY ON ONE SIDE OR VERY FEW CARS IN A BLOCK. IN THE PAST YEAR IT. THERE ARE AS MANY CARS ON ALLEN STREET AS THERE ARE ON FIFTH STREET ON BOTH SIDES. NOW, THERE'S GOT TO BE A REASON FOR THAT. AND I'VE NOTICED THAT THERE'S MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE WALKING THEIR DOGS. IT SEEMS A LOT MORE POPULATED. AND WHAT I'M SUSPECTING IS A LOT OF THESE BIG HOMES NOW THAT THEY DON'T, NO ONE HAS THESE HUGE HOMES ANYMORE THAT THEY'RE RENTING THEM OUT OR YOU ARE AWARE OF. WE ARE WE ARE AWARE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT MORE THAN EVER, WE HAVE 20 AND 30 YEAR OLDS NOW COMING BACK HOME BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE FINISHING SCHOOL, EVEN IF THEY'RE MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMS, IF THEY AREN'T FINDING JOBS THAT ARE PAYING A SUSTAINABLE WAGE AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A HOME WHEN THEY SEE RENTS THAT ARE 2300, 2500 A MONTH, IT'S EASIER TO GO HOME TO MOM AND DAD. SO SOME OF THE HOMES THAT WE ARE SEEING HAVE A BLENDED FAMILY AGAIN, OF MOM AND DAD AND SON AND DAUGHTER IN LAW AND GRANDKIDS AND DAYCARES COVERED THAT WAY. AND FAMILIES ARE ARE DOUBLING UP. SO IT'S HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE. SEEMS LIKE AN AWFUL LOT OF MORE POPULATED IN THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE EVERYBODY FROM COLLEGE CAME HOME. I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT, I, I DON'T KNOW, I KIND OF KEEP AN EYE ON THE FACT THAT THERE THEY'RE RUNNING SOME OF THESE BIG HOMES AND I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE THE RENTER PERMITS. AND. BUT WE RELY ON NEIGHBORS AND CITIZENS TO CALL US IF THEY BELIEVE THERE'S AN ILLEGAL RENTAL IN THOSE LARGE HOMES, GETTING A LOT OF A LOT OF COMPLAINTS IN THAT AREA. OH YOU HAVE. YEAH. AND I'VE BEEN NOTICING IT DOUBLING UP OR THERE MIGHT BE OWNER OCCUPIED AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEIR MORTGAGE AND THEY'RE RENTING OUT ROOMS TO PEOPLE. THAT'S ALSO HAPPENING. THAT'S BEEN A BIG INCREASE IN THAT AS WELL.

AND TRYING TO STAY ON TOP OF IT AS BEST WE WE CAN ANXIETY. MR. NAPOLI SO JUST TO QUICKLY ADD TO THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS BRIEFLY, BUT MAYBE OBVIOUSLY NOT FOR THIS BUDGET, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE SOME CUTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAD TO WORK ON.

BUT, YOU KNOW, FINDING SOME SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGY MAYBE IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE ILLEGAL RENTALS. BECAUSE IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN FOLLOW THE DATA, AND ESPECIALLY NOW WITH AI AND SOME OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN REALLY SCOUR THE SITES AND SCOUR, YOU KNOW, THE RENTAL LISTINGS AND EVERYTHING, IF WE CAN DETERMINE BASED ON DATA HOW MUCH IS OUT THERE, MAYBE IT MAKES A NEW POSITION ALMOST REVENUE NEUTRAL WHERE WE SAY, LISTEN, WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD A POSITION, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE RENTAL REGISTRATIONS WILL OFFSET IT BASED ON THIS DATA. SO MAYBE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. IT'S ACTUALLY JUST ENTERTAINED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, TWO MONTHS ACTUALLY PRESENTATIONS UTILIZING AI FOR PERMITTING LICENSURE AND PLAN REVIEW. AND WE THINK THAT MAY HAVE LED TO A MORE INTENSE LOOK AT DATA, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT WASN'T THE RIGHT TIME FOR US CONTRACTUALLY IN TERMS OF THE FACT THAT THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH SAFEGUARDS FOR US TO FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE IN, IN SHARING OUR AND SHARING ACCESS TO OUR DATABASES, TO OUR CITY SYSTEMS, WE HAVE WE HAVE HURDLES TO OVERCOME. I THINK BEFORE WE CAN REALLY UTILIZE AI IN A SAFE WAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPANIES ARE. REQUESTING TO LOOK AT PLANS AND DIAGRAMS AND THINGS THAT ARE COPYRIGHTED.

[03:05:02]

THEY. THEY'LL SAY, OKAY, PAY THE $100 IN DAMAGES ALL THE TIME. THAT WAS PUT INTO THAT.

ALL THE INSPECTIONS, ALL THE INSPECTIONS, THE TORTURE TO THE FAMILY WHO HAD TO PUT UP WITH THE 90 DAYS OF THE OF THE RAIN COMING DOWN. THE MAGISTRATE'S PHILOSOPHY IS TO SETTLE THE ISSUE. AND THE ROOF IS NOW FIXED, WHICH MEANS IT'S A WIN. IT ISN'T A WIN FOR THE CITY TEAM FIGHTING A BATTLE. IT ISN'T THE WIN FOR THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE HOME. IT'S SIMPLY THE ROOF IS NOW FIXED AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE TOILET, OR WE MOVE ON TO THE HVAC SYSTEM, OR WE MOVE ON TO THE WHATEVER. AND IT'S INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING. SO WE'VE APPROACHED OUR LAW TEAM, SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO WHEN OUR HANDS ARE TIED? AND BASICALLY HEIDI AND, AND SHE'S NOW GOTTEN IT APPROVED THROUGH LAWS BRINGING THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU. BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF CRIMINALLY GOING AFTER SOME OF THESE FOLKS WHO OWE THE CITY COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY. IT HASN'T BEEN OBVIOUS IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER SAID, LET'S LOOK AT TAXES. LET'S LOOK AT FEES AND FINES HERE. LET'S LOOK AT FEES AND FINES AND SWEEP. LET'S LOOK AT AND LET'S PAINT A PICTURE, WHICH IS VERY HARD TO DO BECAUSE MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE MULTIPLE LLCS, SO YOU

[03:10:02]

BUT AND I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LOOK AT SOME OF THESE ROADBLOCKS AND BARRIERS THAT WE'VE HAD AS A CITY, BECAUSE I KNOW MISS GERLACH AND I AND. MR. WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS? AND IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE ALL WE KNOW IS OUR RESIDENTS ARE JUST GETTING, YOU KNOW, HAMMERED BY SOME OF THESE BAD ACTORS. AND HOPEFULLY THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, ALL JOKING ASIDE, THAT SOME SOME OF THIS STUFF, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S EVICTIONS AND OTHER OTHER ISSUES WE CAN START TO ADDRESS ONCE AND FOR ALL IN HARRISBURG AND HELP US DOWN DOWNSTREAM IN ALLENTOWN. SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, OBVIOUSLY, THE TIME A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST TEN DAYS.

SO. WELL, AND WE JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY ON THINGS LIKE CREATING EVICTION PREVENTION STRATEGIES, CREATING A SHORTER OR A SHORTER RESPONSE FOR THE GOOD GUYS, AND A MORE COMPLICATED RESPONSE FOR THE ONES THAT AREN'T. THE CHALLENGE IS THE LEGAL CHALLENGE. IT'S THE LEGAL CHALLENGE THAT IT CAN'T BE AN ARBITRARY THING THAT FLAGS YOU AS A BAD GUY. THAT'S THE HARD PART. SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE DAIS AND MR. HANLON? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LIKE BREAK ANY KIND OF RULES HERE, BUT I DON'T SEE LIKE A WRITTEN PART FOR THE PUBLIC TO MAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET. AM I ABLE TO ASK IF OKAY, IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ANYTHING WITH THE BUDGET, WE ONLY HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE PEOPLE LEFT. HI. GOOD EVENING IN THE BACK, BUT ENCOURAGED TO HEAR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND I'M SORRY TO KIND OF I FEEL LIKE THAT THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY AGAIN, TO JUST COME AND SPEAK AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS, CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS AND THE BUDGETARY SEASON IS ALMOST OVER. SO A FEW WEEKS AND I'M VERY BE VERY BRIEF. A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WE CAME BEFORE YOU TO REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL $100,000 OF CITY FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM NEEDS OF OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS. AND REFLECTING ON THAT MEETING, I FELT LIKE I DIDN'T REALLY CONVEY HOW VITAL THE SUPPORT IS.

SO LAST YEAR, COUNCIL GRACIOUSLY AWARDED $100,000 TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT DIRECTLY SAVED AND IMPROVED PEOPLE EXPERIENCING PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HERE IN ALLENTOWN. AND BECAUSE YOU TOOK THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS SERIOUSLY, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE EMERGENCY HOTEL STAYS, THE SAFE ANIMAL BOARDING FUNDING FOR THE LOADS OF BLESSING PROGRAM, THE LAUNDRY PROGRAM, STIPENDS FOR OUR LIVED EXPERIENCE ADVISORY BOARD, AND ACCESS TO BASIC NECESSITIES LIKE CLEAN DRINKING WATER AND PORTA POTTIES. BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE HOMELESSNESS, BUT IT FILLED CRITICAL GAPS IN OUR CITY'S SAFETY NET. AS BUDGET DELIBERATIONS DRAW TO A CLOSE, I ASK YOU AGAIN. THE COMMISSION ASKS YOU AGAIN TO PRIORITIZE OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS. WE NEED THIS $100,000 NOT ONLY TO SUSTAIN THE ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS, BUT TO STAY NIMBLE ENOUGH TO FUND THE NEW ONES THAT ARE OUT THERE, SUCH AS THE ROOSTER RELIEF FUND THROUGH THE REGIONAL HOMELESS ADVISORY BOARD. NOT EVEN SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, WHICH IS A LAST RESORT HOMELESS PREVENTION

[03:15:06]

WELL THANK YOU, CHRISTINA, FOR SHARING THAT. AND JUST TO CONFIRM, THAT 100,000 THAT WE PUT IN LAST YEAR THAT HAD ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS, THAT'S STILL IN THE BUDGET? NO, THAT WAS TAKEN IN THE D, C, E D BUDGET. IS THE $25,000 IN THE DIRECTOR'S BUDGET. THAT WAS ALWAYS THE BASE FUNDING FOR THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WARMING SHELTER. THE WARMING SHELTER HAS HAD TO ADD SECURITY AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES. SO THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $75,000 FOR WARMING SHELTER OPERATIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE BUDGET. BUT THERE IS NO OTHER FUNDING THAT I'M AWARE OF IN OUR BUDGET. I DON'T KNOW THERE ISN'T ANY IN HEALTH AS WELL THAT I'M AWARE OF. THE ASK LAST YEAR FROM THE COMMISSION TO COUNCIL WAS THE MONIES THAT SHE SET UP FRONT FOR LOADS OF LOVE AND THOSE AGENCIES. THAT WAS PART OF THE 10% REDUCTION THAT WAS ASKED OF US FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. AND THAT WAS TAKEN OUT WITH THE IDEA THAT IF COUNCIL WANTED TO PUT IT BACK IN BASED ON ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION, IT WOULD BE PUT BACK IN. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE UNHOUSED SERVICES COORDINATOR BUDGET IS JUST HER SALARY, A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES THAT OUR PARAMEDICS CAN USE. AND THAT IS ABOUT IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE HERE. SOMEONE ON THIS COUNCIL. LOOK, Y'ALL, SOMEONE'S GOT TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT.

LIKE THAT'S JUST I MEAN, SO YOU REMEMBER ANDY, DID YOU EVER MEET ANDY? HE USED TO GO TO RIPPLE. SOMETIMES HE WOULD HAVE THOSE LITTLE GEMS, THOSE LITTLE STONES AND. OH YEAH. YEAH. SO YEAH, HE, HE FROZE TO DEATH UNDERNEATH THAT BRIDGE RIGHT OVER THERE. SO LIKE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SOMEONE'S GOT TO DO THAT. YEAH. SO. OR. TONY. OH YEAH. TONY. YEAH. REMEMBER DEATH IN A DUMPSTER. YES, YES. SO. OKAY. MR. BENDER. OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY WHEN THAT HUNDRED WHEN YOU WERE BRINGING UP THE 100,000, I THINK THAT ENDED UP JUST COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T GET IT IN, SO. CORRECT. YEAH.

[03:20:05]

YEAH. WELL THANK YOU DEFINITELY, MAN. WE'RE ENDING ON A VERY SOMBER NOTE HERE. BUT YEAH, I IF, IF I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE MY FELLOW MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO JUST LIKE WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE DEI AND TRAINING. WE'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THE CONTROLLERS. WE'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THE PARKS AND REC. I THINK THAT PERHAPS HUMAN LIVES MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. AND I THINK THAT MR. KANE WILL FIGURE THAT OUT. I THINK HE'LL FIND THAT 100,000, AND I THINK HE'LL WORK WITH CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE, AS MISS KESSLER SAID, EVICTIONS ARE ON THE RISE. PEOPLE ARE 50. I THINK ACCORDING TO HOUSING STUDY, LIKE 56% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN ALLENTOWN ARE COST BURDEN. I MEAN, YOU'VE MET PEOPLE, THEY'RE GETTING LIKE $1,800 A MONTH IN IN INCOME OR SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THE RENT'S LIKE $1,500. LIKE FOR US TO NOT AT LEAST PUT 100,000 TOWARDS THAT. WE PUT I KNOW WE DIDN'T, BUT LIKE THE ARCH COST MORE, THE ARCH COST MORE THAN $100,000. WE THROW AROUND $100,000. LIKE IT'S NOTHING IN THE CITY. SO JUST WE DO WE CAN DENY THAT WE DON'T, BUT WE DO. WE BUILD TRAILS. WE BUILD WATERWAYS, WE BUILD DOG PARKS. WE DO ALL THESE WONDERFUL THINGS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT THINGS. SO I THINK I, I, I REALLY HOPE THAT I READ IN THE PAPER THAT COUNCIL HAS FOUND THAT 100 K TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES. SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANYTHING AT ALL? WE JUST HAVE THE TWO BILLS. YEAH. YEAH SIR. ANYTHING? NO. OKAY. IF YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE FOR YOUR THE BUDGET PORTION, THEN WE'LL WRAP THAT UP. SO WE DO HAVE THESE TWO BILLS. THE ONE SHOULD BE BOTH SHOULD BE FAIRLY QUICK. SO BILL 84, MR. HANLON, BILL 84 AMENDS THE CITY CODE. CHAPTER 455, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE. ARTICLE TWO LICENSING RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS TO ESTABLISH A FEE FOR ADDITIONAL SYSTEMATIC INSPECTIONS RESULTING FROM SUBSTANTIAL CODE VIOLATIONS AND AMENDING ARTICLE THREE INSPECTIONS. INSPECTION OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES TO ESTABLISH A SINGLE INSPECTION, CANCELLATION AND NO SHOW FEE FOR MIXED USE PROPERTIES. OKAY, MISS KESSLER, YOU SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ON THIS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SAY OR HEIDI, IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE, IT'S PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY WHAT HE'S SAYING THAT IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SHOW FOR FOR YOUR INSPECTION, IF YOU ARE IN A, IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU ARE A DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF CITY SERVICES, IT'S GOING TO BE THE ADDITIONAL FEE. HEIDI, DO YOU WANT TO GO INTO SPECIFICS ABOUT THE FEE? YEAH, I THINK THAT WE KIND OF COVERED IT THROUGHOUT THE THE BUDGET TALK. BUT AGAIN, LIKE RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY, LIKE I SAID, PAYS THE SAME $75 THAT THAT THAT GOES TOWARDS THE REGISTRATION OF YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY. IT'S JUST THE LICENSING PORTION. AND THEN WITH THE COST OF ALL THAT, WE DO THE INSPECTION EVERY FIVE YEARS. HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE PROBABLY GET AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 5 TO 10 COMPLAINTS A DAY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT DIFFERENT PROPERTIES HERE IN THE CITY. THERE'S, THERE'S NO AND, AND WITH THE COURTS, MOST OF THE TIME JUST THROWING OUT OUR CASES, THERE'S, WE'RE NOT RECOUPING ANY OF THE, THE COSTS THAT IT TAKES TO ADMINISTER, ADMINISTER, ADMINISTER THOSE INSPECTIONS. SO $125 IF. AND NOW, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A, A PENALTY PER SE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU WE GO OUT THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO HEAT. RIGHT. AND WE GO THERE. AND WHEN WE'RE THERE, WE ALSO FIND OUT THAT THERE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL LINES HANGING OUT OF YOUR CEILING. AND WE NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE DOORS ARE BROKEN AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IT TRIGGERS A FULL INSPECTION. SO THAT HAPPENS A LOT. WE GO OUT FOR LIKE ONE SMALL COMPLAINT OR NOT THAT NO, IT'S NOT SMALL COMPLAINT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE GO OUT FOR ONE COMPLAINT WHEN WE GET THERE, WE REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND WE MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN THERE TWO YEARS AGO. WE'RE FINDING THAT A LOT OF THE LANDLORDS THAT DO THE BARE MINIMUM, THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE COMING IN THAT FIVE YEARS, THEY QUICKLY GO THERE, THEY FIX IT UP QUICK SO THAT THEY CAN BARELY PASS AN INSPECTION, AND THEN THEY DON'T TOUCH THAT PROPERTY AGAIN FOR FIVE YEARS. WE'RE CAPTURING THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THAT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE GETTING MULTIPLE CALLS TO THE SAME PROPERTY OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WHEN WE GO THERE, WE'RE GOING TO NOW CHARGE EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO DO A FULL INSPECTION AT ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, SOMETHING THAT WE WEREN'T CAPTURING BEFORE THIS, HOLD SOME OF THOSE BAD ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE. IT'S 100. YEAH, IT'S $125, WHICH

[03:25:09]

NO. AND WE DON'T WANT TO DISCOURAGE CITIZENS FROM COMPLAINING IF THEY DON'T HAVE HEAT, IF THEY DON'T HAVE RUNNING WATER, IF THEY DON'T HAVE FUNCTIONING SEWAGE, WHATEVER IT IS, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO FILE THEIR COMPLAINTS WITH US. BUT IF WE GO OUT AND INTENTIONALLY, THEY DON'T SHOW AND WE CAN'T GET IN AND WE GO OUT AGAIN AND THEY DON'T SHOW, AND THEN WE GET IN AND AS HEIDI SAYS, WE FIND A NIGHTMARE. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO INSTITUTE A FEE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ONE THING JUST TO, I GUESS, ASK AND IT'S LOOSELY RELATED TO THIS, BUT DO WE HAVE A PROCESS SO THAT SOMEONE CAN ANONYMOUSLY REPORT THEIR CONCERNS? AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I KNOW AT A FREQUENT COMMUNITY MEETING, SOMEONE CAME UP AND IT'S LIKE, THERE'S TWO APARTMENTS, THEY CAN REPORT IT, BUT IT'S GOING TO COME UP. AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE GOING TO CAN PROBABLY FIGURE OUT WHO IT IS. WHAT I'M ASKING FROM AN ANONYMOUS STANDPOINT IS, IS THERE A WAY THAT WHEN THAT INFORMATION GETS REPORTED, INSTEAD OF SAYING, HEY, WE GOT A REPORT, IT'S, HEY, WE'RE DOING OUR FIVE YEAR INSPECTION, AND IT'S ENTERED IN THAT APPROACH SO THAT IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND WE SO WE DO NOT DISCLOSE TO THE LANDLORD WHO MADE THE REPORT.

HOWEVER, WE ALSO CAN'T LEGITIMATELY RECEIVE A REPORT UNLESS SOMEBODY TELLS US WHO IT IS THAT'S REPORTING, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T LIKE THEIR NEIGHBORS NEXT DOOR THAT MOVED IN. AND SO THEY'RE CALLING AND THEY'RE FILING COMPLAINTS AGAINST THEM, SAYING, OH, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF ILLEGAL STUFF GOING ON THERE THAT HAPPENS TO US ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE PERSON ACTUALLY LIVES IN THE PROPERTY. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE FILING THE REPORT. I MEAN, IT IS IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO RETALIATE. I JUST, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GAIN ACCESS. AND SO THE WAY THAT THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, WE HAVE TO HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE TO ENTER IF IT'S IN THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD. AND PROBABLE CAUSE IS A FILED COMPLAINT FROM AN OCCUPANT LIVING IN THE PROPERTY.

OKAY. IT IS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A THE OTHER THING IS THAT IT ALSO. WE NEED WITNESSES WHEN WE'RE GOING TO COURT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S THAT SOMEONE HAS DUG A SEWER LINE, SOMEONE HAS DONE SOMETHING CRAZY. WE NEED THE HELP OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TELLING US THEY KNOW ALL THE DETAILS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE FEAR, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DIFFICULT, BUT THAT'S HOW WE END UP WINNING A CASE, IS WHEN WE HAVE WITNESSES THAT WILL STAND UP FOR EACH OTHER. AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, WHERE IN THE 911 SYSTEM, WE CAN SEE THAT THE CALLS ALL CAME FROM THE SAME CELL PHONE, AND WE CAN START TO SEE THAT WHEN THEY'RE ALL UNFOUNDED COMPLAINTS, THERE'S SOMEONE RETALIATING AGAINST A GOOD LANDLORD AT TIMES, OR WORSE YET, TARGETING A FAMILY. WE HAVE A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BY A PERSON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO DOESN'T SUPPORT THEIR LIFESTYLE, AND WE NEED THAT EVIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME ANYMORE ON AN UNFOUNDED COMPLAINT AND TORTURE THIS TENANT WHEN WHAT WE HAVE IS A DISGRUNTLED NEIGHBOR. SO IT MAKES IT HARD.

YEAH, BUT WE DON'T EVER TELL ANYONE WHO FILED THE COMPLAINT. OKAY. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS? ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC? IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD FAVORABLY? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. SO THIS MOVES FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 18TH. NEXT UP IS BILL 82. AND WITH BILL 82, THIS IS THE WORKFORCE HOUSING BUT MIGHT GO AHEAD AND READ IT. BILL 82 AMENDS THE ALLENTOWN CITY CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 653 WORKFORCE HOUSING TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING WITHIN THE CITY BY ESTABLISHING AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN MULTIFAMILY RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS INVOLVING TEN OR MORE DWELLING UNITS THAT RECEIVE TAX ABATEMENTS UNDER THE CITY'S LOCAL ECONOMIC

[03:30:01]

SO YAY OR NAY. SO WITH THAT IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS AMENDED BILL 82 TO FULL COUNCIL TO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST? OH YES. PUBLIC COMMENT. SORRY. OKAY, I'LL I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO FORWARD IT FAVORABLY TO THE FULL COUNCIL WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT. GREAT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. SO LET'S MOVE FORWARD TO NOVEMBER 18TH.

IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS IT FOR TONIGHT. SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO PRESIDENT SANTOS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND YEAH THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING. THANK

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.