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February 5, 2025 ·6:30 PM Final

Council Chambers

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 51 items

  1. 1 Invocation: ▶ jump to 1:56
  2. 2 Pledge to the Flag ▶ jump to 2:20
  3. 3 Roll Call ▶ jump to 2:39
  4. 4 Courtesy of the Floor Please observe the Rules of Council when given privilege of the floor. A copy of Council Rules can be found on the council agenda on the website along with all the legislation and reports. When speakers have privilege of the floor, I will not entertain personal insults, attacks, name calling or other behavior that is inconsistent with the purpose of conducting official business. If you would like to speak, we are asking that you fill out a card – they are on the back table - provide them to the clerk before speaking. Include your name and address. Courtesy of the Floor is meant to provide public comment on items that are not on the agenda. Public comment during consideration of ordinances, resolutions and motions is limited by topic – your comments must be relevant to the subject matter of the proposed legislation. Public comments are taken before council votes on items. You are given privilege of the floor to provide public comment, it is not a question-and-answer session. If you are speaking on behalf of yourself, you have three minutes and if you are speaking on behalf of a group that has several members present, you will be given five minutes in place of everyone coming to the podium. Please address the Council President not individual councilpersons or city staff. Refrain from insulting or defaming staff, officials, and the public; refrain from using offensive language, cursing, and making noises while other people are speaking. State your position clearly and concisely for our consideration. Please be aware that comments and/or behavior in violation of these rules will result in a forfeiture of all remaining time and you will be asked to return to your seat. ▶ jump to 2:54
  5. 5 Contract Approvals ▶ jump to 28:14
  6. 6 R6 Authorization of Cooperative Contracts for various goods/services with Granturk Equipment Co, Inc, Levan Machine & Truck Equip, Whitmoyer Ford, Inc., Power Pro Equipment, Shi International Corp., Herman Goldner Co, Inc., Wireless Communications & Elec, & Advanced Electronic Design, Inc. 15-7460 approved Pass ▶ jump to 29:47
  7. 7 Minutes of Previous Meeting ▶ jump to 30:06
  8. 8 December 18, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes 15-7452 approved Pass ▶ jump to 30:14
  9. 9 January 15, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes (APA Update) 15-7463 approved Pass ▶ jump to 30:30
  10. 10 January 15, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes 15-7458 approved Pass ▶ jump to 30:51
  11. 11 Communications ▶ jump to 31:08
  12. 12 Old Business ▶ jump to 31:24
  13. 13 REPORTS Budget and Finance: Chair Napoli, Santos, Gerlach The Committee has not met since the last Council meeting; the next meeting is scheduled for February 19th at 5:30 PM. Community and Economic Development, Chair Mota, Hendricks, Napoli The Committee met this evening; there are no future meetings scheduled. Human Resources, Administration and Appointments: Chair Santos, Napoli, Hendricks The Committee met on January 29th and forwarded two items on tonight’s agenda; there are no future meetings scheduled. Parks and Recreation: Chair Gerlach, Santos, Affa The Committee met this evening; the next meeting is scheduled for February 19th at 6 PM. Public Safety: Chair Affa, Zucal, Mota The Committee has not met since the last council meeting; the next meeting is scheduled for February 12th at 5:30 PM. In addition to the two bills being referred to the committee, we will be discussing and reviewing a resolution on community policing, a draft ordinance on predatory towing and, if time allows, we will begin to take a look at city hall security. (Perhaps, at this meeting, the committee could just get a quick overview of safety procedures and policies in place as an initial discussion.) Public Works: Chair Zucal, Gerlach, Affa The Committee met on January 29th and forwarded items on tonight’s committee; the next meeting is scheduled for February 19th at 6:15 PM Rules, Chambers, Intergovernmental Relations, and Strategy: Chair Hendricks, Mota, Napoli The committee has not met since the last council meeting. There are no future meetings scheduled at this time. The committee is looking at set something up with the school district, county commissioners, Easton/Bethlehem Councils, and/or state representatives to get updates or discuss items of mutual concern in the near future.) Controller’s Report - PCard and Bank Rec Reports posted ▶ jump to 31:26
  14. 14 Controller Reports 15-7487
  15. 15 ORDINANCES FOR FINAL PASSAGE (To be Voted On): ▶ jump to 33:32
  16. 16 Bill 1 Amending the 2024 Liquid Fuels Fund Budget to provide for a transfer of Five Hundred Sixty-Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-One Dollars and Thirty-One Cents ($567,951.31) from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund. The reason for this transfer is due to an audit that was conducted on the Liquid Fuels funding from 2016-2020. During that audit, a finding was presented that paving of more than one inch had to get prior approval from the Department of Transportation, and that was not done. This was not found in previous audits and corrected once we were made aware. 15-7437 approved Pass ▶ jump to 34:20
  17. 17 Bill 2 Establishing a Latino Advisory Council to advise the Mayor and Council on issues relating to Latino affairs. 15-7438 amended Pass ▶ jump to 35:07
  18. 18 Bill 3 Establishing a African-American Advisory Council is to advise the Mayor and Council on any relating to African-American issues. 15-7439 amended Pass ▶ jump to 42:36
  19. 18 Bill 2 Establishing a Latino Advisory Council to advise the Mayor and Council on issues relating to Latino affairs. 15-7438 approved as amended Pass ▶ jump to 41:47
  20. 19 Bill 5 Amending the 2024 Trexler Fund by authorizing a supplemental appropriation from the unappropriated balance of the Trexler Fund in the amount of Eighty-Five Thousand Four Hundred Sixteen Dollars and One Cent ($85,416.01) to the Jordan Skatepark capital budget of the Parks and Recreation Department. These funds will complete the construction of Phase 2 of the skatepark and is part of the 2024-25 Trexler Capital Project allocation. 15-7442 approved Pass ▶ jump to 44:38
  21. 20 Bill 6 Amending the 2024 Capital Fund Budget to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Ninety Thousand ($90,000.00) Dollars from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to support improvements to upgrade the final pavilion at Rose Garden #1. 15-7444 approved Pass ▶ jump to 45:23
  22. 20 Bill 3 Establishing a African-American Advisory Council is to advise the Mayor and Council on any relating to African-American issues. 15-7439 approved as amended Pass ▶ jump to 43:54
  23. 21 Bill 7 Amending the 2024 Capital Fund Budget to provide for a transfer of Twenty-Four Thousand Four Hundred Seventeen Dollars and Six Cents ($24,417.06) from Irving Pool Improvements capital project into Jordan Skatepark for construction of Phase 2. 15-7443 approved Pass ▶ jump to 46:12
  24. 22 Bill 8 Amending the 2024 Capital Fund Budget to provide for an increase of Three Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($325,000) to the newly created capital account for the design of the traffic signal upgrades at 17th and Linden Street, 17th and Turner Street, 17th and Chew Street, and 17th and Walnut Street intersections. This project is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant (MTF-DCED) that the City was awarded. This will fund the design for upgrades to the four intersections on 17th Street. The City was awarded $250,000 as part of the MTF-DCED grant that is reimbursable, and the $75,000 is considered the City’s match that is required per the grant agreement. 15-7445 approved Pass ▶ jump to 47:28
  25. 23 Bill 9 Amending the 2025 General Fund budget by transferring $150,000.00 from the Health Bureau, Administration program to a new Health Bureau, Unsheltered Coordination Services program to fund the Unsheltered Services Coordinator position (11N), with a total annual salary of $68,987. 15-7446 amended Pass ▶ jump to 48:58
  26. 24 CONSENT AGENDA approved Pass ▶ jump to 51:18
  27. 25 R7 Daryl Hendricks,Vacant Property Review Board/Blighted Property Review Committee Appointment, 12/31/2025 Member of Council (Replacing Candida Affa) 15-7453
  28. 26 R8 AJ Jordan, Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB), 05/05/2027 15-7454
  29. 26 Bill 9 Amending the 2025 General Fund budget by transferring $150,000.00 from the Health Bureau, Administration program to a new Health Bureau, Unsheltered Coordination Services program to fund the Unsheltered Services Coordinator position (11N), with a total annual salary of $68,987. 15-7446 approved as amended Pass ▶ jump to 50:24
  30. 27 R9 Alex Encelewski, Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB), 01/07/2028 15-7455
  31. 28 R10 Authorizes the disposition of certain records within the Allentown Health Bureau. 15-7465
  32. 29 RESOLUTIONS FOR FINAL PASSAGE (To be Voted On): ▶ jump to 51:37
  33. 30 R233 Denial of a Certificate of Appropriateness – 523.5 N 6th Street 15-7410 withdrawn Pass ▶ jump to 51:45
  34. 31 R11 Authorizes the submission of a Formal Application for funding from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative in the amount of approximately One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) for safety improvements on Hanover Avenue and East Linden Street. 15-7464 approved Pass ▶ jump to 52:14
  35. 32 R12 Approves the submission of the formal application for the local share account grant on behalf of the Allentown Art Museum to support the construction of a new facility. 15-7466 approved Pass ▶ jump to 53:45
  36. 33 R13 Approves the submission of the formal application for the local share account grant on behalf of the National Scenic Museum to support its facility rehabilitation and operations. 15-7467 approved Pass ▶ jump to 54:35
  37. 34 R14 Authorizes the submission of the formal application to the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget for a grant of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) to support Da Vinci Science Center. 15-7468 approved Pass ▶ jump to 55:14
  38. 35 R15 Approves the submission of the formal application for the local share account grant on behalf of Resurrected Life Community Development Corporation (RCDC) to support its rehabilitation and program expansion. 15-7470 approved Pass ▶ jump to 57:28
  39. 36 R16 Authorizes the submission of the formal application to the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget for a grant of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) to support the Baum School of Art. 15-7469 approved Pass ▶ jump to 57:50
  40. 37 ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION (To be referred to Committee with public comment prior to referral) ▶ jump to 58:25
  41. 38 Bill 11 Amending the 2025 Capital Fund Budget to provide for a supplemental appropriation of One Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand ($175,000.00) Dollars from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to support design of MLK Trail Phase 2 (LP East to Cedar Park). 15-7471 ▶ jump to 58:29
  42. 39 Bill 12 Public Safety, forwarded favorably Amending the 2024 General Fund Budget to provide for a supplemental appropriation of Nine Hundred Sixty-Three Thousand Dollars ($963,000.00) from the United States Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Grant to the City of Allentown Police Department. These funds will be utilized as reimbursement of expenses for new equipment purchased. 15-7472 ▶ jump to 58:53
  43. 40 Bill 13 Amending the 2025 Equipment Fund Budget to provide for an increase of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000) for the purchase of a heavy-duty lift truck for the Traffic Bureau as part of the Pennsylvania Local Share Account Grant the City was awarded. This grant is fully reimbursable and once the equipment has been purchased, the City will be reimbursed. 15-7473 ▶ jump to 59:16
  44. 40 R16 Authorizes the submission of the formal application to the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget for a grant of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) to support the Baum School of Art. 15-7469 approved Pass ▶ jump to 58:06
  45. 41 Bill 14 Amending the Administrative Code, Chapter 177, Bicycles, by bringing the code into compliance with the Pa. State vehicle code, updating the definition of bicycle to pedalcycle to be consistent with the Pa. Vehicle Code, repealing chapters 177-3 through 177-7 (advise the police department to direct bike owners to register their bikes in a national data base), repealing various sections of the code that are superseded by the PA Vehicle Code and amending Chapter 319, Hamilton Street Regulations, updating the term bicycles to pedalcycles. 15-7475 ▶ jump to 59:37
  46. 42 RESOLUTIONS FOR INTRODUCTION (Can be voted on or Referred to Committee): ▶ jump to 62:22
  47. 43 R17 Resolution provided by City of Allentown Police and Fire Civil Service Board Requesting the Mayor stagger the terms of the City of Allentown Police and Fire Civil Service Board 15-7474 ▶ jump to 62:26
  48. 44 NEW BUSINESS ▶ jump to 63:11
  49. 45 GOOD AND WELFARE ▶ jump to 63:14
  50. 46 ADJOURNED: 7:33 PM ▶ jump to 63:18
  51. 47 Reference Materials: Council Rules Procurement Code Ethics Code 15-6577