(36th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

Election Day is May 21

5 candidates
(one not represented here)

vote for 3

6th in the series of candidate statements

statements in alphabetical order this time

Candidates are invited to alert the Gadfly about where they are appearing

Prompt #6, 1 & 2

1) Climate change

There is an urgency among Gadfly followers over the destructive forces of climate change. Other cities have legislated as part of their planning codes mandatory “green” initiatives such as green roofs where feasible. What changes in the existing City of Bethlehem zoning, planning, building codes, etc. are you willing to propose and support to more effectively battle climate change on a local level?

Michael Colon (incumbent)

First let me start by acknowledging the fact climate change is real and the result of human activity. Second, I will be the first to admit I am not the first voice one should listen to when it comes to local environmental policy. My education, professional background, and campaign platforms would confirm such. Rather than google and repeat initiatives I can look up from around the country I would listen to professionals we have from within City Hall and the community (shout out to the EAC who has been working very hard). There are seven members of City Council, if all seven rolled out their own set of ordinances related to one issue it could lead to a legislative logjam. I am more than happy to listen to the ideas of others and see how they can apply to Bethlehem. The times are changing and in the very near future I can see all forward thinking municipalities addressing climate change the best way they see fit to handle the issue. What am I willing to support? Any ordinance we fully understand and have the capacity to enforce. Sometimes legislation requires compromise and digging into the nuance of proposals. I imagine most if not all candidates agree that climate change needs to be addressed but like other proposals, such as wage equality and government ethics, sometimes the devil is in the details. Rather than claim ownership of any one idea I’d rather listen to the good ideas of others and figure out how we can move forward as a legislative body to combat climate change locally.

J. William Reynolds (incumbent)

When I proposed Bethlehem’s first Climate Action Plan, I did so because I realized how
important creating a sustainable Bethlehem was to the citizens of our city. Bethlehem needed to become a more sustainable city and we needed a permanent structure of citizens and environmental organizations ready to implement our Climate Action Plan’s recommendations into the future. Our Climate Action Plan is in the process of becoming expansive in scope and depth. Internal municipal reduction goals, citywide energy reduction goals, alternative energy investment strategies, and short and long-term potential policy recommendations will all be included. Adjusting and changing planning and building codes will certainly be included in that discussion.

Several years ago, I investigated the potential to mandate new construction (over a certain amount of square feet) be Leaders in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. I discovered the Pennsylvania State Uniform Construction Code (UCC) prohibited certain mandates as it pertains to building codes. What other municipalities have done, however, is offer certain “bonuses” if a project is LEED (or equivalent) certification. Some of these bonuses, however, that building developers are looking for can become controversial (such as an increase in the allowable density of the project). It becomes an in-depth, nuanced conversation between Administration staff and developers about the inclusion of green initiatives.

So what can we do? When it comes to important projects in the city, the City Administration can absolutely hold out their support for projects that don’t fit our vision of what a sustainable community can be. Administration support at Planning and Zoning hearings for example is often vital in determining the success or failure of a project. So it might not be a conversation of “mandating” as much as “How do we use the planning structures we have to get the best projects for the city?”.

David Saltzer

The City of Bethlehem developed the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC)to work with city council and to develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP). Some of the plan has been committed to already and the 2018-2019 Climate Action Plan has been divided into Phase 1 and Phase 2 as outlined by the EAC and current city council. The EAC has done an outstanding job presenting at council meetings as well as the Martin Tower “information plan” held 2 weeks ago. If elected, I would continue the work on what the current city council and EAC have framed out and continue to work with the EAC, who has a very good understanding of environmental impact and a very educated committee to advise the members of council on the directions that we need to go in. As for changing ordinances, codes, and zoning, they would have to be dealt with as the findings are presented to council, and the committees meet to discuss what benefits the city could have or what could cause harm to the city. If you are interested in reading the CAP or learning more about the EAC please visit this link http://bethlehem-pa.gov/about/authorities/eac/index.html

Paige Van Wirt (incumbent)

The City of Bethlehem is far behind similar-sized progressive cities in terms of addressing environmental concerns. Recently, the Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council has been an active voice in proposals to both reduce carbon emissions in the city and reduce our downstream waste. This Council backs their advice with facts, and, using their data, in conjunction with experiences in other cities, I feel the City of Bethlehem can make some major inroads on both fronts.

1) solar panels on new builds. I would be in support of a proposal to pilot a solar project on new warehouse construction in Bethlehem. Should the pilot succeed, consideration should be given to expanding solar to all new builds over a certain square footage, where appropriate.

2) The EAC has proposed a plastic bag ban in the City. Eliminating this major source of waste to our local and global ecosystem makes sense. I would study how other cities of our size have implemented such a ban, and understand pitfalls and success stories, and apply them to Bethlehem.

3) The city’s fleet should be changed over to electric where feasible, and our maintenance shop brought along, in order to service these vehicles. The EAC studied the costs to the city of a switch in Parking Authority Jeeps over to Chevy Volts and the costs were par.

Whenever changes such as these are proposed, there are plenty of people who will react “yes, but the cost of doing this is X!” What is not taken into consideration in this answer is the cost of NOT addressing our impact on the environment. The more behind we get, the harder it is to catch up.

———–

2) Development

Development is a major source of tension and controversy among Gadfly followers, many of whom are professionally knowledgeable, interested in preserving the historical nature of the City, and disturbed by poor and subjective decisions. What is your view of recent and current development projects in Bethlehem? Possible foci include the rapid neighborhood change in South Bethlehem, the Martin Tower site, the need for affordable housing, the role played by City Administration, the role played by Council, the role of citizen input, adherence to Historical District codes.

Michael Colon (incumbent)

During my first term on City Council I’ve been in both the majority (S. New Street development) and minority (2 W. Market) of votes which drew a lot of attention regarding the use of land. A few thoughts I have: First, is that Bethlehem is doing a lot right. Looking at South Bethlehem one can note the stock house turned visitor center, the preservation of the steel stacks, the opening of the Hoover-Mason Trestle, The Factory which completely repurposed an abandoned building to house an innovative business incubator, and the use of another old Steel building to open The National Museum of Industrial History. All those projects are within a few blocks of each other. I also recognize new developments and the preservation of the historical nature of the city is a delicate balance. If everything is new construction than where has our history gone? If we don’t want to demolish anything in the City then how to we adapt to changing needs and expansion? Those questions are the complete opposite ends of the spectrum and I think the reality is somewhere in the middle. As I mentioned earlier I did support the S. New Street project which I feel will be beneficial to the neighborhood but have recognized concerns of those against it. At the same time we voted on that project I also stated that I couldn’t support a project such as a 9+ story building now or in the future due to its scale. We all have different opinions about where we find that balance but is important to recognize balance is needed as we continue to grow as a city. In regards to Martin Tower I ask myself where else in the City do we have 53 acres ready now for redevelopment? The previous City Council passed a new zoning ordinance for the tract after many meeting and hours of public input. I think we need to ask what are the current needs of the City and how to encourage the best use of this parcel to meet those needs. Affordable housing is a real problem in the City and many people are simply priced out by some of the new apartments going up. During the NAACP candidates forum Councilwoman Van Wirt alluded to a provision in the City’s zoning ordinance aimed to address the issue and I think the City administration, Council, and those investing their money in these projects should continue the conversation on how to meet the housing demands of all income levels.

J. William Reynolds (incumbent)

Over the past 20 years, Bethlehem has recovered from the decline of Bethlehem Steel
because of the impressive economic redevelopment and revitalization that our community continues to experience. We are a city with an economy that is growing rapidly from year to year and with that growth has come thousands of new jobs for our citizens. We cannot become hostile to development if we want to continue to be a financially thriving city that produces enough tax revenue to pay our hard working employees who keep our streets safe and deliver our basic city services.

With that being said, the real question is “How do we create the BEST development
projects for our City?” By structure, the City Administration, with the full time professional staff, has the responsibility to carry a substantial portion of the burden in asking and answering (privately and publicly) the questions/concerns that arise in our community, from our citizens, and City Council. Above all else, the City Administration must effectively relay THEIR process and involvement in major development projects. What did they push for internally? What couldn’t they push for? Why has the process played out the way it has?

The world of development is not simple. Projects often need some approvals, don’t need other approvals, don’t come up for any City Council votes, etc. Government also does not, despite our wishes at certain points, have the ability to control every aspect of what someone does with their private property. It is a balancing act. I have supported Administrations who I feel have carried out their mission effectively in getting the best possible project for our community and I have taken Administrations to task for failing to live up to that responsibility.

As we move forward with more development in the coming years, it is imperative that we as a community continue to ask and push for the best possible development projects while also realizing that economic revitalization and redevelopment will continue to be vital to the future of our city.

David Saltzer

I am about keeping our history while continuing to attract business that will provide jobs that provide a decent living wage and benefits, thus allowing those same people to go out and reinvest in the city by dining and visiting attractions. A lot of the new construction is very bland, and I feel that we are losing some of the “historic charm” with big square box buildings that do not fit in with the current infrastructure of the neighborhoods.

I recently spoke at the NAACP forum and said there that we are pushing out the low to middle class people that live and love this city but continuing to build upscale lofts and apartments that the everyday worker cannot afford—at the same time, if local folks CAN afford it, then they are not going out to patronize the local business because they just simply cannot afford to do both. This has a trickle-down affect and now the store/business owner is not able to prosper either. We need to get back to some middle-class mentality and build affordable housing that working people can afford—again attracting quality jobs to the city can help with this.

In regard to the Martin Tower project, I was at the meeting and was very disappointed on several fronts: with the presentation, as well as the timing and the fact that it was only advertised a few hours before, and lastly that advertisements said there would not be a vote, and there was a vote. Many residents spoke and made excellent comments and points. We have the opportunity to do something great here and it seems as if average is what the developer is presenting. We are the City of Bethlehem and we deserve/demand excellence, not average. This project could bring so much to the city if properly thought out. Attendees’ concerns are the mixed use, not creating a third downtown, the impact Nitschmann and Liberty schools, walkability, green space, contamination to Burnside, as well as the creek and walking paths, all of which were talked about but none of which had clear answers, or answers that were believable.

We have a historical committee for a reason, to keep the history of this city, and their value is and should be important in the consideration of any big changes to the city. As for council and administration, there needs to be a better working relationship and more communication. As for residents in the city, they are passionate, smart, and most have been here for a long time. Their concerns should be heard and listened to and should be treated with respect and dignity.

Paige Van Wirt (incumbent)

The tension that exists now between our historic character and development is not whether we develop or not but how to we ensure that our character is maintained while we welcome new development. I used an analogy in a previous council meeting: nobody wants to to drive in a city where certain people get to run the red lights. This has happened as we allow development that builds first and then comes back later and asks for forgiveness for breaking the rules. Rules, such as zoning, historic commission guidelines, and our comprehensive plan are standards that create the shape and character of our city. If a few people are allowed to run through red lights, it makes everyone who who would otherwise develop here, go elsewhere. Investors do not like shaky foundations. City Council is the representative body for the citizens. It is up to Council to ensure that our standards are applied consistently and evenly to all
projects, so that Bethlehem retains its historic character while at the same time welcoming development that is appropriate in scale and context. Cities are dynamic, ever-evolving entities. Council must ensure that the direction this city takes is one that directly benefits the citizens, maintains our singular historic character, and creates a joyful place for all people to live.

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

(34th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

Election Day is May 21

Candidates are invited to alert the Gadfly about where they are appearing

Gadfly caught Will Carpenter, candidate for the two-year seat on Bethlehem City Council, as he spoke Wednesday night at the meeting of Lehigh Valley for All.

• 20yr resident
• lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Baltimore
• democracy not solving our problems, felt need to do what he can
• Director of Real Estate
• need to be sure we have the best for our citizens
• valuable skill-set
• primary issues/concerns are the environment and ethics

Gadfly’s kind of organization:
“Lehigh Valley For All is a progressive , community-minded organization whose goals are to provide a platform for voters to gain knowledge of the political system and to effectuate progressive policies within their communities through issue campaigns and encouraging our membership to seek office.”
Lehigh Valley For All

(33rd in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

Election Day is May 21

random order

For whom are you going to vote for Bethlehem City Council?

A name you remember?

The person with a pretty yard sign?

You have to get beyond the yard sign.

“Voters [in municipal elections] must make more of an effort
to learn about the candidates and where they stand.”
Paul Muschick

Gadfly is making modest efforts to help you in that learning process.

See the series of Q&A’s (the 6th appears this Saturday) and videos
in our Candidates for election thread.

Gadfly wants you to get beyond the yard signs!

(32nd in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

Election Day is May 21

5 candidates

vote for 3

Earlier Gadfly posted videos of the presentations these candidates made at the NAACP candidates forum on April 22.

After those presentations, the ageless, indomitable, irrepressible NAACP president Esther Lee “hit” each candidate with a question.

It’s a situation that can make you wish your petitions were ruled unacceptable.

(In one of his classic films, the zany Groucho Marx ducked such a tight situation by saying, absurdly, “Excuse me, I have to step out in the hall and get an x-ray”!)

The candidates may be muttering and grousing about the questions/prompts Gadfly is posing to them (#6 coming next week), but at least there’s time to respond.

Gadfly says with a smile.

But not here.

Here you are on the spot.

Michael Colon (incumbent)

J. William Reynolds (incumbent)

Carol Ritter

David Saltzer

Paige Van Wirt (incumbent)

(31st in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

Election Day is May 21

2 candidates
(status of Ashley Daubert is uncertain)

vote for 1

Earlier Gadfly posted videos of the presentations these candidates made at the NAACP candidates forum on April 22.

After those presentations, the ageless, indomitable, irrepressible NAACP president Esther Lee “hit” each candidate with a question.

It’s a situation that can make you wish your citizen candidacy petitions were ruled unacceptable.

(In one of his classic films, the zany Groucho Marx ducked such a tight situation by saying, absurdly, “Excuse me, I have to step out in the hall and get an x-ray”!)

The candidates may be muttering and grousing about the questions/prompts Gadfly is posing to them (#6 coming next week), but at least there’s time to respond.

Gadfly says with a smile.

But not here.

Here you are on the spot.

Grace Crampsie Smith

Will Carpenter

(31st in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

Election Day is May 21

5 candidates

vote for 3

5th in the series of candidate statements

statements in reverse-alphabetical order this time

https://thebrownandwhite.com/2019/03/24/packer-avenue-transformation-lehigh/

On March 24, The Brown and White, the Lehigh University student newspaper, reported that Lehigh was exploring a pedestrian walkway on Packer Avenue, presumably between Brodhead and Webster Streets. Such a street “vacation” – should it ever be formally and officially proposed – would ultimately come before City Council for final disposition. Without prejudging how you would vote on such a now hypothetical proposal, describe what factors you would need to consider before reaching a decision.

Gadfly has been adding a bit of context to each of the prompts for the candidates. Here is what he gave to the candidates with this prompt: “I’m assuming you wouldn’t make a snap decision. I’m assuming that you wouldn’t immediately see such a proposal as “black and white.” I’m assuming that you would weigh factors. I’m assuming that you will see that there are legal, technical, economic, cultural, historical, and political considerations involved in such a decision. I’m not sure we would call Lehigh a ‘developer,’ but some of the same tensions and controversies we have seen with developers may come into play here. Lehigh and the Southside have a ‘history.’ So, what different kinds of information would you want to have? Who would you want to hear from? Who are the stakeholders in such a decision? Preliminarily, what benefits do you see? Preliminarily, what concerns do you have? Preliminarily, what issues will you need to be sensitive to? What do you immediately ‘get’? What would you need to do more thinking about? Do not make a decision in your response to this prompt. The idea behind the prompt is to get an idea of how you would approach making a decision that may not be as clear-cut to many people as it seems on the surface and that may have conflicting ramifications. The idea behind the prompt is to get an idea how prepared you are to recognize and reconcile multiple perspectives.”

Paige Van Wirt (incumbent)

When I think of how the closing of Packer Avenue between Brodhead and Webster is conceived and presented to the community, a framework which does not include just the few blocks around the area but rather all of South Bethlehem, and even Bethlehem proper, is useful.

From a City Council perspective, we are charged first and foremost with keeping our citizens safe. This means getting a traffic study done by an independent firm, chosen by the city and funded by Lehigh, to understand the impact of closure on our emergency vehicles access to the community. Is it safe?

Once this factor is understood, the traffic study should address impact on local residents’ commute. Will this closure shunt traffic to quiet neighborhood streets? If so, different avenues of access and egress need to be determined and then upgraded by Lehigh to assure there is not an impact on local neighborhoods.

We would require an understanding of how this project would impact local businesses, schools, and cultural organizations. These stakeholders must be brought into the planning from the very start, preferably with the leadership of local neighborhood organizations, and organized by the city, rather than Lehigh University. Citizen participation in well-organized “Town halls” in the neighborhood, can help break down many issues, forge new relationships between “town and gown” and give opportunities for innovative solutions from the local citizens themselves.

Once we understand the impact of the project on safety, traffic, local businesses and
neighbors, we then turn to strategy. Council would be giving city-owned land to Lehigh
University. If we are to vacate such a large swath of city land, in the name of increasing
walkability for Lehigh University, we should use this opportunity to require Lehigh U, in
exchange for this city land, to conceptualize and implement dedicated bike lanes and walking path upgrades that connect the University better to 3rd street and 4th street, grocery stores, cultural arts organizations, and other bike/walk trails such as the Greenway and the D and L (https://delawareandlehigh.org/map/). Let’s not just increase the walkability of the Lehigh campus but all of South Bethlehem. This web of interconnectivity, of walking and biking and not dependent on cars, could change the experience living and working in South Bethlehem.

Any vacation of such a large swath of city- (read: citizen-) owned land should be used to create a new relationship between the university and Bethlehem citizens. This land belongs to the citizens of Bethlehem, and figuring out how to knit together this grand university and this dynamic, diverse city should be the framework for any action by City Council.

David Saltzer

There are a multitude of factors to consider when discussing the “hypothetical” building of the pedestrian walkway as part of the Path to Prominence that Lehigh is exploring. When thinking about this and all the talk about walkability in the city, it is a good discussion to have. However, there are many questions with closing the street and building this walkway. How does this affect emergency responders’ access to buildings, residences, and other areas in that location? How will it be paid for: will Lehigh pay for it, will it be built with city funds, are there grants available or will be it a combination of all 3? Who would maintain it, keep it clean, supply the electric for lighting for safety? Who will patrol it — the Lehigh Police, the City Police, or again a combination of both? Assuming there was a study done, what is the amount of foot traffic that would be generated? What is the access to city streets from the walkway and access for emergency responders for any emergencies that would occur on it?

Without any answers to these questions, studies, a plan to look at, or until something actually is brought forth, I feel that this is still in a discussion phase and will need to continue to be watched and looked at until something formal is presented.

J. William Reynolds (incumbent)

Let me start by saying that this is a great question. Most important decisions should be made using a rational, deliberate process. In no particular order, here is a look at some of the questions that I consider as I am formulating a decision.

1) What are the short and term long benefits/potential negative consequences for the
proposal?
2) Who are the important stakeholders, and how do they feel about the proposal?
3) What (if any) are the legal questions surrounding the proposal?
4) What is going to happen if the proposal does not go through?
5) Who are the internal city staff/professionals that I should be speak to, and how do they feel about the proposal?
6) And, yes, how does the proposal “feel”? (Our “feeling” shouldn’t be the only factor but
often reflects our comprehensive experience making similar decisions in the past.)

As important as those questions are, it is vital on significant questions of policy to be able to explain your decision-making process publicly. I, personally, like to respond to certain arguments made by the side that I disagree with as a way to show that I have considered the major opposing points in a policy discussion.

It is usually impossible to make everyone happy when policy decisions are made. The goal, however, is to come to conclusions that balance as many of the communal interests as possible while also building faith in the process you undertook to come to your policy position.

Michael  Colon (incumbent)

Like most issues that find themselves on the City Council agenda, there are a number of pros and cons that come to mind off the top. Of course, this is still in its early stages granting many unknowns.

Some immediate questions that come to mind for Lehigh: First thing I’d need to know are what are the boundaries of this project? Packer is many city blocks long. Why should this strip be vacated? Why not extend the proposed walkway? Why not shorten? I’d like to hear from faculty and students about safety. I’m familiar with the area but won’t pretend to walk it as much as the students/faculty. Is it perceived as an unsafe environment for pedestrians? Have there been accidents there? Does the current state of the street actually present a boundary to unifying the campus and accessing the community as stated? Are there other alternatives to reaching this goal? If there are alternatives, how feasible are they? Have new bus routes been proposed? How does this tie-in to the new student housing at Packer & Brodhead?

From the City Administration: how do we see this impacting traffic? Will it create a bottleneck of vehicles on Morton and 4th? Will any changes have to be made to the surrounding infrastructure to accommodate the vacation?

For the Bethlehem Parking Authority: what are their overall thoughts on the vacation? How does this elimination of parking spots impact parking? What does the elimination of these meters do to their revenues?

From the community: How do the BASD and Broughal parents feel about the vacation behind the school? Local business owners in the neighborhood? Neighborhood residents?

Question for myself: Given what’s known, is this a good project for the community? Often times these are not easy decisions to make. During my first term on Council, I’ve been on both the majority and minority sides of votes. Each situation is unique, and I will continue to bring an open mind to all issues whether it be this project or the next one.

Carol Ritter

Carol has posted responses to prompts #1 and #2, and Gadfly will post additional responses (and notify) when received.

(29th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

On May 21 (is the date on your calendar?), we’ll be voting for the one 2-yr. position on Bethlehem City Council.

Here are two of the three candidates for the 2-yr. position (Ashley Daubert is the third) in the order in which they presented at the NAACP forum on April 22.

The presentations are short — you gotta watch!

Will Carpenter

“Democracy has failed to solve some of our problems. . . . I want to be part of what I feel is a swell of good people getting into races and saying we can do better. We should answer to our people only. I am a strong believer in the ethics provision that is trying make its way though our community. . . no way to suffer what Allentown . . . going through. We need to have real transparent government. . . . Director of Real Estate . . . skill set is unique. . . . use our past to forge a great pathway to the future.”

Grace Crampsie Smith

“[My family] instilled in me the vital importance of giving back to the community. . . . currently a high school guidance counselor. . . . previously I was an admissions counselor [in an] outpatient clinic. . . . administered services for people with developmental disabilities. . . . I see a huge increase in opiods and drug addiction. . . . in mental health services . . . homeless. . . . I’m for economic development . . . let’s look at quality, affordable housing . . . work with immigrants . . . advocate and representative for those in need.”

Remember

look for candidate answers to prompt #5 here on Gadfly this Saturday

BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

(28th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

On May 21 (is the date on your calendar?), we’ll be voting for three 4-yr. positions on Bethlehem City Council.

Here are the five candidates for the 4-yr. positions in the order in which they presented at the NAACP forum on April 22.

The presentations are short — you gotta watch!

J. William Reynolds (incumbent)

“The future of Bethlehem is going to be determined by our ability to expand opportunities for our citizens. . . . During my time on City Council for the past couple years I have focused on issues that I feel are about expanding opportunities. . . . climate action. . . . Northside 2027.”

Michael Colon (incumbent)

“I’m the product of a strong community. I grew up in Bethlehem. I was raised in a Spanish-speaking household by my grandparents over in Marvine, went to Marvine Elementary, Northeast Middle School, Liberty High School graduate, got sent off to Penn State, where I graduated, and came back home. . . . I got to learn how City government operates. . . . I understand all the mechanisms of City government.”

Carol Ritter

“I’ve led a number of organizations on a local, state, and national level. . . . I decided to run because when I think about Bethlehem, I think about progress, and I think about how wonderful it is to live here, and I’m appreciative of that time. . . . What’s important to me is a good quality of life. . . . One of my projects over the years is to help raise money for the Mounted Police.”

David Saltzer

“Retired City of Bethlehem fire-fighter. . . . Union president. . . . 911 dispatcher . . . and supervisor. . . . unique opportunity as a former employee, taxpayer, and Union president . . . negotiated with City Administration and City Council. . . . I understand a lot of the concepts and things that are going on in the City. . . . can’t afford to lose jobs in public safety. . . . have to fix the streets before we can ride bicycles on them. . . . opportunity . . . to draw in a living wage job. . . . platform . . . public safety and creating new jobs for the City . . . making sure residents are safe.”

Paige Van Wirt (incumbent)

“I think that my experience in nursing homes and taking care of these frail and marginalized patients and their families who are going through a lot when their loved ones transition into nursing homes really informs my viewpoint on how I see our community and some of the problems that we have in it.”

Remember

look for candidate answers to prompt #5 here on Gadfly this Saturday

BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

(27th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM,
at Steelworkers Hall, 53 E. Lehigh St.

Gadfly hopes you love the next three or four posts in this candidate series as much as he does.

We absolutely need the best elected officials we can get.

Gadfly admits that he has voted on insufficient and shaky grounds in the past.

Either he didn’t pay enough attention to researching candidates or the information was simply not available in an easily accessible way.

One of Gadfly’s personal missions over the last year is to attempt to become a better educated voter, and through the Gadfly blog he is trying to extend that mission to his followers as well.

Perhaps there is a political “machine” in town that anoints the Favored Ones.

He hopes not.

In Gadfly’s small-town fantasy, “we” care, “we” are in control, “we” make the choices.

That’s why – with the excellent cooperation of the candidates – he initiated the series of questions and answers going on.

The 5th in the series will come this weekend. And we should have time for 3-4 more before the May 21 election.

The candidates are creating a portfolio for us that will remain available for us to review.

We have a “library” to consult, modest as it is.

But putting an eye and an ear on the candidates is important as well.

Thus, the value of the NAACP candidates forum last Monday, April 22. 7 of the 8 Council candidates attended (Ashley Daubert couldn’t attend).

And Gadfly is providing in the next few posts video record (not such great quality, though – sigh) of the proceedings.

Gadfly was very proud of our candidate crew. He rushed to shake each hand when it was over.

The candidates were thoughtful, collegial, personable, articulate – and good-looking!

Please use this opportunity to put an eye and an ear on the candidates to complement the library of their more detailed views provided here in the blog.

And mark May 6 for the next such opportunity to see, hear, and meet them that I know of at a similar candidate forum.

(26th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 Bethlehem NAACP “Candidate’s Night 2019,” April 22, 7PM, at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM, at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

registration deadline April 22

Election Day is May 21

vote for 3

4th in the series of candidate statements

statements in alphabetical order this time

Talk about budgets and the budgeting process, arguably the most important power and responsibility that City Council has.

Michael Colon (incumbent)

The City’s budget is a long, tedious process which is often not very appealing to the public. I understand why.  There are a number of budget hearings during the fourth quarter each year. City Council and the administration go through a budget book which is hundreds of pages long.  A couple years before I was elected to City Council, I went to a budget hearing and truthfully didn’t totally grasp what I was hearing.  Thankfully the members of Council at the time were polite enough to answer emails I’d send with general questions to help me understand.

What is important to understand with the City’s budget today are two things. First is personnel is the biggest cost driver in running Bethlehem. Second is the overall headcount of Bethlehem employees is as low as anyone can remember. Most employees are likely going to work each day to a department that had more manpower when they started their employment. The question then is how to maintain adequate services?

The City must continue to look at technologies which will allow employees to be more effective at their jobs. Continued investment in new technologies will help in delivery of services. An example is the water department rolling out more electronic meters each year which allow the meter to be read remotely, cuttimg down on time going meter to meter. That being said, the workloads only increase our departments at City Hall.  Sometimes adding to the headcount is necessary as we recently decided to add a part-time employee to the Law Bureau due to increased demands. It is important to consider the long-term budgetary impact of each addition to the City’s payroll. In this instance there are no benefits other than salary.

The cost of doing business will continue to rise. It’s only fair a hardworking employee should be paid more today than they were one, three, ten years ago. Am I opposed to raising taxes?  Can’t say that I am. I’ve been a part of a Council that has passed small tax increases. What I am in favor of is continuing to look at the budget, this massive document, comprehensively and continuing to understand how to meet the City’s needs so that when taxes do have to rise they are incremental.

J. William Reynolds (incumbent)

The following facts about the budget cannot really be disputed.

• Most of the budget is fixed due to union contracts and obligations (such as debt relating to capital investments)
• The vast majority of the budget is personnel (over 80 percent)
• The majority of the budget is public safety (important when considering the service impact of any spending cuts)
• Legitimate meaningful cuts cannot be made without touching personnel (which generally Councilmembers do not want to do)

With those four points in mind, it is very difficult to make substantial cuts during budget time. So, what is City Council’s role in the budget?

• Determine, follow, monitor the long-term financial health of the city by understanding the budget revenue and expenditure drivers
• Have an in-depth understanding of the direction of departments and the short- and long-term financial implications of annual proposed changes
• Monitor and follow revenue and expenditure estimates throughout the year
• Educate the public about the aforementioned structural limitations of our budget
• Support initiatives that assist the city financially and do not sacrifice the effectiveness and efficiency of city services

The single most impactful thing that Council members can do as it pertains to the budget is to keep open communication with the Administration and department heads about their short- and long-term financial plans for their departments throughout the year.   The budget is passed in December, but important financial questions are being asked and answered every day in City Hall.  What is our pension obligation for next year? A few people retired, are those positions being filled? Would a change in departmental structure save money over the long run without sacrificing service? If we have a year with many winter storms, where are we moving money from to pay for snow removal?

City Councilmembers who wish to fund new initiatives also must work with the Administration and Department heads throughout the year (rather than during budget time) to understand where new initiatives work with the larger plans/strategies for the departments.  It is often a long and tedious process to build support and the necessary financial budgetary flexibility for even minor additions to the budget throughout the year. Working slowly is, however, necessary to not only fund new initiatives but also to make sure the implementation process is clear moving forward.  During my time on City Council, most Councilmembers have approached the budget process with the above information in mind and, as a result, the current and future financial position of the City is stable and growing stronger by the year.

Carol Ritter

Watch this space

David Saltzer  

When speaking about budgets, there are  multiple facets that change annually. I have had the opportunity to sit on the other side of the council table as a taxpayer, employee, and president of the union looking at the budget from different perspectives. Budgeting is one of council’s most important duties. To create a budget that is fair to everyone allows the city to operate, grow, provide essential city services, and not drain the pockets of the citizens.

Budgets should be reevaluated on an ongoing basis. By looking at our vendors and what they offer to the city, it may in our best interest to look at long-term contracts as opposed to monthly or yearly contracts for services to save money, while also continuing with a yearly fleet replacement plan for aging essential city equipment in the streets, parks, and public safety departments. This will also help in the long term by not having to replace multiple broken and aged pieces of equipment at once.

We can also look at attracting businesses that will help add to the tax base and give back to the community through sponsorships to maintain parks or monies to fund essential equipment, saving taxpayers monies. We can also continue to search and seek out grants for community upgrades, equipment programs such as Costars, and safe staffing such as the COPS and SAFER grants for fire and police to help offset the cost of salaries in public safety.

One area where we cannot afford to cut is city personnel. Our city is currently operating with the lowest number of employees in history, and it shows. Employees are constantly asked to do more with less, and this attitude is unacceptable and needs to change. Our employees can feel the lack of support from the current city administration and are burning out, and the city is seeing the results of this burnout.

Paige Van Wirt (incumbent)

Semper Pro Populus

City Council has fiduciary responsibility over the City operations — the budget, capital expenditures, and leveraging debt. In thinking about this duty I find the term “Semper Pro Populus” to be the guide: Always for the Public. It is in this role that Bethlehem’s finances must be abundantly transparent, and the decision-making behind the city finances accessible and easily understood.

City Council approves debt — in part by floating general obligation bonds, which are
backed by the power of the taxpayer. Taxpayers frequently backstop the bonds of
independent authorities, approved by City Council. It is in this responsibility I find the
most serious oversight responsibility lies — how do we ensure that we do not wind up like Scranton, where City Council approved general obligation bonds for the Scranton
Parking Authority to build yet another parking garage which subsequently was not
supported by parking revenue. The Parking Authority then asked Scranton City Council
to raise city taxes to pay the G.O. bonds. Scranton City Council refused to honor the
taxpayer guarantee for the Parking Authority’s G.O. Bonds — not wanting to raise taxes on it’s citizens — and Scranton wound up losing access to capital markets as a result,
precipitating a full-blown financial crisis. (Mary Walsh, “With No Vote, Taxpayers Stuck
with Tab on Bonds” New York Times 6/25/2012) Or Harrisburg, where the G.O. Bonds
for a trash incinerator provided the initial debt, which was subsequently inflated by the
Harrisburg Authority over the years, ultimately leading to the state taking over
Harrisburg’s finances. Or Allentown, where the debt of the struggling Lehigh County
Authority has provoked widespread concern. To compound the problem, these
obligations are frequently carried off the books.

In terms of function, the City budget is composed of a series of operating funds
(general, water. and sewer) as well as a capital budget. Within this framework, there is
often very little room for leverage in council towards goals that differ from the
administration, with the exception of the capital budget. It is here that I think a unified,
cohesive City Council has the most room to guide the administration- How we invest in
our downtowns to help Bethlehem’s small businesses? What are the projected costs of
replacing our fleet with electric vehicles? How do we improve our sidewalks? How do
we use the power of the purse to create a city with a diversified economy, an affordable
housing stock, and lively, energized streetscapes in our downtowns?

A fiduciary must always act with highest ethical standards. This means honesty and full
disclosure. The power of the purse, as controlled by City Council, is another reason we
must have a strong ethical foundation for our elected officials; the proposed Ethics
Ordinance, which I will be reintroducing, is meant to reassure the taxpayers that no
conflict of interests will affect Bethlehem’s elected official’s obligation to the people.

Bethlehem is pressured by many responsibilities — pension obligations, retiree and
employee healthcare, aging infrastructure are just a few — and is looking for ways to
creatively increase the tax base and to find new sources of revenue all without adding to
the taxpayer’s burden. It is in the fiduciary role of City Council — to ensure that
Bethlehem’s financial obligations and decision-making are transparent, that taxpayerbacked bonds are vetted and publicly discussed, particularly when it comes to off-the-books Authority debt, — that we must ensure we are Semper Pro Populus — always for the public.

(25th in a series of posts on candidates for election)

 Bethlehem NAACP “Candidate’s Night 2019,” April 22, 7PM, at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

BCDC is hosting a candidates’ forum May 6, 6PM, at Steelworkers Hall,
53 E. Lehigh St.

registration deadline April 22

Election Day is May 21

vote for 1

4th in the series of candidate statements

statements in alphabetical order this time

Talk about budgets and the budgeting process, arguably the most important power and responsibility that City Council has.

Will Carpenter

As a new member to Council, I would first need to listen and learn about process and the current and past budget initiatives, long-term objectives and challenges.  While I have created budgets, had profit/loss accountability, projected expenses and negotiated costs, I have never been a part of a municipal budgeting process and will have much to learn.

For expenditures, my priorities would start with public safety — from police, fire, and EMS to health and water quality. Keeping our community safe and our first responders well-equipped should be non-negotiable. Code enforcement is also part of public safety.  We have rules, so we should make sure they are consistently enforced and our departments have the resources to do so.

On the revenue side, we must protect and support our current strongest sources of revenue while looking ahead to the next revenue generators. Our business community and residential neighborhoods are the backbone of our city.  We are partners in success.  As the economy and the world continues to change, Bethlehem must be forward-looking to meet the needs of the next generation.

So initially, my responsibility is to ask questions, hold departments accountable and learn. Are we, the citizens, receiving good value on the expenditure?  What can we learn from past experience, or other municipalities experiences? Times aren’t always good, and bad times don’t last forever. Don’t overspend and don’t under-invest. It is a difficult balance, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will certainly ask the questions.  Above all, don’t play politics with the budget.  I will tell it like it is and make the hard choices with a long-term perspective.

Ashley Daubert

In a healthcare setting, members of nursing leadership (like myself), are involved with some of the most critical functions in budgetary planning. Like nurse managers, the members of City Council serve as the link between the plans of administration/City and the workforce/tax payer. In my experience, the use of historical budgeting is a vital component of planning the next fiscal year’s budget. As a member of City Council, I would review historical budgets from the previous (at least) four years, and identify patterns and trends. I would also compare this data to a chart of accounts for the City – analyzing revenue, expenses, liabilities, and assets. I would then compare actual revenue and expenses to the budgeted revenue and expenses for each year. Variances would be identified and variance analyses completed, as appropriate. The budgeting process is ongoing and dynamic. It should provide feedback and opportunity for corrective action; this is essential in managing a budget.

In the development of a budget, it is important to really analyze what is being requested. For example, in the healthcare setting, there are things we need to function, and there are things that would be wonderful to have in an “ideal situation.” This is a concept I use when creating our household budget as well. I call it the “need vs. want” scenario(s) – the same mentality I would use as a member of City Council. I have reviewed the City of Bethlehem 2019 Operating and Capital Budgets, but without being able to (also) review some of the aforementioned historical documentation, at this point, I can only say it is very comprehensive and diverse. I can appreciate that it is does not intend to allocate funding disproportionately in one area versus another.

It is difficult to condense such a broad topic into the summary above – but in closing, a critical task in creating and/or approving a budget is collecting relevant data. Armed with this knowledge, Council can make fiscally responsible decisions to ensure the City can run efficiently, without raising taxes.

My Grandfather, Dale Daubert, served on the South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners for 25 years. He was an outspoken advocate for preservation, and consistently voted against tax increases in the township. This is something he was known for, and I intend to fight the same way for the taxpayers of my City. You might say – it’s in my blood.

Grace Crampsie Smith

My previous budgetary experience with allocating federal, state, and local funds will be beneficial in my role as city councilperson. In my capacity as Addictions Counselor and Coordinator of Community and Early Intervention Services for Lehigh County Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, I was faced with the arduous task of assuring limited taxpayer funds were utilized most efficiently for my clients and families.  Budgetary battles were the norm, for there were never enough funds to adequately serve those in need, and waiting lists prevailed

Currently as a school counselor I again am faced with budgetary dilemmas in that school districts are faced with rising costs, especially given the diversion of sufficient funds from the budget to charter schools. As AP Coordinator, I am responsible for the AP budget and am facing increasingly challenges to offset rising costs with assuring quality administration of the AP program.

Negotiation and mediation skills have been the hallmark of my career as a counselor and human services administrator. While at Lehigh County, I facilitated the transformation of our service delivery from contract-private provider based to a Family Driven- Family Support Services model. This entailed weekly meetings with a Family Council, comprised of parents of those with developmental disabilities.  After more than a year of intense negotiations, we successfully transformed our delivery system, eliminating waiting lists, and assuring all clients/families received services. Negotiation was certainly the key during this arduous yearlong process, and I was complimented for my efforts.

What we need to remember re: the city budget is that like most budgets, the majority of the budget is comprised of fixed costs items such as personnel and health care. In fact 75.2 % of the general fund is comprised of personnel costs.

As a taxpayer I certainly “get it” that no one wants to have their taxes raised.  Concurrently, as a long-time professional in the area of human services, I see on a daily basis the need for services funded by public monies.

As time commences, costs increase — that’s why we have cost of living increases. So how do we balance this, especially for those on fixed incomes that receive minimal to no COLA?  As a councilperson, it is vital to assure funds are spent most efficiently, and prioritization is essential. We can also look at alternate sources of funding such as grants. When I wanted to empower our at-risk 9^th graders, I applied for a grant through the Rt. 22 Anti-Gang Task Force and was able to institute the “Skills for Success” program in collaboration with Lafayette College. Collaboration with private entities/individuals should also be encouraged. For example, my friend Mary Sculion recently celebrated 30 years as Founder of Project Home in Philadelphia. At the celebratory dinner this past week, the private benefactors in attendance raised $10 million dollars in one night for her organization. We need to see more of this in Bethlehem.

As a young child, my family faced financial crisis when my father became very ill and was out of work long-term. My family of 9 would never have survived had it not been for the good will of our community.  This experience had a profound impact on me and is one of many reasons I want to be a city councilperson to assure we all work together for the benefit of ALL, regardless of budgetary constraints.