Holiday Cheer

Barking Over Parking

Here are some of same basic reasons that every city gives for
parking meters (or any limited parking enforcement):

1. Turnover. Ensure that people move their cars every 15
   minutes to 5 hours to allow other cars a chance to park (and shop the stores
   there.)
2. Social Engineering. Get people to use pubic transportation
   instead of their cars when shopping downtown.
3. Income. Generate money from the meters. The money from
   meters can be significant (especially when there are thousands of meters
   installed) however, cities really want people to overstay their parking limit so
   they can write parking tickets - this is where they make most of their money. In
   Portland a plain parking ticket is $16.00. Some place, like near PGE Park (a
   stadium) the basic parking ticket is $40.00!
4. Portland, in their transportation budget, expects 2.5% of
   it to be derived from citations. 2004 Budget was around $54 million dollars.
   Thus, around $1 million dollars is expected as income from parking citations
   alone.
5. To encourage people who work downtown NOT to drive their
   cars downtown to allow shoppers to park.
6. Cut down the need to build new roads to handle the traffic
   going downtown
7. Enable the handicap to park easily so they can
   shop

Why Parking Meters Should be
Outlawed http://www.taphilo.com/tom/parkingmeters.shtml

Last year (during our policy battles with the State Theatre) I was of the opinion that we should just raise the price of the city’s parking meters. I wanted the City Parking Garage locked down to freebies. And I wanted scofflaws, violators, and ne'er-do-wells ticketed. That was then.

Just a couple of weeks ago we were cornered with an eleventh hour budget proposal to increase parking meters 100% (from $.50/hour to $1.00/hour). My knee-jerk reaction was, “Hell Yeah! Make everyone share the costs.” Residents and business owners crowded City Council Chambers. People stood up and spoke out.

And what happened then...? Well... in Easton they say that my Grinch ears grew three sizes that day!

I heard some opponents to my opinion. No, I really heard some opponents to my opinion. I heard people give solid criticism to the hap-hazardness of the plan. I heard people offer viable alternatives. Here’s the thing… I actually “heard” what they were saying.

Suddenly, mine was not such a well thought out position. And, well, quite frankly; that’s because it was a position of emotion. My agenda is clear—Resident First. In my heart of hearts I believe that the people need to be advocated. When I approached the parking meter issue on adrenaline alone, anyone not for it was against the resident. That was a mistake. Upon future review (and hearing other people) I realized that the issue is not one of extremes.

Yes, the rates need to be increased. They need to be increased for two major reasons—fairness and revenue. Everyone must contribute to the well being of the city; not just now but always. We can not continue to operate the city on the backs of the resident/taxpayer. We discussed this in detail during the Amusement and Mechanical Devices Tax talks. Use-based fees are fair and necessary.

The rhetoric that parking meters are not revenue devices has been bounced around a lot lately. The problem is that the rhetoric is not entirely true. Firstly, it’s made up. Meters exist for whatever reason the owner chooses. The simple fact that revenue is generated from meters invalidates the stance. A more correct statement may be that parking meters don’t have to exist for the sole purpose of revenue generation.

Although it is sometimes disputed, Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, is generally credited with originating the parking meter. He filed for
a patent for a "coin controlled parking meter" May 13, 1935. The patent,
#2,118,318, was issued May 24, 1938.

The world's first installed
parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Mr. Magee had been
appointed to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce traffic committee, and was
assigned the task of solving the parking problems in downtown Oklahoma City.
Apparently, folks who worked in the area were parking on downtown streets,
staying all day, and leaving few spaces for shoppers and others who visited the
central business district.

Magee's solution was to install parking
meters, charge for the use of the parking spaces, and turn over those spaces
that would otherwise have been filled by all day parkers. In addition, the
parking meters would generate revenue for a growing city. It must have worked,
as the idea of metered parking eventually caught on worldwide. From that early
beginning, the use of parking meters by municipalities, colleges and
universities, and private parking facilities has increased to the point that
today, in the United States alone, there are an estimated five million parking
meters in use.

Based on this number, if every parking meter
collected only 25 cents per day, the gross revenues generated by parking meters
in the U.S. for one day would be a staggering 1.25 million dollars
($1,250,000).

Although Magee's mission was to solve parking
problems, it is evident from his patent application that generating revenue was
an important issue from the beginning. In the application, he stated that his
invention related to "meters for measuring the time of occupancy or use of
parking or other space, for the use of which it is desirous an incidental charge
be made upon a time basis."

The Parking Meter Page http://www.ionet.net/~luttrell/history.html

The real shame we have to bear is that we did not address this issue over months. One of the most sensible arguments to the increase I heard was that we lack a plan. And our lack of planning, NOT a couple of quarters, is the limiter in the proposal.

Speakers have pointed out that we need coordinated actions when we address parking. Street parking costs need to compliment garage costs. Garage costs need to be less that ticket fines. Residents need evening exemptions. Overnight parking costs needs to compliment parking costs in destination cities like Philadelphia and Ney York City. Payment needs to be convienient, and taxicab loitering needs to be managed.

The answer is not “to fee or not to fee.” That would be catering to our emotional special interest. The answer is a coordinated, well-mapped parking master plan.

Maybe we need some authority over parking...?

City Council Meeting Audio 12/13/06

This meeting was dedicated to the interest item de jure—Parking meters. It was a short meet, but there was much traffic on the meters. Most of the speakers represented their business interests, but they; none the less; made some very pertinent arguements that were coupled with some very sensible solutions. There's a lot more to be said about the parking meter issue, and we will dedicate a post to it. The issue touches so many different buttons.

Stu Gallaher was made the City Business Administrator... again. And the attempt to fit former fire Chief Frank Chisesi into his post retirement golden parachute was stiffled by a few questions.The questions pretty much amounted to, "What is this job that he is so uniquely qualified for?" There will be more on that in the next meeting.

Here's the meeting AUDIO (8Mb 1 hour 6 minutes).

Crime Symposium Audio

The Crime Symposium went well. Our panelists were top-notched. We are already brainstorming our next community events. And as we get more experienced they will only become more useful and fulfilling sessions.

We thank everyone that attended, as well as our distinguished panel members and their organizations.

The audio recordings have been edited, and in keeping with EU’s mandate to extend the reach of public events they are ready for download/listening.

(To download the file to your computer right click on the link and choose “save as”)

Panel 1 - Judiciary
District Attorney: District Attorney John Morganelli
Magistrates: Justice Gay Elwell
County Judges: Judge Stephen G. Baratta
Symposium Introduction and Judiciary Panel Presentations (time 27:45 size 3Mb)
Judiciary Panel Question & Answer (time 26:35 size 3Mb)

Panel 2 – Community/Schools

Block Watch: Brian Otto, President
Weed & Seed: Nadine Loane
Alert Partnership: Mike Adams
School District: Dr. Pat Vulcano
Community/Schools Panel Presentations (time 48:36 size 5.7Mb)
Community/Schools Question & Answer (time 9:28 size 1Mb)

Panel 3 – Enforcement & Reporting
County 911: Richard Teasdale, Director
Lafayette College Public Safety: Hugh Harris, Director
Easton Police: Lieutenant John Remaley
Enforcement & Reporting Panel Presentations (time 34:34 size 4Mb)
Enforcement & Reporting Panel Question & Answer (time 34:34 size 4Mb)

Panel 4 – Gang Presentation
County Sheriff: Deputy Sheriff George Volpe
Gang Awareness Presentation (time 10:56 size 1.3Mb)

Easton Crime Symposium Itinerary

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The first Easton Crime Symposium is Saturday, December 9, 2006 at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church on 4th & Ferry Sreets (across from the parking garage) in the basement Social Hall. The room is spacious.

If you or anyone you know would benefit from this forum please attend.

Crime Symposium Itinerary

Opening and explanation of the goals Terrance Hand

Panel 1 - Judiciary (1:00 to 1:30) Introduction of Guests: Dan Corpora

District Attorney: property seizures, crime deterrents
Magistrates: Penalty adjudication
County Judges: Rights and restrictions

Panel questions (1:30 to 2:00)

Panel 2 – Community/Schools (2:00 to 2:40) Introduction of Guests: Roger Ruggles

Block Watch: Effectiveness & starting a block watch
Weed & Seed: Tall team, block walks, sit outs
Alert Partnership: Drug prevention/intervention
School District: School Security

Panel questions (2:40 to 3:00)

Panel 3 – Enforcement & Reporting (3:00 to 3:30) Introduction of Guests: Mike Krill

County 911: Crime reporting
Lafayette Security: Campus safety
Easton Police: Property protection, community policing

Panel questions (3:30 to 4:00)

Panel 4 – Gang Presentation (4:00 to 5:30) Introduction of Guests: Terrance Hand
County Sheriff: Gang awareness

Panel questions (time dependent)

Closing Terrance Hand

Panel

Block Watch: Brian Otto, President
Weed & Seed: Nadine Loane
Alert Partnership: Mike Adams
School District: Dr. Pat Vulcano
County 911: Richard Teasdale, Director
Lafayette College Public Safety: Hugh Harris, Director
Easton Police: Lieutenant John Remaley
County Sheriff: Deputy Sheriff George Volpe
District Attorney: District Attorney John Morganelli
Magistrates: Justice Gay Elwell
County Judges: Judge Stephen G. Baratta

City Council Meeting Audio 12/05/06

It's budget season! And with the budget we get stress. The entire year's worth of fiscal lethargy finds us scrambling to find new stop-gap funding plans. Which means we get treated to the 'budget mantra', "We don't have a choice."

In this year's 'backs against the wall' meetings the special interest item was parking meter fee increases, and the big-ticket item was the lease agreement of the waterworks. The 4 - 1 passing of the lease agreement was round one of what may turn into another ugly Easton fight. And the 'all-of-the-sudden' knee-jerk idea to raise parking meter rates was an excellent display of what happens when we waste the year not studying and planning for the budget. Some smart people got up and presented alternatives that could have been effective and feasible if we would have addressed them earlier.

The tension was high.

A resident mustered the courage to approach Council for help and was belayed by a rule that was not equally enforced. The uncomfortable session was culminated with the Mayor's loss of control as he lambasted a City fire fighter for a statement he made to Council as a citizen-taxpayer.

It was not our finest two hours.

Audio (1 hour 46 minutes 12 Mb)

City Council Meeting Audio 11/28/06

Today you get two... two... Two meetings in one!
Because it's budget season. I will not have all of the budget hearings this year. And for the first time in the same amount of time I missed a City Council meeting. It was a special session on November 15, 2006, it was combined with the Administration's budget proposal. Hey, its was bound to happen.

The format for the combined meetings is different this year. The Council meeting is held first and the budget workshops are after the adjournment. This effectively keeps the public out of the budget proceedures.

This meeting was a full house marathon for 2 reasons-- The water works lease was slated for vote, and the public safety budget session also occured. The fire and public works unions were well represented along with the police brass.

The water works discussion is a must-listen. The lease is such a large and important endeavor, and it requires as much scrutiny as we can muster. Because it has to be done right. AFSCME Local 447 was well represented by their parent organization District Council 33, but that did not keep some Council members from lambasting the District President for his promise of action if his membership gets unfair treatment. The vote was tabled until Tuesday, December 5, 2006; but as almost anyone involved will tell you-- it's already a done deal.

$252,700
The stress and confinement of budget time makes for some great deals in the City.

Council Meeting Audio (1 hour 51 mins 12.7Mb)

Budget Hearing Audio (1 hour 14 mins 8.4Mb)

City Council Meeting Audio 11/08/06

This Council meeting was dominated by the mythical Riverwalk project. And; wouldn’t you know it; three more immediate and very important issues slid by in the shadows. The first hour of the meeting was all Riverwalk and almost all against it. By the time the topic was exhausted so were we—the entire audience.

We were too exhausted to object to the final vote on the allocation of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) being done without an itemized disbursement of the funds. (SECTION (a) #9 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Bill No.106, Allocations for the 2007 CDBG Funds) And guess what…? At least one item of contention was quietly funded.

We were too exhausted to ask what language was being changed in City consultation contracts. And thus we never noticed that the taxpayers protection was being ripped from the pages. The excluded language was noncompetitive hiring clauses that offered restitution to the city coffers if carpet-bagging consulting agencies snatched our employees.

We were too exhausted to notice City Council tip-toeing into agreement with the Suburban Water Authority. And obviously so were the members of AFSCME Local #447, because they were not in attendance to question the General Manager Mr. Roy White about the deal. If it weren’t for Councilwoman Vulcano asking questions to the interest of the city workers the entire audience would have missed the implications of their vote. (SECTION (a) #17 NEW BUSINESS: Bill No. 123, Approving a Lease and Operating Agreement between the City of Easton, and the Easton Suburban Water Authority.)

The word of the day:

obfuscate

The Audio 18.5(Mb). The meeting agenda 56(kb).

Your neighbors

Easton UnPlugged Audio Blog (Podcast) #10 (SEASON 2)

I do not know if this is worth the wait, but WE'RE BACK!

Bad Apple and House of Crayons are joined by the political color-queen Just Asking for an ear-splitting one hour and forty minute state of the city chat. The podcast starts with a recap of the last 6 months, and eventually gets into more current events. The big ticket topics are the business Administrator's ship-jumping and the Mayor first draft budget.

The show is long because we felt like we owed you something. Audio (11Mb)

Your neighbors

Easton Neighbors for Responsible Development

Save Easton's Academy Hill, Skyline, and Riverfront
Easton Neighbors for Responsible Development
Contact: Phyllis Johnson at (610) 923-0517 or Charles Klabunde at (610) 252-1938

Did you know that the proposed Intermodal/Riverwalk project—being rushed through City Hall right now—is a $25–40-million, taxpayer-subsidized development to be located on Larry Holmes Drive at Church Street, and it will:

Ø Be twice the height and bulk of the Eastonian (former Hotel Easton) and consist of a pre-cast concrete mega-structure covering half a city block—a building that belongs more in Las Vegas or Miami than Easton—with an open parking garage for cars and buses (visible to the street) and seven levels above that for 147 luxury condos and a few stores located in the parking structure and mostly invisible to pedestrians?

Ø Dwarf the surrounding historic neighborhood of restored homes, businesses, and attractions (including Easton’s oldest building—the Bachmann Public House, now closed and in limbo) and overshadow our beautiful skyline of church steeples and bell towers, completely blocking the irreplaceable views of both the Governor Wolf Building (formerly Easton High School) as well as the last remaining structure of Easton’s first public school, Easton Union Academy, on Academy Hill—Easton landmarks of civic pride and national significance for well over a century?

Ø Be exempt from paying taxes for the next four years (through 2010) while being subsidized by $14+ million of our tax dollars—in part a loan with payments due soon that threaten to bankrupt the City, contribute to an imminent 15% tax hike, and lead to the elimination of vital public safety positions and equipment for police officers and firefighters?

Ø Add far more than 500 cars and 35 diesel buses a day to this location as well as numerous delivery trucks and service vehicles (a loading dock and major entrance/exit for buses and cars is planned parallel to Church Street) that will cause traffic jams and a dangerous intersection—rated a "D" by PennDot (one step above an "F,” the worst rating)?

Ø Supply fewer than 100 new parking spaces for area residents, shoppers, visitors, and commuters at a cost to taxpayers of $140,000 each (at least 400 spaces will be permanently reserved for condo owners and building workers as well as current personnel of the Governor Wolf Building)—causing overflow of vehicles to residential streets?

Ø Cast deep morning shadows over nearby houses and afternoon shadows over Riverside Park; make adjacent houses less economically viable by taking their property, views, air, and light; turn the Governor Wolf Building into a white elephant without adequate parking and no views toward the river (only views of the back of the new building and passing buses and cars below); and take away most of the adjacent green spaces needed for street shade trees and other landscape plantings for sight and noise buffering required by law?

Ø Increase flooding downtown and downriver because it provides no mitigation for stormwater runoff or groundwater recharge, paves over the entire lot with impermeable asphalt and concrete surfaces, ignores U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources regulations, and covers part of the former bed of Bushkill Creek, an area that is riddled with sinkholes?

Ø Have no possibility of future connection with inter-city trains or provision for other kinds of true "intermodal" transportation other than cars and buses—yet is being built just one block from the former Easton bus terminal and a few more blocks from the former freight rail station, either of which could be restored at a fraction of the cost?

Ø Eliminate the public sidewalk on Church Street (as well as street shade trees and landscaping) and erect a 13-foot-deep concrete balcony that overhangs the public sidewalk just 17 feet overhead—hiding the shops above and creating the perfect sheltered haven for criminal activity, gang "tagging," and vagrancy at the gateway to our City?

Ø Look to Easton taxpayers for even more public funding to improve Riverside Park access and provide additional parking in the park on Larry Holmes Drive for the building’s tenants and visitors?

Ø Set a precedent for more anything-goes, publicly subsidized development on both sides of our riverfront?

John Bry, an urban planning and economic development expert from Harrisburg, spoke in Easton recently and called such parking garages a multi-million dollar waste of taxpayer money that never pay for themselves nor generate economic activity. No one ever visited any city because of its great parking garages. This is not the way to build our economic future by mortgaging our assets and selling out the twin legacies of our historic skyline and public riverfront.

Action is needed now! Express your opinion at these upcoming meetings: Planning Board, Historic District Commission, and Shade Tree Commission (visit http://www.easton-pa.gov/ or telephone 610-250-6600 for details). Urge your neighbors to write Mayor Mitman (pbm@easton-pa.gov), members of City Council, County Executive Stoffa, your state representatives, and Governor Rendell, and tell them you want reasonable development in the City of Easton that preserves our heritage and environment and brings real economic benefits, affordable housing, and well-paying jobs to all our neighborhoods. Planning for the Intermodal/Riverwalk development project has already cost taxpayers one-half million dollars. If the condo market sinks any further, the developer will either cut and run or demand even more public funds—either way leaving us holding the bag. Our tax money is too precious to squander on subsidizing luxury condos and private parking.

Get the Facts on the Intermodal/Riverwalk Development Projectand Contact your Elected City, State, and Federal Representatives

Say “NO” to:
Ø A 15% property tax hike to finance $14 million for luxury condos and their private parking while eliminating public safety positions and equipment for police officers and firefighters

Ø Increased downtown and downriver flooding

Ø More dangerous concentrations of trucks, traffic, and congestion on our streets

Ø Obliterating the irreplaceable views and usefulness of the more than century-old Governor Wolf Building (former Easton High School) and its bell tower as well as the Easton Union Academy Building (Easton’s oldest extant public school structure)—local, state, and national monuments to public education

Ø Overshadowing our streets, homes, businesses, and parks with oversized development that violates the guidelines of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Easton’s own Historic District Commission for our downtown, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Ø Ruining our distinctive and historic skyline that has been a source of civic pride and an attraction to visitors and new residents for over 200 years

Ø Taking public space, light, and air for private gain

Ø The most destructive development project in Easton since 1960s and 1970s “urban renewal” leveled our riverfront neighborhoods

Say “YES” to:
Ø “Green architecture” that is environmentally sound and meets stormwater runoff and groundwater recharge standards of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Ø A pedestrian and bicycle friendly downtown for residents, shoppers, and visitors

Ø Following federal, state, and local guidelines and laws for historic preservation, street shade trees, and landscape buffering

Ø Keeping the Governor Wolf Building and the Easton Union Academy Building as public assets and landmarks of public education and civic pride

Ø Preserving our heritage, skyline, and riverfront

Ø Public hearings and discussion as well as appeals to the Zoning and Planning Boards with, balanced, complete, and accurate information

Ø Investigative reporting by our local newspapers and other news media

Ø Renovating our existing housing stock and pursuing economic development and job creation for all neighborhoods in our City

Ø Seeking creative alternatives for this historically and environmentally sensitive site

Ø Transferring the $14 million in public funding to another location more suited for this development and allowing for true intermodal public transportation, including rail connections

Ø Smart growth and development that includes informed, comprehensive planning and land use

Editor's Note: Although we are not confident in the success of a bus depot beneath luxury condominiums, our lack of confidence is for different reasons than the Easton Neighbors for Responsible Development. As we've mentioned bus stations are not desireable places. And with things being the way they are in Easton it is not reasonable to assume that we will be able keep a bus station clean and safe. We have predicted that the intermodel project will never come to fruition-- it's brochureware. What we are destined to get from this pitch parade is over 100 fewer employees in the city and another very large, very empty building. -HoC

Easton Dressed #2

I’m not the oldest Eastonian. Easton has only hosted me for just over 20 years. I am a transplant (not to be confused with a carpet bagger—I consider Easton my home, not some place of opportunity). And while my history here is relatively short, I do have memories of places and things that just aren’t anymore.

I remember Woolworth’s off of the Circle, bowling down at Heritage Lanes, and Frinzi’s when they had good food. And I fondly remember and solemnly miss the service and quality from Mr. Lenny Albaneese.

To those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to do business at 1217 Washington Street, I offer my apologies. 1217 Washington Street was the address of Giacomo’s Italian Specialty. And the doors of this fine neighborhood establishment closed for-good on Sunday, October 15, 2006. I apologize because if I was more aware I would have been able to advise you to stop by this neighborhood institution. I also would have been able to visit Mrs. Famularo in the store one more time and grab up some of her pepper shooters and the world’s best cannolis.

All is not lost. You can still get her pepper shooters and the world’s best cannolis. You may even be able to meet Mrs. Fumularo. You’re just going to have to do it at Giacomo's on the Hill at 700 Cattell Street.

The store on the Hill is one of my favorite places in the city too. It’s run by Mr. Giacomo and Mrs. Gina Fumularo’s sons Sal and Mario.

I feel bad, because I took the store for granted; like we do so many things in Easton. I thought Giacomo’s would be there whenever I chose to go and now it’s not.

I will visit Sal and Mario a lot more, because I don’t go to Giacomo’s enough.

Your neighbor

City Council Meeting Audio 10/25/06

The Mayor’s office presented their first stab at the 2007 budget. And, as expected, it was chock-full of financial increases with significant reductions in service. Council members reserved their comments on the proposal, but some residents spoke out.

The quick and dirty on the Mayor’s proposal is a 3 mil (16%) tax increase; double the parking meter fees; cut 5 public works employees, 3 police, and 2 fire; only open Eddyside pool for a short season, and increase garbage fees while allowing less garbage at the curb.

The meeting was just over 2 hours long. Audio 14.7Mb

Meet the New Boss...

Hello Neighbors,

Got a little historical reading assignment for us. Click the link to read how our mayor and his top aide presented the City's financial status to the press, residents, and the police arbitration board back in April of 1981.

My personal favorite is when he stated that "...the city would be bankrupt in four or five years" and then went on to say, "I may have overstated the case because we were in arbitration."

The more things stay the same, the more they stay the same.

(Click on image for file)

Top Ten Mitman Administration Re-election Slogans

10. Look at how good things are!

9. Don't you worry your pretty little head about issues.

8. Offering you the best consultants that money can buy.

7. We'll give you real economic development even if we have to ignore every resident in the City to do it.

6. Let us show you just how much we DON'T know!

5. I lived in the West Ward for a few days.

4. We won't address any problem until we absolutely have to.

3. I won't pay any fee, fine, or tax that I expect you to pay.

2. We guarantee that we will fill each City director's position (at least) twice.

1. We promise you less service and higher taxes.

City Council Meeting Audio 10/11/06

My apologies neighbors, I forgot to post last week’s City Council meeting.

The meeting was started with the second of two Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public hearings. There were public comments concerning the proposed distribution of the CDBG funds vis-à-vis charity organizations and the City. There was discussion over whether it was necessary to purchase a vehicle for the Fire Department that was to be used mainly for Public Works.

The pre meeting public comments were dominated by trash talk. Recycling and the new contract were issues. The contract with Raritan Valley got a positive vote. A lawyer from one of the competing garbage companies made statements questioning Raritan’s bond solvency.

During the final public comment session at the end of the meeting a Council member answered a residents cry for enforcement and assistance with criminal activity and loitering by (once again—different Council member) suggesting the resident look into starting a block watch. Good answer! Thanks for the help and wisdom. The most unusual, entertaining, and ironic public comment was made by a “Super American” from Bethlehem Township who approached the podium wearing a sleeveless Minutemen tee-shirt that read, “Americans defending Americans”. His issue was immigration and he pointed out the workers working on the Sweet Shop while talking about unsafe working environments.







The meeting is 2 hours and nine minutes. Audio (14.7Mb)

Easton Dressed #1

It’s been a while since I cataloged anything that I love, or for that matter even enjoy, about Easton. More and more people’s first criticism of me is that I only complain. And while that criticism is not the complete and correct assessment of me, it is valid; because I do exercise my right to complain frequently.

I make it a rule to mix problem solving in with any problem I point out. And BA and I have stated time and time again that we believe press conferences are the proper venues for relishing and praising, while Council meetings are the most important venue to find and fix problems.

That being said, I have to agree with my critics, people need to see and hear about Easton’s best. While I will still contest that this type of recognition should not overshadow issue resolution at City Council meetings, I think we at EU need to concede more space towards promotion of the place we love—Easton, Pennsylvania.

I’m sure at least one of the two of you reading this is wondering what brought on this change of heart. Well, to put it simply—lunch. I would guess that seventy five to ninety percent of my week is spent in the City. I live here; I work here, my wife works here, and my daughter goes to school here. I, naturally, eat; drink; shop; and recreate within the city limits a whole lot.

Last week I had to purchase a gift for an Easton charity event. We decided that a $50.00 gift certificate from one of the City’s restaurants was appropriate. So, I chose Sette Luna. I decided to make my trip a two-for-one and took care of the day’s lunch.

This turned out to be one of the most unexpectedly pleasant meals I have had in a while. I pride myself on my lack of pretense, and I am not very easily impressed. At Sette Luna I needed to be neither pretentious nor easily impressed. That was because I was in a place that “just does it right”. The food excelled in every way—“just enough” and uniquely appetizing. My meal started with their calamari which was served in a very tasty peppery-flavored tomato sauce. The sauce is so good that you instinctively use the aromatic house-made bread to sop it dry. I followed that up with one of the restaurants signature Panini sandwiches, The Eastonian. The sandwich was by no means a “gut buster”, but the owners must possess some secret sating formula, because it was” just right”. It was made up of the “just right” mix of Italian meats, cheese, and some greens with a small cucumber-tomato salad that helped each bite of the sandwich taste like a first bite.

The service only made things better as it was pleasant and subtly detailed. The room did not make me feel like a stranger in Easton, and it gave a comforting ambiance for touring visitors. I have eaten at Sette Luna a couple of times prior to this visit. Each of those times with company, and I had not the slightest hesitation at eating there alone (As a matter of fact, I had lunch there by myself three days later). The music was not obnoxious, and it did not make me feel either unrefined or unhip. They did things “right”. The servers are polite, accessible, and not in your face. I was most impressed as I witnessed an owner casually bus a table as if it were no big deal. They get it—“just right”.

While not easily impressed; I was easily impressed with the service provided by our neighbors at Sette Luna. And if I were pressed for an improvement criticism, I would ask for a children’s’ menu (the Little House of Crayons doesn't dig spices).

I love Easton, as well as many of you. So, from now on I will regularly pimp some of our goods, greats, and bests. That is, of course, in between working towards our mission.

To provide a clean, crime-free, and safe environment with competitive services
that allows residents to enjoy a high quality of life, while providing commerce
an environment to thrive.

Sette Luna
219 Ferry StreetEaston, PA 18042
610-253-8888
Mon. - Tues.: 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wed. - Thurs.: 11:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Fri.: 11:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Sat.: noon - 10:30 p.m.
Sun.: 4 - 9 p.m.

Good Comments Deserve Comment

LatinTeacher said...
You have answered my query. I agree in some ways. I think that having a city run water authority will bring in more money to the city (via water leases) and have the added benefit of removing some overhead and liability that the current system does not provide. I am not sure, though I fear some flaming may arise from this comment, why having the union is necessarily a good thing. I understand that unions help protect workers and help to negotiate when employers are being unfair. However, there comes a time when the union becomes a blind protector - fighting for things that seem dubitable at best. The city workers in this case would get to keep their jobs, as you state. But the new water authority, as a separate entity, would be allowed to create new hiring practices or keep it union or try some. The cry of privatization prevents the real issue from being heard.

First off let me just say, Latin Teacher I have read your profile, and I would like to welcome you to our great city. I, like you, am a transplant (Philly native), not to be confused with a carpet bagger.

I agree with your "blind protector" statement, and if that were the case I would be the first to fight it. But that is not the case with any of the citys 3 labor unions. Let me restate something I posted to the tag board a couple of days ago:

OK one more blurb about Unions. I did not mean to imply that all unions are doing good for the people. Because some have been divisive in their stinginess and have run prices through the roof and industries out of the country. Some have been too obstinate to promote changes in their industry's business model (B. Steel) and let their futures fade away. IN EASTON, the 3 bargaining units/unions we have are still on the useful side of the labor continuum. They protect against short cuts and unfair practices. BUT WE MUST TAKE HEED OF THIS, when our unions are no longer filled with people that have a vested interest in Easton's financial well being, we stand the chance of being fleeced (food for thought). Make Easton more livable, and employ a good number of residents. posted 4 Oct 06, 06:42 PM

You make the assumption that the city has hiring practice issues related to the water plant and the workers represented by AFSCME Local 447. That is not the case. Yes, the City does have hiring practice issues, just none related to this topic.

The current administration champions shortcuts to financial solvency. Every solution to any problem we have experienced has involved cutting or selling off assets. There are council members onboard with this philosophy too; Council President Vulcano has stated to me more than once that the City is not in the real estate business. That has been the guiding thought process behind the selling of a considerable amount of City owned property. The Mayor's office is working to cut employees/benefits. Their issue is that a overwhelming majority of the City's funds are spent on employees. We say, "No shit, Sherlock!" And here we come again to one of EU's major points-- Easton is A CITY. The purpose of city government is to return tax dollars to residents in the form of ESSENTIAL SERVICES. And this is where our disconnect is with the City leaders.

Mind you, this issue is not one of us complaining without offering solutions. We offer the same solutions over and over. We need to generate revenue, modernize, and enforce. The city is owed in excess of one million dollars in unpaid water bills. The number was $1.6 million a year ago. This is the elephant in the room. We don't enforce any ordnances that can drive revenue. BA has been lobbying for years to get the fire department to recover funds from insurance companies. The Bussiness Adminstrator's reasoning for not wanting to accept credit card bill paying was that the "City would have to pay a percentage". We gave away free parking for a week days after closing a swimming pool and cutting 3 fire fighters, 3 police officers, and 3-5 public works employees. And we fought for two years to convince the other four council members that then Councilman Mike Fleck's idea to reinstitute the Amusement and Mechanical Devices Tax was a good financial decision (too bad we screwed that up too-- $252,700). Close the pools, cut police, cut fire, cut public works, lease the water plant, sell the trash trucks, HIRE CONSULTANTS.

No Latin Teacher, the issue is not organized labor. The issue is essential services. We do NOT get what we pay for.

Thanks for the comments,

Your neighbors

A Challenge to All of Us

Tag Board Tension

It is my suggestion to all here in the EUniverse to reread and absorb Our Neighbors’ last post entitled The EU Manifesto. After nearly 8 weeks of unscheduled hiatus, I am back reading the tag board and am not amused. Not because the writers don’t have a right to state their endless complaints, but because they offer no solutions. If we here in the EUniverse are going to change things we have to offer up a pound of wisdom every now and then-- Concrete, viable solutions. When we go to City Council meetings are we offering resolutions to the problems for which we complain? I’m Just Asking.

On the street, I am told that EU is a bunch of people talking about nothing. Well folks, this isn’t Seinfeld. The masses can’t get past the tag board before they click onto their next order of business. If we as a group are going to go on and on, let’s give the readers real statistics from real sources, then solutions that the Council can use. We can be a forum for endless ranting or a forum for change. What’s it going to be folks?

I’m Just Asking.

Answers to your "Comments" questions

On Monday, October 2, 2006 two questions were put to us via the "Comments" links after posts.

The first from LatinTeacher asks, "So, do you agree with the Union position or with the proposal?"

This comment was posted to the August 23 Council meeting post. We assume that the question is refering to the proposed "water lease".

Our answer is niether (totally). We like something in between. We see no reason why the city should cease to employ the 20 or so water employees in their current jobs. Their jobs will still exist in the same capacities under Surburban Water. And since we keep hearing how this is in no way a privatization, because the Authority is a City agency, it makes a lot of sense to share the responsibility and keep an active grasp on our asset-- The water plant.

The union employees in both water and sewage have been managed by outside agencies for years. So, an arguement that management other that the City's over the City's employees is moot.

Making those employees choose between working at their trained positions or leaving the union is union busting as an aside. For the Administration it is a back door win-win. If they remain in the bargaining unit the workforce will allow positions to exist until attrition eliminates them, or if they keep their jobs the staffing immediatly disapears from the City. Well, what does that leave us the taxpayer with... A depleted bargaining unit (AFSCME Local 447) that can no longer stand up for the safety and fairness of working people. Translation, fewer and fewer people to maintain our parks, streets, City vehicles, and monitor codes. Not a win for my house. WE NEED THE WORKERS OF AFSCME LOCAL 447, AND WE NEED MORE THAN WE HAVE NOW. Our basic City services are failing or have failed.

The jobs are filled, and the workers are organized... Let them stay that way. It really does protect the City.

The next question is from r.moshki and r.moshki asks, "How do you plan to carry out your "mission"? "

We work EVERYDAY to accomplish our mission. BA, our contributers, and I concentrate on being involved and helping others to be involved. Our continual participation in City Council is to set an example to other residents. People need to know that those meetings are a real resource to accomplishing better living in Easton. Our stalwart presensence is also an example of strengths of persistence-- people need to see that sometimes it takes a bit more that just popping in on one meeting to get results.

We communicate and encourage communication through editorials. We stand up against bad policy, abuses of ethics, blight, and crime; and we stand beside our neighbors when they do the same. We actively participate in worthwhile community events, and we spread the word to help the events flourish.

In short we are active good neighbors.

PS

As I write this we are planning a EU community summit that we want to be a City crime symposium. So stay tuned.

Thanks for the questions.

We look forward to being a good neighbor to you soon!

Your neighbors

The EU Manifesto

A whole lot of people do not really get what we here at Easton UnDressed are trying to accomplish. So let me “lay it bare”. I am the House of Crayons or HOC, my partner here is Badapple or BA. We started this blog on October 17, 2005. When I said the words, “Let’s start a blog”—I had never actually laid eyes on a web log (blog). I Googled the word “blog” and selected Google’s Blogger client as the home for our blog. A few hours later EU was live.

We chose our psuedo-anonymity for a few reasons. At first, we were not sure what we would write; and we needed a shield. But as the mission was taking shape our pen names served totally different purposes. The first was to emphasize the message over the messengers-- we did not want EU to be about us two; we wanted it to be about us 26,000. And the last by-product of our secret identities was (and is) the pure entertainment value-- It is an EU hobby; trying to figure out who is who.

When we began EU the issue de jure was the City’s proposal to let the State Theatre slide on its final two years of a one million dollar loan from the taxpayers of Easton. That balance has become our mantra $252,700.00. You can read all about that tragedy here.

The first blog post was pretty much a rant. And over the next few weeks we started to mold the EUniverse. Our intent was (and still is) to create an interactive information clearinghouse on all things and issues Easton. In those first weeks we piled on the content. We did top 10 lists, posted comics, added pictures, and ran polls. But the two most effective pieces of content we added were, without a doubt, audio files (public meetings and our podcast) and the infamous tag board.

Let me start with the tag board…
The tag board is an application that is actually not a part of the blog. The board we currently use is the third tag board we’ve used. The first was free crap, the second-- conveniently named Tag Board --was only slightly more reliable, and the third has been a charm at $2.00/month the cbox tag board has been stalwart.
Now, we have discovered that; for the most part; the tag board has served as the blog’s gatekeeper. Some people are so challenged by the reverse scrolling and automatic updating that they give up on EU before delving into any other content we offer. Others are drugged by the almost-instant gratification of the tag board. Now, some of the latter group overindulges in the tag board when they discover it. Our researchers are unsure of how their overindulgence effects their long term participation in the EUniverse. But our third subset; the instant gratifiers in-moderation; are what we’ve come to consider "the tone". "The tone" of the tag board is an indicator of a few things. 1) Current events 2) Interesting topicality and 3) Blog posts.
We never—actually, I never intended for the tag board to dominate the blog like it does. I’m not so sure about my partner BA (Queen of the Chat) though. But it is what it is.

The most entertaining aspect of the EUniverse is Easton UnPlugged; our podcast. In this, BA and I relax with refreshments and friends while we discuss the current Eastonian issues. We record and syndicate/podcast our sessions as a regular feature. The podcasts have been on hold for the summer months, but we are gearing up for a more robust season 2. Stay tuned!

The meat and potatoes of Easton UnDressed is the blog posts. We have worked extremely hard to make our posts items of truth. We cite our information meticulously, and we post the cited documents and recordings. Our recordings are what really set us apart from other blogs. We have built a useful library of press conferences and public meetings, and our uninterrupted string of City Council meetings is the jewel of our collection.

That’s the blog… Easton UnDressed, EU, the EUniverse in a nut shell. Those are our tools, and our manifesto really begins here…

What we are, what we are about… BA and I are patriots; Eastonian patriots. We, along with a core group of fellow Epatriots, have dedicated ourselves to maintaining and protecting our home, Easton. We promote the very basic principles of “clean and safe”. Clean and safe streets along with ethical and secure governing. We use the pneumonic “iIA!” (interest, Ideas, ACTION!) to direct our efforts. We are activists, pundits, and good neighbors. Our focus is simple and direct for a reason; we mean to accomplish our mission.


Our Mission

To provide a clean, crime-free, and safe environment with competitive services that allows residents to enjoy a high quality of life, while providing commerce an environment to thrive.

Your neighbors

"Good Things" Vs "Problems"

We have noticed a rather disturbing trend in regards to public comments during City Council meetings. More and more we see people that come to the microphone berated and vilified by public officials. Because we express our concerns about the city, we have to endure indignation and anger.

We should not be the focus of that indignation and anger. We go there as messengers. We see problems and come seeking solutions. We are not there just to complain. We are there seeking help from Council and the Mayor-- Help and guidance to solve our city’s problems.

Council members continually attempt to rebut our concerns with dissertations on the “good things” about Easton, and there is no denying that there are many “good things” about Easton. But a “good thing” from my perspective is a goal that has been accomplished. A “good thing” stands alone as a mark of success. “Good Things” have already received the required investment of time, energy and money; either by the City, a group(s), or individuals.

A “problem”, on the other hand, is something that effects citizens in a negative way and has not found solution. It may not have yet been identified as something that needs attention. “Problems” have not yet received the necessary investments.

A “good thing” is an ending that will be recognized, and it will usually lose the spotlight quickly. However, if we allow ourselves to bask and gloat in the spotlight of a “good thing” for too long we will waste precious time necessary to change more “problems” into “good things”.

Our elected officials must realize that this means that public comments will be disproportionately spent on “problems”… This is not specific to Easton, and this is not a bad thing. It is just part of the process of moving a “problem” to a “good thing”. Ignoring the “problem“ will cause it to be repeated over and over again, instead of evolving it into a “good thing”.

A “problem” in itself should not reflect poorly on an elected official, but a lack of interest or concern by an official will. You are our leaders; you need to lead us in converting “problems” into “good things”. Standing in the spotlight too long only blinds you to “problems” that require your investment.

BadApple

City Council Meeting Audio 09/27/06

We experienced some technical difficulty in this short 1 hour Council meeting. 5 minutes of audio is missing (Terrance Hand's pool summary). The meeting was ended with a 5 minute statement from the City Clerk. The Fire Chief also gave a summary of the fire departments business (during the public safety committee report-- after the 1st public comment segment).

Audio (6.25Mb)

Your neighbors

CRIME ON THE HILL

College Hill is a mixed-use neighborhood, comprised of residences, commercial properties, city parks, and Lafayette College. We all expect to know if there is crime in our neighborhood so that we may protect our properties and ourselves.

In the past few weeks there have been at least four car thefts in College Hill. Two vehicles were damaged by hit and run. Another vehicle was vandalized and contents were stolen. This is just the news that we have been told by the victims that we know; there must be more crime than this. Isn’t this worthy of a story? I’m just asking.

The residents of College Hill should know that they are not safe. This is not the invulnerable neighborhood it once was. We must lock our doors, buy a big dog, and put our cars in our garages…if we have one.

Is it possible that our current City administration has reduced Police staffing to its very limits? Such limits, allowing criminals to work quite freely here on the Hill?

Why doesn’t the Express-Times report crimes in College Hill? Does the City withhold this information from the Express-Times or does the Express-Times just withhold it from us?

I’m Just Asking.

City Council Meeting Audio 09/13/06 (The Meeting of Love)

This meeting is in two parts, because the first hour was the VERY IMPORTANT 1st of 2 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public hearings. Audio(6Mb)

This meeting was disturbing to us in more ways than one. Council and the Administration had a pretty long and very praise-filled exchange with the police brass. Several speakers were chewed out by Council for expressing disdain, and HOC/EU took a blasting from an unsatisfied West Ward neighbor. Audio (14.4Mb)

Your Neighbors

City Council Water Hearing 09/12/2006

Here is the audio of last evening’s City Council public hearing on the water works proposal. The hearing was an hour long. There was no presentation or comment from the Mayor’s office. Missy Corrado President of AFSCME Local 447 very eloquently represented her union. They also received excellent support from their parent organization, AFSCME District Council 33.

Council members reserved MOST of their comments until the public was finished.

Audio (8Mb)

City Council Meeting Audio 08/23/06

In this meeting you will hear the question, "How do you know the woman was a prostitute?"
Oh, and the question was prefaced with, "Not to be confrontational, but..."

This is a short but none-the-less entertaining meeting. All of the good stuff is at the end of the meeting.

Audio (8.7Mb)

City Council Meeting Audio 08/09/06

A two hour meeting.

Our Councillors and Mayor spent about an hour pretending all was right in Easton. The ice was shattered by the realities of drugs and threats on the 300 block of Berwick St.

Mrs Pat Gibson (FOR THE THIRD TIME IN TWO MONTHS) brought her concerns to the City bosses. This time she brought her neighbors. The issue was the hour of "real" meeting.

Curt Eally's comments were notable.

Audio (14.5Mb)

City Council Meeting Audio 07/26/06

Here's last week's Council meeting audio. The main topic was the proposed lease of the City's water works. The proposal was tabled pending public hearings on the issue. The audience commentary was exceptional. Mike Krill and Mike Fleck both presented excellent points.

Audio (13Mb)

An EUPSA

Denizens of the EUniverse,

I am sure you all have noticed the trickle in activity on the blog. This is by NO MEANS an indication that we are dissolving. We are calling it our summer schedule. And we are making big plans for season two of Easton UnDressed.

So stand by and look for season two to kick off at the End of August. We are working to make the EUniverse even more robust and informative.

And always remember; EU is a growing library of Easton information. Tell us what documents and meetings you want accessible, and send us what ever you have and we will add it to the library.

Your Neighbors

Corporate Donuts are OK

Easton Girl I did a little research based on my travels; I hope this information eases your mind.

Reprinted from 2004 Great American Main Street Award™ Winner .


Westfield, New Jersey
In the 1970s, family-owned stores began closing as Westfield’s shoppers headed to malls. Movie-goers deserted the downtown theater in favor of a multiplex in a neighboring community. By the late 1980s, downtown Westfield was on a downhill slide. The store vacancy rate steadily rose, reaching nearly 40 percent in the early 90s. Poor traffic flow hurt downtown. Commuter parking at the train station was outpaced by steadily increasing demand.

Recognizing the need for action, former Mayors Bagger and Boothe, formed a committee of property owners, business leaders, and residents to investigate downtown’s problems. The committee recommended Main Street. In 1993, Westfield became a New Jersey Main Street community. With the passage of a city ordinance in 1996, Downtown Westfield Corporation (DWC) was born. It has brought 29 new retailers and 25 new restaurants to downtown. Many of these new businesses are chains, ranging from the GAP, Trader Joe’s, and Williams-Sonoma. Despite the mushrooming of chains, DWC has worked to balance them with independent stores, which still make up a majority of downtown retailers. The downtown occupancy rate has risen to 98 percent and the sales have skyrocketed from $60 million in 1993 to $200 million.

DWC, working in partnership with the building owner, rallied media attention to instigate a public campaign that saved the Rialto Theatre, a 1920s movie house, which was expanded and renovated. DWC is not only working to improve the appearance and function of downtown, it also seeks to promote the district through “Destination Westfield,” a bulletin that describes opportunities downtown; “Talk of the Town,” a newsletter covering current happenings; and a “Shopping Directory” that promotes each business.

Downtown’s appearance has received equal attention: 75 of the district’s 200 buildings have undergone major renovations; half of the 200 offices on upper floors currently remodeled; and 75 of the downtown’s 175 apartments are now renovated. A façade incentive grant program has leveraged more than $100,000 in private improvements to downtown storefronts. DWC also worked closely with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to revamp the town’s historic train station. The $6 million project ensured that Westfield remained the number one commuter stop on the N.J. Raritan Valley Line.

Unfortunately, bolstering its role as a commuter town exacerbated the parking problem. In 2000, a study of the downtown parking revealed that demand exceeded supply by 20 percent. In 2001 the community took action. Mayor McDermott established a citizen’s committee, which conducted a commuter survey, studied traffic flow, and conducted a financial analysis. After many years of parking studies and debates, the town council is in the process of approving an innovative public-private partnership for construction of two parking decks, for shoppers, commuters, and employees. Current plans call for mixed-use: retail space on the first floors combined with residential units.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded Westfield a 2004 Great American Main Street Award and announced the award on May 10, 2004, at its annual National Main Streets Conference held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other 2004 Great American Main Street Award winners are: Burlington, Iowa; Encinitas, California; Paso Robles, California; and Rogers, Arkansas.

For more information about Westfield contact Downtown Westfield Corp. at (908) 789-9444, scronin@westfieldnj.com, 105 Elm Street, 2nd Floor, Westfield, NJ 07090 or http://www.westfieldtoday.com/.

Anoter notable town I've visited that has a very good mix of chain and local storefronts and a solid respect for heritage is Annapolis, MD.

City Council Meeting Audio 07/12/06

A 45 minute meeting crammed into 2 hours. No mayor and very little public discussion. Donchez was hired (wasn't there). Audio (13.4 Mb)

As an aside, I went to Lebanese Heritage Days today. It was nice to chat with the Governor and Charlie Dent. Hopefully, tomorrow I will bump into some prominent Eastonians at the festival.

RHIP – RHIR

Rank hath its privilege – Rank hath its responsibility

Note:

Please do not take the slow down in blog activity as degeneration. It’s not. It’s just summer time and that’s the way of the world. Council suspends Tuesday meetings, Congress recesses, the State House vacations, and the bloggers spend more time outside. The fall will be season two of EU, and the podcast will be back and better.

Your neighbors

Home Rule Charter Commission Meeting Agenda

Thanks to Mike Fleck for giving us an agenda for the Home Rule Charter Commission meeting for Saturday June 24, 2006, 10AM in City Council Chambers (5th Floor Alpha Building).

Your Neighbors

Council Meeting Audio 06/14/06

Hey Neighbors,

We are so sorry for the longer waits for postings. Keyboard time is not as plentiful when the weather is pleasant.

The meeting is 3 hours long. The first hour is the public hearing for the anti-discrimination ordnance. The meeting was later dominated by (you guessed it!) police issues. Or to be more specific, the re-chiefing of Larry Palmer. Lots of comments. Mayor Panto and Mike Fleck both exercised their right to publicly comment.

Get it here. (20 Mb)

Your Neighbors

Easton-American Graffiti

History, Heritage, Hypocrite

Our mayor’s string of scofflaw incidents have a lot more in common than the embarrassment they have cast upon him, the city, and his constituents. The all share the disturbing trend of red-handed apologies.

The simple fact that our mayor never initiated the airing of any of these violations of the building or third class city codes to the residents on his own should not be ignored.

And when he used his city owned phone, email, and city employed executive assistant to facilitate the sale of his personal property, he committed a misdemeanor with a pretty stiff penalty.

Paragraph 912 of the Third Class City Code states:

City Property not to be Used by Officers for Gain; Penalty. No portion of the property of the city shall be used for private gain by any officer of the city, councilman, agent or employe of said city, or any department thereof; nor shall the same be willfully used or injured, or be sold or disposed of in any manner by any officer, councilman, agent or employe, without the consent of the council. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or to undergo imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. Upon such conviction, the party offending shall be forthwith removed from his office or employment, and shall not thereafter be eligible to election or appointment to any place of profit or trust under said city, or any department thereof.

"I made a number of important and dumb mistakes,"1 I trusted and voted for him.

(This commentary ran, somewhat edited, as a Morning Call editorial on Sunday, June 11, 2006)
1 Mayor Mitman offered the quote in response to the indiscretions chronicled in June 7, 2006 Morning Call article.

Council Meeting Audio 05/24/06

Hear it all for yourself. The whole meeting (12Mb).

Sgt Charles McMonagle reading a letter from Carin Sollman.

Paragraph 912 of the Third Class City Code states:

City Property not to be Used by Officers for Gain; Penalty.
No portion of the property of the city shall be used for private gain by any officer of the city, councilman, agent or employe of said city, or any department thereof; nor shall the same be wilfully used or injured, or be sold or disposed of in any manner by any officer, councilman, agent or employe, without the consent of the council. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or to undergo imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. Upon such conviction, the party offending shall be forthwith removed from his office or employment, and shall not thereafter be eligible to election or appointment to any place of profit or trust under said city, or any department thereof.

For more on section 912 forward the meeting to 1:23:10.

A Joke?

A woman walks in to a City Council meeting...
She gets recognized by the Chair and humbly approaches the podium.
The woman is frustrated but hopeful as she presents her testimony.

It seems that the woman’s block is under siege by disrespectful and dangerous drug dealers. She tells Council of her efforts to stop their activities. She also tells Council how her activities have caused her to be threatened by the criminals, and ostracized by her also fearful neighbors.

She asks her distinguished community leaders for help, because she is helpless and fears for her well-being.

The distinguished President of City Council replies, “Have you considered starting a Block Watch?”

Brilliant

We offer our hands; you slap them. We ask for your hands; you tell us to start a block watch.

Unsatisfactory

Unprecedented Precedent

We refuse to bang our heads against walls; even though our frustration increases constantly. To us, nothing is happening if our problems are not getting resolved. The list of ills sickening our home is not getting any smaller than when we started this eight months ago. We have endured many more embarrassing, frightening, and sad events since EU began.

One by one our problems pile up, and each time the citizens/voters/taxpayers of Easton are treated like children and left in the dark. We know almost nothing of the few issue “resolutions” Council and the Administration claim to have developed. And the ones we do know of sicken us.

The shame that our Administration and Council blanketed the city in is unconscionable. What we have done to Carin Sollman and her two small children is ugly and heartless. Our elected Council only exacerbated the dwindling of public trust by making the decision to only pay $5,000.00 of the $20,000.00 funeral expenses. And they did so with no explanation. But they did not do so without inflicting the vicious insult of an inane caveat. In an effort to avoid establishing a precedent of paying too much for employee funerals a resolution was passed. Council resolved that any one who ceases to live while working for the municipality will receive funeral compensation not to exceed $5,000.00. The vote was 4 to 1 in favor; Councilman Corpora cast the dissenting vote.

The precedent we should be striving not to establish is the precedent of killing people on the job. We see significant savings and moral enhancement in that endeavor.

Our leaders are doing an extremely poor job of problem solving. Nothing is getting better. And to expect us to be grateful for anything while people are being shot and killed, our children have fewer resources, and our neighbors are allowed live like pigs while their landlords ignore their bills and liens is expecting too much.

Council Meeting Audio 05/10/06

During this meeting a good friend of ours displayed some behavior that we do not look upon favorably. Our friend became upset and had an unprofessional outburst. Not acceptable.

The meeting began with a public hearing on the reallocation of $138,904.00 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The reallocation is in a 30 day public comment period that we assume began May 10, 2006.

A Pool Picnic report was given. And the Mayor chose not to attend or comment on the event.

The volunteers are getting restless. (21 Mb)

The first 30 minutes of the March 22 meeting has finally been recovered and the podcast is updated. Thanks Spike! Audio 03/22/06 (9.4 Mb)

Your Neighbors

Pool Picnic Update

The pool picnic fundraiser at Eddyside Park on May 6, 2006 was an OVERWHELMING SUCCESS! The Friends of the Easton Community Pools owe a great deal of gratitude to everyone that donated and attended the picnic. The band, raffle donors, Chris Miccio, Julie Donovan, and Gary Bertsch made our picnic the most well attended event of an event-laden day.

In only 3 hours we were able to raise $2,510.00 for the city pools. We have also raised over $500.00 in sticker money, and we thank Mr. Peter Koehler for that!

We will post list of all of the raffle donors in the next couple of days. Pictures will be posted soon too.

Merri, Diane, Kristin, Laini, and Terrance also thank Dave Hopkins, Carl Schumacher, and the Easton Public Works crews for their exceptional support.

And we all give thanks for neighbors like Merri Cuadra, because she was the mastermind of this magnificent event. Thank You Merri!

Eddyside Pool Picnic

The pools’ fundraising picnic is at the Eddyside recreation area in the grassy area between the pool and the main parking area. The event is on Saturday, May 6, 2006 from 5pm until 8pm. The cost is $5.00 ($4.00 if you are wearing a Citywide Clean-up bracelet).

There will be a raffle of over 40 items from gift certificates of city establishments to a foursome of golf to a bicycle from Genesis. Raffle tickets are $1.00 & $5.00 and ONLY at the picnic. There will be live music and a clown. There will be volley ball. There will be fun. There will be no rain.

WWW.EASTONPOOLS.ORG

?Questions?
contact :
Terrance Hand thand@eastonpools.org
Merri Cuadra mcuadra@eastonpools.org
Diane Miller dmiller@eastonpools.org
Kristin Mernitz kmernitz@eastonpools.org

Sincerely,
The Friends of the Easton Community Pools

Council Meeting Audio 04/26/06

With this meeting we continue our series of "Councilpeople Behaving Badly". In this episode the mostly eloquent and sometimes overly-sympathetic Councilwoman Heffley loses her cool. We just have one thing to offer-- UNACCEPTABLE. We are adults and professionals; forgetting this is not an option. Here's a suggestion don't apologize; just don't do it. Listen for yourself.

What he said.

Her reaction.

The meeting was dominated by the Officer Sollman funeral expense dispute. In attendance were the Widow Sollman, her two small children, Officers Maracini, McMonagle, Lt Reilly, retired Lt Orchulli, and Attorney John Karoly. Lt Reilly's comments (first comment session) of the meeting were thought provoking; to say the least.

Audio

Canned Worms

Tomorrow evening 6:30pm at the Christ Lutheran Church on 11th & Ferry Streets the Mayor will be holding a Town Meeting.

Where do we even begin with this? It’s been more than a month since I received personal assurance from the Mayor that a State of the City address was to be, but thus far we haven’t heard a word about it. I read somewhere that the Mayor is entertaining questions at tomorrow’s meeting. Now I think to myself, “Self, how is he going to keep this meeting in order?” With all of the unanswered or insufficiently answered questions we have posed to the administration; this meeting could easily last for days.

Let’s just start with the cops…

Why did you try to hide the prospective Chiefmissioner’s backgrounds from your constituents? Why haven’t we paid for the public ceremony for Officer Sollman? Why is a homicide protected as a “personnel issue”? With the lost handgun being taxpayer property why haven’t you offered us resolution? Why did you create a manpower and leadership crisis in the police department through budgeting and contracting? Why did you fire the police chief without a plan? How much did the “Rat List” investigation cost? Is the City being sued by the “Rat” listees? Who were the six “community leaders” involved in the Chimissioner interviews?

Now let’s look at the rest…

When is the Early Intervention Program final report? What parts of the EIP report will you NOT follow? What happened to Chris Anzini, Miriam Huertas, Sue Coffin, Sheldon Smith, and Michael Gibiser? Is you email policy enforceable? What is the status of the uncollected sewer/water bills? Why haven’t you commented on the Bachmann debacle? Are you using “your extensive fundraising skills” to assist with the swimming pools capital campaign? Do you actively participate in city negotiations? Who is Dick McAteer? When is the State of the City? Are we on budget?

I’m sure I missed a few hundred. So, do me a favor; send your questions I will try to get them answered.

Your Neighbor

Council Meeting Audio 04/12/06

This meeting had serious tension in the air. The Mayor and Mrs Heffley ranted and joked about the public finding out the names of the Chiefmissioner candidates. Solicitor Murphy took a minute to defend executive session procedure. The Mechanical Devices tax is being amended and was subject to a bit of comment. The Mayor was somewhat aloof and did what he could to not offer any substantial information to anyone. He also made himself scarce for the public comment segments of the meeting.

Audio

Easton UnPlugged Audio Blog (podcast) #9

Sorry for the month-long wait. We're back and we're swinging for the fence. This podcast is split into two pieces because it was a two and a half hour marathon. We have a very special guest, Mike Fleck. The former Councilman, Mayoral hopeful, and never shy pundit does what he does, talk. This is a good session. Mike really stepped up and spoke out. And that's why we like him.

Fan O' Fleck or not, this is a must hear. This is hopefully the first in a long series of guest sessions.

The first part is our normal podcast format where we go over the current events, and the second part is Q & A.

Part 1 Podcast
Part 2 Q & A

Our friend TDR was the silent special guest working the cue cards.

Your Neighbors

Suspicious Fire ALERT!

DEPARTMENT OF FIRE
Office of the Fire Marshal

PRESS RELEASE ON SUSPICIOUS FIRES

Since the beginning of this year the Easton Fire Department has responded to eight suspicious fires involving rubbish or brush throughout the city. Below is the list of these suspicious fires. The fires have been determined to be arson. Although some of the fires appear to be small, in a few instances they have attributed to significant property damage. We are asking the public to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods and be especially vigilant on the night before trash is picked-up.

12:08am 02/21/06 1122 Jackson (rear) Rubbish
6:26pm 02/25/06 River Bank (Canal St) Brush
4:26pm 03/07/06 College Hill Reservoir Brush
7:41pm 03/08/06 326 Lincoln (rear) Rubbish
12:29pm 03/15/06 697 Ferry Dumpster
5:30pm 03/21/06 634 Northampton Rubbish
2:24pm 03/23/06 Railroad/Lehigh Drive Rubbish/Brush
5:18pm 03/23/06 1023 Spruce (rear) Rubbish



Below are the guidelines imposed by the City of Easton for Trash Removal

1) Place trash curbside the night before your pickup day no earlier than 8:00 pm.

2) STORAGE - Trash stored on your property must be held in solid, watertight containers out of view from public streets until it is placed curbside for pickup

3) CURBSIDE – Trash must be placed curbside in a secured manner (bags or containers with tight fitting lids) to prevent litter and clogging of storm drains.

4) Please remove empty trash receptacles from the curb on the same day that your trash is picked up

5) Each household may place up to five bags or two 30-gallon containers curbside per week. In addition, one bulk item per week may be placed curbside for pickup. Do not dispose of tires, hazardous wastes, batteries, liquid paint, motor oil, auto parts, chemicals, or any other unacceptable refuse.

*NOTE – items containing Freon must be serviced and secured with a maintenance tag and identified as being deactivated free of HFC’s and CFC’s before pickup as per Section 608 of the USEPA Clean Air Act. Also, all refrigerator doors must be removed for safety before being placed curbside.

Please do your part – unsightly and improperly prepared trash results in litter, complaints, and an overall poorer quality of life for everyone. The City may assess up to $300 for violations of trash ordinances.

For more information please call Deputy Chief John Bast at 610-250-6671.

Blight Lights in the Big City

We are examining the effects of "historic" lighting on blighted properties.


Maybe these pigs take different shades of lipstick.

Council Meeting Audio 03/22/06

The first 30 minutes of the audio was so noisy that it was unusable. I will get that from Spike's back-up ASAP. The Sollman presentation and the Mayor's comments on the grand jury findings were lost. Mr Brown's embarrassing tirade, however, was preserved.

Maybe I have too much time on my hands throwing stone... Nah! I beg to difference.

City Council Meeting 03/22/06


http://eastonundressed.org/eufiles/begtodifference.mp3

Fair is Paying Your Share

The contributors of Easton UnDressed are occasionally are accused of being “whiners”. We catch flack for pointing out negatives. And we have been cited for episodes of delusional creativity. But after all is said and done, we evaluate our EU efforts by the actions we influence.

We pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t just talk. EU has an action wing that is building a nice little track record. We have some very real projects working as you read this (swimming pools and Charter Commission), and we have had many social victories (11 member Charter Commission, logo contest, and full pool season). This blog is a real tool, and we have used it as well as we could for the past 5 months. We use this blog to spread information and facts, to solicit audiences and participation, and to develop priorities and strategies.

We go to meetings. We go to meetings as members, as observers, and as guest offering testimony. We go to Council. We do our absolute best not to miss a public meeting sponsored by the City Council, and we are working to spread the EU presence to more of the City’s public meetings each month.

Our mission is clear:

To provide a clean, crime-free, and safe environment with competitive services that allows residents to enjoy a high quality of life, while providing commerce an environment to thrive.

Our focus of effort is also purposefully narrow. We advocate for the residents of the City of Easton. It was the City’s neglect, and failure to maintain services to the residents that created Easton UnDressed. The convoluted and illegal development of our Amusement Tax was the spark that lit off the EUniverse.

The battle to reinstate the City’s Amusement and Mechanical Devices Taxes was a victory and a loss for the people living in the city. The concessions that the Executive Director of the State Theatre for the Arts negotiated with City Council was not only in violation of the tax laws that govern IRS 501(c)(3) sheltered organizations (IRS publication 557 page 45 column 3), they were unfair to residents and other taxable organizations.

We, the people, fought hard to keep the amusement tax fair. But our efforts were lessened by the editorial power of people who do not even live in our city. Our working class concerns were consumed by posh elitist whims. The editors of the Express-Times lobbied against the tax solely because of their sentiments for the Theatre. Sentiments that mean very little to 26,000 people who lend their dwindling resources to support the significant human footprint placed upon us by visiting theatre-goers.

Now the editors of “our” paper have decided to complete their assault on our burden relief by attacking the Mechanical Devices Tax. This time they are championing the starving bar and coin-op laundry owners. They are arguing that our rights to enjoy punch cards, jukeboxes, and a higher profit margin on laundry are being oppressed by making someone pay $25 dollars a year on a machine that makes the money back in a day. (estimate 9 loads at $1.50, 40 minutes/load, open at 7am = $27 for 2 washers by 1pm)

The argument that a coin operated laundry is simply a public service to low and fixed-income residents is a bit of an obfuscated exaggeration. They left out the struggling Lafayette students. Laundry owners should not be “left alone” because they offer service to lower income Eastonians. The laundry owner on 6th Street was billed $1,370 (Express-Times 3/19/21). The tax is costing him a WHOPPING $3.75 a day ($3.74 on a leap year). One load of whites, 2 loads of colors, and Walla! The tax is paid.

It is our heartfelt opinion that the editors of the Express-Times need to stop trying to affect our usage taxes. These taxes are going to allow more of the public’s burden to be shared. We always seem to miss it when the editors are standing up for the overtaxed homeowners in the city. We know it’s not that they haven’t mentioned our ever-increasing tax burden; it’s more likely that the lack of follow-up articles causes us to overlook their support.

The tax is what it is. It is a way to share the costs of municipal services in this county-seat city with the visitors, transients, College, county government, undisclosed population, and the renters.

New Documents on the Website

Friends & Neighbors,

We have updated the Documents and Media area of Easton UnLeashed (aka “the webpage”). If you aren’t familiar with Easton UnLeashed it is our website proper located at www.eastonundressed.org . The “website” is where we archive the more functional parts of the EUniverse. If we record a meeting or reference a file, then we store it and make it forever accessible on the webpage. The old top ten lists, comics, and Easton UnPlugged (podcasts) are also archived there.

The new additions to the D&M include:

• The Citizen’s Guide to Enforcement of City Ordinances


• Zoning Pamphlet


• Residential Permit Pamphlet


• Commercial Zoning Pamphlet


• The Citizen’s Guide to Enforcement of City Ordinances


• Recreational/Outdoor Fire Regulations


• Swimming pool donation forms

Check

Credit Card

• City Swimming Pool Flier

Remember if we referred to it or recorded it it will be stored on the webpage.

NOTE: If there is any document or media that you would like us make available email us or let us know on the tagboard. If you have the document or recording send it to us. And when you send us stuff; paper, pdf, doc, txt, wmv, mp3, wav, and avi are the preferred formats, but we will take what you have. And ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN FAXES OR COPIES FROM FAXES. But we will work with those too. If you don’t have it we will scour the city to find it.

Your Neighbor

Phone Listings For Easton Police

These listings and advice were sent to us courtesy of SGT Matthew Lohenitz of the Easton Police. These listings are also available for download as a word file. EPD Numbers

PHONE LISTINGS FOR EASTON POLICE

If you have an EMERGENCY CALL 911 immediately
If you wish to make a police report and it is a NON-EMERGENCY: CALL 610-330-2200

Internal Phone Numbers

Command Staff:

Chief/Commissioner: CALL 610-250-6630

Captain of Field Services: CALL 610-250-6631

Captain of Auxiliary Staff: CALL 610-250-6641

Criminal Investigations Division (CID):
Lieutenant: 610-250-6634
Inspector/Sergeant (CID):610-250-6667
Vice Investigations Division (VID):

Lieutenant (VID): 610-250-6658
Vice Detectives: 610-250-6645
610-250-6644
610-250-6780
Records/Traffic Division:

Lieutenant: 610-250-6664
Traffic Officers: 610-250-6657
610-250-6943
Neighborhood Policing/Special Enforcement Unit:

Sergeant: 610-250-6660

Patrol Shift Supervisor:

Lieutenant/Sergeant:610-330-2200 (Easton Dispatch)

Police Department Call Protocol

-If you have an emergency DIAL 911 immediately, DO NOT WAIT.

-If your call does not require an emergency Police Department response, please call the NON-EMERGENCY number.

-If you need to speak with a Crimes Detective or contact someone regarding a case that is being investigated for you and you do not have the phone number of the Detective assigned to the case, call either the Lieutenant or Inspector/Sergeant of Criminal Investigations.

-If you need to speak with a Vice Detective or you have a complaint that involves DRUG ACTIVITY or PROSTITUTION, please contact our Vice Investigative Unit.

-If you need to get a copy of a Police Report or other documentation please contact the Lieutenant of Records.

-If you have a question regarding traffic, parking situations or abandoned cars, please call either of the traffic officers.

-If you would like to advise the Police Department about quality of life issues or need to be fingerprinted for employment or school, please call the Sergeant of Neighborhood Policing and Special Enforcement.

-To speak with the Patrol Shift Supervisor on duty, please call the Northampton County Dispatch Center (610-330-2200) and ask for the Easton Dispatcher.