City Council Meeting Audio 3/28/07

This is one of the rare instances that we cover both the City Council Conference Meeting and the regular meeting. The conference session was important because the citizen group opposing the Riverwalk project were given 20 minutes to present their research and issues on and with the project.

The presentation was excellent. Dennis Lieb presented a concise Power Point lecture that addressed the group’s largest issues with the project (we hope to have a copy to post soon).

It really disturbed me and struck me as odd that not one question was asked by Council or the Mayor. But the mayor was quoted rebutting the presentation as “not 100 percent correct.” (Express-Times and The Morning Call)

The regular meeting the following day (March 28, 2007) lasted two and a half hours. The first 40 minutes was citizen comments. Every comment was against the Riverwalk project. Three other major issues were brought up at the meeting; billing problems in the Treasurer’s office, retention of county workers within city limits, and police understaffing.

Audio:
Riverwalk Presentation (20 minutes 2.8Mb)
Conference Meeting (1 hour 5 minutes 7.5Mb)
Regular Meeting (2 hours 29 minutes 17.1Mb)

Documents:
Agenda
Minutes (when available)
Riverwalk Presentation Power Point

REPOST: From Joe Owens' Blog

I posted a comment in reply to Joe's assessment of our project on his blog. I think he sold us short. But, this is an aquired taste. And we're layered... Like an onion.

Your neighbor

CANDLE, BUGLER AND WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Posted by JOSEPH P. OWENS/THE EXPRESS-TIMES March 27, 2007 18:34PM
Categories: Government

'The bugler stands guard at 'Easton Undressed'I'm hoping to attract the attention of my friends over at Easton Undressed or anyone who is interested in Easton.

The topic of Easton's Peace Candle came up today, for about the 450th time. It was inspired by a mention in an op-ed column written by Carl Golden.

I have one simple question: Do you like the Peace Candle? Yes or no.

You can write more about your memories/experiences with it, but be sure to say if it should stay or go.

While on the topic of Easton Undressed, I want to make good on a promise to one of my buddies who is a regular contributor over there. He asked me to spend time looking at the Web site and give him my opinion on it. His request came after I lambasted anonymous voices on the Web.
Well, I spent time watching the site, and here is what I think.

Too much bellyaching. Too much jibber-jabber. Not enough forthright, objective discussion. Or identifiable, subjective discussion.

Take them one at a time.

* It strikes me as a place for city employees to moan and groan. It's OK to vent, but if you have a problem, why not offer a solution? Generally, it seems it's all about grumbling, which is interesting to a limited audience.

* I don't get the online chats. Is it for insiders only? Are we talking in code? Seems to be more like Instant Messenger stuff than content posted for interested readers.

* I cannot be convinced that the anonymous opinion has anything more than entertainment value. It's easy to go on and say "Phil Mitman's a goober" if you're not putting your name to it.
People take swipes at me, for good reason, but at least my name is on it. Some want to rationalize that certain city residents "can't" use their real names because they'll be targeted for retribution. I wonder if that's what they teach their children. "Don't stand up for something, because someone will only swat you down."

I do like the site's use of audio and commitment to public meetings. That's important.
So, there it is, my two cents on Easton Undressed. I can't wait for the lampoons that will be headed my way.

And in the interest of not just taking a cheap shot, I offer a suggestion. The best community blog I've seen hereabouts thus far has been NewsOverCoffee. The blogger takes extra effort not to make self-serving statements or outlandish remarks about others. He seeks and offers straightforward feedback.

Check it out. And don't forget the Peace Candle. Yes or No?

FUNDRAISER : Weed & Seed

Weed and Seed’s Cyber Café to Benefit from Pampered Chef® Fundraiser
March 13 thru April 7th

EASTON, PA -- Easton resident Sarah Martin is conducting a Pampered Chef® fundraiser to benefit Weed and Seed’s Cyber Café, located at Christ Lutheran Church, 1100 Ferry Street in Easton. The fundraiser is running from March 13th through April 7th.

The Cyber Café offers safe after school activities for teenagers in Easton’s West Ward neighborhood by providing computer and internet access, homework help and healthy snacks. The Café is open Monday and Thursday, 4 to 7 PM and serves teenagers ages 12 through 18. The Café has served 57 different teenagers since its inception in October, 2007. The Cyber Café is a project of the Weed & Seed TALL Team that was started with a $5,000 project grant.

There are three ways to participate in the fundraiser. First, attend the Cooking Show on Monday, April 2, 7 PM at Christ Lutheran Church, 1100 Ferry Street in Easton where you can come see exciting Pampered Chef® products and recipes in action, learn quick and easy food preparation techniques and receive tips on how to entertain with style and ease – transforming the simple to the spectacular.

The second way to help raise money for the Cyber Cafe is by passing around a catalog among your friends and family and collecting catalog orders through March 31st.

The third way to help is to place an online order by March 31st. To order online, go to www.pamperedchef.biz/HouseofBean, click on Order Products, and then input the name “Weed and Seed,” which will take you directly to Weed and Seed’s fundraiser page.

Pampered Chef® will donate up to 15% of Ms Martin’s fundraising sales to the Cyber Café. The Pampered Chef® will donate an additional $3 for every person booking a Cooking Show during the fundraiser – and Ms Martin will match that donation. She will also donate $5 for each person who and signs up to be a part of her team by joining the Pampered Chef® family.

For more information about Weed & Seed Cyber Café, contact the Tall Team Office at 610-438-8539. For more information about the fundraiser, including how to get catalogs or assistance with placing your order, please call Sarah Martin at 610-360-6510, or email sarahm316@gmail.com.

College Hill Neighborhood Association Candidate's Night (City Council)

On Tuesday, March 20, 2007 our neighbors from the College Hill Neighborhood Association hosted a Candidates' Night for City Council candidates. This was the first of this election season's candidate forums.

We did our best to clean up and amplify the audio, but the acoustics of the church and no microphone in the audience made the audience questions difficult to improve. In any event, the candidates can be heard pretty well.

We hope this audio is useful to you.

Introduction: Chris Miccio (1 minute 44 seconds 204kb)
Peter Melan (5 minutes 45 seconds 676kb)
Jeff Warren (10 minutes 21 seconds 1.2Mb)
Brian Otto (9 minutes 49 seconds 1.1Mb)
El Warner (12 minutes 55 seconds 1.5b)
Bill Tinmann (20 minutes 18 seconds 2.3Mb)
Ken Brown (20 minutes 46 seconds 2.4b)
Roger Ruggles (26 minutes 31 seconds 3Mb)
Carole Heffley for Nadine Loane (8 minutes 25 seconds 987kb)
Closing remarks: Chris Miccio (3 minutes 04 seconds 360kb)

REGISTER for the primary BEFORE the close of business April 16, 2007
APPLY FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT for the primary BEFORE the close of business May 8, 2007
VOTE in the primary May 15, 2007!!!

Editorial: Them That Fight, Toil Not in Vain

And I thought my mind was out of control…REALLY Mr. Mayor. Asking the good folks of Easton to let you know when and where something DIDN’T happen. Excuuuuuse me? I may be dim at times, but HUH? What exactly do you mean? Threatening to sic your lawyer on a resident for speaking his mind during his allotted time? Are you out of control? I’m Just Asking.

Many, many thanks to House of Crayons for being our steadfast soldier, for keeping us interested in our city, and especially for speedily putting the City Council audio on this website for those of us who can’t get to the meeting. My entertainment this dreary Thursday morning was to listen to the sheer ridiculousness of council and our super-hero at the helm who nearly went over the City Council table with a single bound. If only we had video to go with this mornings very informative audio.

The garbage talk was more of the same, but those of you who came to talk about Riverwalk are our warriors. Your enthusiasm and courage are unwavering and irresistible. You make me proud to know you. You fight the good fight when some of us get too tired. Thank you from the bottom of my pacemaker.

Our city residents are extraordinary. They are well informed, they volunteer, they sit through endless long drawn-out meetings, they give credit where credit is due and even encourage others to move here and be civil activists. Thanks to the exceptional residents who gave up their Wednesday evening to guard our town.

I for one am looking forward most anxiously to a new regime. Can we elect a new set of fresh faces of intelligent folks who can add and subtract during budget time? A group who can work with the city departments and not against them? Could we possibly elect a collection of interested residents and not just career politicians? I am…

Just Asking

City Council Meeting Audio 3/14/07

This was a two hour meeting not to be missed. This meeting was SO GOOD that I had to post it right away. The meeting began with some nitty-gritty fiscal controlling as Tony Bassil the City's interim Controller showed us all why he should in fact have, and keep, that position. He discussed practices that he's imparted on the City's offices, and he praised the Purchasing Agent Scott Klablunde for his good practices.

After that we engaged in some worthwhile dialog on board and authority appointments.

Then the fireworks began as Councilwoman Heffley lobbed a shot across the bow of Public Works Director Dave Hopkins. Well being as her attack was a bit out-of-line, and Dave is so darned nice... Well, let's just say that it was not pretty for her. Thousands of people lined up to "Save Dave" (Well 5 or 10 people did). You see Dave Hopkins has a well deserved reputation as a worker who resolves issues.

There was a lot of talk about garbage strewn about the city.

The next round of fireworks came from His Honor the Mayor Phillip B. Mitman who took serious offense at being referred to as a "lame duck mayor." He got so mad that he finished his lashing with a manly, "I wanna show them to my lawyer, PAL!"

That, of course, was fallout from debate on the Riverwalk project.

All-in-all the meeting was very productive.

Audio (2 hours 2 minutes)
Agenda
Minutes

Editorial: Riverwalk Opposition

We are down to the wire. The Planning Bd., the Zoning Bd., the Historic Architectural Review Board, Mayor Mitman, Gov. Rendell, Lou Ferrone/Easton Parking Authority, Arcadia, Armond Greco/LANTA, The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and a large part of the Easton community have let the greater Easton community down. Riverwalk is going to be a huge blot on the riverfront, an environmental nightmare, a money pit that will suck the tax payers dry and enrich the developers. Community improvement has nothing to do with this project. It is all about money, power and political positioning. The home owners and residents in downtown Easton will lose their community expectations to land grabbing speculators who leave all the risks up to us, the tax payers and residents. We will have to live with this monster until we move out of town or die. The community must speak out. We need a groundswell of opposition to this project at the following meetings:

City Council work session 6pm tonight, Tues., March 13th.

City Council meeting 6pm, Weds., Mar. 14th.

City Council meeting 6pm, Weds., Mar. 28th.

Everyone must join in by coming to the meetings and speaking out, by contacting everyone who they know who can help in this effort, phone calls, e-mails, letters to the media, contact political representatives and the various organisations, such as LANTA, DRTBC, DRBC, US Corps of Engineers, and environmental groups. Make it a task to have each person you contact to contact three or more others. This needs to happen now. Let the Easton City Council know that there is a very large part of this community who are very disturbed by this project and by the behavior the people who hold the public trust. Thank you for your help.

Bob Johnson

Easton, PA

Former Mayor Sal Panto Officially Announces Candidacy for Mayor

SAL PANTO FOR MAYOR COMMITTEE
P.O. Box 1395
Easton, PA 18042
www.salpantoformayor.com

Campaign Kick-off Remarks
Ringside Restaurant
March 1, 2007

Thank you Randy.

A special thank you to my lovely wife Pam, who has made all of us proud of her work on City Council. I also want to thank my children, my grand children and family members, especially my mother who couldn’t be here this evening but we are taping it for her to watch later. Hi mom, we love you.

I would also like to thank my employer, Gary Strausser, who is allowing me this opportunity.

Tonight is not about Sal Panto.
Tonight is not about resting on past accomplishments.
Tonight is not about who drops the most literature and puts up the most signs.
Tonight is about the City of Easton and the 27,000 people who live here.
Tonight is about our neighborhoods.
Tonight is about developing the whole town not just the downtown.
Tonight is about the biggest issue important to our citizens: vibrant neighborhoods that are safe and clean.
Tonight is about whom do you want providing leadership not only on a day-to-day basis but also in times of crisis.
Tonight is about identifying and supporting a person that has proven leadership and managerial strength.
Tonight is about identifying and supporting a person that can attract an effective staff, a person that will surround himself with good people and continually challenge them to do better.
Tonight is about endorsing a person who makes good decisions and is willing to spend the enormous amount of time necessary to be an effective Mayor.

Tonight I am here to ask for your support and assistance to be the next Mayor of our city. Many people have asked why I am running and who our opponents would be in this race. I am running for Mayor to help make people’s lives and the neighborhoods in our city better. The fact is that regardless of whom we are running against, our team will be running for the issues near and dear to all of our residents and not against someone. We will be running for neighborhoods that people can be proud to call home, for neighborhoods that are safe and clean, for ensuring that police officers are visible in all parts of town, with no neighborhood left behind.

Easton needs a clean, crime-free, and safe environment that provides effective and efficient services providing a higher quality of life for our residents. We will accomplish this by being a very inclusive administration that brings to the table people from all parts of the city, with a diversity that allows all residents to be represented. We will set attainable goals and develop a plan of action for each goal. We will identify a series of milestones to keep us on track to meet the vision in a reasonable frame of time."

As I travel through our city and talk with people it is the one constant - safety. We will make a safe city our top priority. Our objective is to reduce crime by 15% in the first two years and nuisance crimes by 20%. We will do this by manning our police and fire departments at the level required to accomplish our goal. We will give them the technology and tools not only to fight crime and fire but also to prevent crimes and fires. Effective community policing and code enforcement will help us become more proactive than reactive.

Clean neighborhoods restore pride to an area. Clean neighborhoods create safer neighborhoods. We can no longer tolerate vacant structures that house our gangs and drug dealers. Our objective will be to decrease the number of unsecured vacant properties in each neighborhood by 10% within the first year. We will accomplish this objective with the introduction of our “Clean It and Lien It” program. When the Code department is no longer effective in getting the owner to clean and secure their property and before it gets so bad that it goes before the Vacant Property Review panel we will secure and clean the property. We will then place a lien against the property and act on the lien. If the property is purchased by the city we will look to the private sector for qualified developers to purchase the property and proceeds from the sale of the property will be used to continue the program, a re-investment in our neighborhoods.

To further assure clean neighborhoods by the second year we will launch our “Triple B” – a block-by-block systematic code inspection of the entire city with the worst blocks identified through quarterly neighborhood meetings.

Another goal will be to make our city government better every day. This will be accomplished by:

-Determining a customer service baseline and improving our customer service rating every year.
-Making our city government a model of open, honest, ethical and fiscally responsible government.
-Constantly seeking community input and energizing people to participate in their local government.
-We will always strive to do more with less and hold each department accountable for its performance.
-Surrounding ourselves with the best people and challenge them to do better each and every day.
-Establishing neighborhood-based Mayor office hours to make it easier for residents to voice their opinions, give insight into neighborhood concerns, address problem areas and get people involved in city government.

A final goal I will announce tonight is improve our intergovernmental relationships with surrounding communities and have Easton recognized as an asset for the region. We will work cooperatively to establish partnerships to produce an economy of scale savings in providing services to our residents. On the county, state and federal level we will actively engage in pursuing financial participation in the form of grants with a goal of $500,000 per year.

Throughout this campaign we will continue to establish our goals based on conversations with our residents. We will establish goals for all areas of city management including community development, economic development, youth and recreational activities, financial stability and a long-term vision of what Easton can become.

Today Easton is at a precarious crossroad. Great opportunities are being overshadowed by difficult problems in all areas of service. I know what this city is, I know what this city has been, and I know what it can become. That is why tonight I offer my candidacy for Mayor. I believe I have a lifetime of experience that counts. Experience I will put to work for you.

Thank you.

Gary Bertsch Announces for Mayor

“Time’s Up: We Need Lasting Positive Changes”

A New Image for Easton

We sell ourselves short with our image. People coming to the City, and those who live here and pay taxes, see empty buildings, both commercial and residential, that often give indications that the City or people don’t care and are satisfied with being mediocre. That is just not us!

I have seen the negative effect one blighted property can have on a block. Too often poor conditions are not only unsafe, but hamper communication and a feeling of neighborhood among residents. Small improvements matter: Trees can be added and sidewalks, parks and playgrounds – even overcrowded alleyways can be cleaned up for positive effect in a neighborhood.

Revenues, Waste & Taxes

Our taxes are outrageous and only keep rising because of the gap between revenues and spending. The City needs to recruit revenue generators including businesses and new residents. We must build a business friendly environment and use creative incentives for people to attain home ownership. We have $1.6 million of uncollected fees owed to us while we scramble for extra quarters from parking meters to cover shortfalls. If these amounts owed to the people of Easton are not paid the properties must have liens placed upon them or face seizure.

Every member of Council, not just the Mayor, must encourage revenue generators to come to Easton. We can align regionally with other communities to promote the region and attract businesses and economic development.

City of Easton spending is out of line with similar communities. Stopping wasteful spending begins with an end to mismanagement of resources. It includes streamlining and/or merging departments, upgrading information systems so that all departments work together efficiently, and getting better value from our extensive legal representation. Ending waste means finding a solution to the overtime crisis and staffing departments at the most efficient levels. The City cannot afford a lack top to bottom efficiency.

Housing

Improved housing stock means encouraging single-family owner occupation and getting vacant properties filled, cleaned up, and back on the tax rolls. A positive initiative is this Spring’s affordable housing tour of Easton and Phillipsburg, a private/public partnership to market homes for sale under $200,000.

We need to be a clean, pedestrian friendly City without prostitution, drugs, noise and other quality of life problems. These are not easy goals, but everyone in the administration, city council, and departments must be committed to it. Housing improves when investments are made.

The police department must work in a coordinated, comprehensive fashion with the residents of each neighborhood, Weed & Seed, and Block Watch to implement Neighborhood Policing. Easton’s image must be one of clean, safe, and a pleasure to live and work in.

Youth & Social Issues

Our biggest asset is our human talent and its potential, but we are being underserved.

Our youth need more attention. They need incentives to pursue more education and acquire skills they need for the work force and to steer clear of the traps of crime and drugs that are killing so many of our young people. We need to inspire and motivate them. As a recruiter that was my job. It still is and probably will always be.

We have seen where collaboration works. Various public, private, and faith-based organizations are working together for the first time in a spirit of partnership. As Mayor, I will encourage our residents, in every neighborhood, to be role models by assuming community leadership positions.

On the other side, our youth who are educated leave for greener pastures of jobs and housing creating a void in the most important area of not only our economy, but our community as well.

Gary D. Bertsch

Butler Street
Easton, Pennsylvania

Age 59

B.S. Political Science & History; Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD

M.S. History (emphasis Latin America); New York University, NY, NY

Presently serve as the Program Manager of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership (Also Easton’s “Elm Street” Project)

Community Activist; Member of Block Watch and Weed & Seed; Member of NAACP, Arts Community of Easton (ACE), President of Riverside Festival of the Arts, Secretary and Treasurer of the Easton Redevelopment Authority (ERA), Promoter for Boy Scouts of America

Former Captain in the United States Marine Corps

Member of U.S. & Marine Corps Track Team Qualified to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials (Marathon)

Hired by Ross Perot as a Corporate Recruiter (Worked on Wall Street)

Former Secondary School Educator and Administrator (North Hunterdon School District, Annandale, NJ)

Started and Operated a Successful Business for 15 Years Within the Healthcare Industry

Former General Manager & presently a Partner in a 38-acre industrial site (Former Taylor Wharton Foundry, site of the longest continuous operating industrial operation in North America)

Residential Owner/Property Manager in Easton

City Council Meeting Audio 2/28/07

We have 2 hours of audio that we are presenting in two parts. The first half hour of this Council meeting was used to swear in four new police officers and one new inspector. The police department leadership also retired a working dog and gave a State of the Department presentation. They explained their manpower, new technology upgrades, and progress towards state accreditation.

The second hour-and-a-half was the regular session. No audience member chose to speak in the beginning of the meeting, but there was a lot of audience comment at the end of the meeting. The key items of discussion were the Riverwalk project and City Council's decision to settle a suit for $500.00 with a criminal.

Captain Vangello sat through the entire meeting in order to to let Council know that the man suing (from jail) was guilty of burglary against a victim whom has since died. The man is accusing the city of false imprisonment. And that the city should not give in to this extortion. Councilwoman Heffley was the only "NO" vote, and she said that she was not in favor of "giving this miscreant a dime." We agree Madame Heffley-- Well said.

I noticed 3 council candidates in attendance (Timmann, Otto, and Melan).

Audio Police Session (31 minutes 32 seconds 3.6Mb)

Audio Regular Meeting (1 hour 33 minutes 10.5Mb)
Agenda
Minutes

Your neighbors.