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County executive reports 20,000 acres preserved, CDBG grants to food banks; three ordinances set for May 15 hearing
Summary
Mr. McClure, a county official, told the Northampton County Council on May 1 that the county is about to preserve its 20,000th acre of farmland and reported other administrative updates including elections statistics, CDBG reallocations to food banks and a vehicle donation to Nazareth Ambulance.
Mr. McClure, a county official, told the Northampton County Council on May 1 that the county is about to preserve its 20,000th acre of farmland and reported other administrative updates including mail‑in ballot counts, drop‑box use, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) reallocations to food banks and a donated vehicle to Nazareth Ambulance.
“We are about to preserve our 20 thousandth acre of farmland in Northampton County,” McClure said, and reported the county has preserved “266 farms,” calling farmland preservation “one of our only weapons against warehouse proliferation.”
On elections, McClure said 23,684 mail‑in ballot applications were issued and returned; ballots sent and certain counts were reported by the elections division as of his update, with 5,531 ballots returned and 5,431 recorded thus far. He said election staff are contacting voters with defective or incomplete ballots to correct issues.
McClure reported drop‑box usage figures by location and said the county has begun redistributing remaining CDBG dollars to food banks in low‑ and moderate‑income census tracts to offset federal cuts to USDA funding. He said the county provided $10,000 checks this week to the Slater Family Center in Bangor, a pantry in Wilson and a pantry in Pen Argyl.
The county also repurposed and donated a vehicle under CDBG funding, McClure said, and “donated one to Nazareth Ambulance today” to support nonreimbursable transportation for local residents.
During new business the council introduced three ordinances and scheduled public hearings, debate and possible votes for the May 15 meeting: an ordinance amending the Northampton County real estate rules and regulations ordinance (as introduced to council), an ordinance authorizing the county to purchase approximately 43.36 acres in the borough of Stauffer Town from the Judith L. Bauer Trust, and an ordinance authorizing a lease agreement between Northampton County and Service Electric TV Inc. Each ordinance had a sponsor and a second and was set for a May 15 public hearing and possible vote.
McClure also said the administration is discussing whether to rebid the county parking garage and that a compromise recommendation would be provided soon.
No final votes were recorded on the ordinances at the May 1 meeting; each was introduced and scheduled for public hearing on May 15.
