Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Votes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council roundup: zoning map, budgets, engineering contracts and event permits advance
Summary
City Council approved a series of ordinances and resolutions, including a zoning map amendment, budget adjustments, engineering contract amendments and multiple use permits for summer events; one item recorded a recusal.
City Council on April 15 voted on a package of ordinances, resolutions, contracts and use permits covering zoning, budget adjustments, engineering services, lead service-line planning and city event permits.
Key votes included final passage of a zoning map amendment and multiple budget and contract authorizations. The council approved two general-fund adjustments and a councilmanic appointment to the Human Relations Commission. Several engineering and planning agreements were authorized, and the council grouped and approved use permits for summer concert series and festivals.
Votes at a glance (items, short description, outcome):
- Zoning map amendment (bill no. 20-2025): Final passage; roll-call recorded mixed votes; motion passed (4 yes, 2 no). Recorded aye votes: Miss Laird, Miss Wilhelm, Mister Callahan, Miss Leon; recorded nays: Miss Grimsey Smith, Miss Kwiatak.
- Bill no. 22-2025 (amend general fund for 2025): Passed 6-0.
- Bill no. 23-2025 (amend general fund for 2025; Choice Neighborhoods transfer referenced separately as ordinance 9c): Passed 6-0.
- Appointment of Karen D. Davison to the Bethlehem Human Relations Commission: Passed 6-0.
- Resolution 10a — Authorize application for $300,000 Northampton County livable landscapes grant for Bethlehem Greenway trail gap: Passed 6-0.
- Resolution 10b — Agreement with Cedar Crest College to provide a community health needs assessment ($7,500): Passed 6-0.
- Resolution 10c — Amendment 1 with Remington and Vernick Engineers to add stormwater modeling to an existing sewer model agreement; adds $22,500 to the contract for a total of $82,512: Passed 6-0. Staff clarified the change adds a stormwater component to the previously scoped sanitary model to enable system-wide analysis and design.
- Resolution 10d — Agreement with EnTech Engineering to assist with service-line inventory and lead service-line replacement planning in accordance with EPA and DEP regulatory requirements; year-one cost $88,900 with stated renewal pricing for subsequent years: Passed 6-0.
- Use permit group (resolutions 10f–10i) — Levitt Pavilion Concert Series; Steel Stacks summer concerts; Steel City Fair; Christmas City Wine Festival: Grouped and passed 6-0.
- Resolution 10j — "Live in the Garden" concert series with the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce: Passed with one recusal (5 yes, 0 no, 1 recusal).
One item listed on the agenda, a contract for a citywide complete streets plan and bike infrastructure feasibility study with Kittleson & Associates (Resolution 10k, cost cited at $249,883), was presented and discussed; a vote outcome was not recorded in the available transcript.
Council members and staff provided brief clarifications during roll calls. When asked about the Remington and Vernick scope change, staff explained the city had previously contracted for a sanitary sewer model and the amendment adds a stormwater collection system model to allow analysis and design work across the full sewer/storm network.
Several event use permits included stated event dates and times in their memoranda and were listed on the agenda; those permits were approved as presented.
Where council members had potential conflicts, recusal was recorded in the minutes (one recusal on resolution 10j).
