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Allentown council moves $2.75 million for Center Square work, advances $293,546 for traffic-signal repairs
Summary
At a council meeting, members voted to advance Bill 66 to add $2.75 million to a new capital account for the Center Square project at Seventh and Hamilton and approved Bill 67 to transfer $293,546.80 for repairs to traffic signals at seven intersections; both measures passed by voice vote.
The Allentown City Council voted to advance two budget items: Bill 66, which adds $2,750,000 to a newly created capital account for the Center Square project at Seventh and Hamilton, and Bill 67, which transfers $293,546.80 from various capital projects to a traffic-signal upgrade account to repair equipment at seven intersections.
City staff said Bill 66 implements a reimbursement arrangement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that will partially fund the Center Square work. “The reimbursement agreement has been fully executed. That took a long time,” said Patrick, a city staff member. Staff told the council the executed agreement and completed plans now allow the city to set up the capital account, allocate the funds and move toward construction.
Councilmembers moved and seconded the motion to send Bill 66 forward; the motion passed on a voice vote. The transcript does not identify the motion maker or seconder for Bill 66.
Bill 67 reassigns $293,546.80 to repair traffic-signal infrastructure at seven locations: Union Boulevard at Fenwick, Twelfth at Downey/Flake Lane, Twelfth at Linden, Third at Union, Front at Tillman, and Union Boulevard at Home Run Lane. Staff said the work responds to vehicle collisions that damaged poles and mast arms; some intersections will have components replaced and others repaired depending on severity. “We have not [received insurance recoveries]. Unfortunately, some of these claims are a little bit older, so our risk department was unsuccessful in going after them to retrieve some of this funding,” Patrick said.
A council member moved Bill 67; it was seconded by Miss Gerlach and advanced by voice vote. The transcript records the second for Bill 67 as Miss Gerlach; the mover is not identified by name in the record.
Both measures were described in the meeting as procedural steps to set up accounts and funding so work can proceed; the council did not specify construction start dates, contractors or a project timeline during the discussion. The reimbursement agreement with PennDOT was described as reimbursable to the city; the staff presentation said the executed agreement was returned to the city earlier in May.
Council discussion on both items was brief and limited to staff summary and clarifying questions about insurance and the nature of traffic-signal damage. With the council’s voice votes, both bills were advanced for the next step in the legislative process.
