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Residents urge review of parking authority contract and press for better snow removal
Summary
Residents used the courtesy-of-the-floor to call on Allentown City Council to renegotiate the parking authority agreement and press the city for clearer snow‑removal planning after Winter Storm Fern; a former parking enforcement officer defended the authority and urged clearer public communication.
Becky Kiss, a resident, told council she reviewed the city budget and asked that the parking authority contract be renegotiated, noting the authority maintains about 1,500 metered spaces and citing reported revenues (approximately $1.1 million from meters and around $7.5 million from parking tickets). Kiss also questioned sharp increases in the mayor’s reported 2025 memberships and civic expenses and asked what taxpayers receive for those fees.
Betty Coller, another resident, compared Allentown’s parking payments to neighboring Reading’s and said the city’s $480 payment was “a slap in the face.” Coller described widespread snow‑removal failures two weeks after the storm, saying some emergency routes remain obstructed by banks of snow and asked the city to follow up with the streets department on priority and schedule for clearing neighborhood streets.
AJ Nee, a homeowner and former parking enforcement officer, spoke in support of the Allentown Parking Authority (APA). Nee said his training emphasized safety and accessibility rather than revenue collection and that officers were not instructed to meet quotas or target individuals. He urged the council to prioritize clear guidance to residents about street‑cleaning/parking periods rather than relying primarily on tickets, and offered to return to future meetings for further discussion.
Council staff said they would forward the concerns about the parking authority and snow removal to the appropriate departments for follow‑up. No formal action or vote on the parking authority contract occurred at this meeting; residents requested that council and staff review the APA agreement and provide a report at a future meeting.
