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Agenda Item
The purpose of the meeting is to take testimony on the priorities listed below. This is for public testimony on the categories of spending, not a question-and-answer session, this is not to be argumentative. The plan is to refine these categories and goals with potential monetary allocation to be discussed at a meeting tentatively scheduled for June 9 based on your testimony. At that meeting, we will set up testimony from representatives that have expertise and experience in the respective area.
Council is looking at putting their recommendations into a written budget document. We understand people can't make the meetings. If anyone has any comments and could not make the meeting, we ask that they be forwarded to the City Clerk, Michael Hanlon at Michael.Hanlon@allentownpa.gov or register on the city website and make an ecomment on the agenda. If you have any supporting documents, you would like shared, please forward that as well. We are also exploring the possibility of having a public survey conducted as we develop a plan. Municipalities have until 2024 to fully plan for and commit their funds, and until 2026 to spend them.
While Councilpersons each have a constituency and their own set of priorities that they identify as important, there was agreement that instead of piece-mealing the ARPA funds, we take a step back and present to the administration some type of holistic vision independent of the administration procedure. The categories below represent that.
Prior to taking testimony, City Councilpersons have raised a few concerns that they would like to express to the administration:
1. That the funds, overall allocation, and procedures are determined by the mayor's office - that is the point on intake - we are not sure that is the cleanest most transparent process.
2. Is the ethics ordinance being followed that relates to disclosure of interests?
3. While we think there are some issues with the application that can be addressed later, our position is applications are public documents and that all applications should be public.
This city has an opportunity to close the gap on the historical inequities for our marginalized communities. So many people are focused on changing roofs, without realizing that having a roof to fix is a privilege that not everyone has. There are 10-year-olds being murdered in classrooms, the elderly being murdered while shopping, and families being murdered while worshiping, the issues we have a greater than needing a tourism increase. Listen to the community and address the real needs.
Allocate funds to reestablish the juvenile community service program that juveniles who commit minor offenses have to complete community service to help clean up streets of litter. Need more services for the homeless such as an all year homeless shelter plus services to help the homeless. Need more home ownership programs to get more home ownership instead of increasing the amount of rentals. Need more community policing in neighborhoods throughout the city and more proactive patrols.
This city has an opportunity to close the gap on the historical inequities for our marginalized communities. So many people are focused on changing roofs, without realizing that having a roof to fix is a privilege that not everyone has. There are 10-year-olds being murdered in classrooms, the elderly being murdered while shopping, and families being murdered while worshiping, the issues we have a greater than needing a tourism increase. Listen to the community and address the real needs.
Allocate funds to reestablish the juvenile community service program that juveniles who commit minor offenses have to complete community service to help clean up streets of litter. Need more services for the homeless such as an all year homeless shelter plus services to help the homeless. Need more home ownership programs to get more home ownership instead of increasing the amount of rentals. Need more community policing in neighborhoods throughout the city and more proactive patrols.