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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, March 29, 2024

Passenger Rail Study Far From Complete

I want to start out by commending Jay Bradley and Lehigh Valley News for an exceptionally well-written summary of the LV passenger rail study made public on Wednesday afternoon. In addition to his story, the 60-page analysis itself is included. It's important to note at the onset that no project sponsor has been identified. This simply identifies the best five of 12 different possibilities for passenger rail to NYC, Philly and Reading. It is not a feasibility study, despite what it calls itself. That comes later, as the report itself acknowledges (page vii, 4). It is not an alternatives analysis. That, too, would come later. (page vii, 4) There has been no consultation with railroads like Norfolk Southern, which might have problems sharing limited rail space for much-needed freight that minimizes highway traffic. (page 4)

According to the study, 30,000 people commute from the LV to the Newark/NYC area; 100,000 to Philly; and 70,000 to the Reading area. Before getting into the prohibitive costs, the commuting time alone should be a deal killer. It will take 2.5 hours to get to NYC, nearly 2 hours to get to Philly and nearly an hour to Reading. Who is going to spend 5 hours a day sitting in a train? 

And will it be 5 hours or more? I took an Amtrak from DC to Pittsburgh two summers ago. The trip was supposed to take 7 hours. It took 12. 

My own view is that this analysis is flawed. In addition to identifying routes for Amtrak (the only possible sponsor), feasibility and alternatives should have been explored in detail. For example, the routes into Philly would require the elimination of Bethlehem's Greenway and the Saucon Rail Trail. Not only is this controversial to recreational cyclists and businesses who benefit from them, but it destroys a pedestrian route used by many who work at the casino. It destroys or interferes with several parks and pay $739 million to do so. 

And why not identify alternatives first?

 As John Marquette observes at Reddit, there are positives to passenger rail. But can't we consider buses?

“Four or five express buses a day from either Trexlertown P&R or the Lehigh Valley service area on the NE Extension (yes buses have stopped there in the past) to Norristown Transportation Center. Two ways to Philly from there - train or light rail to El. 50-min to 1-hr trip time. 

" LANTA can design it and contract out the service to Trans-Bridge (avoids complaints from private sector). Fares can be lower per mile than to NYC. Best part: it could start a lot faster than 12-14 years from now. 

 "Hidden bonus to this if the senior citizen fare was same as on LANta and SEPTA - nothing. The lottery would help subsidize the service for everybody by getting boomers out of the house for day trips.”

 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

NorCo DA Baratta - Two Juveniles Responsible For False Bomb Threat at Saucon Valley School District

 

DA: Bomb Threat at Saucon Valley School Not Credible by BernieOHare on Scribd

NorCo L&A Testing of Express Vote XL Starts Monday

 From the NorCo Elections Office: Notice is hereby given that on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 10:00 am, the Northampton County Board of Elections will be conducting the Logic & Accuracy (L&A) Testing of the DS Central Count Scanners to be used at the General Primary Election to be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, to ascertain that they will accurately count the votes cast for all offices.

 This will take place in the 3rd Floor Training Room of the Northampton County Government Center. Testing is open to the public and media.


Blogger's Note: According to the Elections Assistance Commission, "Logic and Accuracy (L&A) Testing is a collection of pre-election procedures that insure that the voting equipment and ballots to be used in an upcoming election can properly display the ballot, collect votes, and tabulate results. Usually referred to as L&A, these tests occur prior to the election and are conducted in such a way as to make public observation of the procedures and results possible. The historical purpose of L&A was to permit candidates, parties and the public to review ballots and lever machine programming prior to the election. The purpose was to demonstrate that the ballot was accurate, complete and votes cast could be properly tabulated."

71,904 Lehigh Valley Registered LV Voters Will Be Unable to Vote in April 23 Primary

According to PoliticsPa, 71,904 registered Lehigh Valley voters will be unable to vote in the April 23 party primaries.  That's because they are independents in a closed primary state. As a result, the most conservative Republicans and most liberal Democrats tend to get the party nominations. This just feeds a divisive system in which gridlock is becoming the norm. Below is a comparison of the party registrations as of March 26, 2024, compared to what they were during the 2016 Presidential election. 

Northampton County

Total: 220,976, compared to 211,402 in 2016.

Democrats: 95,858, compared to 99,075 in 2016.  Democrats account for 43.4% of the total registration, compared to 47% in 2016. 

Republicans: 81,654, compared to 73,473 in 2016. Republican registration increased from 34.8% to 37% of the total registration.  

Other: 32,886, compared to 38,854 in 2016. Independents increased from 18.4% to 14.9% of the total number of registered voters. 

Lehigh County

Total: 243,897, compared to 236.081 in 2016.

Democrats: 111,717, compared to 115,745 in 2016. Democrats account for 45.8% of the total registration, compared to 49% in 2016.

Republicans: 85,209, compared to 80,623 in 2016. Republicans account for 34.9% of the total registration, compared to 34.2% in 2016.

Other: 39,038, compared to 39,713 in 2016. Independents account for 16% of the total registration, compared to 16.8% in 2016.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

NorCo Dem Committee Votes It Has No Confidence in Party Chair Matt Munsey

Last night, the Executive Committee of Northampton County's Democratic Committee voted it had no confidence in party chair Matt Munsey. This vote, in which I'm told 24 people participated, comes in the wake of a joint letter that he and his Republican counterpart sent to the senate state government committee. He did so without authorization from anyone in the Committee. 

This vote has no legal significance. It does reflect, however that the party faithful has been increasingly upset by Munsey. The committee has no treasurer, and Munsey failed to notify candidates of an endorsement meeting hosted by the Lehigh Valley Labor Council. 

NorCo Council Supports Cap on Lot Fees For Manufactured Homes

At their March 21 meeting, Northampton County Council voted 7-2 to endorse a nonbinding resolution supporting a cap on lot fee increases being imposed on the owners of manufactured homes. These are typically located in trailer parks in which residents own the homes, but not the land.

In recent years, corporate developers have been purchasing these trailer parks and doubling or tripling the rents (lot fees). The resolution supports legislation pending in the Senate and House that would restrict landowners from unfettered increases.

Under current law, park owners are already prohibited from imposing more than one rent increase a year. The resolution provides that "creating a cap on yearly land rent increases will help ensure more equitable and affordable housing for Northampton County residents who reside in manufactured home communities."

Council member Jeff Warren proposed this resolution, which was supported by members Lori Vargo Heffner, Ron Heckman, Kelly Keegan Ken Kraft, Jeff Corpora and Tom Giovanni. It was opposed by members John Goffredo and John Brown. 

Nicole Pietrzak Confirmed as NorCo's New Direcotor of Administration

At their March 21 meeting, Northampton County Council voted unanimously to confirm Nicole Pietrzak as the County's Director of Administration. She was confirmed without discussion and will be paid $107,481 a year. 

Pietrzak succeeds Charles Deringer, who resigned in the wake of the botched 2023 municipal election. She had been serving in an acting capacity prior to her confirmation. Prior to that, she was employed by as a Deputy Director of Human Resources since May 2022.  

She has a BA from Kutztown University. 

Prior to her appointment, Pietrzak had no experience providing direct management oversight of Administrative Services, Emergency Management Services (EM & 911), Weights and Measures, Agricultural Extension, Farmland Preservation, Conduct of Elections, or the Conservation District. She does have experience in negotiating collective bargaining agreements.

LVPC Makes Annual Presentation to NorCo Council

Six staffers from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC), including Executive Director Becky Bradley, were at Northampton County Council's March 21 meeting to provide an annual update on what LVPC has been doing for the past year. They've been busy. So busy that County Council wants them to return for a separate meeting for a deep dive in what's going on in a county where Bradlley says there will be 100,000 new residents by 2050. Below are some highlights from its 2023 annual report:

  • 1,250 reviews including 595 subdivision and land development reviews – the most since 2008 – and 190 stormwater management reviews. A record 105 reviews for municipal ordinance and map changes were done, a sign that municipalities are taking a proactive approach to managing the development arriving in their communities. 
  • Reviews of 4,916 new homes, marked by greater diversity that included 2,472 apartments, 1,170 townhomes, 764 single-family homes, 397 twins, 83 manufactured homes and 20 condos. (Note that over half of these "new homes" are actually apartments.)
  • 21 million square feet of proposed non-residential space proposed – the second-most ever in a single year. More than 17 million sq ft of that is industrial, most of which was for warehouses and logistics. It also included 1.8 million square feet for commercial, 1.1 million of public/quasi-public, 316,457 of office, 176,421 of retail, 27,813 of transportation and 25,403 of recreational. 
  • Adoption of a $4.3 billion Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) that maps out how to invest in roads, bridges, trails, transit and communities over the next 25 years. In part due to advocacy by the LVPC and community leaders, and the arrival of new federal programs like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the number is a 70% increase over the 2019 LRTP. The plan includes the region’s first use of federal Justice40 initiatives designed to direct 40% of funding for certain projects to disadvantaged and underserved communities.  (Council member Ken Kraft observed that NorCo is getting $50 million over the next three years, while Lehigh is getting $200 million. "It's unacceptable," he said. Bradley responded that PennDOT should be asked to explain because that money is going to the state for what she calls mega projects.)
  • First-ever Lehigh Valley Priority Climate Action Plan. It focuses on reducing transportation-related emissions by increasing the use of alternative fuel vehicles, increasing transit ridership, implementing Walk/RollLV: Active Transportation Plan, using technology and efficiency to reduce congestion, and creating green infrastructure along our busiest highways. If those goals are met, it will reduce carbon emissions annually by 300,000 metric tons of caron dioxide equivalent by 2030, and 321,000 by 2050. 
  • Working with 37 communities in five multi-municipal plans that give them tools to find new efficiencies and better control development. (These plans enable communities to assess impact fees for traffic that may increase in area outside of a host municipality)
  • Leading the Eastern Pennsylvania Freight Alliance in a multi-regional coalition, created to write a new freight infrastructure plan for the Lehigh Valley, Northeast Pennsylvania, Lackawanna-Luzerne, Berks County and Lebanon County areas. The plan is scheduled to be completed in 2024.  
  • Leading the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis, a partnership endeavor between the LVTS and PennDOT, that analyzes the potential for the restoration of passenger rail service between the Lehigh Valley and Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia or Reading. The analysis is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2024.
  • Expanding training programs through the Lehigh Valley Government Academy, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute and PennDOT. The year included training more than 100 students during in-person planning, zoning and land development classes, performing 67 transportation tech assists in the community to improve pedestrian safety, and offering online Local Technical Assistance Program classes for engineers, public works and transportation crews. 
  • Community outreach that included hosting a Pennsylvania House Local Government Committee Hearing on a bill to update the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, hosting the U.S. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan visit to announce a $1 million grant to the LVPC, and hosting a major transportation projects meeting with regional legislators and PennDOT Secretary Michael Carroll.  
  • Updating the LVTS’s policies for providing public access to work done by the two organizations. The Planning For All campaign included an update the two organization’s Public Participation and Limited English Proficiency Plans.   


Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Bow Your Head

After several years of going through NorCo Council meetings without being stricken by boils, locusts or thunderstorms of hail and fire, the pre-meeting prayer (or moment of silence) has once again begun to rear its ugly head. Now look, I have no problem with bringing in a preacher from any of the counties numerous houses of worship to say a word or two, but County Council is too lazy to reach out Instead, it anoints one of its own to pretend he is a cleric. Up until now, it's just been a moment of silence. I'd actually prefer several hours of that, so that's been no trouble for me. But last week was John Brown's turn. 

"Bow your heads!" he instructed everyone. Amazingly, all but Lamont McClure's three rubber stamps did so. Lori Vargo Heffner even gave an "Amen!"

Yeah, the Supreme Court says its ok for elected officials who take an oath to uphold a secular constitution to open a meeting with prayer. But this same august body is also now interfering with a woman's right to choose. If County Council members want to pray on their own time, have at it. But doing it on the taxpayer dime is inevitably going to lead to preference of one religion over others. 

So far as I can tell, there are no Jews, Muslims, Sikhs or Buddhists on Council. They are all plain vanilla Christians, and one of them is eventually going to start showing preference for his or her religion. 

Better not to start.

Amen. 


NorCo Council Adopts Top Priorities of State County Ass'n

Northampton County is a member of the County Comm'rs Ass'n of Pennsylvania (CCAP). At their March 21 meeting, County Council voted unanimously to endorse CCAP's top eight priorities. They are listed below. 

1) 911 Funding and reauthorization. - Current 911 funding revenues have failed to keep pace with the increasing costs of the system, which must support county future needs, including Next Gen 911. The current surcharge is $1.95, and that is set to expire in February 2026. 

2) A mental health base funding increase. - Counties provide community-based mental health services/ These include community residential programs; family-based support; and outpatient care and crisis intervention, 

3) County inmates with mental health issues. - According to an assessment done by NorCo's health provider at the jail, 72% either are or were suffering a mental illness. A whopping 23% suffer from sever mental illness with current and acute symptoms. 

4) Increase state prevailing wage threshold from $25,000 (set in1961) to $250,000. - Yes, this would enable governments to use limited resources to provide the maximum level of services possible. But it would be at the expense of blue-collar workers, both union and nonunion. I am surprised Democrats on County Council voted for this, and either I'm missing something, or they failed to read this portion of the resolution.

5) Right-to-Know Law reforms. - During election season, that office actually conducts three elections - mail-in ballots, early voting, and traditional voting at the polls. They really have no time to respond to numerous requests during certain periods. Moreover, some individuals use the Right to Know Law vexatiously, making it impossible for smaller governments to do anything other than respond to multiple requests. Counties have seen an influx in large, complex record requests, as well as requests for records with the intent to burden and bog down the records request process, particularly around elections.

6) Vote-By-Mail Reforms. - Counties need to be able to start pre-canvassing MIBs before 7 am on election day. Moreover, the deadline to apply a mail-in ballot should end 15 days before an election to give officials more time to get ready. Finally, the law concerning drop boxes should be made clear. 

7) Broadband access and development. - Expanding the infrastructure should enable more competition, which should bring prices down for seniors and those on fixed or low incomes. 

8) Address the juvenile detention capacity crisis. - Unfortunately, Northampton County's Juvenile Justice Center is still understaffed. 

NorCo To Seek Grants For Minsi Lake

Super Ct Judge Jack Panella with 
Gerald E "Jerry" Seyfried
At their March 21 meeting, Northampton County voted unanimously to seek grants from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for Minsi Lake improvements.  

Parks Director Bryan Cope wants to replace or rehabilitate a boardwalk along some portions of the trails surrounding the lake. He said the boardwalk was initially built in the '70s by the youth corps. This is a $1 million project, and Cope is seeking $550,000 from the state. 

The state Game Commission has already committed to a complete makeover of the Gerald E Seyfried Bear Swamp Park and Archery Complex. In addition, it will add parking at the site and ADA accessible ramps. 

Cope told Council member Tom Giovanni that this is one of the first projects that the Game Commission hopes to get done and predicts it should at least be started by Fall. 



Monday, March 25, 2024

Nazareth's Mr. Hankey On His Way Plainfield Tp

In November 2021, Allen and Hart Hower sold their 93-acre farm, located in Plainfield Tp, to Nazareth Borough Municipal (BM) Authority for $850,000. The property is probably worth three times as much except for one thing - it is subject to an agricultural conservation easement The Howers not only sold their own rights to develop the property but restricted all future owners from doing so as well.  Under an agreement with Northampton County in 2008, they were paid $606,347 to preserve about 82-acres for agricultural purposes. Given that the use of this tract is mostly limited to planting crops of animal husbandry, why on earth would Nazareth BM Authority buy it? To spread shit, of course. Starting in April, it has clearance from the state EPA to treat the property with what is called class B biosolids. That's a very  saying shit. It's not raw shite. They pop it in an oven first and bake it a bit, just like pizza. But Plainfield Tp citizens have been railing about this for some time. I don't blame them. After all, this is Nazareth shit we're talking about here.  Have you ever seen what they eat here? From pasties (the meat pie, not nipple cover) to Moravian sugar cake, it's no wonder this tiny borough is littered with port-a-potties all over the place. More specifically. this is my shit, for which there really should be a special category.  There's a reason UGI is constantly digging up the streets here. 

Plainfield residents have done what they can do. They've complained to the BM Authority and to the Borough itself, only to be told to shut up. Northampton County Council has listened to them several times, but there's really nothing a county government can do. You see, spreading treated sludge is considered a "normal farming practice" protected under Pennsylvania's Right to Farm Act.  

Exec Lamont McClure made this clear last week at County Council's Energy Committee. Its jurisdiction apparently includes fecal matters, although I'd argue that every one of Council's committees talks shit pretty much nonstop.  "I wish I could stop it, but I can't," said the Exec, before turning around and hurriedly walking away. 

Hey, when you gotta' go, you gotta' go.  

Before making his exit, McClure said that the law needs to change. Maybe it does. But all kidding aside, the reality is that, except for judges and Donald Trump, we all drop anchor from time to time.  Incinerating it or dumping it in the ocean seems far more harmful than spreading cooked crap over farmfields.

The real outrage here is that Nazareth BM Authority had land within a stone's throw of its treatment plant with which it could spread sludge. Instead of doing so, it sold the land for $53.1 million to a warehouse developer. 

I believe the Right to Farm Act should be amended, but not to ban sludge. Instead, any sewage disposal authority should be confined to disposing of human waste within its own service area unless it can demonstrate with a Declaratory Judgment action that it has no option.