At last night's first ever combined meeting of Northampton and Lehigh County's legislative bodies, nobody was killed. Charles Dertinger and Lamont McClure, perhaps chastened by a Bill White column and blog excoriating their recent petty behavior, were very quiet. Not the Northampton County Bulldog. Ron Angle was quick to point out that recently deceased council member Wayne Grube would be delighted to see Lehigh coming to Northampton. "But I'm not so sure he would be happy to see you [Lehigh County Commission Chair Percy Dougherty] setting in his seat." At that point, he gave Dougherty a cigar and everyone chuckled. After the meeting, Angle called DA John Morganelli to report that Dougherty has an illegal Cuban with some strange-smelling seeds inside.I'm not sure if Dr. Dougherty made it past the APB.
Inside Northampton County's star chamber, a dubious Ron Angle also groused about the bi-county health board's official name. Noting that a Morning Call preview had called this body the Joint Lehigh-Northampton County Health Board, he argued it should really be the other way around.
Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham, sitting in the peanut gallery with the rest of us, blurted out, "It's the Lehigh Valley Health Board." That's what this is really about. The Lehigh Valley.
County Execs John Stoffa and Don Cunnigham get it. Cunningham called the combined body a "foundation or building block on which we can do lots of things together - prisons, nursing homes." Combining to address common problems will also result in cost efficiencies. For his part, Stoffa added that disease does not stop at a boundary or river. "This is the only area in the state that has done this. Perhaps the country, we don't know. We have to make sure this thing works."
But will it?
Angle was the sole person to ask, "What's all this going to cost?" That's a question going through everyone's minds, but nobody has an answer. After cost, the next big question is what services will be offered? Bethlehem and Allentown have already made very clear they will kill any health board, no matter what it's called, if it dilutes services already being offered by city health boards to their residents. At the same time, Lehigh County Commission Chair Percy Dougherty wants all Lehigh Valley residents to receive the same health services. "It's about time those of us out in the suburbs get the same coverage as those in the cities." Dougherty believes both Allentown and Bethlehem should be represented on the health board.
Williams Township teacher Lilly Krejewski (sp?) wished the newly-formed health board "good luck," calling it "testimony to what an open mind and open heart can do."
Before last night's combined meeting of Lehigh and Northampton (or should I say Northampton and Lehigh?) County legislators, there was a lengthy, inaugural meeting of the Lehigh Valley Health Board. It appointed Dr. David Lyon as its chair for the next year and also spent some time trying to figure out how to form committees, like finance, that can meet privately. It can't, although it does not seem to know that ... yet. It will be meeting twice monthly and its work will answer the big questions. Northampton County Council member Diane Neiper and Lehigh County Commissioner Gloria Hamm will serve as liaisons, or watchdogs, for both counties.
After the meeting adjourned, RenewLV put on a nice little spread of coffee, assorted cheeses and pastries. Most of the suits there avoided the treats. So Angle filled his pockets and I went for my thermos. Lehigh County Commissioners tried vainly to find an exit out of the building. Most are still there, but Angle left them some food.
22 comments:
"It's about time those of us out in the suburbs get the same coverage as those in the cities."
Well Percy, the city shouldn't subsidize it. Be prepared to pay for it. Each municipality should pay into the pot so that they can understand how much the cities will lose in this and how much we will be subsizing those services.
The accompanying photo is damn funny.
This is good for the cities provided that they disband their respective agencies. If not, the city's residents will simply be paying double, like they do for parks.
Anon 725am, nor should the suburbs subsidize the city - but we do, to a very large extent. It should work both ways.
Anon 828am, how do city residents pay double for parks?
The Banker
I look at things like regional health, parks, fire, police and see so many opportunities for cooperation but also see many municipalities that don't provide some of these basic services (parks and police for instance). How do you do regional services when the implementation of those services stand to undercut the amount of service without providing cost saving opportunities for the people who are already paying for them. If the county provides the health services, will the cities continue to receive the same amount of service for the same cost or will one or the other change. If that remains constant, I don't see how the suburban areas can possibly expect to see the same level of service.
I can give an example of the double paying for parks: I encourage you to look at municipalities that have a county park in their boundaries but no other parks (or very small ones). Alburtis has lockridge park which is county owned. How many county parks exist in Allentown and Bethlehem? yet allentown taxpayers pay for the ones in allentown AND alburtis. I'm not bashing either way: I'm just pointing out that it exists. I often wonder if the management of all parks could be done regionally? How much duplication exists in park management?
to answer my question, it appears that lehigh county has three park sites in allentown, all historic structures: Trout Hall, the Historic Court House and the Buchman house. None of them offer recreation space.
Let’s not lose sight of the most significant aspect of the Lehigh County Health Board is by combining both Counties and it’s population into a single agency, it will makes more Federal funds available. Plus it can fund broader medical services across both counties and simple things like restaurant inspections.
Geoff, almost 100% of Allentown's park maintenance comes from the Trexler Trust, not Allentown's taxpayers. According to the Trust website, in 2008 it gave Allentown $1.74MM to "improve, extend and maintain its parks." According to the City Budget (on its website) the 2008 budget for parks and recreation is $1.76MM.
Based on the numbers, no double-dipping of Allentown taxpayers is taking place for parks.
The Banker
fair enough on the trust, but it is still the city's responsibility. If the trust isn't able to provide that money (and in this market, that's a possibility), the city will shoulder that responsibility. I was providing an example of how city residents are providing park facilities to the county. I'm not judging the positive or negative.
I do think that regional management of all parks could cut down on a fair amount of duplication and there is nothing to say that the trexler trust still can be used to maintain/expand the parks that the endowment is designed to support.
Fly, I tend to forget about those health inspections. *shudder*
I think we still need to know more on the numbers. The fact that they were talking about meeting in private raised a flag for me. This isn't something you do in private and then surprise the public with actual costs later.
Banker, Lehigh Count has an expansive park system funded by county tax dollars. None of the county's parks are in Allentown.
I wonder if Percy ever made it out of Easton.
Geoff, on regionalizing the parks, my fear would be a lack of the attention they need. Emmaus Community Park is beautiful because of all the attention it gets. Would it get the same level under county stewardship? I don't know, but I wonder.
Anon 1108am, understood - but if Allentown residents are not paying for their own parks, then there's no double-dip. They are county residents paying for county parks, same as other county residents.
I live in Upper Milford, we don't have any county parks either, so I'm in the same boat you are - except that we have to pay tax $$ for our parks as we don't have a trust to cover our costs.
My opinion, Allentown residents have the best deal in the valley in terms of parks due to the Trexler Trust.
The Banker
Banker,
I'm pretty sure a county is park is in Upper Milford.
The idea that we should pay for local parks in other municipalities because one of our former citizens set up a trust for Allentown residents to benefit from is silly at best. It sounds more like the county is exploiting that fact to me.
You and I both know city residents do not use the county park system. if they did all you folks would tell the kids to go back to where they came from and all of that.
I looked at the county website, and there are no county parks in Upper Milford. The only county park in the southern part of the county is Lockridge in Alburtis.
I disagree with the rest of your comments though. Allentown residents, especially the kids, use the county system pretty heavily. For example, the Jordan Parkway, located in Whitehall and South Whitehall, and Cedar Creek West, out by Dorney Park, are both used by Allentown residents as well as all county residents. I've spent many hours in both with my kids and can testify to that. I have also seen groups from Allentown and other cities/towns rent pavilions at Emmaus Community Park - a park maintained and paid for by the Borough of Emmaus.
I'd also say that the reverse is true - suburbanites don't use Allentown's parks - and that's a damn shame because they're beautiful.
To think Allentown residents are getting shortchanged on this issue is in my opinion wrong. They have a fantastic city system due to the Trust, a great county system that they can use or not, their choice, and other parks that they do use. Doesn't sound like shabby treatment to me.
The Banker
I'm going to finish my belaboring of htis point b/c to me it's neither positive or negative. There is a large sports field complex located right off of broadway (I'm not sure if it's in S. Whitehall, Lower Mac or Upper Milford... the boundaries in that area are murky in my mind).
it has received 3.1 million in investment, including money from the county, trexler trust and the united way (yes, trexler makes park investment in other communities). A worthy project but its far from walking distance to many of the people who cannot drive outside of the city and its not accessible by public transportation (the argument about using county parks requires access through transportation... hard if no such thing exists).
The city of Allentown has perhaps the greatest park system in the country for a city its size. The citizens are lucky to have the support of the trust on those matters. But the fact of the matter is that the citizens of allentown pay for county parks and do not see much return on those investments here in the city (with the exception of when the county contributes to park development within the city... which does happen).
I'll close by jumping back to the point of regional health service: the same concern you have about the level of stewardship over a treasure in your community should also be raised about the level of service citizens of allentown will get under the regional health initiative. I think that same level can be ensured. Will Percy's goal of equal services for suburban citizens be possible? Sure, but I'd really like to know what that is going to cost to give Allentown/Bethlehem citizens the same level of services provide now while providing the same services to suburban counterparts. that number might be a scary proposition.
alright, i'm done on this topic.
"I'd also say that the reverse is true - suburbanites don't use Allentown's parks - and that's a damn shame because they're beautiful."
Are you kidding me! Take a run through Lehigh parkway and take a guess. The majority of people who use several of Allentown's parks don't live in the city. It has been studied and proven.
There are county owned play lots not included on that list on the county's website.
This is a dumb discussion. I'm done.
Anon 235pm, I guess I'm wrong wrong then - the county and all the suburbs should subsidize the city. I keep forgetting, without Allentown all of us would be in the dumper.
Studied and proven? Where? When? Just point to a website, I'll go read.
County owned parks not on their site? Where?
Ok, glad we got this straight.
The Banker
Ok, so let me get this straight.
If I decide to donate my estate to Allentown to pave the streets with gold the county then should pay to pave the streets with gold in every other municipality?
Doesn't sound like smart growth to me.
Getting back to a county health agency, could someone explain to me how this is a core function of county government? Isn't Lehigh County already operating at a deficit being covered by the "rainy day fund"?
On a broader scale, is this really the time to be expanding the size of government - at any level? Somebody has to eventually pay for it all. The leadership in Washington (both departing and incoming) seems to think more government spending is the answer.
Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think the laws of common sense (and economics) change just by putting the word "government" in front of something. For example, overspending doesn't become good when it is "government" overspending. Too much debt is not acceptable when it's "government" debt. Etc, etc, etc.
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