NorCo Council Extends Airport Charter to 2051

Board member Marc Troutman (left) and Director
Charles Eeverett (right)

Last time I visited the Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority, they were at the very posh and very exclusive Saucon Valley Country Club. How the hell I ever got in I'll never know. Though they really were there for a public meeting, it was an incredibly tone deaf move by a Board perceived as aristocratic and exclusive.

Things have changed. ... I think.

At their last meeting, Lehigh County's Commissioners voted 8-0 to extend the Authority's Charter until 2051. Northampton County unanimously followed suit at their May 5 meeting.

Rev. Mike Dowd, a former Northampton County Council member and the Board's new Chairman, told Council the Airport Authority has made significant strides in achieving transparency and accountability. Starting in April, the Board began to televise their meetings. The budget, contracts and meeting minutes are all available online. There will even be occasional evening meetings.

The Airport's financial picture appears to be rosier now than it has been in some time, reported Executive Director Charles R. Everett. He told Council that the Airport finished 2015 with a 10% increase in passenger and a 36% increase in cargo traffic, leading to $1.5 million in additional revenue.The Board also refinanced debt, lowering its annual payments by $1 million. Its closing with Fed Ex for a regional distribution facility is just a few weeks away, and will mean 3,000 more jobs in the Lehigh Valley. There is an agreement to sell an additional 230 acres in Allen and East Allen Township to the Rockefeller Group, which is developing the Fed Ex facility. This Summer, the Airport will build a multimodal facility for bus traffic  A new, 60,000 sq ft hangar is being built for general aviation tenants.

The sale of the Fed Ex facility will mean about $9.8 million in the airport's coffers. The remaining land will be sold for approximately $7 million.

"Maybe you'll find some money for Braden," joked Bob Werner, referring to a Forks Township airpark owned by the airport.

Currently, the Airport's Charter is expected to expire in 2035. Hayden Phillips noted that the 35-year extension would be computed from 2016, meaning that the Airport Charter will only be extended by 16 years, or until 2051.

Everett told Council that the Lehigh Valley's proximity to much larger airports in Newark and Philadelphia mean that passenger traffic will be limited, although efforts are made to maximize deals with airlines. He noted that, unlike the larger airports, Lehigh Valley has more capacity, and is only operating at about 35% of its potential.  

This is where cargo comes in, and Everett claims that is growing "by leaps and bounds." he noted that Lehigh Valley is now one of five hubs across the country for Amazon. That will bring in 60 jobs.    

Reibman Out, Dowd In, at DRJTBC

In addition to its periodic toll hikes, passed with no meaningful notice to the public, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is very good at inventing jobs for politicians with no place to go. So when Glenn Reibman was defeated for a third term as Northampton County Exec, then Governor Ed Rendell had the Commissioners create a brand new job for Glenn - Director of Policy and Planning. At the time he was hired, in 2006, the job topped out at $99,000.

Now that Republican Tom Corbett is Governor, he's decided to replace Reibman. Inside sources tell me Reibman was allowed to stay long enough to ensure he qualifies for yet another pension, but he's being shoved out of the way to make room for another politician who lost an election bid.

Except this one, like Corbett, is a Republican.

Former Northampton County Council member Mike Dowd, who lost a bid for a fourth term in November, will take over the reins as the DRJTBC's new Director of Policy and Planning. We'll never see him again until a Democrat is elected Governor.

Mike Krill Destroyed Dowd's Election Chances

Dowd would like to get his hands on Krill

Ed Koren is a Lehigh County Republican's best friend.

His challenge to DA Jim Martin probably increased GOP turnout in Lehigh County, which certainly helped lead to a Republican sweep in the Commissioners' race.

In Northampton County, the spoiler was Mike Krill. His challenge to Mayor Sal Panto energized a campaign machine, run by young Easton Democrats. They are so effective they're downright scary.

In my post below, I suggest that GOP turnout is historically low in Northampton County in municipal races. But Mike Dowd would have probably survived Bob Werner's challenge if there had been no challenge to Sal.

As it turns out, he was clobbered in Easton. Werner pulled in 1939 votes to Dowd's 930.

In the rest of his District, Dowd was the clear winner. He grabbed 3478 votes to Werner's 2596.

So Gracedale really played no role in Dowd's loss. Werner rode into office on Panto's back.

Mike Krill destroyed Dowd's chances.

Following the Money in the Dowd, Werner Race

Pre-election campaign finance reports were due on Friday. Here's how the money looks in the County Council Easton area race between Mike Dowd and Bob Werner.

Dowd raised $1,500 this reporting period, giving him a grand total of $1,917.83. Abe Atiyeh, who gave him $1,000, was his largest contributor. Dowd spent just $901.70 for what appear to be yard signs. He still has $1,106.13 in his till.

Challenger Bob Werner outpaced Dowd in the money race. He raised $3,385 over this election cycle, giving him $5.186.74. He spent $2,263.80 for yard signs, and is left with $2,922.94.

I may have missed it, but caught no unusually large donations to Werner. He seems to be spending his own money.

Norco Council (Easton Area): Mike Dowd v. Bob Werner

"I think one of the things people need to know is what do you bring to the table and what kind of things you've been able to get done in your time of service to the community. When I think about some of those things, part of they record they cross a myriad of activities. They cross the human services area, they cross the economic development area.

"When I think about economic development, I think about I was one of the people that Rich Gurin took to Kansas City to meet with the Hallmark people to bring the Crayola factory to downtown Easton. I was one of the folks who met with then Executive Gerry Seyfried to organize the sale of the then City Hall to Northampton County, to pave the way for a juvenile detention center and allow City Hall to move into downtown Easton. I was one of the founders and organizers of the Two Rivers Area COG [Council of Governments], which at that time was the first COG in Northampton County.

"I had the opportunity to participate in conservation because I was one of the founders of the Bushkill Stream Conservancy. The Easton Chamber of Commerce was the only Chamber that had a conservancy as part of its organization.

"I was one of the co-founders of Pro-Kids, which is an organization that knits together all the youth-based organizations in our community, to share programs and share ideas and share resources.

"In every respect, my record - I think - is one of getting the job done.

"As we move forward, economic development, job creation, are critically important to us, so we can set that stage.

"But I'd also tell you that, of all the members of Council, I'm the one who probably spent more time at Gracedale than anybody here, simply because my role as a clergyman for years. I saw Gracedale in its first generation. I see Gracedale as it is today. My commitment is we'll serve the people as well today if not better than we did in the early 1970s, when Gracedale was constructed.



"When I began this campaign, I was going to worry about how high the salary was, and how well I would get to be known in the County. Since then, I changed my mind about that.

"This isn't about personalities. This is about issues that impact, and I believe that as candidates on Council, we're charged with being effective, efficient, responsive representation to residents of this community. Not innuendo, not titles that we have, not going against things that referendums come up against, not putting things on the back burner and not making decisions about it, not denying and certainly not using individual agendas.

"I have grown tired, as many have in this community, of unresponsive government that no longer listens or represents the class of people in our organizations and communities that need the services that we discussed that this Council discussed and disposing of, due to the determination that they feel it won't be needed.

"Now is the time to use your vote to regain the strength of our county government to serve you.

"Future families and companies. We cannot afford not to reinvest in our health, recreation, historical and educational systems and our government. If we are to grow as our neighboring townships, suburbs and cities are, we will need to remove confusion, confliction, and work to find finances, creatively, that we need, that we can move forward with a community that people want to be in.

"If you want to change to bring parity between the counties, if you want to bring the change to bring the transparency to your government dealings, and if you want trust and professionalism in a Council that operates efficiently rather than just on a conciliatory level, I humbly ask for your votes on November 8."

Let's Keep Reverend Dowd

Unlike Lehigh County, where eight Republicans are clawing at each other for four seats, there's only one contested primary in the Northampton County Council races. Ironically, the one incumbent being challenged in a primary - Rev. J. Michael Dowd - is perhaps the least controversial.

I'd argue that Dowd, though a Republican, is perhaps Council's most liberal member. For example, he supports a Bi-County health department. And unlike supporters Peg Farraro and Ann McHale, who are merely doing the bidding of their overseers in the Lehigh Valley Partnership, Dowd sincerely believes that we need a regional public health department.

It is Dowd who pushed McHale to webcast Council meetings.

It is Dowd who began pushing more economic development in Northampton County.

But the day I really became a Dowd fan is when he was one of few who stood up to the mob. On September 18, 2008, when a bright green AFSCME T-shirts poured into a Council meeting, kinda' like puke, to demand the head of the HR Director Connie Sutton Falk, Dowd was one of the few who said No.

Although Falk was sitting right there, she was given no opportunity to defend herself. Unions wanted her head on a pike, and Council Democrats like Lamont McClure were more than willing to oblige them.

Regardless of the merits of the complaints about Sutton-Falk, it was a personnel matter between her and the County Executive, not County Council. Dowd had the basic human decency to recognize that what was being sought was wrong.

Now he's being challenged by Republican Bill Whitman,who opposes Gracedale's sale, but is also against any tax hike to pay for the nursing home.

I prefer the candidate who actually makes sense.

Incidentally, although I see Whitman signs all over the place, I saw no campaign finance report on file at the elections office last week.

By the way, Dowd is a real Reverend! He went to school and everything!

Rev. Mike Dowd, Northampton County's Conciliator

When Andy Daub first talked Rev. J. Michael "Mike" Dowd into running for Northampton County Council twelve years ago, he promised it was a "great group" with "no fighting" and "quick meetings." But that's when Ron Angle got elected.

Rev. Dowd is the "quiet member" on Council. In all my years attending meetings, I'm unable to recall a single situation in which he lost his cool. Of course, he is a real minister, a Pastor at Easton's First United Church of Christ with a M.Div. and an M.A. in Organizational Development from the University of Delaware.

He's been both President and VP of Council, but what he has really done in his years at Northampton County is to act as a conciliator, the kind of person who can build a consensus against diverging views.

Last night, Rev. Dowd was featured in a fundraiser conducted by the Greater LV Chamber of Commerce at Easton's swanky Pomfert Club. It's the first time I ever set foot in the place. Sure, I saw a bunch of blue-haired Republicans. But rabble rouser Ron Angle was there, too. So was Council member Barb Thierry and GOP party boss Roy Shuman. There were Democrats there, too, like me and County Exec John Stoffa, who admire and respect the unflappable Dowd.

In a brief and modest speech, Dowd had to be reminded there's been no tax hike over the past seven years. He glossed over the economic development achievements that have been his specialty over the past three years, under a newly energized DCED in Northampton County.

Hearing about the Gracedale ruling, he matter-of-factly stated, "That is going to become a challenge for us."

A Republican, Dowd is probably Northampton County Council's most liberal member. He has supported establishment of a Bi-County Health Department. Although he supported Gracedale's sale, it would never happen unless he was convinced that a new buyer would provide the same level of care and willingness to care for those with nothing.

I rarely mention him in my accounts, but Dowd has often been the backbone of Northampton County Council.

He's facing primary opposition from Bill Whitman, an Easton Area High School Principal who claims he's always been a "positive force." So has Dowd. After the primary, Dowd will face Democrat consultant Bob Werner who claims that "Mike's done a great job, I just think I can bring a different business perspective."

In addition to his clerical duties, Dowd is the Greater LV Chamber of Commerce VP for Phillipsburg Initiatives.

His District includes Easton, West Easton, Wilson, Tatamy, Stockertown, and Glendon Boroughs as well as Forks, Palmer and Williams Townships.

Dowd is married and is putting two daughters through college.

As a matter of full disclosure, I contributed $30 to Dowd last night. As a reporter, that would get me fired. But I see nothing ethically wrong with minor financial support for a candidate I like, and only wish I had more.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old One

When Northampton County Council reorganizes in early January, they'll be selecting a new President. Courthouse whispers are that current President Ron Angle will remain at the helm, while Rev. Mike Dowd will take over as Vice President.

Mike Dowd has been increasingly mentioned as a possible successor to John Stoffa, although he tells me he's not thinking about an Exec race. Dowd has been attending numerous committee hearings for the last two years. Rich Grucela is not thinking about a run for Executive, either. Like Dowd, he once served as Council President. Rich recently recently retired from the state house and said he wants to "fade into anonymity."

That should last about three weeks.

What abut Angle? He told me he sees no reason why he can't serve as Council President AND Executive. AND Controller. AND judge. And School Board.

Mike Dowd Energizing Northampton County Economic Development

Rev. Mike Dowd may be a man of God, but God must be telling him that Northampton County needs more jobs. As chair of Council's economic development committee, he's been conducting monthly meetings aimed at attracting more business. Yesterday, he invited Phil Mitman's LVEDC to report on some of the key projects under consideration.

Did you know there are about 800 acres located next to Rte 80, just waiting to be developed with industrial projects? That a comprehensive plan to develop Easton's silk mill will soon be submitted?

But wait 'till you find out what's going on in Easton. I'll tell you about that below.

Phil Mitman told Dowd's committee that LVEDC is actually working on 18 different projects in Northampton County, compared to 10 in Lehigh County.

Should Northampton County Scale Back Gracedale, Parks & Open Space?

Something very strange happened at yesterday's budget hearing. Northampton County Council actually listened to Ron Angle.

He told them they are wasting time trying to save money on paper clips and should instead be looking at some long range plans that will save real money. "We're gonna' spend four nights worrying about paper clips and rubber bands and whatever we're going to worry about, and we need to be worried about the big picture." Noting problems everywhere, Angle claims "[g]overnment is failing. That's the reality of this. Government is in the beginning throes of failure."

Executive John Stoffa agreed with Angle's assessment that, as bad as things look next year, 2011 and 2012 will probably be worse. That got people's attention.

Angle suggested (1) selling Gracedale and using the money over a number of years to reduce the impactt of taxes; (2) getting rid of county parks by giving them to municipalities or outright auction; and (3) using the half mil ($3.6 million) set aside for open space to reduce the tax burden next year.

In past years, these suggestions have always been met with stony silence. But something strange happened.

Gracedale

Council member Michael Dowd started things off. "Mr. Angle's right. I think we need to look at some of these issues. I frankly plan to introduce in the new year a resolution to ask the administration to review Gracedale and the practicality of privatizing Gracedale. ... We need to look at who might be able to do it better than we can."

Council member John Cusick jumped aboard, too. "This list of capital improvements is not going to get any shorter, and it's not going to get any cheaper."

Council Prez McHale and Lamont McClure both expressed reservations. McHale repeated Wayne Grube's often-made assertion that Gracedale is the "jewel of the County" while McClure called Gracedale a "moral obligation."

Addressing Council, Stoffa told them we spent $11 million on Gracedale this year and will be spending another $7 million next year. He advised a study could be completed at a cost of about $20 thousand. "I monitor the waiting list every week and I can tell you there are fewer and fewer people on that list." In response to questions from McClure, Stoffa stated it has never been this low. As of last week, just one woman was on a waiting list.

But it still costs money. "If you took the total budget to number of patients, it's about $102 thousand per patient," Stoffa said.

"My recommendation would be that we look at downsizing the facility in an economical way rather than just ... I mean that's something we could do now."

Stoffa suggested closing a floor to patients and relocating some human services' offices there. That swayed McClure, who seemed to be concerned about being able to reconvert back to a nursing facility should the need arise.

Parks

Believe it or not, Council Prez McHale told Angle to prepare a resolution for consideration next year. She doubts any municipality will agree to take over a county park, but Angle insisted that the next step would be a sale.

Open Space

County Exec Stoffa indicated that he might relent from open space projects for one year if there was some assurance that Council was not killing his "pay as you go" plan. According to Director of Administration John Conklin, eliminating the open space tax project this year would save the county $3.6 million, which would cut the proposed tax increase in half.

Hanover Township Business Rated 5th Most Promising Young Company in USA

During last night's Northampton County Council meeting, Rev. Mike Dowd told fellow council members that Weather Trends, a Hanover Township business established in 2006, has been recognized by Forbes as the fifth most promising young company in America. "This is out of 12,000 companies that were reviewed. They were number five. It's remarkable, a remarkable story." If this company can really predict which way the wind is blowing, it should forget meteorology and get into political consulting.