Lower Nazareth To Discuss a New Police Department on Wednesday

Lower Nazareth Township's Board of Supervisors is about to decide on forming its own police department. A meeting has been advertised for thus Wednesday, 6;30 pm, at Lower Nazareth Elementary School, which is located at 4422 Newburg Road. According to the notice, "A component of the meeting will be discussion of police services."

Currently, Lower Nazareth is served by Colonial Regional Police Department, which also covers Hanover Township and Bath. Formed in 1995 as one of the Lehigh Valley's first regional police departments, it's a 24-officer force. Unlike many smaller departments, it has investigative capacities.

Last year, Lower Nazareth Supervisors rejected a $3.39 million police budget proposed for next year. This operates as a notice of intent to withdraw in a year if the problems remain unresolved. If they are unable to come to terms by July 1, Lower Nazareth will have no choice but to go it alone, starting in January.

Their sticking point has been the $1,122,450 contribution from Lower Nazareth, which is $44,481 more than last year. "We're not going to increase taxes to pay for police services," complained Lower Nazareth Chair Eric Nagle last December. He also objects to Chief Roy Seiple's plan to expand the force gradually to 30 police officers.

So Nagle is worked up over what amounts to a four per cent increase.

Here's what kills me. At a meeting in March, he called Colonial Regional Police "the best in the state as far as I'm concerned."

So he is proposing to replace the best with something less than that over a measly four per cent.

First, he had Township manager Timm Tenges do some kind of analysis, then had it reviewed by some muckety muck from Kutztown. A copy of the "Police cost Analysis" has been released. It proposes replacing a 24-officer force with a 7-man police department (1 Chief, 1 Sergeant and 5 patrolmen) Nazareth Borough, which is smaller and has far fewer road miles, has a 13-man force.


The township apparently plans to use part-time officers to complement a bare-bones department that will leave just one officer on duty most of the time.

It's really a recommendation to cut current services.

The cost analysis may be flawed in other respects as well, and may not have the correct salaries for comparison or include the cost of part-time officers.

Why would Eric Nagle want to replace "the best" with a 7-man force that might be enough to cover the Wal Mart and other stores at Northampton Crossings?

This is penny wise and pound foolish. I know Eric is trying to be frugal, but this exercise will cost him much more down the road. What's worse, he fails the citizens he has sworn to serve.

Hanover Goes For Regional Recycling Grants

Ryan Ingham

At their January 28 meeting, Hanover Township Supervisors voted 4-0 to adopt a regional approach to recycling. They authorized Hough Associates to pursue a multi-municipal approach to the Township's annual recycling grant. This regional approach is expected to result in increased revenue.

Township Secretary Lori A. Stranzl told Supervisors that the annual DEP Recycling Performance Grant has dropped from $109,000 five years ago, to just $40,300 last year. Ryan Ingham, representing Hough, explained that his firm would turn that around. "We have a staff dedicated to doing this all year round," he explained.

Hough, which represents sixty municipalities throughout the state in multi-municipal groups, referred to what he calls the Lower Macungie Group as an example. That consists of Hellertown, and Bethlehem, South Whitehall and Lower Macungie Townships. South Whitehall's recycling award jumped from $57,000 to $81,000. Lower Macungie jumped from $55,000 to $126,000.

By working together, municipalities get a higher performance grant from the state.

In addition to preparing a multi-municipal grant application, Hough also increases the grant award by contacting haulers, processors and brokers to maximize all residential and commercial recycling data. Township staff can work on other matters.

Hough will be paid 1/3 of whatever additional revenue it can generate beyond the $40,300 paid to Hanover last year. If no additional revenues are received, Hough gets nothing.

In other business, Township Manager Jay Finnigan told Supervisors that he has been elected chair of both the County Tax Collection Committee as well as its Gaming Board.

"They see the same thing we do," noted Chairman John Diacogiannis. "What's that, a sucker?" wisecracked Supervisor John Nagle.

Supervisor Steve Salvesen, recuperating from a leg injury, was absent.

Time For a County-Wide Police Force?

Though it's by no means clear whether Deputy Sheriffs are bona fide police officers, courts are definitely moving in that direction. County Executive Elect John Brown advocated regionalization of police departments when he was Bangor Mayor, so the time might be ripe to consider a county-wide police department.

Lower Nazareth Township Supervisors are upset at the rising costs of police coverage. Plainfield Township just fired its Chief. West Easton is scrambling to form its own police department. Easton dropped the tiny borough over the cost of responding to daily complaints from and about common scold Tricia Mezzacappa. Nazareth has always been a hotbed of police controversy, probably because I live there. In all these places, as well as numerous localities that irresponsibly have no police coverage at all, a regional force is the way to go.

This is by no means my idea. Former Council members Mike Dowd and Ron Angle embraced it. So does current Council member Scott Parsons, who can relate his experiences from Wind Gap, whjere he served as President of Borough Council.

Former Executive Gerald (Jerry) Seyfried has long advocated for a study to see if a County Wide Police Force could provide services more efficiently while reducing the costs to the taxpayers. He tells me,

"I still think this study should be done. I advocated for the Northampton County Municipal Conference to be reinstituted. "Section 1309" entitled "Municipal Conference" under the "Transitional Provisions of The Home Rule Charter" sets some guidelines and parameters for the Municipal Conference to function. This would have been a great project for Council to undertake.

"There are several municipalities that do not have police protection and rely on the state police for protection. The study would look at the overall costs and determine if there could be any savings by forming a regional "County wide" police department. They could also provides numerous upgrades and I would even bet that they would probably get a grant to study the concept.

"It doesn't cost anything to look at it and share the findings with the taxpayers. They could even put it on the ballot for consideration. The time is ripe."

Geeting's Urban Dream: Nightmare on Hamilton Street

"Earn it here, keep it here."

NYC Blogger Jonathan Geeting, who considers himself an expert on ... well ... everything, has yet another great idea.

Ready?

His "liberal" (so he says) position is that the municipality where you work should be allowed to keep your EIT. That's why Allentown's NIZ tax grab is no biggie. It's an "earn it here, keep it here" approach to EIT, to borrow the phrase of this beacon of light from the Big Apple.

It's very progressive, he claims.

OK, let's have it Geeting's way.

Guess what? LV Hospital Center, the area's biggest employer, happens to be located in Salisbury Township. Under the Geeting grab, Salisbury will keep all EIT on wages at LVHC. A nice little windfall, to be sure.

It gets better. St. Luke's, the Lehigh Valley's second biggest employer, would send all its EIT to Fountain Hill. That tiny borough would never have to worry again about blowing its road salt budget.

And so on down the line. The Guardian Life Insurance Co., T-Mobile, Amazon, Northampton Community College and Lehigh Carbon Community College - all of them top Lehigh Valley employers - are located in the 'burbs.

With all this Geeting dough, Salisbury and other Townships could lower their EIT. They might even be able to eliminate property taxes. This, of course, would attract even more businesses to the 'burbs, right? Voila!

You think their public schools are Taj Mahals now? What kids are left could probably be taken to school by limo.

Of course, most of the townships have lots of available land, just waiting to be be developed. If they got to keep every nickel of the EIT, they'd go after businesses with a passion. They'd also make less land available for residential (since those residents working elsewhere would not be a source of EIT). They'd happily encourage folk to work in their township, but live somewhere else.

Like Allentown.

Geeting would then have his dense, urban centers - full of residents. But they'd be devoid of employers, except for the occasional "delicious " Latino food vendor!  He'd also have the townships full of employers, but with fewer residents. Before long, all the jobs would be in the outlying townships; the homes in the cities. Allentown would be a ghost town during the day, except for the occasional drive by shooting.

Oh, and what to do with pensioners? Put 'em all on an iceberg.

There's Geeting's urban dream, reduced to its logical conclusion.

Very "progressive," don't you think?

What Geeting is really saying is you earn it here (in the City), we keep it. You earn it there (the 'burbs), we keep it.

Will Pawlowski Palace Spell Death of Regionalism?

After the revelation that the EIT owed to other "urban cores" like Bethlehem and Easton will now fund the Pawlowski Palace, a lot of suspicion and distrust has arisen. From this point forward, it just might be "every municipality for itself."

In a bizarre, but perhaps calculated way, some of those who facilitated the NIZ may have just had that very idea in the back of their minds.

With Governor Corbett likely to be sticking around for awhile, and the legislature not changing much in party composition, future state budgets may see a huge shift from the Rendell days. Then, the objective was to buy votes by spreading the money around with cardboard checks. Now, the money may simply not be there.

Regional Effort Rescues Chocolate Lab From Bethlehem Tp Sinkhole

We've all read countless stories about the selfless love dogs show for us, whether it is digging through a mound of snow to rescue a trapped child, swimming through perilous waters to rescue a drowning person, or even dialing a pre-programmed number when its owner suffers a seizure. But those roles were reversed on August 22 in Bethlehem Township, where fire departments and emergency squads converged from all over the Lehigh Valley. In an impressive display of regionalism, they worked together to save the life of George, a 16-year old Chocolate Lab who was trapped in a sinkhole. A dog may be man's greatest friend, but man is a dog's greatest friend, too.

This story started around 2 PM, when Caroline Kenny, of 4590 William Penn Highway, let George out into the back yard to take care of business. She turned her head away for a moment, and when she looked again, George was gone. He had been swallowed up by a sinkhole that suddenly opened up in her back yard. She could still hear him barking, but he was unable to get out.

When Kenny called 911, it soon became apparent that George was in serious trouble. Not only had he fallen into a sinkhole, but was actually wedged into a crevice, with his front paws dangling into an even deeper hole. He was stuck, head first, and was unable to use his front paws to dig his way out.

What made things very challenging to rescue officials was that there was an old cistern inside the sink hole, and the ground was unsteady. Anyone who went in there was exposing himself to the danger of a sudden collapse.

Despite this obvious danger, fire departments and emergency officials, from Catasauqua to Emmaus, arrived to help. John Kalynych, coordinator of Lehigh County Special Operations, assumed command. His group specializes in technical rescues, whether it is trenches, high angle, confined spaces, hazardous materials or animal rescue. His group is made up of volunteers who are paid a nominal fee when placed on call. "It ain't putting food on the table," he told a group of reporters after it was all over.

A backhoe, on loan from the sewer authority, dug a deep hole next to the sinkhole. After that, emergency responders were connected to lifelines and descended into the depths to dig and get closer to George, whose barks were growing fainter over the eight hours he spent trapped.

Lumber was needed to shore up the cavern, and a Bethlehem Township firefighter went to nearby Lowe's to pick up a supply. Although he told the store it was an emergency, he was forced to pay $220 for the wood, out of his own pocket.

Aside from that one negative display by a supposed corporate neighbor, firefighters and emergency personnel worked together with no parochialism. EMS officials from Allentown, who have special training in treating victims of cave-ins, were on hand in the event that the dirt caved in around rescuers. Palmer Township's ladder truck was used to run safety lines. All departments brought spotlights.

Dr. Clifford Cummings

Dr. Clifford Cummings, a veterinarian with an animal hospital on nearby Church Road, was there as well, and even tried entering the sinkhole himself until he was stopped by emergency officials.

Who was the man on point, the one taking the biggest risk? The smallest? "The craziest," responded a Palmer Township firefighter.

That man was Special Ops Team member Shawn Lubenetski, age 35, who is well over 6' tall. He finally got to George after six hours. A Lehigh Township resident, Lubenetski owns three dogs himself, and was able to lift George and pull his front paws from the ledge. After that, the lab did a lot of the digging himself, and things finished quickly.

Shawn Lubenetski

After it was all over, Special Ops coordinator dubbed Lubenetski "Dr. Doolittle." Over slices of cold pizza, he explained that Lubenetski once went 80' to rescue a cat, and has even rescued ducks.

Bethlehem Township Manager Howard Kutzler, who was on hand with emergency personnel, stated sinkholes are a common problem in Bethlehem Township, especially after a heavy rain, because it erodes the limestone under the surface.

As for George, he's resting comfortably at Dr. Cummings animal hospital, and is probably wondering what he did wrong.

George being carried away

Slideshow of George's Rescue:

Noon Update: George Doing Well, Says Vet! - Dr. Cliff Cummings reports that George is doing well, is eating, and went for a nice walk this morning. "He is one lucky dog!" remarked the vet, who marveled at the dedication shown by LV emergency responders from Bethlehem Township and beyond.   

East Allen Thirsts For Bethlehem Water

Bethlehem is looking to increase its revenue by expanding its water service, which is only operating at 50% capacity. East Allen Township would like to get out of the utility business. And at a combined meeting of the Bethlehem City Council's Finance and Public Works Committee on March 14, the two municipalities inched closer to a deal that will give Bethlehem exclusive water service rights in East Allen Township.

Speaking for the East Allen Township officials present, Engineer Jim Birdsall explained that a regional, as opposed to a local, system was in the best interest of East Allen residents, who would experience lower bills. In addition to paying for City water, East Allen has to add administrative costs, which are "much higher" than those charged by Bethlehem. "Basically, it's a long-term plan that the Township has to wean itself off of utilities altogether." He added that they would "focus on Township business rather than the utility business."

According to Bethlehem Water and Sewer Director David Brong, the City will take over four residential subdivisions being served by public wells. He noted that 55,752' of pipe is involved, along with 52 hydrants and pump stations, but stated that's only about 2% of Bethlehem's water infrastructure.

In addition to a Deed, Bethlehem will also get $250 thousand in debt owed by East Allen Township, but Brong explained this cost will be paid by East Allen water customers. He estimated that Bethlehem would earn $20,000 in the first year, with the potential to earn much more in the years to come, with a potential connection to the Route 512 system all the way to Bath. His goal is to extend water service to Bath over the next three years.

Chairing the meeting, J. William Reynolds was impressed by the "growth potential" of this project. "We need to expand our revenue in the water area." He added, "It certainly serves the public good."

Bethlehem won out over Northampton Borough Municipal, Bath Municipal and Lehigh County authorities. "Everybody loves our water," explained Reynolds.

City Council's Finance Committee, which consists of Reynolds, Eric Evans and Dave DiGiacinto, vtoed unanimously to recommend the project to City Council.

Hanover Township Says "No Thanks" To County-Wide Gov't

Berks County State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone wants a constitutional amendment to establish each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties as the basic level of government. The state's 2,562 Townships, cities, and boroughs would be eliminated. Counties would take over everything, from filling pot holes to police protection.

But is bigger better? According to Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Executive Director David M. Sanko, the answer is No. "No one has ever proven that bigger government is better – or even more cost-effective – government."

On July 27, Hanover Township Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution opposing any forced local government mergers or consolidations, declaring that "townships are excellent fiscal stewards that have been doing more with less ever since the days of William Penn." It also notes that consolidated, county-based governments generally have higher tax burdens than smaller governments.

Township Manager John (Jay) Finningan derided Caltagirone's legislation as "Harrisburg's attempt to make government bigger. I'd hate to have anyone call Easton because their road is not plowed."

Later that evening, the Solicitor told Supervisors about a state legislative miscue concerning permit extensions, in which state legislators goofed and required every municipality to advertise in The Pennsylvania Bulletin. Supervisor Steve Salveson grimly noted, "This is brought to you by the same people who want all municipalities to merge."

The Resolution supports voluntary mergers started at the local level, provided it has the support of a majority of all affected municipalities.

None of the Lehigh Valley's state representatives have agreed to cosponsor Caltagrione's legislation, which appears to be dying a slow death in State Rep. Bob Freeman's Local Government Committee.

Say Good-Bye to Bi-County Health Department

The death knell to a bi-county health department was sounded yesterday, in a letter from Dr. Lyon to Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Here's an excerpt:

"On May 19th, the Board was informed by Deputy Secretary of Health Michael Huff that neither hospital nor foundation contributions will qualify as local share for the purpose of defining Act 315 match funding. ....

"Needless to say, this decision was wholly unanticipated and requires an extensive reanalysis of all funding projections and a complete re-working of the initial five-year financial plan which had been prepared for delivery to the Health Commission this week and presentation to commission members on June 8th."

The LV Health Comm'n was scheduled to meet on June 8th and review the Board of Health's financial plan. That meeting has now been canceled.

Update (3:40 PM): Chairman Dougherty Reacts

In response to the bad news from Dr. Lyon, LV Health Comm'n Chair Percy Dougherty has officially canceled the June 8th meeting. In a statement, he expresses his disappointment.

It is with great regret that I am forced to cancel the June 8th meeting of the Lehigh Valley Health Commission based on the decision of Michael Huff, the Deputy Secretary of Health of Pennsylvania, to not allow hospital or foundation contributions to qualify for the purpose of Act 315 matching funds from the State. This means the budget of the Provisional Health Board is invalid and must be reworked to reflect the loss of this important source of income.

The importance of this money is paramount because it is needed to draw down funding from the State on a 1:l matching basis. Much of the support for the Lehigh Valley Health Departments rests on the ability to drawn down $6/person in matching funds from the State. The Act 315 fund supports the required services that the health department must provide.

This doesn't mean that the Lehigh Valley Health Department received a fatal blow, but it is definitely on life support until the budget analysis is reworked to make up for this critical piece of funding. It is apparenth at the State of Pennsylvania budgetc risis is being felt by the State Department of Health and they in turn are passing the funding shortage on to us in the form of decreased funding.

I will be asking Michael Huff for further clarification and for additional information from the Health Board in terms of how they will make up for this lack of funding from altemative sources. Depending on the answers another meeting will be scheduled in mid to late July to present the revised budget.

Some believe that this is the death knell for a joint bi-county [sic] health department; but although I believe it is a life threatening injury, I believe that further clarification of income sources must be analyzed before we jump to any hasty conclusions.

Browning & Angle: Lehigh & Northampton County Still Dating

"They fired all their editors. So now I guess they have to do all their editorializing in their news stories."

That's how the Northampton County Bulldog, Ron Angle, reacted to a Morning Call news account suggesting that interest in regionalism is waning in Lehigh and Northampton County. The article points to the bi-county health department, the beleaguered LVEDC and a regional crime center. In all three cases, Northampton County has been less than enthusiastic.

County Executive John Stoffa thought he had Angle leashed and muzzled, but he broke off the chain yesterday and ran off to Lehigh County for a joint news conference with Dean Browning. Sure, Dean presides over Lehigh's Board of Commissioners, but more importantly, he raises dogs. He always has a treat in his pocket for Ron. He brought Angle back to a frantic Stoffa late last night.

"Bad Ron, Bad!" shouted Stoffa, before he put him in the doghouse.

Browning and Angle met at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which in itself sends a message. That's just one of the many joint ventures between Lehigh and Northampton County. I was stuck at the courthouse, so I missed Browning go through his usual routine as a master dog handler.

"Sit, Ron, sit!"

"Roll over."

"Speak! ... I mean, play dead!"

Fortunately, I received a joint news release from this odd couple, who pledge bi-county cooperation, especially in finding ways:

• To save taxpayer dollars through increased efficiencies, and
• To improve performance in critical areas by combining the two counties efforts.

Noting that their County Executives are advocates of taking a regional approach to issues where warranted, Browning and Angle said they were “on the same page” when it comes to looking at ways to work together cooperatively to save taxpayer dollars, especially in the midst of a recession.

“Both counties provide the same types of services. Bark, bark. If we don’t look for ways to work together and cooperate where we can, we ultimately fail the taxpayers of Lehigh and Northampton Counties – and that is not acceptable,” said Angle. “Ruff! Ruff! While we will never agree on every issue, we share a common philosophy that taxpayers always come first."

Browning said that hesitancy over certain projects like the bi-county health bureau shouldn't overshadow past joint efforts or potential partnerships under consideration that could benefit Lehigh Valley taxpayers.

“Merging the back-office operations of Gracedale and Cedarbrook nursing homes, for instance, is a perfect example of an area where the counties could work together to save money. That might not be outwardly visible like a health department, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less important,” said Browning. “This isn’t about making splashy headlines; it’s about saving taxpayer dollars any way we can.”

Browning and Angle also talked about the planned Regional Crime Center. They noted that crime isn’t deterred by county borders and that efforts to combat crime should be not constrained by them either. Browning said, “The Regional Crime Center is a great way for us to combine forces and enhance our performance in fighting crime which is something that is critical to the residents of both counties”. Angle echoed that sentiment, saying that both he and his Council were supportive of the Regional Crime Center.

It was rejected in Northampton County only because DA John Morganelli thought it was unnecessary.

Browning and Angle concluded by saying they have scheduled bi-monthly meetings to discuss and review their ongoing efforts. Morning Call reporter Michael Duck (not a good name around a dog) began asking some questions, so Angle peed all over the newsman's leg. That's when the party ended.

"Bad, Ron! Bad!"

LV Health Forum in Bangor Tonight!

RenewLV and the League of Women Voters (Northampton County) will host a community forum tonight in an effort to build public support for the controversial Lehigh Valley Health Department and the benefits of public health services. It should be one helluva' show because Northampton County Bulldog, a bitter opponent of this proposal, plans to attend. I'm sure he'll have lots of questions and even more opinions. I'll be there, too. I hope the ambulances are on standby.

Who: Session Panel:

· Alberto Cardelle, PhD, MPH - East Stroudsburg University

· John Reinhart, M.Ed. - Bangor Area School District, Superintendent, Member of the Lehigh Valley Board of Health

· David Lyon, MD, MPH - Easton Hospital, Chair, Lehigh Valley Board of Health

· Gerald Barron, MPH - Center for Public Health Practice at University of Pittsburgh, Public Health Consultant to the Lehigh Valley Board of Health

What: Informal forum, free and open to the public, to promote discourse and consideration of a Lehigh Valley Health Department. Brief presentations from each of the panelists will be followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. Topic discussed will include discussion on how the H1N1 situation has highlighted the need for a regional public health department. Light refreshments will be provided.

When: Tuesday, December 8th, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Washington Elementary School, 381 Washington Blvd. (Rt. 191), Bangor, PA

McClure: Regionalism is One-Way Street

At last night's brief Northampton County Council meeting, Lamont McClure complained about a proposed agreement that will allow some casino table gaming revenue to go to Lehigh County with no demonstrated impact. "The concept of regionalism seems to be a one-way street."

McClure noted that the bi-county health bureau is a gimmick for Allentown. "Essentially, you're going to be taking the health bureau off of Allentown's books with your constituents' real estate property tax money." He also was skeptical whether our hotel tax money, which goes to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, is really helping Northampton County. "We need to consider bringing economic development home."

This was music to Ron Angle's ears. He's been trying to do something about LVEDC for years. McClure's message also resonated with Council member John Cusick, who castigated State Senator Lisa Boscola. "We have a state senator whose district, the vast majority of which is in Northampton County, is seemingly eager to enter into an agreement to shovel money into the neighboring county."

When it became apparent that council members were actually getting along with each other, Charles Dertinger made an immediate motion to adjourn.

RenewLV: Support Regional Public Health on June 16

RenewLV, describes itself as "a diverse coalition of business, agriculture, environmentalists, urban, suburban and rural government officials, education and other civic leaders." Its members include PPL's now retired Bert Daday and Brown Daub's L. Anderson Daub. Many members are also part of the advisory committee behind the plan to widen Route 22.

I'm suspicious of its ties to the aristocratic and normally secretive Lehigh Valley Partnership, but they sure know how to put on a spread. During a rail summit at the Hotel Bethlehem in 2007, RenewLV supplied expensive cheeses and wines. All the foo-foos networked as a piano played ever so softly. RenewLV did it again during the inaugural meeting of the Lehigh Valley Health Commission early this year. This time, there were assorted pastries, left over cheese and coffee. No booze. Ron Angle filled his pockets and briefcase and later sold his stash in downtown Allentown.

As you may have guessed, RenewLV is a bit upset about the trouble Northampton County has in assembling a quorum for a second meeting of the LV Health Commission, which consists of the legislatures of Northampton and Lehigh Counties. Lamont McClure purposely blew it off and said he would do everything he could to kill this Health Commission. He must have eaten bad cheese.

Steve Bliss, RenewLV's Executive Director, is urging supporters of regional public health to attend and show their support. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, at 6:30pm at the Lehigh County Government Center, 17 South Seventh Street, Allentown [map]. It will be held in conference rooms 43A and 43B on the basement level. But even if 1,000,000 people are there, it means nothing unless there are five members from both Northampton County Council and the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

So regional public health advocates would do better to contact their Commissioners and Council members, asking them to attend this meeting. Bliss makes the following points:

"1. Allowing the Board of Health to move forward does not commit the counties to actually establishing a regional health department. It simply allows the Board of Health to finish the work the counties appointed them to do.

"2. The start-up work of the Board of Health is being funded almost entirely by a generous $1 million grant from the Dorothy Rider Pool Health Care Trust and the Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation. The counties do not have to use county funds for the planning efforts of the Board of Health.

"3. Your participation can make a difference, and county officials need to hear from you. Please consider attending on Tuesday and offering some brief remarks (during Citizens Input) as to the importance of allowing the Board of Health continue its work."

Bethlehem Township: Prisons, We Don't Need no Steenkin' Prisons!

Last night, I visited Bethlehem Township commissioners' cathedral-like meeting room for the first time. I was there because locals are unhappy about county plans to relocate a new work release/rehabilitation treatment center at 4255 Fritch Drive.

Have you ever visited that meeting room? What a magnificent waste of space! It's a blend of rustic beams and stones, contrasted by what appear to be gigantic sewer pipes, located up top, sweating and ready to burst. That's some strange kind of holy water. The ceiling is at least seven hundred feet high, and I swear I saw a few birds perched on a beam right over the commissioners, waiting for their magic moment to drop a little white bomb.

"Say hello to my little friend."

I was a little late because there are actually two of these gargantuan Bethlehem Township buildings. The first is actually one of those rec centers that municipalities are building everywhere. That place was packed, and I thought I was in for one hell of a meeting. It turns out everyone was doing step aerobics. It features an indoor pool, basketball court and gym.

I finally stumbled into the right place, where it was a lot easier to park. There were only twenty-seven people scattered throughout this cavernous room, which could easily seat a joint session of congress. But I saw two familiar faces right away, Mary and Jenn, whose office is only a stone's throw from a proposesd Northampton County recidivism center. They're worried. I told them I'd drop by to show my solidarity.

"Really, Bern, you don't have to come. Aren't you regarded as some kind of --

- "Genius? True, but I'm actually pretty modest."

Funny thing. When Mary and Jenn saw me coming, they immediately got up to leave. They were probably getting cold feet about attending a public meeting. It's a good thing I came. I blocked the exit, walked them back to their pews, and told the old lady who had been sitting next to them that her house was on fire.

In this cathedral alone, you probably could house about a thousand prisoners. But that's not the plan and nothing about a work release center was on the commissions' lengthy agenda. Nevertheless, during courtesy of the floor, four people addressed all five commissioners.

Here's how courtesy of the floor works in Bethlehem Township. President Tom Nolan calls people up, pew by pew, just like Holy Communion. Joseph T. Perno, a Bethlehem Township resident who lives nowhere near this proposed facility, still opposes the idea. He was the lead off hitter. He argues this facility, especially when combined with a 132 room hotel that will be finished this month, will stretch municipal resouces to their breaking point. Bethlehem Township has only 23 patrolmen, two volunteer fire departments and just four ambulances.

After just three hours of circulating a petition, he was able to provide 115 signatures. A woman, accompanied by her young daughter, told commissioners that if a recidivism center comes to Bethlehem Township, her family will simply leave.

"Build it and they will come. But we will leave."

She provided another ten signatures. A third resident noted the center's proximity to Routes 191 and 22. "I would hate to think our community is a place where drugs are more readily available."

Batting cleanup was Jennifer Hodges. She told commissioners that the recidivism rate in Pike County has dropped from 63% to around 10%, thanks in large part to programs administered by its progressive warden. He even mailed her a packet of all the programs that are really working. She told the commission it is a mistake to call the Bethlehem Township proposal a "facility." "It is still a prison." She expressed reservations about the quality of personnel that a private buysiness would supply. What works best, according to Jenn, is "not sending people away from a prison to a place where there is no treatment, but keeping them at the prison and offering treatment programs there."

President Nolan told each speaker nothing is before them, and their concerns should be addressed to Northampton County Council.

After everyone had spoken, they went out in the lobby and were joined by just about everyone in the room, including two curious reporters. The meeting finioshed about two minutes after courtesy of the floor, and even more joined in this outside discussion. Total meeting time? Forty-two minutes.

Perno told reporters and the crowd that the county had already agreed to build another phase of the prison, expanding its size. That's news to me. He claims Northampton County Executive John Stoffa "is being unfair. He's already tried to take it to two other communities. The third time's the charm. The people I really feel bad for are in Lower Nazareth Township. Their residences are actually closer and they have no say." Northampton County's prison, built in 1871, is getting old, and Easton residents are just as unhappy about another expansion on their turf. One asks, "Why should Easton bear the burden of the rest of the county on this issue?"

In the meantime, Lehigh County will quietly forge ahead with its new treatment center, experiencing none of the controversy that has plagued the Northampton County proposals.

As Mary and Jenn quickly tried to leave, I invited them to join me at the Brazilian steak house.

"We're vegetarians."

-"But Mary, I saw you eating ham on rye on Friday."

"I switched over the weekend."

Instead of Honest Abe, Why Not Deal With Don Cunningham?

On Friday, I told you about Honest Abe Atiyeh, protector of homeless, politician and his own pocketbook. Now, he wants to warehouse prisoners at county expense.

For Atiyeh, this makes perfect sense. The local real estate market is in the tank. In fact, it's actually going in reverse. Poor ol' Abe has had to put the brake on condos in land polluted by arsenic ("Arsenic Acres") and townhouses in a flood plain (he's offering free rafts to the first ten lot buyers).

That housing industry may be slow, but the prison biz is booming, baby! Lock 'em all up! In Northampton County alone, our new prison was over capacity less than a year after being built. In 2006, the US was housing a whopping 2.2 million people in jails. The land of the free has the highest incarceration rate in the world.

This is where Honest Abe comes in. As he explains things to Express Times ace reporter Sarah Cassi, "What if your family member got a DUI or wrote a bad check? Would you want them in a treatment center or sitting in Northampton County Prison? I feel this is going to be one of the most productive projects in Northampton County I think this is going to be a good thing we can all be proud of."

Especially Abe. He'll be collecting at least $10 million in rent checks on this deal for the next ten years. Imagine how many campaign coffers he can fill with that kind of dough!

For some reason, Bethlehem Township residents are unhappy over this possible deal. One of them tells me he's already fired off a letter to township supervisors, although they themselves have not been officially involved. Go figure!

"I am very involved with several schools and am starting a parent drive against the idea. I agree that something is needed. I am not taking the stand of not in my back yard. I am approaching it as the zoning in the area is considered a 'Dirty Zone'. It needs board approval at a zone hearing which is a public hearing. It is my contention that the township is not able to handle a facility that large. It is strained already for the police force. As a member of the Nancy Run Fire Company, I know it will stretch our manpower. We will have to use mutual aid forces to handle such a building. After all, even the new Courtyard Marriott is only a 132 bed hotel. You are talking 200-300 beds. I am starting the parent drive and any suggestions is welcomed. I have been over to the area and have spoken to a few business members who are already in the process of meetings in order to take some legal action to stop it. Wish us luck."

He's going to need it. He can't count on much help from his own county councilman, Lamont McClure, who accepted $1,000 from Honest Abe on 11/16/06. Atiyeh's business partner, Ramzi Haddad sweetened that pot with another $1,000 on 9/27/07. DA John Morganelli, godfather to one of McClure's children and employer of Mrs. McClure, raked in $51,000. Call me crazy, but I think McClure will just love the idea of a new prison center in Bethlehem Township.

What I don't understand is why Northampton County is spinning its wheels, looking at prison sites that nobody wants, when it can partner with Lehigh County. Let's face it, Don Cunningham makes everything look easy. Currently, Lehigh County is considering a a planned expansion of its work release facility located near Bethlehem. This is an ideal time and opportunity for Northampton to join forces with Lehigh for a joint work release facility and recidivism center.

Let Don Cunningham deal with any thorny political issues. That's his bag, baby. Stoffa and Cunningham, both regionalism advocates, might be able to solve this problem together. Stoffa's enemies will attack him day and night.

They'll think twice before taking a swing at Cunningham.

Lehigh County Commissioner Dean Browning, who chairs Lehigh County's planning committee, will be discussing the work release expansion on Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Perhaps someone from Northampton should drop by and say hi.

Norco Councilman Mike Dowd: Let's Study a Countywide Police Department

Late last week, I saw Councilman Mike Dowd trying to sneak out of the building. When he spotted me, he quickly put a newspaper to his face, hoping to evade detection.

Too late!

I quickly cornered him and began to pepper him with questions about everything, ranging from his sore shoulder to his reelection bid. You see, I already had a bunch of really tough questions ready for Councilman Tony Branco, who had agreed to meet me. But I stiffed him. I overslept. I was up too late the previous night preparing questions like, "What's your favorite color? ... What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" So I hammered poor Rev. Dowd instead.

Dowd's a class act in a classless council. A quiet man who listens. He softly told me he'd like to see the county study the idea of a countywide police department next year. That actually makes sense.

Statewide, we have 2,630 local goverments. The Lehigh Valley consists of 62 separate muncipalities in two counties. Locally, we elect 466 officials to represent 578,500 people, or 1 local and paid elected official for every 1240 residents. And this is without looking at our 17 school districts. Given this confusing and fragmented mix of local governance, it's no surprise that our police protection comes from a mix of state troopers, municipal and regional officers and even a few constables here and there.

A countywide police department would run more efficiently, lowering administrative costs. It would professionalize police officers, enabling them to get superior training. Technological advances unavailable to smaller departments would be a reality in a larger county force. District Attorney Morganelli could wield a powerful sword against a growing gang presence. Right now, some Northampton County communities like Williams Township have no police department. That's an abdication of the responsibility to give citizens safety and security. Why bother even having a government if you can't do that?

But are deputy sheriffs really police officers? Not according the state supreme court, at least not when it comes to wiretap requests. There's enough uncertainty that state rep. Craig Dally has introduced legislation equating deputy sheriffs with municipal police officers. Dalley's bill needs quick attention from the boys and girls in the land of midnight payraises.

Will a countywide police department just drive up our tax bills? A study costs nothing. And Allegheny County's sheriff reserve deputy program is a great starting point. Its reserve unit consists of fully trained officers at no cost to taxpayers. It includes uniformed street, motorcycle, firearms and boat patrol units. They are all volunteers. They even buy their own uniforms and equipment. But they are also professionals, and understaffed municipal departments are taking advantage of these reservists.

In addition to being a good starting point,this could actually save money for both the county and its municipalities.

The Lehigh Valley: A Fragmented Mess

Last time I told you about Upper Macungie Township, where township supervisors are trying to explain inflatable dolls and questionable township expenses to state regulators. Bill White believes the second class township code, which allows supervisors to hire themselves, is part of the problem. I agree, but think there's another reason.

The Lehigh Valley is a fragmented mess, a challenge for any lover of jigsaw puzzles. It's a quagmire of Upper and Lower Saucons, Milfords, Macungies, Nazareths, and Mount Bethels. We've got North and South Whitehall, Allen and East Allen, Catty and North Catty, Bangor and East Bangor, and Easton and West Easton. We're a morass of 62 separate municipalities and 2 counties. On the local level, we elect 466 officials to represent 578,500 people, or 1 local and paid elected official for every 1240 residents. And this is without looking at our 17 school districts.

The Lehigh Valley is not unusual. Pennsylvania possesses "one of the nation's most labyrinthine systems of state and local government." Its 2566 municipalities is the third largest total of general governments in the nation, according to a recent Brookings Institute report.

So what's the big deal, you may ask. Isn't government supposed to be close to the people? Well, yes. But having so many of them has the opposite effect - it makes local government both weak and unresponsive. That's certainly what's going on in Upper Macungie. Let me give you some examples.

First, our fragmented governance enables developers to run roughshod over haphazard municipal land use plans and local zoning. That's why open space referenda are really just a joke. They do nothing but create little playlands for all the McMansions.

Second, because we're such a mess, the state can ignore us. Parochial concerns prevent us from agreeing on anything, whether it's the location of a baseball stadium or a casino. Municipalities compete over business locations, luring a business like Lehigh Valley Plastics from another location just a few miles away. State officials can play municipal officials against each other, which keeps them weak. We could be much more forceful if we were united.

Third, because we are so divided, unelected groups like the LVPC can set our agenda. Although much of the LVPC's work is excellent, their mandate does not come from the people, and that is reflected by their "public" hearings, which are almost always scheduled when those of us who work are unable to attend. Elected municipal officials are hesitant to question LVPC recommendations because their municipalities are unable to fund studies that might reach different results.

The final and most serious problem is a fragmented response to pandemics, natural disasters, or our coming energy crisis. Most of the Valley's major businesses already have plans in place. Our local governments, however, are simply not equipped to deal with these problems, and instead pretend the problem is not there.

Our two County execs, John Stoffa and Don Cunningham, recognize the importance of a regional approach to the Lehigh Valley's problems, and have begun exploring areas where government services can be consolidated. So far, they're mostly discussions, and no one has even broached the idea of consolidating a few municipalities or merging Northampton and Lehigh Counties.

One example of the difficulties faced, both by Stoffa and Cunningham, is in the idea of a regional health authority. Northampton County Council recently authorized the study of a regional health authority, which makes perfect sense in the face of a pandemic or natural disaster. Those won't stop at municipal boundaries. Yet Councilmen Lamont McClure, Charles Dertinger, and Wayne Grube voted against this salutary proposal, defying common sense with parochialism.

Regional problems require regional solutions. And perhaps it's time to consider one Lehigh Valley County, but that won't happen in my lifetime.