Allentown  
435 Hamilton Street  
Allentown, Pa. 18101  
Minutes  
Monday, November 11, 2024  
5:15 PM  
https://meet.google.com/squ-bhsz-htv  
In-person at Council Chambers and virtually via Google Meet  
Environmental Advisory Council  
Special Guest: SWEEP representatives from the City of Allentown  
-What barriers do SWEEP officers have to enforcement?  
-What can our council do to assist in alleviating those barriers? solution mindset  
-Are there any specific policy suggestions you would like the EAC to investigate further?  
-What role can improved education and awareness play in litter prevention?  
-At what scale or with what stakeholders would our efforts be the most effective? (ex. individual  
residents, neighborhood associations, contractors, developers, etc).  
Kyle asked if they had any updates or concerns regarding Bill 108.  
-No questions or concerns. The wording was revised to make sure it was  
enforceable by SWEEP and to make it cleaner.  
-Their program has several levels of tickets. Warnings (1), SWEEP Tickets (2), and  
Citation (3), or combo of the three (4). About 30% of all SWEEP violations are  
appealed. The appeal leads the department to assume it has been resolved. They will  
check and if it has been resolved, then compliance has been achieved, which is the  
ultimate goal.  
-Revenues are not the priority and EAC members can view budgets for relevant  
data. More community complaints can impact those numbers as well as additional  
staff, with SWEEP officers working on Sundays now. They are working to expand  
their outreach and education. - Tinku noted that the new wording allows for  
enforcement on the dumpster issue. Tickets will be written in the same fashion with  
the 4 combinations. Since the dumpsters are in the public right of way, they do not  
go to the property owner like other violations. The individual who pulled the permit  
is the one who will be receiving the ticket  
- Any role that the EAC can do? Jess and Kat/Cat will draw up some educational  
material on the new requirement. This needs to get approval from the Mayor’s office.  
Then, it will be given to the individual when they pull the permit directly. The EAC  
can share that education when it is approved (or if it is approved).  
- Something to note is that if it is approved, it will not go into effect for current  
dumpsters in the right of way. These permits last for 30 days and they need to  
re-apply.  
Bill 109  
- Inquiries were made into the ability for the City to reimburse itself for costs to  
cleanup. It was indicated that this is included in the legislation under 393-9. It is  
currently being used on a regular basis through municipal liens or tax certs for this  
exact reason.  
- Any Right to Knows submitted are responded to exactly as they are written.  
Old Business  
1: Approval of September Minutes  
Attachments: October2024 - MM  
2: EAC Membership Eligibility Legislation Update  
3: YCAF Update - Event at Building 21 postponed  
4: Muhlenberg Community Internship (Spring 2025)  
5: EAC Social Media Update - Ruby  
6: Sustainability Coordinator Year One Review  
7: Allentown Climate Justice Leaders Program (Application Comment Review) - Tinku  
5: Updates from leads on goals  
a. Energy Management Plan (Tinku)  
b. Birdtown Library Program (Tinku)  
c. ETAs (Kyle)  
d. Submit Annual Birdtown Report (Tinku)  
e. Safe streets for all Committee (Tinku)  
f. Collaboration with ASD? Educational programming? (Peter)  
Attachments: Tracking Activities for Municipalities (Bird Town)  
1: Approval of October Minutes  
Approved.  
2: EAC Membership Eligibility Legislation Update  
The proposed amendment has been moved to committee. Interest from a Brian, who  
resides  
outsider the city boundaries, has shown interest.  
3: YCAF Update - Event at Building 21 postponed  
Due to former President Trump’s visit to Allentown, the event at Building 21 was  
canceled. Future events we will collaborate with Veronika for materials and what  
not at the same table. Being that we are advisory- we are an arm of the City and  
collaborate together.  
4: Muhlenberg Community Internship (Spring 2025)  
When Kyle applied for the internship he left it broad to environmental policy and  
community engagement. Tinku inquired they could assist in initiatives with  
sustainable building practices and Green Buildings United.  
5: EAC Social Media Update - Ruby  
So we have the instagram, we needed to create a new one, it's connected to the  
facebook. Kyle noted the social media plan will roll out in the new year. Templates  
are drafted for meeting posts and . Instagram is gaining followers. Is there harm in  
posting things now? There is no harm in posting stuff out now. Kyle noted that posts  
should be relevant to the EAC’s purpose statement.  
6: Sustainability Coordinator Year One Review  
We had talked about having the penn state students their update on the GHG  
inventory.  
Potentially pair and overlap this update as they go through. Give that extra umph.  
7: Allentown Climate Justice Leaders Program (Application Comment  
Review) - Tinku  
Essentially, due to a variety of concerns, this will not be pursued. If this application  
is awarded the City and the EAC will assist where we can.  
5: Updates from leads on goals  
1. Energy Management Plan (Tinku)  
a. Tinku attended the last meeting and they noted the next meeting  
was going to be an update via email. It is at the point now where  
developed plans are specific to implementation strategies targeting  
specific areas.  
b. The other day Tinku saw a woman lying on the road screaming in pain  
going onto 15th street she was crossing. Tinku noted that Bethlehem  
has good signs and what not. Haley noted she works for the City of  
Easton and she lives on 15th and Walnut and there have been 2  
fatalities there in the last month. The car accidents are astronomical.  
What is being done about keeping records? The police and traffic  
have them. Tinku stayed with the woman until the ambulance. The  
police take good records. Tinku encourages Haley to get involved  
with safe streets for all. Tinku will share information about Safe  
Streets for All with Haley. A lot of data has been made public.  
6. Collaboration with ASD? Educational programming? (Peter)  
a. N/A  
New Business  
1: Environmental Justice in Allentown - Maria  
2: Penn State Local Climate Action Program Presentation  
3: City of Allentown Parks and Recreation Department Public Meeting Calendar  
https://allentownpa.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30025  
4: Letter of support for Bills 107, Bill 108, Climate Action Plan  
5: Blue Zone Summits  
6: Da Vinci Science center x GBU x LV Audubon Society  
1: Environmental Justice in Allentown - Maria  
l Maria’s new role is the Northeast Regional Coordinator of the Office of  
Environmental Justice. Goals to address the disproportionality of  
environmentally impacted areas and empower those communities to ensure  
that the citizens have meaningful involvement. To have a voice in the decision  
making process. For example, when permits are being issued by DEP. They  
run a PennEnviro Screen that has a score relative to burden, and if that score  
is above 80, the community is typically considered marginalized. The other  
objective is to foster economic mobility and opportunity and to enable  
responsible economic development and build collaboration with community  
and industry. Soon, Maria will be hosting public meetings in the West Schkull  
which has a presence of the soil products and landfill industry. Most recent  
one that occurred in our area was in Bath with the Keystone Cement  
company. Projects that technically don't fit under the 80 percent EJ  
threshold, but they are disproportionately impacted, can opt in to have their  
project considered. As grants become available, Maria shares with  
community leaders. Is there anything in Allentown? As of right now, Maria  
does not have any meetings. But they are looking into more of an informal  
discussion that may be coming up.  
2: Penn State Local Climate Action Program Presentation  
l The City is working with Penn State as they are in charge of the Local  
Climate Action Program which gives local municipalities assistance in  
compiling their GHG emissions. Veronika will have them look at the current  
inventories to compare the numbers and help develop the RFP for the  
Climate Action Plan. We have 3 students, but now it is down to 2. They are  
finishing up the inventory now and they will present to City Council in  
mid-December. If that does not occur, it may get bumped to january.  
Veronika also offered that they can give a presentation to us as we are a  
different audience and will be more likely to dig in with questions. It is a good  
experience to give them both types of presentations and connect with the  
students. Veronika will meet with them on Monday and give us an update.  
l Do they flare? Veronika is meeting with LCA on Wednesday. They  
must being doing something with that methane.  
3: City of Allentown Parks and Recreation Department Public Meeting  
Calendar  
l <https://allentownpa.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?  
ProgramID=30025>  
l Standing agenda item in the future. Kyle will get on the committee.  
4: Letter of support for Bills 107, Bill 108, Climate Action Plan  
l To approve we need to send an email to everyone  
l It may not be necessary, but would be good to develop regardless.  
5: Blue Zone Summits Registration  
Their invites have technically difficulties, but the summits are coming up. We plan to  
attend.  
6: Da Vinci Science center x GBU x LV Audubon Society  
LV audubon is also a part of this conversation. They are pushing for lights out policies  
and more  
review of any new building to focus on sustainable building.