Mayor Robert Donchez’s South Side Task Force convened at Northampton Community College recently, highlighting community events and potential issues. The Task Force includes city officials, law enforcement officers, as well as members of Bethlehem’s south side businesses and schools.

An influx of out-of-town patrons to Saucon Park continues to be a concern. Adjacent homeowners have encountered difficulty accessing roadways due to increased traffic congestion and lack of on-street parking. There have also been increased accounts of vandalism, including the smashing of toilet seats and charcoal dumping in Saucon Creek and the surrounding woodlands, creating potential fire hazards. Officials continue to work to dispel the misconception of Saucon Park as a state park.

“It all started with one of the buses that come in from Manhattan,” explained Roger Hudak of the Task Force. “One of the bus drivers used to park there, enjoy the park and wait for (casino patrons)…and told his boss about ‘Saucon State Park.’ And from then on they thought it was a state park.”

Saucon Park is closed on weekends to patrons without a permit.

The South Side Pilot Program for the Collection of Solid Waste was also discussed. Beginning Oct. 5, haulers will be required to pick up residential solid waste in South Bethlehem on a Monday or a Tuesday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. The zoned garbage collection program is an effort by the city to assess which residents utilize residential trash haulers as opposed to stockpiling garbage. City officials have vetted 8,000 complaints regarding trash removal in the past six years, with 57 percent of those complaints originating in Southside. Residents are allowed to retain their current haulers.