Northampton County will generate about $2 million in hotel tax revenue this year, based on a four percent hotel room rental surcharge. How will it be spent? Most will go to Discover Lehigh Valley, a bi-county tourism bureau that also helps fund the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. In addition, the SteelStacks performing arts center and PBS-39’s broadcast studio will collect $270,000, the last payment in a $1 million commitment made by council several years ago. The rest of the money, nearly $500,000, was awarded in the form of hotel tax grants at council’s Jan. 21 meeting to 32 different organizations. The money was distributed based on applications vetted in advance by the county’s Department of Community and Economic Development, and are designed to promote community development or enhance tourism within Northampton County.

These grant requests were originally scheduled to be considered the previous day at council’s finance committee. But a bomb scare phoned into the courthouse earlier that day resulted in an evacuation, and the building was off limits until about 4 p.m., right around the time that the committee had been scheduled to meet. Roadblocks set up around the perimeter of the courthouse prevented access until after the meeting had been scheduled to start. As it happened, several of those turned around were grant applicants who wished to address council.

Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act specifically provides that “the right of the public to be present at all meetings of agencies and to witness the deliberation, policy formulation and decision making of agencies is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process.” Though council was warned that applicants had been denied access, Finance Committee Chair Glenn Geissinger opted to hold a hearing anyway. “I don’t believe we are violating the Sunshine Act,” he ruled. “So we will proceed.”

This was great news for a few hardy souls, like Hotel Bethlehem’s Bruce Haines and the Bach Choir’s Bridget George. The committee voted to increase their funding. But others like Lynn Cunningham of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Gerry Yasso of the VIA Marathon, had been turned away. The committee voted to reduce Yasso’s funding, even though the VIA Marathon is likely the most worthy application in terms of promoting tourism and hotel stays. Geissinger’s committee also recommended the elimination of a $4,000 arts study, even though applicant Randall Forte was among the missing, and as it happens, was one of those who were turned away.

Prior to the Jan. 21 meeting, county staffers called applicants and told them they were welcome to come that night and pitch their projects. But many who had already been turned away once were unable to adjust their schedules.

The “Docents on Main” and “Blacksmith Shop Demonstration,” which had been pitched by Bruce Haines the previous day, saw their funding increase by $10,000 over the $55,000 recommendation. The Bach Choir will get $18,000 instead of the $13,000 allocated by county staff. The SouthSide Film Festival will get $1,000 instead of nothing, thanks to some juggling by Ken Kraft.

Gerry Yasso managed to get his $20,000 funding restored, thanks to an amendment proposed by Geissinger.

Randall Forte of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council did get a chance to pitch his project, but was still unsuccessful.

Lynn Cunningham was unable to squeeze a nickel for the Bethlehem Visitor website redevelopment. She had sought $15,000. She was told to get the money from the CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

That would be former Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham, who happens to be her husband.