By a 7-2 vote, Northampton County Council voted Feb. 15 to revoke a $10 million grant of hotel taxes to the DaVinci Science Center proposed in Easton. The ordinance passed by a lame duck council in December would have committed the county to annual payments of $250,000 over the next 40 years.

Earlier in the evening, when human services administrators complained about shortfalls in state funding for mental health, John Cusick complained that the state was more interested in subsidizing bug farms. And when the DaVinci Center came up for a vote, he said the plan was completely changed six weeks after the grant was approved. He added that DaVinci Executive Director Lin Erickson had not been forthright, and reminded everyone that he had failed to tell council about a competing aquarium being considered in Monroe County.

When council approved a $10 million grant in December, it was for a shark-filled 500,000 gallon salt-water aquarium. That has been replaced with a “Nature Dome” that permits you to see the exact same things you’d see if you walked along the river. There’s also an insect garden and a 100-foot tall XXL Vitruvian Man.

Though Erickson has been a fixture at council meetings in recent months and has made repeated pitches for the project, she was uncharacteristically absent.

Instead of Erickson, council heard from Easton Mayor Sal Panto and former Lehigh County Executive Jane Ervin, now a DaVinci trustee. They both seemed to recognize that the grant was going to be pulled but asked council to keep an open mind when a new pitch for funding is made at a March 1 committee meeting.

“Be bold, think big,” urged Ervin.

“Exercise caution, fiscal prudence,” countered Cusick.

Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Director Mark Hartney told council that his department “has an overall positive view of the project.” But he cautioned that, based on the numbers provided by DaVinci, it would be 99 years before the county begins to see a return on its investment.

Hartney has recommended an independent analysis by a third party who would be tasked with responsibility for verifying the assumptions and calculations in the still preliminary business plan. After a complaint by a local restaurant, DaVinci scrapped plans for one of its own on site. That will reduce its annual revenue by $1.25 million. “How is this revenue being replaced?, asks Hartney in a memo.

In 2017, DaVinci was awarded $50,000 in hotel taxes to develop a business plan, but the plan is not expected until the end of June.

“I’m not going to hostage the county for 40 years,” said Lori Vargo Heffner. But she added that neither she nor anyone on Council is anti-Easton and is willing to listen to the March 1 proposal. Ron Heckman said that if it were up to him, he’d move county offices downtown.

Even Bob Werner, who represents Easton on council, said a grant that goes on for 40 years is too much. But he still voted against revoking the ordinance. Peg Ferraro, who also voted no to revocation, said she was most concerned that this year’s $250,000 go into DaVinci’s coffers.

That depends on what council approves.