Perhaps still hot with election fever Nov. 7, 10 residents spoke for a full hour to council, many of them demanding transparency, answers and action from city government.

From resource allocation to shelter maintenance to poorly constructed curbs, item after item was clearly delivered for council’s digestion. But some items may cause a little heartburn.

Residents Martin Romeril, Bill Scheirer and Beall Fowler charged the city is using “spot zoning” and “bogus maps” to allow businesses to move into residential neighborhoods – directly at odds with actual zoning designations. “Residences are being turned into commercial space,” said Fowler, using increased prices. “There are people who want to turn our residences and offices into hotels and our churches into homeless shelters. [Ours is] a residential neighborhood,” and he said should remain such.

Fowler said Planning and Zoning Director Darlene Heller has provided the Planning Commission a map color-coding rental properties – which are residential – in such a way as to separate them from homes, which he said is misleading. He cited other misrepresented properties he’s personally aware of that blur the consistency of city neighborhoods.

Scheirer explained that a building made too pricey for a family is a good target for a company seeking something in the city but more affordable than commercial property. When this “market-driven zoning” is allowed to continue, he said, a city’s commercial and residential areas are diluted and quality of life suffers.

Resident Louis James was joined by about 15 other Concerned Neighbors for Safety group members near downtown Center Street in the reading of a letter in which they address council, mayor, and Police Chief Mark DiLuzio about the opening of a nighttime shelter at the Christ Church UCC. He said during the four months the shelter was open last winter, Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering “was not a good neighbor” and that disturbances ranging from noise, harassment, exposure, drug use, littering and public defecation became common. He said the group feels BES lacks the resources to operate the shelter as promised.

At the mayor’s request, DiLuzio took to the podium and explained his department is already considering ways to help the neighborhood, and that people seeking shelter after closure are welcome to ask for help at the police department itself. There, they will be screened, and if they have no open warrants and are not on a sex registry, may be provided a voucher and delivered to the shelter by officers. “You don’t get into a shelter without a voucher from the Bethlehem Police,” he said.

Resident Dana Grubb accused the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority of using TIF funds, which are designated for public infrastructure improvements, to instead reimburse a private developer $800,000, and spent $60,000 on the popular Southside Ambassador program, among other uses. “You were lied to. This money has been misspent,” he told the audience heatedly.

Another complaint was the complete lack of video feeds or archives of any city meetings for resident review. Romeril said a number of city meetings are set during the afternoon and are difficult for residents to attend, such as the CRIZ, Parking Authority and Water Authority meetings, and live streams or videos archived to YouTube for free would be very helpful. “Other cities do it, even here in backward Pennsylvania,” he said.

Later, following a long and sometimes subtly contentious discussion between members J. Willie Reynolds, Paige Van Wirt and Bryan Callahan, council decided to indefinitely postpone planned increases to parking meters and fines.

In particular, Callahan said further discussion and debate of such a relatively small decision didn’t need to be delayed. “All this is politics; it’s just a ticket increase.”

Van Wirt suggested the financial health of the Parking Authority doesn’t necessitate any increases. Reynolds explained at length the Walnut Street garage renovation and construction of a Polk Street garage are the reasons for the increases, but as yet council lacks a lot of hard data regarding timelines and costs. He said he would prefer more time to coordinate with all the entities involved.

President Adam Waldron eventually decided on caution, seeking a postponement with the caveat he is wholly in favor of increases eventually. The motion passed with only Callahan against.

Mayor Bob Donchez said that information will become clearer in the new year, with the current estimate setting construction of Polk Street around the third quarter of 2019, and lasting 16-18 months.