The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners met 7:30 p.m. March 11 for the first bimonthly meeting in March. All nine commissioners were in attendance and the meeting minutes from the Feb. 11 board meeting were approved without comment or question.

During Chair’s Review, Chair Geoff Brace reminded community members there will be free parking for those who wish to attend the meetings in person. Parking will be available at the county-owned lot at Seventh and Walnut streets.

Brace also spoke positively of the commissioners’ attendance and conversation at the recent meeting with the Allentown City Council. He expressed gratitude for the invitation and reported topics ranging from housing to homelessness were discussed. A recording of the meeting is accessible on the Allentown City Council website.

Brace also announced the reopening of Treatment Trends Allentown. The building was previously deemed unusable for some time, but through the work of the district attorney, this facility has now been reopened and will continue to provide rehabilitation services to the community.

Lastly, Brace addressed that the task force dedicated to combating the current issues facing Medicaid and SNAP benefits met and there will be more updates to come as they continue working to this end.

During citizen’s input, some familiar faces continued to discuss both sides pertaining to the recent resolution which passed on Feb. 11 denouncing fascism, as well as an ordinance which may refuse cooperation with ICE.

Jack Sedovy, of Whitehall, recited a letter which he sent to the individual commissioners. Following the reading of his letter and hoping for answers from each of the five commissioners who voted to pass the Feb. 11 resolution, he looked to Commissioner Jon Irons on whether or not he would consider changing his vote. Brace confirmed responses are not typically provided on topics brought up during citizen’s input and he does not have intentions at this meeting to make a motion reconsidering the resolution.

Moving on to the regularly-scheduled agenda items for the evening, there were several appointments which were approved. As a clerical confirmation of an error to the term expiration date, the board once again confirmed the appointment of both Valerie Hutton and Kate Huck to the Aging and Adult Services Advisory Council. While their appointments have been effective since the Feb. 25 meeting, this confirmation accurately reflects their term expiring Dec. 31, 2029.

All the ensuing individuals received positive recommendations from the committee meetings and were also approved by the board. Charlene Smalls was appointed to the Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities Board with a term expiring Dec. 31, 2028.

Ryan Mayberry and Sharon Fehlinger-Ricker were appointed to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission with terms expiring Dec. 31, 2026.

Lastly, Amy Beck was reappointed to the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority with a term expiring March 1, 2031.

There was only one item on the agenda under old business.

Bill 2026-08 was approved 8-0 with one abstention. Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi pulled his sponsorship from the bill, as well as chose to abstain from voting given that, after consultation with his attorney, he feels his “support for this ordinance would be interpreted as an example of a quid pro quo …[and his] opposition to this ordinance would intensify the hostility and malicious prosecution” he is currently undergoing.

The bill creatively uses up to $150,000 from opioid settlement monies to provide funds to the Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation to institute a Career Pathway Scholarship Program through the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office.

Under new business, a motion approved the necessary expenses for Commissioner Antonio Pineda to attend the 2026 CCAP Spring Conference held March 15-17. Both Pineda and Commissioner Sarah Fevig were noted as abstentions to the motion’s vote.

Resolution 2026-09 approved a professional services agreement with Computer Aid, Inc. for the continuation of support, maintenance and the enhancement of software systems for the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center. This resolution was approved 8-0, with Cole-Borghi once again abstaining.

Resolution 2026-10 approved a second amendment to the professional services agreement with G I Forstater to provide design and construction administration services for the replacement of the intercom and paging system at the Lehigh County Jail.

Three bills also received a first read and were to be considered for a vote following their second reading during the March 25 meeting. Bill 2026-10 garnered quite a discussion as there are commissioner concerns specific to the details of the legislation; however, there is consensus among the board to ensure that the Lehigh County Authority pretreatment plant stays online.

The board looks to do a little research and prepare the appropriate actions by next meeting.

Bills 2026-11 and 2026-12 also were reviewed and received consistent support from the board members. Several commissioners spoke of their excitement for these bills as the first would contribute $1.5 million in grant funding towards the rebuild of Bethlehem Area School District’s elementary school and the second would add a new requirement for annual reporting from the Office of Assessment to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Ron Beitler clarified this “ordinance does not call for a reassessment and does not presume one to be necessary,” but rather it proactively forces the conversation once a year so the board may be more prepared when and if the time comes to do so.

Under commissioner announcements, Commissioner Sheila Alvarado vocalized nominations are open for the 26th annual Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services Unsung Hero Awards. Every May, the office celebrates older adults in the community who volunteer their time and talents with a recognition event. Nominations must be submitted by March 31 and can be done so by either emailing or calling the Office of Aging and Adult Services.

The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners were scheduled to meet again 7:30 p.m. March 25.