The two-plus hour Feb. 21 Hellertown Borough Council meeting was dominated by talk regarding the proposed eastward expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill.

Several organizations, including the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, have spoken out against the plans from Waste Connections, the Lower Saucon Township landfill’s Texas-based owner.

First was a pre-scheduled appearance from Russell Sutton, a Steel City resident who said he has been fighting against the proposal for over a decade. He voiced his concerns about the impact it would have on the greater Saucon Valley community, stating, “We’re all entitled to fresh air and uncontaminated water/land...and this is not [the landfill’s] goal.

“There’s been a change in the political environment” in Lower Saucon, Sutton noted. “Current councilors don’t listen to us.” Several Lower Saucon officials, including President Jason Banonis, have faced accusations of cronyism in recent months due to their support of the proposal, which would nearly double the landfill’s size.

Although a hearing was scheduled for Feb. 27 in the township, with a public meeting also set for that evening, Sutton urged council to act. “Nobody wants this,” he said. “We don’t want to be [known] as the home to the largest dump in the commonwealth.”

Also concerned about the proposal, Hellertown resident Jayne Shinko referenced the Saucon Valley Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan, which defines the area she said the landfill wants to “bulldoze” as “a sensitive natural resource.”

Shinko said the geology in the area is limestone, which is permeable, and that there are several caves and an aquifer underground. She expressed concern that when the area is cleared, “all the silt, all the garbage” will end up in the Lehigh River watershed.

Mayor David Heintzleman echoed their concerns. “You are preaching to the choir. There is something that has to be done [concerning Lower Saucon’s] governing body.”

He suggested the borough advertise a mass effort to attend the planned hearing, acknowledging its scheduled time of 9 a.m. on a Monday seemed intentionally exclusive of Saucon’s working-class community.

Further, council President Thomas Rieger suggested drafting an official resolution expressing support for both Hellertown and township residents who have concerns about the expansion. Council settled on advertising it through a borough-wide email as well as on Hellertown’s municipal website.

Next, the first-ever monthly Finance Committee report was presented, with councilors Andrew Hughes and Matt Marcincin leading the discussion. The committee, formed at the beginning of the year, had prepared a Powerpoint slideshow for the meeting, with Hughes presenting.

The topic for the month was cash assets, and according to the report, 2022 began with the borough’s lowest cash-on-hand amount in at least the prior five years. Although Hughes noted that it was not out of line with historic norms, projected monthly cash flow through 2023 is also expected to be significantly lower than in 2021 and 2022.

In response, the committee proposed a plan to “collateralize” nearly $700,000 in idle funds from Fire Capital and CARES/American Rescue Plan Act accounts. Investing this money – along with the resultant dollars from a proposed sweep of the General Fund balance exceeding $1 million – could help the borough generate passive income, Hughes said.

The report concluded that the expected outcome is that the return on these new and current borough investments could be nearly $150,000 in revenue, which is “nearly one mill’s worth” in the context of the borough’s tax code, according to Rieger.

Hughes emphasized that the committee’s mission is to maximize assets and “[pinch] pennies and [build] more without costing [taxpayers] more money.” An authorization to close the prior account and move funds to a collateralized account was later approved.

In other news, Comcast Senior Director of Government Affairs for Southeast Pa. Brian Jeter remotely gave a presentation on establishing a Cable Franchise Agreement with the borough.

An agreement would involve extensive construction, potentially both aerial and underground, following paths set by existing utilities owned by PP&L. Customers would be activated sometime in 2023 or early 2024, but Jeter cautioned that the timeline could vary due to several factors.

Rieger stated that he did not see a downside to introducing another cable provider to the borough beyond RCN and Service Electric, and other councilors agreed. The proposal will be added to the March 6 meeting agenda for approval, according to borough Manager Cathy Hartranft.

The council then discussed the final payment to Pioneer Pole Building for the public works facility, which has been delayed for several months. Public Works Director Barry Yonney described the doors as technically working, but still intermittent, and Henitzelman expressed his frustration with Pioneer Pole Building. “They have milked our borough so heavily… it’s time to put up or shut up.”

Rieger echoed the mayor’s frustration. “I think it’s pretty clear – they’re fixed or they don’t get paid.” He recommended that solicitor Michael Corriere contact Pioneer Pole, as it has become a contract issue.

Other items on the agenda included councilor Terri Fadem reminding residents of the Climate Action Town Hall scheduled for March 13 at 6 p.m. at Borough Hall. A survey is available on the borough website to solicit feedback ahead of the discussion for residents to submit their ideas and concerns, she noted.

Hartranft proposed an E-cycling event March 18, which will appear for approval on the March 6 meeting agenda. With last year’s event a success, she and Yonney are working to get it planned as soon as possible since dates are limited, she said.

Finally, council discussed the development of a new web page advertising outstanding property tax liens. Hartranft reported that one property owner had paid a significant amount in full, while others have inquired about payment plans.

The page, which will be found on the borough’s website, will not list property owners’ names, but it will list the address, parcel number, case number and amount on the 31st day after an unanswered demand letter has been sent.