The first reading of Bill 2023-15: Providing Start-Up Funding for the Reconstituted Lehigh County Redevelopment Authority passed unanimously during the March 22 Lehigh County Commissioners’ meeting.

“In addition to supporting this, I actually think that the redevelopment authority, as it gets its bearings and begins its work in Catasauqua, I think the scale of redevelopment authority related projects is pretty significant in Lehigh County,” Chair Geoff Brace said. “All of those projects will happen outside of the city of Allentown and the city of Bethlehem. This will be a great tool for other municipalities to use, because those two cities already have a redevelopment authority.”

A second reading will take place April 12.

A bill amending the 2023-2027 Lehigh County Capital Plan which will include renovations to Cedar View Apartments was unanimously passed.

Records show an engineering inspection and audit declared the balconies unusable. Commissioner Jeffrey Dutt explained the findings.

“When they went in to look at the balconies, they noticed there was some chipping of the cement, the facing of it,” Dutt said. “When they did further studies, they needed more repairs so I came forward to have this capital plan amended ... so the balconies will be safe for the residents of Cedar View Apartments.”

Dutt spoke about Bill 2023-13 which amends the Lehigh County Capital Plan in terms of including mail ballot extracting equipment and upgrading mail ballot sorting equipment registration.

“This is to purchase a novel of separators so that we will be counting ballots on election night faster and more efficiently. So that was put through our capital plan and will be purchased for this year and up and running for this year’s election.” The bill passed unanimously.

Resolution 2023-14 Approving Professional Service Agreements with Kim Gillen, Esq., Michael Gough, Esq. and Hala Khouly, Esq. to Act in the Capacity of Juvenile Dependency Attorneys was passed.

Commissioner Dave Harrington, who chairs the courts and corrections committee, explained “dependency has to do with children who, unfortunately, have not had a more watchful eye from the county and Children and Youth and things like that. So, this is a very crucial function that we do here in Lehigh County.”

The next Lehigh County Commissioners meeting will be April 12.