Chairwoman Janine Santoro led the Mayor’s South Side Task Force with updates from city hall at the Nov. 28 lightly-attended hybrid meeting held in the NCC Fowler Center.

She announced the upcoming Menorah Lighting scheduled for Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Payrow Plaza. The event is sponsored by Chabad of the Lehigh Valley.

Other holiday-themed events mentioned include the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley’s Parranda for Dec. 1 followed by the Southside Tree Lighting at Tranquility Park.

Santoro reported an online Faith-Based Security & Resilience Learning Series from the commonwealth’s Office of Homeland Security is scheduled for Dec. 26. It will provide advice on developing a safety and security program for houses of worship.

The Voces de la Comunidad: Latino Reflections of Life in Bethlehem event for Nov. 29 and a Stefko-Pembroke Choice Neighborhood community meeting on the same day were mentioned. Santoro said how best to apply $500,000 in grant funding to revitalize Pembroke Village is being discussed.

Santoro reminded attendees the Bethlehem Police Department is still seeking recruits and there are job openings at City Hall, as well as bilingual positions open at PennDOT.

She said there are open seats waiting to be filled on several authorities, boards and commissions, including the Bethlehem Human Relations Commission.

“Bethlehem has done well by me,” said Bethlehem Police Officer Sean Landis as he spoke about his job satisfaction as a Southside community police officer. He discussed how the city is searching to fill vacant positions in a competitive job market.

Landis mentioned he and his fellow officers assisted with the New Bethany Thanksgiving dinner recently. “We ended up serving 128 people,” he reported. “We also took over some of the food to Victory House.”

State Rep. Steve Samuelson (D) said the legislature is still negotiating with the senate on budget-related bills. He mentioned the state budget provides a significant increase in education funding for basic education and level-up funding.

Tax-related bills being negotiated include expanding state child care and earned income tax credits for Pennsylvanians with low to moderate incomes. “This would help working families,” said Samuelson.

Starting in January, there will be increased rebates and increased income levels for the Pennsylvania property tax and rent rebate program, according to the state rep.

Co-sponsors are being sought for a bill that would direct state-funded buildings to convert outdoor lighting to fully-shielded lighting units to reduce light pollution and energy use. This is something Samuelson said he would be willing to support.

Kate Jackson, a Lehigh University assistant professor, discussed environmental projects she and her students are working on, including a community survey on rubbish collection and littering issues. “Anybody who wants to talk trash, talk to me, about trash” she quipped.

Another community project involves, “How do we build a valley together where people are welcome and thrive,” Jackson explained. A class scheduled for Dec. 7 will be open to community members who want to discuss housing.

Attending remotely, Katy Wirth from the SouthSide Arts District spoke about the “great turnout” at the recent SouthSide Tree Lighting. She said December’s Naughty or Nice Cocktails & Cookies Crawl was sold out.

Newly-hired Associate Vice President of External Affairs Tracey King from Lehigh University announced former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is the featured speaker for the university’s ongoing Compelling Perspectives Series on Jan. 30, 2024. Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R) is speaking Feb. 27 at the 2024 Kenner Lecture on Cultural Understanding.

Representing the YWCA, Delia Marrero announced a ticketed Creative Conversation Series beginning Jan. 8 on “holistic wellness, health and health care” with another for March 4 on “economic stability.” The results of the YWCA’s completed survey on SouthSide Youth Programming are to be released this month.

The Mayor’s South Side Task Force regularly meets on the last Tuesday of the month. Santoro mentioned the December meeting will be held Dec. 19, as the last Tuesday of the month falls on the day after Christmas.