Easton Council Holds Final NID Hearing

The next six weeks will decide whether Easton's lives or dies.

That's how long opponents of the NID have to file their written objections to the plan, which assesses a yearly fee for property owners in much of Easton's downtown in order to help fund the city's Main Street Iniative and Ambassadors program.

Some of those opponents spoke out Wednesday night as city council held its final hearing on the NID. Council also heard from people in favor of the plan, as well as those who had questions and trepidition about the NID.

Members of the public walking into Wednesday's meeting were met with two people handing out flyers. One was a "Did You Know?" brochure listing all the accomplishments of Main Street and the Ambassadors.

The other was a bright yellow sheet of paper with "Kill The NID" -- there's a corresponding website -- written at the top.

It was circulated by Bob Haver, who owns the Larry Holmes office building on Larry Holmes Drive. Haver's attorney, Malcolm Gross of Allentown, told council that his client would pay an additional $8,000 to his $137,000 yearly tax bill if the NID was approved.

"We had an experience like this in Allentown," Gross said. "It ripped downtown Allentown apart. It was extremely divisive."

Gross told council he would take political and legal action to fight the NID. In addition to the flyers, there were also petitions, asking people to speak out against what Gross called an unfair tax.

Some people spoke in favor of the NID for the good of the entire community. Alice Kwiatkowski, one of the owners of Connexions art gallery, brought up a recurring theme among NID supporters: remember what Easton was like before the Main Street Initiative.

"We need to remember where we were seven years ago," she said, "our farmers market when we only had one vendor hanging on."

No one seemed opposed to the work Main Street and the Ambassadors do. The problem is how to fund it, and . Other speakers had questions about the process of objecting, calling it confusing and rushed.

"We're starting the clock tomorrow, and people don’t know how to vote," noted Councilman Roger Ruggles.

Objections to the NID need to be sent in writing to Objectors need to list their name, the property/properties they own, and a phone number and e-mail address where they can be reached.

If, by the close of business on Dec. 12, enough people have filed written objections to the NID, the process stops. Objections must be filed, in writing, with the city clerk's office.

If the objectors fail, council will vote on the NID early next year. The NID would levy a one mill tax on residential property owners in the district, and five mills on commercial property owners. Visit the Greater Easton Development Partnership website for more information on the program.