Odds and Ends from City Council

The Easton City Council passed a resolution urging Northampton County to form a Human Trafficking Response Team at its meeting Wednesday evening.

The resolution's sponsor, Councilman Jeff Warren, said though it may not seem like a local issue, the problem is everywhere and authorities should be prepared to deal with it.

“Human trafficking happens in every community,” Warren said. “People who are involved in human trafficking don't just let you know.

“I think it's time that Northampton County does something like that,” he added.

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City solicitor Joel Scheer said that if the Sollman/Renninger matter hadn't been handed to a grand jury, the city probably would have been better off, suggesting Pennsylvania State Police would have better handled the investigation.

Having recently been denied their appeal to the state supreme court, .

“I will never understand (that decision),” Scheer said, “because the (state) Supreme Court didn't tell us why.”

Mayor Sal Panto thanked Scheer for his efforts, noting that the city solicitor is paid a salary, not hourly, and that Scheer put in many extra hours working on the city's behalf.

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College Hill residents can expect trenching to begin on Cattell Street starting on Monday, Aug. 1, city officials have announced.

The ongoing city project will replace water mains and gas lines in that section of the city, similarly to others that have been replaced in the other three city neighborhoods.

“It's more than just a water project,” said Panto. “It's also a UGI project.”

He added that when the trenching work is complete, restoration of the surface of all the affected streets will begin.

“All streets are expected to be milled and paved by mid-October,” Panto said.

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Work on the continues, but the ability to hold city council meetings in the space will probably again be delayed an extra few weeks, the mayor said Wednesday evening.

“Frankly, some of the workmanship is not up to standard, and we're not going to just accept it,” Panto said.

Specifically, nail holes were left unfinished and some of the stain and finishing needing retouching, which workers are in the process of rectifying.

The carpet for the chambers is expected to be delivered the second week of August, and chairs will follow.

But the council will need to rebid the media system, as the quotes were widely disparate, Panto said.

The city hopes to have the space completed now by mid-September.

A dedication ceremony is planned, and all living elected city officials will be invited, he added.

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Wilson Borough and Palmer Township have officially expressed interest in helping to fund to be located in Hackett Park, having put the matter before their council and supervisors, Panto said at Wednesday's city council meeting.

Forks Township, West Easton and Williams Township are all slated to discuss the matter at their August meetings, he added.

Easton is set to adopt it's own resolution, pledging to the potential partnership at it's meeting on Aug. 10.

“We've got a quarter of what we need,” said Vice Mayor El Warner. “If more people do it, the quicker we'll have it.”

“I think we're going to get a better deal at $150,000 than Bethlehem's $1 million park,” Panto said.