Past public outreach/Press about the Stormwater Fee:
The City of Bethlehem has been looking into adopting a stormwater fee ordinance for the past five years, similar to ordinances previously passed in Allentown, Easton and other municipalities around the state and country. Our fee is considerably lower than both those neighboring cities. Other local municipalities are currently working on stormwater fees as well. While considering and adopting this fee, we have reached out via newspapers and advertised online virtual public meetings.
- Meetings with many of the largest rate payers were held on 10/20/2020, 10/21/2020, 10/22/2020, 11/2/2020, and 11/13/2020
- An online public meeting was held on 11/17/2020. This meeting was advertised on the City website, Lehigh Valley Live, the Express Times and a general Press Release was issued.
- The Fee was discussed at City Council Budget Hearings in 2019 and 2020, both of which were advertised ahead of the meetings.
- An online public presentation (see it here) was given at City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting on 12/1/2020 and
- Public comment was invited at the 12/1/2020 and 12/15/2020 City Council meetings which both had agendas advertised in a Press Release, the Express Times, and on the City’s website.
- A number of articles were in the local media over the last two years. These include Lehigh Valley Live on 11/08/2019, 12/18/2019, and 12/16/2020; the Morning Call on 11/18/2019, 12/17/2019, and 12/16/2020; and WFMZ on 12/02/2020.
Educational Resources from both the City of Bethlehem & the PADEP