ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Salon owner Yamilett Gomez is set to take over a vacant seat on the Allentown Parking Authority’s board of directors, as the agency works to respond to a recent spike in complaints from residents.
Mayor Matt Tuerk told LehighValleyNews.com on Wednesday he will appoint Gomez to replace former board member Candida Affa, who also sits on the Allentown City Council.
Affa’s term expired in November, but she agreed to remain on the board until a new member was picked, Tuerk said.
- Mayor Matt Tuerk said he will appoint Yamilett Gomez to the Allentown Parking Authority board
- Gomez will hold the Allentown Parking Authority's management "accountable," Tuerk said
- She will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Candida Affa, who also serves on Allentown City Council
Allentown Parking Authority operates independently from city oversight, though the mayor appoints members of the agency's board.
City Council members must approve the mayor's appointments.
Tuerk said he will appoint Gomez to the parking authority board because she will make sure the agency’s management is “held accountable.”
The parking authority has been the focus of many residents’ ire for months. Scores have shown up at various city meetings since the turn of the year to lodge complaints against the agency.
Board member Santo Napoli, who also serves on City Council, said officials “realized action needed to be taken” after parking-related complaints started to balloon in January.
The board’s February meeting brought out a dozen residents, some of whom accused the parking authority of predatory treatment and over-aggressive enforcement.
“People know this now — that I’m out in the community and I’m helping out — so they come to me and they vent, and they want me to be their voice."Yamilett Gomez, who will be appointed to the Allentown Parking Authority board
More than 30 residents vented their frustrations with the agency during a public forum March 21 at the Americus Hotel. One resident said “the parking authority is out of control,” while several business owners warned aggressive enforcement is keeping potential customers from going downtown.
Officials have held several meetings since the forum to propose a slew of changes.
City council members are considering several changes to Allentown's parking ordinances, including letting residents park in some alleys and releasing impounded vehicles once owners set up payment plans.
The parking authority board on Monday reduced the agency’s active patrol hours by nearly half. Enforcers will now patrol for parking violations only from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday each week.
A voice for the community
Despite that change, Tuerk said Wednesday he was “not totally” satisfied and urged the agency to live up to its mission of “providing efficient and equitable parking services to the public.”
Gomez is “going to help hold the authority accountable and force them to get creative about ways to better execute on that purpose,” Tuerk said.
Gomez, who owns Yamilett’s Unisex Salon on West Gordon Street, said she first started getting involved in parking issues in the city because her clients were regularly complaining about getting tickets and arguing with enforcers.
She said she’s since become a leader in her community, with residents asking for her help on a wide variety of issues. Gomez said she’s also actively involved with Cohesion, a community-based nonprofit in Allentown’s 1st Ward.
As the newest member of the parking authority board, Gomez said she'll be a “voice for my community” by taking residents’ complaints to officials. She also said she will “bring fairness” to the board.
“People know this now — that I’m out in the community and I’m helping out — so they come to me and they vent, and they want me to be their voice,” Gomez said.
