BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Whether it’s the decision to pave a street with two in-house crews and outsource a hauler, or it’s making the call on how long to keep the tree lights up on Main Street after Christmas — the city and its Public Works department has to balance an ever-present give-and-take.
For example, some may not realize there’s a four-man crew putting up the bulk of the city’s thousands of holiday decorations.
“Maybe that’s a happy medium."Bethlehem Public Works Director Michael Alkhal
And while those lights normally are flipped on the day after Thanksgiving and go off the week of the new year, some have voiced they’d like to see them lit year-round.
Balancing what would be a potentially hefty electric bill on one hand and what visitors and residents have come to love about the Christmas City's aesthetic on the other, Public Works Director Michael Alkhal said a potential option under discussion is keeping the lights up through March and the change in season.
“Maybe that’s a happy medium,” Alkhal said at a City Council budget hearing Monday.
A bright outlook
Speaking of lights, the city is proud of its track record in coming to own and maintain its over 8,000 street lights, both decorative and non-decorative, Alkhal said.
That comes with a significant reduction in the associated operating cost and debt service payment year to year.
“Had we not taken those initiatives that we’ve discussed in the past — acquiring the system, upgrading all our lights to LED and giving us the opportunity to competitively shop for energy — our budget level this coming year would have been nearly $3 million: $2.8 million,” Alkhal said.
“Versus right now, it’s at $430,000. Not only that, but we are maintaining the system in-house very efficiently, and of course we’re using a lot less energy, which is good for the environment, traffic.”
"We are maintaining the system in-house very efficiently, and of course we’re using a lot less energy, which is good for the environment, traffic.”Bethlehem Public Works Director Michael Alkhal, speaking on the city's system of streetlights
The Public Works spending plan and project vision also includes:
- More than $11 million, or nearly 10% of the city’s expenditures by department
- State reviewing project plans and timelines for $1.7 million of improvements at Friendship Park, including upgraded basketball courts, shade areas and splash park (construction to start in spring)
- Phase 2 of the Monocacy Way Trail project to go from Schoenersville Road to the D&L Trail, with construction in 2025 (Phase 1, completed in 2022, went from Memorial Pool to Schoenersville Road)
- $370,000 grant to pay for West Fourth Street Business District improvements, such as reconstruction of sidewalks and ADA curb ramps in Southside Arts District between New Street and Broadhead Avenue (anticipated construction during spring 2025)
- Coming up with a request for proposals for nearly $10 million in West Broad Street pedestrian safety improvements, with hopes to go to construction in 2026
- Planning to expedite the design work for about $1 million in East Broad Street improvements (some or all completed in 2025)
- Saucon Park improvements: new pavilions and swing sets, new ping-pong table, in-house flood wall repairs, dead tree removal and replacement
- Converting Linden Street from a one-way to a two-way from Church Street to Fairview Street
- About $5 million for road paving in 2025, with the department trying to do most of it in-house ($70 per linear foot to pave in-house versus about $120 when contracted, Alkhal said)
- On target to hit 50 paved miles with the work planned for next year (Completed 16 laned miles in 2024 and outsourced six more, among a total 700-800 lane miles in Bethlehem)
- Teaming up with Bethlehem Township to construct an improved basin along East Boulevard to mitigate downstream flooding (about a $2.5 million project, with the city contributing about $600,000)
The city's proposed budget, balanced at $112.49 million, would hold steady on real estate taxes.
The city's property tax rate rose 2.6% under last year's budget — the first hike of its kind since 2021, when it went up 5%.
The city will continue its budget discussion with another hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Budget adoption is planned for City Council’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 19.
