Allentown residents can air complaintsEvery 10 years the borough must hold a hearing to determine if residents are happy with the cable service. The current cable provider in Allentown is Cablevision.
By: Mark Moffa
ALLENTOWN – The borough will hold a public hearing Tuesday on whether it should renew its contract with its cable television provider.
Every 10 years the borough must hold a hearing to determine if residents are happy with the cable service. The current cable provider in Allentown is Cablevision.
"People should express their satisfaction or points of concern," Mayor Stuart Fierstein said.
He admitted, however, the borough might not be able to do much if residents are not happy.
"I don’t think that there is a pool of providers that the borough would be able to choose from to make a change," Mayor Fierstein said. "Nevertheless, the process does need to take place."
The cable hearing will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and will be continued another evening if there is not enough time for residents to speak.
Following the hearing, the Borough Council’s regular meeting will feature a discussion regarding sidewalks.
The council is responding to complaints from residents that there are not enough sidewalks and that some of the existing ones are in disrepair.
Areas of Main Street (Route 539), Waker Avenue (Route 526) and Yardville-Allentown Road (Route 524) without sidewalks could be paved.
Some council members expressed displeasure during a Nov. 14 meeting with the borough’s system for handling sidewalks that are in disrepair.
Homeowners are responsible for the sidewalk in front of their houses, but apparently the borough is only enforcing sidewalk repairs when a property is for sale.
"We are still working on the problems concerning the repair of sidewalks," Mayor Fierstein said Tuesday.
The borough, he said, has spent a lot of money in an attempt to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations such as curb cutouts for wheelchairs.
"We need to determine how to comply with these other issues and at the same time maintain the character of the community," Mayor Fierstein said.
He said the borough installed within the past few weeks new sidewalks on Lakeview Drive where it intersects with Main Street and on Johnson Drive where it intersects with Church Street.
"What we’re trying to do at this point is determine the direction we should take," he said.
At the Nov. 14 meeting, Councilman Dave Strobino suggested the borough begin to enforce its ordinance on sidewalk repairs.
The issue may be more complex than simply having broken pieces of sidewalk fixed, however. Mayor Fierstein cited an example of a different circumstance.
"There’s one sidewalk on one street where the shrubs are so overgrown and the shrubs are impeding access to the sidewalk," he said.
It was at the Nov. 14 meeting that resident Anne Marie Horner brought that situation to the council’s attention.
"The design of the sidewalks and the overgrown limbs prevent me from walking down that side of the street," Ms. Horner said.
The council will seek input from the public at its Tuesday meeting as to what should be done to improve present sidewalks and as to whether sidewalks should be installed where they are not currently present.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m.