EASTON, Pa. — While city Councilman Frank Pintabone continues to push for a workforce housing initiative, it appears Easton will need time to finesse the ordinance before it comes to fruition.
Pintabone pulled his proposal — originally set to be introduced Wednesday — to task developers with setting aside a portion of their new apartments for those who fall under the “workforce” designation.
“So the RDA department will administer the program, meaning they will compile the list of qualified residents. They will do the income verification.”Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone
Council members at Wednesday’s committee meeting raised questions on who would run the program and how.
The ordinance essentially makes larger apartment buildings responsible for allocating 10% of their units to tenants making 80% to 120% of area median income, or to pay a penalty of $10,000 to support the program.
According to Pintabone, city attorneys still had to weigh in on the matter and add some language to the ordinance, and the city Redevelopment Authority still needed to send a letter to the administration stating it would administer the program.
“So the RDA department will administer the program, meaning they will compile the list of qualified residents," Pintabone said. "They will do the income verification.”
'We have to get together'
That point sparked a debate, with Mayor Sal Panto Jr. expressing concerns over who would head the matter.
“I am having an issue with that," Panto said. "Once you give it to the Redevelopment Authority, you will never get it back, and you have no control over the five people that sit on that board.
"They have all the control. It’s no different than the Housing Authority.”
Pintabone said he understood the concern, as “the majority of our boards have run rogue on us,” and said he would be OK with the administration shifting control “somewhere else.”
“I want to be certain of the funds that we do get from another board do not go into our general fund for voting and allocating," Pintabone said.
"I want to make sure that goes to the program of creating workforce housing."
City Administrator Luis Campos said he would like to see an administrative review of the program from the city's economic development and finance departments too see if the program can be operationalized.
Campos said he was not “for or against this ordinance.”
Panto suggested setting up workforce housing in a similar fashion to the recreation and open space fund into which developers pay.
Campos responded, “We have to get together" to discuss this, and cited “some nuances” and “a lot of details” that are important to consider.
Lead to fewer developers?
Vice Mayor Ken Brown said that while he liked the idea of workforce housing, he was not comfortable yet having the city run the program, because of staffing needs and an inevitable massive amount of paperwork.
Pintabone countered, stating he was apprehensive to permit a separate agency outside the city’s control administering workforce housing.
“I would never support that," Pintabone said. "Then, again, we lose control.
“If it adds costs to developers, that increases rental rates automatically."Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr.
"So that that, to me, would make sense, especially to the mayor's point of, if the RDA does it, we would lose control if it was with the five members, so sending it to a third party outside of one of our extensions would make less sense.”
Ultimately, Pintabone said, the city has to have control over the program to ensure it remains on track with helping those in need.
Panto said one of his ultimate goals in 2008 was to make the Housing Authority Executive Director a member of city staff, to maintain control over the Redevelopment Authority.
The city currently has no control over the Housing Authority.
Questions also arose concerning developers’ thoughts on the subject.
“If it adds costs to developers, that increases rental rates automatically,” Pinto said. Otherwise, it could lead to fewer developers coming to Easton.
'Does not mean they cause problems'
Pintabone said he had spoken with developers on the concept, and they had expressed support for the initiative, curtailing concerns that it would lead to less development in the city.
Panto said he still felt that there would be issues, such as those experienced at the Mill in Easton — a low-income, subsidized development — with workforce housing.
Pintabone took exception on criticism of low-incoming housing recipients.
"And for the umpteenth time, this is for workforce housing.”Easton Councilman Frank Pintabone
He said that while there were some issues with youth at the Mill, it did not represent low-income residents as a whole. He also said issues with young people had been addressed and there had been no further incidents.
“Just because people are low-income does not mean they cause problems," Pintabone said after the meeting. "And for the umpteenth time, this is for workforce housing.”
He said workforce housing would benefit firefighters, police officers, teachers and other people who contribute to the city but could not afford to live within its boundaries.
While the matter will not appear on Wednesday’s agenda, Pintabone said discussions will continue, with an intent to bring the ordinance to committee and council for a vote in August.
