EASTON, Pa. — Public comment during Easton City Council’s meeting this week degraded into a referendum on inner turmoil linked to the government’s role in the recovery of Ferry Street fire victims.
Though Wednesday’s council meeting appeared as if it would end earlier than usual, a boisterous group of residents took to the podium to commend member Taiba Sultana for her presence on Ferry Street during and after the May 29 blaze, which devastated 15 homes.
However, those accolades quickly turned to criticism of other council members who the public did not witness participating in the community effort to assist victims.
- Easton citizens took to the podium during public comment at City Council's meeting Wednesday, praising Councilwoman Taiba Sultana for her presence during the Ferry Street fire and her work helping victims
- Some community members expressed criticism toward other council members, though members defended their position providing assistance behind the scenes
- Sultana stated she was upset with her fellow council members for interrupting public content to address citizens directly instead of allowing them their allotted time
Michelle Oncay, a resident on the side of Ferry Street untouched by the fire, voiced opinions on seeing only one council member, Taiba Sultana, at the scene assisting and collecting contributions.
Oncay also expressed concern about the arrest of Lance Wheeler of the community group West Ward WISE.
"I am, you know, outraged, highly outraged by the fact that Lance Wheeler was arrested. And she was there at that time. That should have never happened.”Ferry Street resident Michelle Oncay
“I am here to thank her because she was there," Oncay said of Sultana. "She was the only one I've seen. Haven't seen any of this. But I am just here to thank her for being there.
"I am, you know, outraged, highly outraged by the fact that Lance Wheeler was arrested. And she was there at that time. That should have never happened.” Oncay said Wheeler’s arrest was “definitely politics.”
'Doing work in the background'
Panto responded by saying, “What he was doing was great — that day,” before asking Oncay if she had attended a meeting at Wilson Borough Council, as Wheeler had been arrested by Wilson police.
Oncay further questioned where funding and items raised for the victims of Ferry Street had gone.
“None of us on Ferry Street have seen any of it,” she said.
The mayor questioned Oncay’s statement, saying he had been in contact with the people and organizations holding fundraisers.
Councilman Roger Ruggles said he witnessed the victims getting funding first-hand.
“As far as I know, all the money was spent,” Panto said before adding, “a lot of money was given out.”
"And I think that you need to think about all those other people that are out there doing work in the background to help people with the fire.”Easton Councilman Roger Ruggles
Panto said Samantha Juchem, who held a GoFundMe campaign for the victims, "was here and was in my office again the other day. She gave out the $7,000 that was raised.
"St. John's Lutheran Church gave out the $16,000 they had. That's $23,000 that the people did get. Now if you're saying they didn’t get it, I'd like proof of that, because we were told they got it.”
Ruggles said that while Sultana was on the scene quite often, that didn’t mean other council members weren’t contributing to the effort to help the victims.
“I want to say that you may see people out there that are very high profile, and you say, ‘Oh, yeah, I see you, I see you,’" Ruggles said. "There are a lot of people that were in the background that were doing a lot of work on this that you didn't see.
"And I think that you need to think about all those other people that are out there doing work in the background to help people with the fire.”
'Doing work in the background'
Easton resident Evett Simmons also noted Sultana’s presence on Ferry Street, championing her as model elected official who was out in the public providing assistance.
“I didn’t come to try to make nobody else feel bad or nothing for now, but I'm saying the city of Easton has to do a little bit better,” Simmons said.
Panto quickly responded that he “did not feel bad at all.”
"And we will do whatever we can do, but maybe there was a plan that I don't know about.”Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr.
“I know what I did for them, OK?" Panto said. "I don't have to publicize it. I know what I did.”
Following a comment from Councilman Ken Brown concerning his visits to the street, Simmons again pointed out Sultana frequently helped victims directly, leading to Panto questioning his fellow council member’s “plan” for the victims.
“Maybe Councilwoman Sultana can propose what she's… she said she was embarrassed that the city didn't have anything, so maybe we would know what plan [she has] because I've been here since May 29, and we have not heard any plan of what she thinks the city should do,” Panto said.
“We do not have a housing project. We do not have a housing department, we do not have a human services project. That is the county.
"And as Mr. O'Connell [Easton Councilman David O'Connell] said, the nonprofits do all that for us. And we support them every year with grants. We just gave $150,000 Third Street Alliance, and Alisa [Baratta, executive director of Third Street Alliance] was very involved in helping to find housing for these people.
"And we will do whatever we can do, but maybe there was a plan that I don't know about.”
'I am outraged'
Simmons again recognized Sultana for her work before taking a seat, but the next speaker, former Easton resident Joel Atkinson, raised another point of contention stemming from the last council session.
“So, I'm here tonight given the controversy at the last council meeting, and I'm here to voice my support like the previous citizens that have for Councilwoman Sultana I think her perspective on council is valuable, and her support for the marginalized is aspirational,” Atkinson said.
“But you know, just because we don't look for the recognition, we're not out there looking to get pictures taken or looking to make a scene, don't assume we're not there trying to help.”Upcoming Easton Councilman Frank Pintabone
He went on to address an incident in which Sultana was criticized for sharing a video of Wheeler's arrest, captioned “I am outraged,” prompting several officials to request an apology for the post.
“As was attested previously, whenever something is happening in the community, she can be expected to be amongst the citizens of Eastern supporting them," Atkinson said.
"I think it was quite silly that she was asked to apologize for sharing a video of Easton employees at work.”
Upcoming Councilman Frank Pintabone later took to the podium to provide further context to those who assumed city officials were not actively involved in assisting the fire victims.
“Don't put other people down, because we've all been working," Pintabone said. "And that fire last weekend at Pine Street? I was there, and I saw Ken Brown and Mayor Panto there as well. We were there that night.
"So we were over there for that fire. So even though it wasn’t as devastating, people can't say we weren’t there as well. So just be mindful. There's a lot of people in the city that have been helping the city for 30, 40, 50, 60 years,
“But you know, just because we don't look for the recognition, we're not out there looking to get pictures taken or looking to make a scene, don't assume we're not there trying to help.”
'We assist wherever we can'
Simmons wrapped up the public comment when she addressed council again, this time appearing to acknowledge help provided by the rest of the council.
“I want to say something with Miss Sultana — she actually represented all of you, because you all work together," Everett said. “So her being there, she was the representative for all of you.
“I’m kind of just a little angry one of our council members would say that she was embarrassed because the city was not doing enough, or hasn’t done anything,"Easton Councilman David O'Connell
"And I had to sit back and I had to think about that, but because I saw her in the beginning, that's what made a difference for me.”
O’Connell later clarified his position on how city council handled the myriad issues related to the fire, expressing disappointment in a statement made by Sultana in which she said she was embarrassed the city could not do more for the victims.
“We assist wherever we can, but we don’t have social services at the city level and, as I said, we aid people however we can,” O’Connell said. He said the city offers incredibly reduced rents space to charitable organizations.
“I’m kind of just a little angry one of our council members would say that she was embarrassed because the city was not doing enough, or hasn’t done anything," he said.
"I think that is simply not the case. I know several people have come up there and thanked her for being on the street, and I applaud her, too. That was a great thing to do. She was there all the time.
"But to insinuate is just sort of standing by and not doing anything is really wrong in my opinion.”
'I know my community knows me'
Sultana later remarked that she found some of the commentary from council members, particularly Panto, to be inappropriate given the circumstances.
“I'm not afraid of whatever they say about me. I know my community knows me. And I know I'm right. Whatever I'm doing, I'm doing quite well.”Easton Councilwoman Taiba Sultana
“I think he was just trying to dismiss what the public was saying," she said. "That was the whole point, because it was a public remark time — people were just coming to make a comment.
"But dismissing their comments and making his own points… That shouldn't happen that way. I mean, I could have responded to him for 10 minutes, but I decided not to, because I feel like that’s the public's time. That's their time. They want to speak up, let them speak up.”
In addition, Sultana said she had concern for the future of council relations and felt as if her opinions and commentary were prone to being dismissed, and having her efforts — both on the street and in office — to assist those individuals who lost everything in the fire ignored.
Nevertheless, the councilwoman said she will continue on with her work, whether or not she faces questioning or opposition from her colleagues.
“I'm not afraid of whatever they say about me," Sultana said. "I know my community knows me. And I know I'm right. Whatever I'm doing, I'm doing quite well.”
