READING, Pa. – Reading City Council got to work Wednesday night on bringing the Reading Redevelopment Authority back to its full membership.

Currently, the board has three vacancies from recent resignations and only City Councilmember Vanessa Campos and former Mayor Thomas McMahon serve on the authority.

While the city often struggles to fill vacancies on many of its boards and authorities, council had six individuals apply for the three positions.

Council spent two hours conducting extensive interviews of the candidates and plans to discuss the results and make a decision at its meeting on Monday night.

Following the interviews, McMahon gave some insight into what is needed on the authority.

“What we need is enthusiasm,” McMahon stated. “You know very well that we had a terrible time in the last six to eight months [because] we had some people that were absolutely convinced that they were going to stop projects.”

“We have the blighted property list, which gets longer and longer and we haven’t done much on it,” he said. “So, it’s time to move on.”

Campos said there is no perfect candidate with all the correct answers.

“It’s unexpected that we have the vacancies, but I appreciate the opportunity that there’s interest in the community to apply and fill those vacancies,” she said.

Council President Donna Reed explained to the candidates that the authority has existed since 1950 to promote the elimination of blighted areas and has the ability to acquire property by purchase, gifts or eminent domain.

All six candidates expressed a desire to help the city by sitting on the authority:

Wanda Negron

“I come from New York,” Negron said. “I went away from New York, and Reading adopted me. So, it’s like I adopted the city, and I see the development and the growth where many people don’t see the city growing.”

“I see it, and I want to be so much part of it,” she continued. “I want to be so much involved in it because I adopted the city. I want to give part of myself in it because the city has given me a lot.”

Karen Glass

“I think that my perspective is community involvement and community driven because I’ve lived in a lot of different communities that have undergone redevelopment,” Glass said. “So, the perspective would be from living, working and having businesses in areas in urban cities that have been redeveloped successfully.”

“There’s a lot of properties that are falling apart,” she said. “And I’m very conscious of it, and I’d like to be somehow a part of having those properties redeveloped in some way.”

“I see some redevelopment that has happened, but I also see some blighted homes. and it’s concerning for me because I remember Reading when it was robust,” Glass said. “I believe that Reading has the ability to do it again. and perhaps I can contribute in some way.”

Joey Miranda

“The redevelopment authority should give opportunities to those in need, and I say that by prefacing the fact that it is in taking the blighted properties,” Miranda said. “[We should be] taking them out of the hands of those LLC’s individuals, private developers, and put those in the hands of people that want to do something with those properties to develop affordable housing.”

“When we see a blighted property, yes, it’s a negative impact on our city, but it also has an emotional and mental impact on our city as well,” he said. “People see that and that sends the wrong signal. We need to change that mindset, and let’s make our city beautiful.”

Kevin Yarnall

“I’m a licensed realtor/broker realtor,” Yarnall said. “I’ve been focused primarily since 2003 on commercial real estate. Currently, I consult for a gentleman who is developing property here in the Reading marketplace.”

“I think the process that I’ve personally experienced is somewhat disjointed or not contiguous,” he said. “Sometimes you are given information through various sources that doesn’t always lead you in a positive direction to get to the end product.”

“The responsibility of the redevelopment authority is not just to identify the properties, but to help the people complete the process to full redevelopment, and I believe that is providing some form of assistance — if nothing else, guidance — in how to go through the process to acquire permits and drawings and everything that would typically be required to redevelop the property.”

Bladimir Mercedes

“I’m really interested and invested in Reading in more ways than one,” Mercedes said. “I want to help achieve the mission of the board, you know, which is basically eliminating blighted properties.”

“I’m coming with an open mind to learn a lot more about how things are done, and I’ll do a lot more listening than talking as a board member and try to exercise my wisdom and experience in any potential case that comes along,” he said.

“I do have a lot of experiences in real estate and assisting others and working with investors, and that will come into play and be a benefit to the board,” Mercedes added.

“Serving on this board has been something that has been suggested, and obviously I care about the city, and I really I think I could bring value,” he said.

Sergei Szortyka

“I’m the CEO of Quaker Maid Meats, and our buildings have been in the 18th Ward since 1969,” Szortyka said. “I have a very fond memory of coming into the city riding the bus when I was a preteen, and unfortunately the city is now not as good as it used to be. So, I think this is an opportunity for me to show my business acumen and help the city get better and get back to the way it was.”

“I really do believe I can do a lot of good with the redevelopment authority,” he said. “I think we can get those blighted properties back on the tax toll and get people into housing. We better do something today rather than tomorrow. Let’s get it done. Let’s move forward and make the city a better place to live.”