ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved changes to the county’s competitive bidding requirements, advanced an updated solid waste management plan and reviewed an $85.5 million five-year capital plan as officials begin preparing the next county budget.
Commissioners unanimously approved Bill 34, sponsored by Commissioner Antonio Pineda, which removes a 3% annual cap on adjustments to competitive bid thresholds.
The legislation removes the section of the ordinance that imposed the annual cap, allowing future bid limit adjustments to be tied to Consumer Price Index changes, officials said.
Pineda said the cap was established about eight years ago to adjust requirements for when projects and purchases required competitive bidding, including situations where three sealed bids were needed.
He said removing the cap will make adjustments more manageable for the county’s procurement team.
Annual commissioners’ conference
Commissioners also approved necessary expenses for Pineda, Commissioner Sheila Alvarado and Commissioner Ron Beitler to attend the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania annual conference Aug. 2-5 in Monroe County.
Pineda said the conference will include discussions on policy resolutions, the association’s positions on legislative issues, election of officers for the upcoming year and a vote on the location of the 2031 annual conference. He also noted the opportunity to meet with vendors that provide services to counties.
Chairman Geoff Brace encouraged commissioners attending the conference to bring information back to the board.
“Come back with good information you share with the board,” Brace said.
Commissioners Pineda, Alvarado and Beitler abstained from the vote, which passed 5-0.
Solid waste management
Commissioners also had the first reading of Bill 35, which would adopt Lehigh County’s updated solid waste management plan.
Bill Sponsor Pineda said Pennsylvania’s Act 101 requires counties to update their solid waste management plans every 10 years.
Officials said every municipality in the county received notice of the update and that the public comment period ended June 19. The plan must then be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for approval.
They said counties are required to have recycling coordinators and said Lehigh County continues to perform above the state average in recycling.
Bill 35 is expected to return for consideration at the Aug. 12 commissioners meeting.
Capital plan
In other news, commissioners also reviewed County Executive Josh Siegel’s proposed 2027-31 capital plan, which outlines $85.5 million in anticipated capital needs over the next five years.
The plan includes priorities such as Cedarbrook Senior Care renovations, agricultural preservation, parks and recreation improvements, jail upgrades, bridge projects, technology improvements and affordable housing initiatives.
Pineda said the capital plan is an important part of the county’s budget process because it establishes priorities for future spending.
“Capital expenditures can’t be in the budget if it’s not in the capital plan,” said Commissioner Pineda.
Commissioner Sarah Fevig said the plan provides a priority list and helps guide how the county approaches funding major projects.
She said the county typically tries to avoid funding capital projects through operating funds when possible.
Brace praised the current proposal for providing a more achievable framework.
“Now we have a plan that is conceivable, something that can be executed,” Brace said.
He also praised the administration for developing the plan quickly and providing commissioners with a clearer picture of future priorities.
The proposal was reviewed by a joint General Services and Finance Committee meeting on July 8.
Commissioners are expected to further review the plan at their Aug. 12 meeting.
Board vacancy
Lastly, during committee reports, Commissioner Sheila Alvarado provided an update on the process for filling the vacancy left by former Commissioner Jon Irons.
Irons announced his resignation earlier this month. Earlier this month, Irons published an open letter about his resignation ahead of a planned family move to Atlanta for new job opportunities.
Alvarado said the county has received more than a dozen applications from candidates interested in serving on the board.
“It was great to hear how many folks were interested in joining this board,” Alvarado said.
Interviews are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. July 29, with an additional session planned for July 30 if needed.
Commissioners are expected to vote on an appointment during the Aug. 12 full board meeting.
Agricultural preservation
During commissioner announcements, Commissioner Beitler highlighted recent action by the Agricultural Preservation Board, which selected 11 farms totaling 786 acres across seven municipalities to advance for appraisal.
Beitler said the selections are based on objective criteria and intended to permanently preserve farmland.
“With intent that they continue forever to be farmed,” Beitler explained.
He said the county’s longstanding commitment to agricultural preservation has helped make the program one of the strongest in the nation, with Lehigh County expected to approach its goal of preserving more than 30,000 acres in the coming years.