The Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority board held its monthly meeting Wednesday with three new board members, despite objections from a state senator who questioned the legality of the appointments.
Paul Anthony, Carmen Dancsecs and Holly Edinger were welcomed by Chair Seymour Traub, and they then joined the rest of the nine-member board in approving four resolutions that concern the transfer of land into the NIZ, as well as streetscape improvements.
All of that was supposed to happen at the July 1 meeting, but a letter from state Sen. Jarrett Coleman objecting to the new members forced the board to go into executive session, then adjourn before doing anything.
A little more than a month later, the board proceeded, confident that it was on firm legal ground.
ANIZDA solicitor Paul Frank said that the city’s Home Rule Charter supersedes internal authority bylaws. Under the charter, authority board members are appointed by Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and approved by City Council, which happened June 17.
“The Economic Development and the City Home Rule Charter authorized the mayor to appoint members of the authority, and City Council approves such an appointment, and that this legal authority supersedes any provisions to the contrary in these bylaws,” Traub said at the start of the meeting.
In a statement to The Morning Call, Coleman, R-Lehigh, said that the bylaws are there to provide a check-and-balance “to ensure the city and the members of the General Assembly agree on board appointments.”
He added that he was in favor of Ann Bieber, president of Lehigh Carbon Community College, continuing as a board member, but none of the other nominees. Bieber was appointed to her current term by Tuerk, effective Jan. 1.
“The authority board is duty-bound to recognize only such members appointed in accordance with the authority’s own bylaws,” Coleman said. “If the authority permits individuals to serve who have not been appointed in accordance with the bylaws, such action — and all future action by the board — will expose the authority to potential claims that the authority has committed ultra vires (beyond the powers) actions, and/or that the members of the authority board have breached their fiduciary duties to the authority.”
Coleman said he will see which members are seated before deciding what to do next.
“Failure to abide by the bylaws will call into question the legal validity of any actions taken by ANIZDA, and I will evaluate all potential legal options to protect taxpayers,” he said.
Coleman tried to address changes to the ANIZDA board in Senate Bill 367, which was introduced in 2025 and co-sponsored by Sen Nick Miller, D-Lehigh. It passed unanimously, but stalled in a House committee.
The bill would establish a new board and process for selecting members: three appointed by the mayor, one by each of the three state representatives representing Allentown, and one by each of the two state senators, with a third selected by the senators jointly. The members would have staggered but fixed terms.
Who are the new members?
Anthony is president of the Lehigh Valley Building Trades, and the business manager/financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 375.
Dancsecs is a senior loan officer at CrossCountry Mortgage in Allentown and has served on the Lehigh Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board.
Edinger is director of PACE Market Development. A former member of the Allentown School Board, she has worked on community projects in the city for years, including a term as Allentown city manager for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
What did the ANIZDA board approve?
The board approved land transfers to put two downtown parcels into the NIZ, including 0.676 acres of sidewalks and right-of-way along Eighth, Ninth and Fountain streets between Linden and Walnut streets; and 0.075 acres of land to align sidewalk boundaries along the 500 block of Hamilton Street.
Because the NIZ is limited to 128 acres by law, similar sized parcels in Buck Boyle Park were transferred out of the zone.
Funding of no more than $5.3 million was approved to help improve access on Fountain Street, an alley that is used by pedestrians between the parking garage at 940 Linden and Archer Music Hall and other businesses on Hamilton. New sidewalks, lighting, crosswalks and street trees will be added along Eighth and Ninth streets.
For the 500 block of Hamilton, $350,000 will go toward a total of $669,000 for the final segment of streetscape improvements along that corridor. It includes new curb cuts, trees, tree grates, bike racks, 6-foot benches, corner planters and matching trash/recycling receptacles.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.