City Council approved a traffic-calming plan for Hampden Boulevard and a new labor agreement during its regular meeting Monday.

Council also approved changes to police hiring requirements, authorized applications for more than $3 million in state grants, adopted a higher trash collection fee for 2027 and heard proposals for a pavilion near the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower.

Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the traffic-calming plan for Hampden Boulevard and authorizing its submission to the Reading Area Transportation Study, or RATS, for consideration and assistance in identifying funding.

The resolution describes the boulevard as a longstanding safety concern, citing speeding, dangerous passing and serious crashes despite previous enforcement efforts and roadway changes.

Councilman Raymond Baker, a resident of the Hampden Heights area, said Hampden Boulevard has been a priority since he joined council and emphasized the need to slow traffic and prevent drivers from passing other vehicles along the road.

“We’ve got to do something to calm these roads,” Baker said earlier Monday during council’s committee-of-the-whole meeting. “I appreciate the plan put forward … and I think it’s crucial we get it done.”

The city has developed conceptual traffic-calming plans for 11 corridors, with Hampden Boulevard the first to advance for regional consideration.

The following are the other 10:

• North Fifth Street

• Perkiomen Avenue

• Lancaster Avenue

• Washington Street

• Ninth Street

• Schuylkill Avenue

• Fourth Street

• Franklin Street

• Spring Street

• Greenwich and Oley streets

Funding and implementation remain to be determined.

Council also authorized an application for a $3 million PennDOT multimodal grant to improve pedestrian access and parking along the 400 block of Penn Street.

The proposal would reconfigure existing bus bays into accessible pedestrian areas, redesign parking infrastructure and retain midblock crosswalks.

The city would be required to provide a $900,000 local match if the grant is awarded.

Labor contract

Council also authorized the mayor to execute a four-year agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 88, Local 3799, covering Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2030.

The agreement covers supervisory employees and provides annual wage increases of 3.5% in 2027, 2028 and 2029, followed by 4% in 2030.

Managing Director Jack Gombach praised the union’s negotiating team for balancing employees’ interests with the city’s financial constraints.

“These are the individuals who literally build our roads, do our engineering, clear our wastewater, all of the unsexy jobs of government, but jobs that have to get done that our residents expect,” Gombach said.

He described the negotiations as collaborative and said the agreement marks approximately the halfway point in the city’s labor negotiations. Agreements with rank-and-file police officers are expected to come before council soon, while negotiations with firefighters are nearing completion, he said.

Police hiring rules

Council also unanimously approved an ordinance revising qualifications for experienced police officers seeking to join the Reading Police Department through lateral transfers.

Applicants must have at least one year of law enforcement experience, while those coming from outside Pennsylvania must obtain a full training waiver from the state’s Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission before appointment.

The change addresses a certification issue that previously prevented out-of-state officers from qualifying.

Other business

Council approved a 2027 solid waste collection fee of $413.87 per residential unit annually, an increase from the current $395.91.

The new fee, equivalent to $34.49 per month, covers trash and recycling collection and processing, along with clean-city services. The increase reflects higher costs under the city’s collection contract with Republic Services.

During the committee-of-the-whole meeting, representatives of Pagoda Skyline and the Blue Mountain Region Sports Car Club of America proposed building a 30-by-40-foot pavilion on city property south of the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower.

The organizations would fund construction and maintain the structure, with preliminary costs estimated at $30,000 to $40,000.

The proposed open-air shelter would include an accessible path but no electricity or furnishings. Public rentals could be considered through the city’s existing pavilion rental program.

The organizations hope to have the pavilion ready for spring events.

Council members expressed support for the concept, but no formal approval was granted. The proposal must undergo further review before proceeding.

Council also recognized retired City Auditor Maria Rodriguez for more than six years of service, from May 2019 through September 2026.

Council members and city officials praised her work and presented her with a commemorative plaque.