The 2019 Community Development Block Grant applications are now available. Applications must be submitted no later than 2PM on October 2, 2018.

Click 2019 Community Development Block Grant Application
for the application.

The city is preparing for the 2020 U.S. Census, to get an update on the efforts in Pennsylvania and within our region , please see below link for the Philadelphia Regional Census Center Partnership Newsletter. The Philadelphia Region covers Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky, District of Columbia and Delaware.

Click https://issuu.com/phrcc.docs.phrcc for more information.

Prepared by Nurture Nature Center for the City of Easton in fulfillment of the Global Covenant of Mayors Commitment. June 2018

Click HERE to download document.

What is the MS4 mandated program about? 

All operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) are responsible for development and implementation of stormwater management plans

Read More about MS4 StormwaterPA The stormwater requirements of the federal Clean Water Act are administered under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) Program. In December 2002, DEP issued a General Permit (“PAG-13”) for use by MS4s that fall under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II program, requiring the implementation of a stormwater management program for minimizing the impacts from runoff. Several extensions have occurred since the expiry of the initial 5 year permit period, the latest of which extended the permit expiration date to midnight on June 11, 2013. After much debate and extensive delays, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released its new permit requirements in late 2011, so all MS4s are working to understand how they are affected and prepare their applications before they are due. For more information, follow MS4 in the Blog. Under the MS4 Program, permittees are required to incorporate the following six elements (known as minimum control measures, or MCMs) into their stormwater management programs: Public education and outreach Public involvement and participation Illicit discharge detection and elimination Construction site runoff control Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations and maintenance

Read More about MS4 StormwaterPA

House Bill 542 was signed into law on October 30, 2017. Under the new law, the Fireworks Act of 1939 was repealed and replaced in its entirety. The complete version of the new law can be viewed here. However, the questions and answers below highlight the most noteworthy changes.

Q: Which fireworks are Pennsylvania residents now allowed to purchase and use?

Consumers can now purchase and use "Class C" or "consumer-grade" fireworks that include firecrackers, Roman Candles, bottle rockets, and similar fireworks that contain a maximum of 50 milligrams of explosive material. The expansion includes those fireworks that were previously only available to out-of-state residents.

"Display fireworks," which are classified as professional-grade aerial shells containing more than 60 grams of pyrotechnic compositions, are still only to be used by professionals with a permit from the municipality where the display will take place.

Q: Who can purchase fireworks?

Anyone 18 years of age or older can purchase them.

Q: What are the restrictions on where they can be used?

• They cannot be ignited or discharged on a property without permission of the property owner.
• They cannot be discharged from a motor vehicle or building.
• They cannot be discharged toward a motor vehicle or building.
• They cannot be discharged within 150 feet of an occupied structure.

Also, it is recommended that you check with your local municipality, as you may also be subject to applicable local ordinances.

Q: Where can the fireworks be purchased?

They can be purchased at any licensed facility, including temporary ones. The licenses are issued by he Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Examples of temporary facilities include tents or other tructures found in parking lots. These temporary structures can sell fireworks between the dates of une 15-July and December 21-January 2 each year. Click here for more information on Department of Agriculture licensing. br />

City of Easton 2018 Community Development Block Grant Program

Beginning on May 23, 2018, the City of Easton introduced its DRAFT Pollutant Reduction Plan for public comment. The public is invited to offer comments per instructions in the DRAFT document until end of business June 28, 2018.

The City is classified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) as an owner/operator of a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). The City is authorized to discharge from its MS4 to Waters of the Commonwealth through compliance with the requirements of an MS4 Individual Permit. The City of Easton is required to apply to renew coverage under its MS4 permit in July 2018 in advance of expiration in January 2019. The renewal package includes the City’s commitment to implementing six Minimum Control Measures (MCM) across the City, submitting annual reports to PADEP, and maintaining stormwater management ordinances. Further, since PADEP has listed the Lehigh River as impaired by siltation from urban runoff and storm sewers, the City’s permit application must also include a Pollutant Reduction Plan (PRP) for sediment discharging from the MS4 to the Lehigh River.

DRAFT Pollutant Reduction Plan

Northampton County information flyer on Disposing of SHARPS from Households.

SHARPS Disposal flyer

Street sweeping schedule for 2018. You can find your days by searching the street name or street code. You can also receive text notifications on your cell phone regarding schedule changes. Use our search to find your street code, text that to 888777 and get sweeping updates. Click the Search link below to find your route, code, and sweeping day.

Street Sweeping Flyer

Search Routes and Days

The 10-year LERTA program is sun-setting making way for a new program. What is a LERTA? It stands for "Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance" and is a 10 year deferral program for properties that undergo improvements. For more information, please see the map and list of properties. If you have questions, you can also call Dawn Hart at 610-250-6719.

LERTA Information Sheet

Proposed LERTA Property Map

Final LERTA Property list

FAIR HOUSING NOTICE

The City of Easton/Code Enforcemnt has been using ProChamps.com to combat neighborhood blight and hold responsible parties accountable..
To register a foreclosed property (or to file a citizen complaint regarding a property issue), please visit www.community.prochamps.com/pa/northampton/easton-city

"The purpose of this program is to identify and recognize emergency service personnel whose accomplishments in training and education meets or exceeds nationally recognized standards. The NFPA standards for Fire Service Professional Qualifications identify the minimum requirements for a person at a particular level of progression. A person certified to one of the Fire Service Professional levels will have demonstrated competency in the knowledge and skills required to perform at a particular level. The service that can be offered to the citizens, visitors and communities of the Commonwealth will be enhanced by the professional competency attained through this certification process."￿ Timothy Solobay, PA State Fire Commissioner

How small businesses and the arts are big business in Easton

Just last month, a visionary man in our city of Easton passed away and it was about the same time I was asked to write this article. Without a doubt the person who exemplified small business, especially in the arts, was artist Karl Stirner.

After he moved here in 1983, Stirner became a beacon for attracting artists to our city. He purchased and restored a furniture warehouse on Ferry Street, and it serves as an incubator for small creative businesses. Today more than a dozen small companies are in this building employing many residents. Today the arts are no longer small business; they are big business. Everyone knows that small businesses are the lifeblood of America and create more jobs than the large corporations. For small cities like Easton, they are the nucleus of the transformation taking place in urban cores all across America.

For Easton, these downtown and neighborhood small businesses create jobs and expand the tax base. Business tax revenue is up more than 25 percent. The growth of our business community allowed us to maintain real estate taxes level for our residents for the last eight years.

Today Easton's downtown boasts more than 60 retail shops and more than 30 restaurants, with more opening in the future. The growth of small businesses in our neighborhoods and the expansion of the work-at-home cottage industry also has created additional jobs. We are seen as a model for small city development.

Easton doesn't have the luxury of large vacant land that is available for development in our surrounding communities. Our economy is based solely on the attraction of small businesses, and for Easton, it is our big business. We also don't have incentive programs of a Neighborhood Improvement Zone or City Revitalization and Improvement Zone like our sister cities of Allentown and Bethlehem; we do it the old-fashioned way ￿ hard work. How did this wonderful renaissance based on small businesses happen? It started with the arts, and most notably the State Theatre, a beautiful "plaster palace" that was spared destruction during the urban renewal era. Its restoration and programming of fine live entertainment started a renaissance that has taken place, although slowly, over the last three decades. People from the region started coming to downtown Easton again ￿ and at night! That renaissance began with a few restaurants and has grown to an almost unrealistic period of growth in the last five to six years. That increase is due in large part to people who enjoy being where there are other people. It is also due to the millennial generation and empty-nesters who are finding their way to the urban core to visit and live in our new apartments.

Ironically, it is in also related to the Internet shopping phenomenon. Internet shopping is hurting the big box stores more as customers who shop at a big box store or a mall are more apt to also shop online. Individuals who enjoy the face-to-face shopping experience that allows for quality goods with service is more inclined to shop in the locally owned specialty shops and stores. Shopping in locally owned stores keeps the money in the local economy where it continues to grow the economy, rather than the money leaving the area and helping the economy of the corporate office city. Millennials think about these things when deciding where to shop. Many small businesses also respond and adapt quickly to changing economic climates because small businesses are customer-oriented. Many local customers will remain loyal to their favorite small businesses in an economic crisis. This loyalty means that small businesses are often able to stay afloat during tough times, which further strengthens local economies. Even during the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009, Easton saw growth in our business community.

As a small business owner for more than 28 years, I can assure you that no matter how small your business may be, the challenges can be overwhelming for some who may not have the fortitude for the long hours and high risk. But if you do and have the desire, Easton is a great place to start and grow your business. In Easton, every small business is our big business.

Copyright ￿ 2016, The Morning Call

MobileNOW is an app that lets you use your cell phone to pay for parking. It's convenient, it's easy and it is quick! Mobile Now can be used to park in Easton, Allentown, Bethlehem and Reading. You can park and pay by mobile phone whenever you see the MobileNOW! signs in a parking area or on parking meters. After you￿ve parked your car, follow the instructions on the parking meter or nearby sign. Using MobileNOW! is much quicker if you register your details before you park for the first time. Once you￿ve done this, we￿ll store everything in your own secure account which means you can park and pay in seconds!

You can register HERE.

When you first signs up for the account, you will receive a pop up notifying you of the $20 wallet top up.
However, there is no actual financial transaction until you complete the first parking session as at that point, the system recognizes that the account is low and requires topping up. It notifies you that this is about to occur before proceeding.
When those funds are exhausted, the account needs to be topped up (funded) again in order to use the system. Minimal top up amount is $20 but you can select more if you prefer.
By default, the system has an "auto top up" feature that will load the wallet when the account is low so that if you attempt a session, funds are available.
Now, if you would prefer to opt out of the "auto top up" feature, simply log in to your account from a computer and disable that feature on your payment source. Then, you will have to manually top up your account when it is low before being able to start a parking session.

There is a .25 cent per transaction fee that goes to MobileNOW! Only the per hour rate goes to the city.

Easton Main Street Initiative takes home top award.

HARRISBURG, PA- Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC) has named its best performing Main Street Programs of 2015. This award recognizes those programs that have demonstrated an ￿across the board￿ capacity to generate new jobs, new businesses, public and private investment and volunteer hours. The top performing Main Street Programs across the Commonwealth for 2015 are: . 1st - Easton Main Street Initiative, 2nd - Greensburg Community Development Corp., 3rd - Latrobe Community Revitalization Initiative, 4th - Ardmore Initiative, and 5th - Ebensburg Borough.

The determining criteria measures program activity as reported annually by local Main Street Managers. Community revitalization organizations are then ranked from top to bottom, with the top performing program in each of the sixteen evaluated categories receiving a score of 1. This year there were forty-nine community organizations eligible to be evaluated. The rankings across all of the categories are then tabulated and the organization with the lowest total number is the top performing program.

PDC, the coordinating program to the National Main Street Center for Main Street programs in Pennsylvania, is honored to see these downtowns acknowledged for the goals they have set, accomplished and in many cases, exceeded. Each community has also met the ten performance standards established by National Main Street Center to be a nationally accredited Main Street Program. These standards include topics such as training requirements, planning methods, and community involvement.

Founded in 1987, the mission of Pennsylvania Downtown Center is to build and support the capacity of local nonprofit organizations, municipalities and individuals to enhance the overall well-being and sustainability of Pennsylvania￿s communities. For more information about the accredited communities or the Main Street program, contact Maria Wherley at (717) 233-4675 ext. 116 or email her at mariawherley@padowntown.org

Starting on May 18, 2016, the City of Easton will offer on line bill payments for Utility Bills, Real Estate Bills as well as Parking Tickets. No online account is necessary, all you need is your Account Number for Utility Bills, your property ID for Real Estate and your ticket number and plate number for Parking Tickets.
Your account number can be found on your Utility Bill.
Your Property ID can be found on your Real Estate Tax Bill.
Your Ticket Number is on your Parking Ticket.
Your license plate number is on the back of your car.

On Line Payments are posted by the on line date the payment is made.

To access the on line site, go to www.easton-pa.gov and select "PAYMENT CENTER".

Download our Express Pay brochure for more information on the Payment Center, the City Hall payment Kiosk and our Auto Pay options.

The Easton Police Department in conjunction with the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development and the Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association is pleased to announce that we have placed a Med Return Drug Collection Unit in the lobby of the police station, located at 25 S. Third Street. The Med Return box is intended to provide a secure location for residents to safely dispose of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

The drop-box is anonymous; no questions or requests for identification will be made by law enforcement personnel. The drop box is available during normal business hours, Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

Accepted medications are:
￿ Prescription and over-the-counter medications
￿ Tablets and capsules
￿ Liquid medications in their original containers (i.e. cough syrups, cold medicines)
￿ Prescription patches
￿ Medical creams/ointments
￿ Vitamins
￿ Nasal sprays
￿ Pet medicines

The items below should be taken to a health care professional￿s office or to a hospital for proper disposal.
￿ Intravenous solutions
￿ Syringes, and needles (i.e. EpiPens)
￿ Compressed cylinders or aerosols (e.g., asthma inhalers)
￿ Iodine-containing medications
￿ Thermometers
￿ Hydrogen Peroxide
￿ Any infectious waste

The Easton Public Market

HOURS
Wednesday thru Saturday 9:00AM - 7:00PM & Sunday 9:00AM - 3:00PM

www.EastonPublicMarket.com

VENDORS

3rd & Ferry Fresh Fish
Chocodiem
Debbie's Pie in the Sky
Dundore & Heister Butchery
Fieldstone Coffee Roasters & Tea
Full of Crepe
Highmark Farmstand
Mister Lee's Noodles
More than Q BBQ Co.
Olive with a Twist
Scratch￿
Taza Stop
Tolino Vineyards
Youseff's Fruit & Nut Gallery

Easton City Hall is now open at our new location 123 South Third Street, Easton, PA 18042. The entrance is at the middle of the building, enter into the lobby to access the elevators or stairs at the rear of the lobby. On the second floor you will find the Finance Department and the Code Department. The Finance Department, where you can pay your City Utility bills, real estate tax or parking tickets, is to your left when you exit the elevators. The Code Enforcement Department is on your right as you exit the elevators on the second floor. You can apply for a building permit, have your plans reviewed or discuss City Code Violations with a Code Enforcement Officer. EME Credit Union is also located on the second floor. The Health Bureau is also located on the second floor.

The third floor is comprised of the Mayor's Office, City Administrator, City Council Chambers and Human Resources to the left from the elevators. City Council Chambers is at the North end of the building and is accessable from the third floor lobby.

Planning and Economic Development are located to the right off of the third floor lobby.

Parking is available in the parking deck located directly behind City Hall.

Citizens Guide to City Services

Social Services Resources