10062026 City Council Meeting

The City of Bethlehem Council meeting on October 7, 2026, included a public hearing and vote on zoning rules for data centers. Council passed the zoning ordinance 7–0, making data centers a special-exception use in industrial districts and adding requirements for environmental and energy plans, water and wastewater documentation, noise studies, emergency response and decommissioning plans, setbacks, and building coverage. Speakers raised concerns about energy and water demand, pollution, noise, oversight, and abandonment; officials said state law limits the city’s ability to prohibit the use, and council members encouraged continued engagement with state lawmakers and future review of the ordinance.

Procurement- and spending-related business included approval of grant applications for construction of the Southside Community Center: two applications for $1 million each, one for Lehigh and Northampton Counties and one for Monroe County. Council also approved applications for local-share grants on behalf of Via Lehigh Valley ($671,855) and New Bethany Incorporated ($500,000 each for two applications). A public hearing was scheduled for an application for up to $16,711 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funding to expand the city’s intersection-camera network. Council had no objections to placing listed city vehicles in an online auction within 60 days. It also approved a $180,000 budget transfer related to higher operating costs; the proposed 2027–2031 fire capital improvement program was presented for information, with no action taken.