GENERAL

Gov. Rendell designates January as Radon Education Month

January has been designated as “Radon Education Month” by Gov. Rendell, urging all homeowners to have the air in their homes tested for the radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. Radon detection kits are available at most hardware stores for around $25, and winter is the best time of year to perform the test as homes are closed off to ventilation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends taking action to lower the level of radon in your home if a test finds the level is 4.0 picocuries per liter or higher. While the potential for radon pollution may be higher in some areas of the state, any home can contain radon. About 40 percent of homes in Pennsylvania are suspected of containing the gas in unsafe levels, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Homeowners are not obligated to test for radon, but any tests performed must be revealed at the time of a home’s sale, in accordance with federal law. For more information, including a list of radon mitigation companies, log onto www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword “Radon.”
Source: The Mercury; 1/05/09






BUCKS COUNTY



Springfield taxes remain at 3.5 mils

Supervisors in Springfield Township announced that the property tax rate for homeowners will remain at 3.5 mills. The last time property taxes were increased was 2005 and rather than increase taxes for 2009, supervisors opted to eliminate the township’s part-time building and zoning code position and the police secretary. In addition to the layoffs, wages for the remaining 11 employees are frozen for 2009. The budget was set at $1.6 million with homeowners continuing to pay an average of $132 in property taxes.

Source: The Intelligencer; 1/05/09



Bridgeton trims budget, maintains property taxes

Residents of Bridgeton Township will continue to pay 3 mills in property taxes in 2009 as the supervisors passed the budget set at $303,750. The budget was cut by over $80,000 from 2008 as the 1,400-resident township was hit hard by a drop in real estate transfer and earned income taxes. The average homeowner will continue to pay $78.65 in property taxes for a home assessed at $26,617.

Source: The Intelligencer; 1/05/09



Palisades approves preliminary budget; taxes will go up

Faced with a $268,000 drop in revenue for the 2009-2010 school year, officials of Palisades School District have announced their intention to increase school property taxes. The current tax rate is set at 100 mills, but the district is expecting an exception from the state to be able to raise its taxes to 105.616 mills, resulting in a $191 tax increase for the average homeowner. Board members will look to resolve budget issues and adopt the final budget by June 30.
Source: The Intelligencer; 1/08/09



Quakertown school district faces shortfall

Officials of the Quakertown School District are facing an estimated $4.8 million shortfall in the 2009-2010 budget, which is preliminarily set at $87.9 million. This year’s budget is approximately 4 percent higher than the current $84.5 million budget. The district will likely increase taxes as much as 5.14 mills, resulting in a $148 tax increase for the average homeowner with a house assessed at $28,800. Officials will continue to work on the plan with a preliminary budget up for adoption on Feb. 12.

Source: The Intelligencer; 1/09/09





CHESTER COUNTY



Kennett Borough considers water options

Kennett Square’s Council opened 2009 with several discussions about the borough’s water supply. In the wake of plans for digging a new well on the Yeatman property at Walnut and Rosedale roads, Borough Manager Brant Kucera announced that he had obtained an application for a state grant that would potentially fund 50 percent of the project. The project is expected to cost approximately $1.2 million, and obtaining the grant would make the borough's share about $700,000. The board also approved interviewing Aqua America, which could potentially take over the borough’s entire water system, including mending pipes and responding to emergencies.

Source: Kennett Paper; 1/6/09



North Coventry approves tax hike

North Coventry township supervisors have approved a 2009 budget that raises the property tax millage rate by .2 mills. The property tax hike is the first the township has levied in 10 years. The median homeowner with a house assessed at $148,000 currently pays $210 a year in township property taxes. Under the new budget, the tax will rise by about $30 to $240. Supervisor Chairman Andrew Paravis said the tax hike was necessary to avoid a $130,000 budget deficit for 2009 that would have required the township to tap into its fund balance. According to a township official, the primary reason for the deficit was a drop in income from real estate transfer taxes. In 2008, real estate transfer taxes sank by about $100,000 from the previous year, because far fewer properties have been selling — a direct result of the downturn in the housing market. The township typically brings in about $230,000 a year from that tax.

Source: The Phoenix ; 1/6/09



112 townhomes on track for development in East Coventry

A sizable townhouse subdivision on 42.3 acres in East Coventry appears to be moving forward, despite flat construction trends across the country. Bentley Communities LP, of West Chester, is proposing a 112-unit development adjacent to Coventry Glen — off Ellis Woods and East Cedarville roads. The East Coventry Board of Supervisors approved the sketch plan this past fall after several delays earlier in 2008. Part of the agreement states that all townhouse units must be a minimum of 125 feet from existing homes.

Source: The Phoenix ; 1/6/09




DELAWARE COUNTY



Parkside approves budget

Parkside Borough council held a special Jan. 5 meeting to officially adopt the 0.69-mill property tax increase needed to balance the 2009 operating budget. The new real-estate tax rate of 7.66 mills means the owner of a Parkside property assessed at $100,000 will be paying $766 in taxes this year. The 10 percent millage hike for 2009 represents the fourth consecutive year that property taxes have risen for residents of Parkside.

Source: Daily Times; 1/10/09



Crozer-Keystone to lay off up to 400 employees

Delaware County’s largest employer, Crozer-Keystone Health System, announced it will eliminate up to 400 positions, as a result of various factors stemming from the current economic climate. Crozer-Keystone Health System comprises a network of more than 1,100 physicians and 7,100 total employees.

Source: Daily Times; 1/09/09



Upper Darby mayor submits resignation

F. Raymond Shay, mayor of Upper Darby Township , has tendered his resignation after 34 years in local government. Shay cited “personal reasons” in a letter to Council President Jack Clark. During his tenure Shay spearheaded the development of a township comprehensive plan in 2004, focused on the Market Street Gateway Project, the Baltimore Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project, the zoning code update, several housing code enforcement initiatives, recreation site improvements, and various traffic and pedestrian improvements. According to the Home Rule Charter, Clark , as council president, is next in line for the post of mayor. Clark has served for more than 25 years, but has declined becoming mayor, citing his full-time job as county personnel director in Media. A member of council will be appointed to serve as mayor and complete the last three years of Shay’s four-year term of office.

Source: Daily Times; 1/6/09



Wayne condo representatives keeping positive outlook

Pembroke North, a 54-unit condominium development in Wayne , was completed just in time for the real estate market slowdown, but both the developer and the sales manager maintain that the project is unique enough to weather any storm. Pembroke North is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-registered multifamily residential project in Greater Philadelphia. The project has also been recognized by the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance and by the Pennsylvania Resource Council for exemplifying “smart growth” principles and for leadership in environmentally responsible design. As of the beginning of December, seven units had been sold with one pending agreement.

Source: Suburban Wayne Times; 1/1/09





MONTGOMERY COUNTY



Upper Pottsgrove faces $5M sewer fix

A failing sewer treatment plant in Upper Pottsgrove may end up costing the township money despite being privately owned since the 1970’s. In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) documented pollution coming from the plant into Sprogel’s Run. Under state law, when the owner of a treatment plant is unable to assume financial responsibility for damage to the environment, the hosting municipality assumes responsibility of plant operations and any associated liabilities such as fines and violations. Upper Pottsgrove commissioners have unanimously agreed to sign an agreement with the state that will commit the township to participating in a sewer project with an aggregate cost that could reach $5 million. The township will pursue a state infrastructure grant to offset the cost of the repairs.

Source: The Mercury; 1/07/09



CHOP Norristown clinic loses funding

Despite expansive public support for a $15 million pediatric medical office on Main Street in Norristown , the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) withdrew its application for a use variance before the Norristown Zoning Hearing Board in November. Financing for the project would have come from a $15 million gift from the Karabots Foundation, which withdrew the grant after Norristown council members openly opposed the location for various financial reasons. The medical facility would have been built at 166 W. Main St. in the Designers Furniture & Interiors building of Chain Mar Furniture. The current commercial occupants of the building now pay $2,796 in municipal taxes, $7,494 to Norristown Area School District and $710 to Montgomery County . The non-profit status of the clinic would eliminate that revenue, which concerned several council members.

Source: The Times Herald; 1/03/09



Royersford to move forward with Main Street improvements in 2009

Royersford Borough hopes to continue work on Main Street improvements in 2009, including pedestrian crosswalks between Fourth and Second Avenues. Last summer, sidewalks and lampposts on both sides of Main Street were replaced, but a misunderstanding with PennDOT and the borough over new ADA requirements delayed the continuation of the project. Federal standards on wheelchair ramps changed in 2008 but the information was not relayed to Giovannone Construction crews performing the road work. As a result, workers had to tear up the new cement to make the ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The next phase of Main Street will span the railroad tracks to Third Avenue and is expected to start in the spring.

Source: The Times Herald; 1/06/09