Borough Approves Sewer Repairs at Uneventful Zoom Meeting
At its May work session on Zoom on Monday night, Swarthmore Borough Council unanimously voted to award a contract to Sewer and Water Evaluation and Rehabilitation Procedures, Inc., to repair two sections of sewer line from the center of town along Lafayette Avenue. One section will cost $9,100 for 166 linear feet of 8-inch pipe, according to Public Works Committee chair Ross Schmucki. A second, longer section will cost $15,400 for approximately 541 linear feet of pipe.
Borough Manager Jane Billings said that this section of Swarthmore’s sewer has been subject to clogs for some time. This is partly because it serves the business district, where restaurant cooking grease gets into the line despite the restaurants’ grease traps. Public Works director Cuzzy Rowles had the line televised, Billings said, revealing breaks in the pipe and infiltration by heavy roots. The work is expected to begin next week.
Few borough committees met last month, following recommendations from the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records that municipal governments postpone business when possible, since virtual meetings may be less accessible to the public than traditional meetings.
The Finance Committee, however, did meet. Committee chair Michael Carey reported that revenues from parking and real estate transfer fees have been down because of the pandemic. Some expenses, including police overtime, also have been lower. As he did in April, Carey predicted that financial effects of the pandemic are more likely to be felt next year than this. On a positive note, he reminded council that the borough paid down some debt last year. He characterized the borough’s fund balance as healthy. “We’re in a pretty good position relative to other boroughs,” he said.
Elections, Weddings, and Birthday Celebrations
Billings reported that borough staff continue to work more or less as usual, except that they take turns working in the office. They have been issuing use and occupancy certificates for real estate sales. With Pennsylvania reopening some construction work, the borough will again issue building certificates. Billings also reported that Delaware County is reviewing which current voting sites will be available to conduct primary elections on June 2. “I personally did not see a problem if they wanted to continue to use Borough Hall,” she said. She believes the building, which would be disinfected after the primary, is well designed for getting people in and out efficiently. The county is considering consolidating Swarthmore’s usual three polling sites into a single site. “They are really scrambling,” she said.
Mayor Marty Spiegel reported that he recently conducted his first two weddings as mayor. He suggested the couples he married make donations to the Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association to recognize the service, for which mayors are permitted to charge up to $150.
Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association president Rick Lee reported that the fire department has been driving fire engines past people’s houses, on request, to celebrate birthdays. Residents can request a birthday drive-by by calling the station’s non-emergency number, 610-544-2732.
Lee also reported that the department’s new ambulance is expected to be delivered on schedule at the end of May.
Police Chief Ray Stufflet reported that the police department has implemented a new phone system with an automatic phone tree to route callers to the right department.
General Government Committee Chair Sarah Graden pointed out that Billings has been regularly updating the borough’s website, swarthmorepa.org. The site contains a wealth of information about COVID-19, business resources, mental health support, and more, she said. “It’s a great resource everyone should know about.”
View this or any other Swarthmore Borough Council meeting.
The next council meeting is Monday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m., on Zoom. Details about attending the meeting will be available on the borough’s website.
