Reports and Public Comments in Short Session
The Swarthmore Borough Council met on Monday evening, August 9. Discussion was limited, and the meeting adjourned into executive session before eight o’clock.
Public Comments
Only two people addressed the council during the public comment section of the meeting.
Swarthmore resident David Bloom raised a concern about homes in Swarthmore that have either been abandoned or are undergoing long-term construction. He asked council whether the borough already has or can adopt either ordinances or stricter permitting processes to place reasonable limits on the amount of time a residential home can be unoccupied due to either construction or abandonment. He highlighted two recent examples of the problem. One included a one home that has been under renovation for 19 years and the other was an abandoned property that recently sold after decaying for more than 14 years. The builder who bought the property found 4 feet of water in the basement and a dead raccoon family inside. Both examples highlighted the health an safety concerns as well as quality of life for their neighbors.
Swarthmore resident Neil Young expressed his concern about disagreements at the previous meeting over the towing contract for emergency services. He said that he believed the disagreement poses a risk of harm to the integrity of the council. (See YouTube video and Neil Young’s Letter to the Editor).
Committee Reports
The chair of the Environment Committee, Lauren McKinney, being absent, Betsy Larsen, a member of that committee, reported that at the last Environment Committee meeting the discussion had primarily been about discussions with a representative of the Energy Transition Task Force who is interested in obtaining a website for information on renewable energy pertaining to the borough. The chair of the General Government Committee, Sarah Graden, was absent from the meeting; since that committee had not met since the last council meeting, there was no report.
The Finance Committee chair, Michael Carey, gave the July financial report. He said that the budget is running as expected, and that the borough’s cash balance at the end of the month was $2,420,369. On his motion, the council approved July wire transactions and invoices through August 5. He noted that the Finance Committee will meet next, in person, on Monday, August 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Betsy Larsen, the chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee, reported that residents have complained about overgrowth on the sidewalks in the borough. She said that the Planning and Zoning Committee has asked Jane Billings, the borough manager, to send letters addressing overgrowth on Fairview Road, and to ask the inspector for maintenance on sidewalks. Billings responded that the borough’s Code Enforcement officer has been notified. Larsen said that committee is not scheduled to meet in August.
A representative of the Public Safety Committee noted that the committee did not meet in July and is not scheduled to meet in August. The council president, Mary Walk, reported that the chair of Swarthmore Borough’s Civil Service Commission has moved out of the borough, and that therefore the commission will need to appoint a new member and an alternate.
Ross Schmucki, the chair of the Public Works, Parks and Recreation Committee, reported that the committee did not meet in July. The committee is tentatively scheduled to meet on Thursday, August 26, at noon, if items arise will require discussion.
Mayor’s Report
Mayor Marty Spiegel encouraged residents of the borough to take the coronavirus threat seriously. He recommended that, since Delaware County has moved into the higher transmission risk category, people wear masks when indoors. He plans to talk to local merchants to encourage indoor masking at their venues.
Borough Manager Report
Borough Manager Jane Billings reported that she had met with representatives of Delaware County’s new health department, and that the only change that will affect Swarthmore is that, where previously the borough has hired an inspector to perform restaurant inspections, going forward, the health department will conduct inspections.
Billings also noted that the council had previously voted to become a SolSmart community to benefit the environment. Solsmart is a program funded by the Department of Energy that offers free technical assistance to municipalities in making decisions about solar energy. It awards organizations points using objective criteria for removing obstacles to solar energy development. Communities that receive sufficient points are designated Gold, Silver, or Bronze. SolSmart has given the borough a Bronze designation. Billings reported that she had attended a webinar about an app that will allow for expedited processing of solar permit applications: it can be obtained at no cost and she said it will help improve the borough’s SolSmart ranking.
Ending Comments
Ross Schmucki read Cuzzy Rowles’s letter announcing his retirement as the director of public works, effective January 4, 2022. The council then went into executive session.
