Mayor Marty’s Perspectives on the Pandemic
Swarthmore Mayor Marty Spiegel
In a recent interview, Mayor Marty Spiegel of Swarthmore answered some questions and reflected on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the town.
When asked how the borough administration had responded, the mayor observed that “it became evident early on that we would have to make certain changes. The first thing we did was issue an emergency declaration, making it possible for us to operate outside the normal state-mandated guidelines. In particular, this allowed us to hold council meetings remotely over Zoom rather than in person. And while Borough Hall was closed physically to the public, staff continued to work – at times remotely, but sometimes from the office. Staff members were never more than a phone call away. No services were significantly interrupted during the pandemic; even mulch delivery was handled on a timely basis.”
The mayor went on to say that the borough was fortunate that the state and Governor Wolf had taken the pandemic seriously and issued proactive, sensible mandates and guidelines. As a result, Swarthmore did not have to issue separate guidelines.
The mayor also praised Swarthmore residents. “It was impressive to see how the townspeople responded to the health concerns created by the pandemic. It was rare to run across anyone without a mask or not observing social distancing. Large gatherings were uncommon. There was a genuine sense of respect for and understanding of science. Of course, we could not escape Covid entirely, but the borough had a relatively low number of cases compared to many neighboring communities in Delaware County.”
The mayor went on to say that the economic effect on town businesses was impossible to ignore. “We are a town of small-shop owners and local restaurants. When the pandemic hit, some places were already struggling. Our businesses had to figure out how to respond, how to adjust. They did this in a number of ways, like creating an online presence to sell their products; restaurants moved to a take-out mode in keeping with state mandates. When stores began opening up, they developed policies on mask wearing, limited entrance, social distancing, hand sanitizing, and the frequent cleaning and sanitizing of their store interiors and contents. I have to commend the Co-op as a leader in this area. It was a model in the measures it took to protect its staff and customers. Praise also goes to Town Center for taking the idea of parklets to the borough council for approval. That has been a boon to our local restaurants.”
The mayor then spoke about the borough’s relationship with Swarthmore College and other towns during the pandemic. “The last 18 months have expanded associations that were already well-established. The borough meets regularly with representatives from the college, especially about matters relating to public safety. While it was disappointing when the college closed its campus, we understood its need to protect its students and staff.” Similarly, the mayor met—and continues to meet—fairly regularly with the mayors of several nearby towns so that they can share their opinions and experiences.
Finally, the mayor spoke about the future. “This is called a novel virus for good reason. There are so many directions it may take. The country and the world are now experiencing the effects of the Delta variant. The CDC has recently called for vaccinated people to wear masks in certain indoor situations. It would not surprise me if the state will once again issue mandates and guidelines, which Swarthmore will, of course, follow. As the sign says, ‘We’re all in this together.’”
