01/25/2013
InformatioBucks County
New Hope approves condos at Cintra Mansion
New Hope Borough Council unanimously approved a conditional use application to transform the historic four-story Cintra Mansion and surrounding property into 29 condominiums. The mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places and will be converted into four modernized condominium units while retaining its circa 1816 exterior. The transformation of the 4.5-acre property will also include condo units in two small cottages, six condo units in the barn and three clusters of condo buildings. Construction is expected to begin in the summer and last about one year.
Source: PhillyBurbs.com; 1/17/2013
Bristol Township schools schedule meeting on $152 million school plan
Bristol Township School District will hold a public meeting on Feb. 12, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the auditorium of the Benjamin Franklin School, 6403 Mill Creek Road, Levittown. The district will present a $152 million proposal to replace its nine aging elementary school buildings with three new state-of-the-art facilities and renovate two middle schools. The district currently maintains 13 buildings, with all but one having been constructed in the mid-20th century as Levittown was built. The cost of maintaining the buildings is nearly $10 million, about eight percent of the general fund budget. The district says that its elementary buildings are over-crowded and enrollment is projected to increase.
Source: Courier Times; 1/24/2013
Centennial looks to control taxes for next year’s budget
Centennial school board members recently committed to keeping the 2013-14 preliminary budget at or below $102 million – a 3.67 percent increase over last year’s budget. Without taking any measures to close a $2.2 million budget gap, district property owners could see next year’s taxes increase $112. The early stage budget includes a 1.97 mill tax increase allowed by Act 1, plus an additional 2.29 mills for the Act 1 exemption for pension contributions. Centennial is expecting a 16.84 percent increase in expenses attributed to the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System, or PSERS. The board will continue to look for ways to lower the proposed tax increase before the preliminary budget is set for approval on Feb. 12.
Source: PhillyBurbs.com; 1/23/2013
Quakertown School District considers budget options
A recent budget proposal from Quakertown School District administrators’ includes a 4.93 percent tax increase. That would mean a tax hike of $184 for the average Quakertown area homeowner. The proposal also includes using $2.8 million in reserves to help balance the budget. The state Act 1 index limits Quakertown to a 1.7 percent tax increase without voter referendum, but the district can seek exceptions for retirement and special education costs. The school board finance committee has countered the 4.93 percent increase with a 3.09 percent increase recommendation. That plan would require Quakertown to use $3.8 million from reserves and would cost the average homeowner an extra $115. The school board will vote on a preliminary budget at its Feb. 14 meeting with the final budget being passed sometime in June.
Source: Courier Times; 1/11/2013
Chester County
Oxford Region Multi-municipal Comprehensive Plan
The Oxford Region Planning Committee will meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month in 2013 with a goal of moving forward with implementation of the adopted Multi-municipal Comprehensive Plan. The meetings will take place at the Lower Oxford Township Building, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The Oxford Region includes Oxford Borough and the Townships of East and West Nottingham, Elk, and Lower and Upper Oxford. The next meeting is scheduled for January 23, 2013 with the tentative agenda expected to include a presentation on Regional Transfer of Development Rights (TDR). Please check the Oxford Region website for updated news, meeting cancellations (due to weather), meeting reports, and agendas for upcoming meetings: http://www.chesco.org/planning/oxfordregion
Source: Daily Local News, 01/18/2013
Penn officials adopting land-use plan
Penn Township supervisors approved a new comprehensive land-use plan at a public hearing and intend to vote to accept it again at a February 6 meeting when more residents are expected to attend. A task force of planning commission members, supervisors and residents has been working on the plan since August 2010. The new plan deals with land use, transportation, community facilities and resource protection. It identifies features that exist within the township and lays out regions where growth should be directed in the future. The full plan is available on the township’s website, www.penntownship.us. Now that the plan is complete, township supervisors are cutting their monthly schedule from two meetings to one. The board of supervisors plans to continue to meet at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the township building.
Source: Daily Local; 1/18/2013
Real estate taxes rising in Downingtown
Downingtown Borough Council voted to raise real estate taxes for 2013 by 0.65 mills. The increase will raise taxes to 7.65 mills, which for the average homeowner will mean a rise of $68 for 2013. Borough residents will also have to prepare for other fee increases along with the real estate tax for 2013, specifically from the Downingtown Municipal Water Authority and possibly in the form of sewage fees. The water authority increased its fees, effective since Jan. 1, for capital improvement projects and repairs to infrastructure. Council members are still waiting to hear if borough administration will recommend an increase in sewer fees.
Source: Daily Local; 1/18/2013
Commissioners reviewing new proposal to save Pocopson Home
The administrator of Chester County’s Pocopson Home laid out a plan to strengthen finances at the long term care facility, as county commissioners signaled that no change in ownership of the facility was being considered. R. Alan Larson told the three commissioners that establishing a short-term rehabilitation unit in one of the facility’s nursing wings could bring in as much as $480,000 a year, and that a switch in having linens and towels laundered outside the home to an in-house laundry could decrease expenses by $180,000. In tacitly giving the go-ahead to Larson’s plan for the rehab unit and laundry changes, the commissioners said that they would not be considering any sale of the beloved facility, or revamping its organizational structure, as had been explored in a series of public meetings with county consultants in 2012.
Source: Mercury; 1/23/2013
Delaware County
Radnor school board to limit tax increase to Act 1 index
The Radnor Township School Board voted to restrain its taxing power to no more than the state’s Act 1 index for 2013-14 with one board member suggesting that even less of an increase is possible. The resolution, which originated with the board’s finance committe, stated in part that “the Board indicate prior to January 31, 2013 their intent to adopt a budget at or below the 2013-2014 Act 1 index in lieu of adoption of a proposed preliminary budget by February 20, 2013.” The resolution means that the board will not apply for Act 1 exceptions in 2013-14. Last year the board voted to raise Radnor Township taxes by 3.21 percent. Of that increase, 1.7 percent was the Act 1 index, the remainder of the increase coming from state-granted exceptions. This year the index will also be 1.7. The board will not ask for exceptions.
Source: Main Line Suburban Life; 1/23/2013
Eddystone fills council vacancy
Eddystone Council recently appointed Dale Kerns to fill a vacancy on borough council, replacing Suzane Blissick, who resigned. Kerns, 29, was sworn into office by Magisterial District Judge Phil Turner. He previously ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for council in the 2011 primary election. He is a member of the IBEW Local 654 and is a quality control supervisor with Aircraft Services International Group.
Source: Daily Times; 1/19/2013
Community group to help CU schools
Chester Upland School District Receiver Joseph Watkins established a Community Partnership Team aimed at better connecting him to the community while he oversees the implementation of the district’s financial and academic recovery plan. The 14- member team includes school board members, business leaders, higher education administrators and pastors, among others. Watkins said forming the Community Partnership Team was important because it gives him an avenue to provide progress updates on his recovery plan and to gain community feedback. The Community Partnership Team does not have any governance over the district.
Source: Daily Times; 1/19/2013
Lower Chichester code enforcement officer retires
Lower Chichester Commissioners recently accepted the retirement of longtime Building Inspector/ Code Enforcement Officer Jim Johnson, effective Feb. 1. Johnson has been an employee of the township for 30 years, and he will remain active with the township on a part-time, as needed basis. In a related motion, Catania Engineering was hired to conduct building inspections, as well as the issuing of licenses and permits.
Source: Daily Times; 1/24/2013
Montgomery County
Horsham reintroduces zoning plan to lift development restrictions near former naval station
Horsham Township council recently reintroduced an ordinance that would lift the current development limits set by the Airport Crash and Noise Overlay District zoning ordinance. The limitation ordinance was put into effect when the Willow Grove Naval Air Station was open and prohibited the building of restaurants, hotels, churches and daycare centers in certain areas that were considered in risk of danger of airplane crashes and excessive noise. Horsham drafted an amending ordinance that would allow future development in the limitation area, but in accordance with the Montgomery County Planning Commission waited until the final base reuse plans were set. A public hearing for the ordinance will be held on Feb. 13.
Source: Public Spirit Willow Grove Guide; 1/21/2013
Upper Dublin School District faces difficult budget
Upper Dublin School District Business Administrator Brenda Bray presented the proposed 2013-14 budget at a recent school board meeting. The budget includes a $2.7 million budget gap and it was up to district Superintendent Michael Pladus to present the options for closing the budget gap. Layoffs, demotions, larger class sizes and cutbacks in the arts and electives were all placed on the table as options to close the deficit. The proposed plan includes a 3.04 percent tax increase – which would amount to an additional $170.62 in school property taxes on the average home assessed at $195,000. Although limited to a 1.7 percent Act 1 tax increase, the district can apply for a pension exception of 1.34 percent for PSERS contributions. Administrators stressed that the proposed budget is a fluid plan and changes will be made before the final budget is adopted on June 12.
Source: Ambler Gazette; 1/16/2013
Steep budget shortfall in Hatboro-Horsham
The Hatboro-Horsham school board reviewed a preliminary budget presentation for the 2013-14 school year and learned that the district is facing a $2.2 million deficit. If the district were to increase taxes at the allowed 1.7 percent Act 1 rate, the deficit will fall to $1.3 million. The school board pledged in December 2012 not to exceed the 1.7 percent Act 1 rate. Bob Reichert, business manager for the school district, also stated that the district has opted not to file for exceptions or raise taxes higher than the base index since Act 1 was enacted. The district will focus on staff reductions as a possibility for balancing the budget – with school enrollment declining steadily over the past eight years, the district does not need as many teachers.
Source: PhillyBurbs.com; 1/24/2013
Lansdale appoints new council member
Lansdale Borough Council voted unanimously to appoint Jason Van Dame to the vacant council seat in Ward 1. The seat was vacated by former councilman Paul Clemente at the end of December. Van Dame was born and raised in Lansdale. He is considering running for a full four-year council term in the fall.
Source: North Penn Life; 1/17/2013
Philadelphia
City will start mailing AVI assessments to residents on Feb. 15
On February 15, Philadelphia will start mailing notices to land owners about what the assessed value of their properties will be under the Nutter administration's new property tax system, which is slated to go into effect next year. Those assessments will not include the amount of individual property tax bills because Council has to approve tax rates, which it is supposed to do by summer. Council members will receive information on how the new assessments impact specific neighborhoods within the next week, and that information will become public soon after. With the Feb. 15 mailing, property owners will also receive information on how to appeal their new assessments to the Office of Property Assessment. The deadline to do so is March 31. If, upon hearing back from OPA the property owner is still unhappy with the decision, that owner can appeal to the city Board of Revision of Taxes by Oct. 1. After that, residents will have to take the city to court to dispute their assessment. The Actual Value Initiative seeks to fix Philly's problematic property-tax system, which bills thousands of properties based on outdated assessments, by determining the current value of every plot in the city. Nutter has said the purpose is to create a fairer system, not to raise revenue.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 1/22/2012
Understanding Philadelphia’s Lead Paint Disclosure and Certification Law
As of December 21, 2012, the Philadelphia Lead Disclosure and Certification Law requires that rental properties in Philadelphia must be certified as lead safe or lead free if:
•There is a change in occupancy and any new occupant is under the age of six
•The property was built prior to 1978.
The new law requires the landlord to provide the new tenant with a certificate obtained through an EPA Certified Dust Sampling Technician or PA licensed inspector indicating that the property has passed a visual inspection for deteriorated paint and has been cleared by lead dust samples or is completely free of any lead paint. A copy of this certificate (which is good for two years), signed by the tenant, must be filed with the Philadelphia Department of Health. For more information on this law, guidance for landlords, recommended information for tenants, sample lead safe and lead free certificates, and more, visit: www.phila.gov/health/leadlaw. It should also be noted that existing leases (signed prior to Dec. 21, 2012) will not be impacted by this new law unless there is a change in occupancy. Over the next few months, questions may be directed to Robert Himmelsbach hia D..
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