Mystery Donor May Cover Stadium Lights Shortfall

Mercury File Photo

Pottstown School Board member Polly Weand says an anonymous donor may help cover the $86,000 gap between what has been raised and the cost of new stadium lights at Pottstown High School's Grigg Memorial Field.

An anonymous donor who gave $10,000 to the campaign to raise enough money to replace the lights at Pottstown High School's Grigg Memorial Field has now offered to loan the effort up to $86,000 to ensure the lights get erected this summer in time for the fall football season.

The news was delivered Thursday night by school board member Polly Weand, who has headed up the long and difficult fundraising effort.

She said the same anonymous donor who provided $10,000 on Thanksgiving Day, has made this new offer because "he is determined these lights are going to get put up."

The latest estimate, also delivered Thursday night to the board's facilities committee, is $302,674, and the fundraising effort is about $86,000 short of what it needs to pay for the job.

The Iowa-based company that offered the estimate is willing to finance the remainder for a five- or seven-year period, at an interest rate between 3.95 percent and 4.45 percent.

But Weand said she would rather avoid interest payments and asked School Board Solicitor Stephen Kalis about the legality of a loan.

Kalis said if the agreement is between the generous donor and the fundraising campaign, the school district need not be involved at all.

But if the district will be expected to make up any shortfalls in payments should the fundraising effort be unable to raise the remaining $86,000, Kalis he would need more information.

Weand reiterated that she does not want to see any tax money used for the effort, a position set by the school board three years ago when the existing poles were cut and the lights removed.

In other athletic facility related matters, the facilities committee was informed that the bid for repairing the athletic fields along North Franklin Street, used for soccer and field hockey, came in less than expected.

The district was expecting a bill around $325,000, but the estimated cost is $276,762. The money to pay for the project will come from the proceeds of a recent bond re-financing, said Business Manager Linda Adams, adding no cost to the budget.

$2 Million budget shortfall

Also of interest to taxpayer, but not on the agenda, is the fact that current figures estimate that the $59.5 million 2017-18 school budget is about $1.9 million out of balance.

The matter was brought to the table by board member Thomas Hylton, who said the latest figures from the Pennsylvania Department of Education -- which are already several years old -- have pushed Pottstown from the 13th highest local tax effort, to the 3rd.

"I will not vote for any tax increase," said Hylton. For the past two years, the district has not raised taxes. "We are strangling the life out of this town and we had better start planning now how we are going to cut spending."

Adams said if the Republican-dominated Pennsylvania General Assembly were to adopt the budget proposed  by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, which is unlikely, Pottstown would receive an additional $850,000 from the state.

"That's the best case scenario," observed Hylton, who also noted that still leaves the district with a budget gap of about $1 million.

"We are going to have to get more frugal," said board member Katina Bearden.

Middle School discipline issues

Acting Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez also informed the board that a temporary personnel adjustment he has made seems to be reducing the persistent discipline issues experienced at Pottstown Middle School and received general assent to continue the situation on a month-to-month basis as needed.

In the meantime, folks with time on their hands can peruse the Tweets from the multi-committee meeting night below.

No Pool for 2017 in West Pottsgrove, But Commissioners OK With Marijuana Growing Facility

I will say this for the West Pottsgrove Commissioners, when called upon, they certainly know how to pack a whole lot of news into a short period of time.

In a 40-minute long meeting, they announced the township pool will not be opening for 2017; that they have no opposition to a 100,000-square foot medical marijuana growing and processing facility being built on the property of the former Stanley Flagg Brass site; that they are reducing Dek Hockey hours at the West Pottsgrove Elementary program run by the Pottstown Police Athletic League and that they were withholding payments to the West End Fire Company for reasons that were not entirely clear to me.

That's a lot of stuff.

The reason some thing were not clear to me, quite frankly, is due to technical problems. I always struggle to get a signal in the township meeting room and only managed to Tweet out after I hit upon the idea of using my iPhone as a "hot spot" for my iPad -- all very frustrating I assure you.

The West Pottsgrove Pool will not even be filled this year.

But several things were quite clear.

First among them that the township pool will not open for the summer this year, largely because any company that has been approached about managing the pool wants a guaranteed return, something Commissioner Pete LaRosa said the township is not prepared to provide.

He and commissioners Charles Valentine and Dominic Gentile agreed to serve on a committee to find a way to open the pool for the summer of 2018 "with no cost to the township," LaRosa said.

The bigger story, perhaps, was the commissioners' unanimous decision to sign a letter saying, in essence, they have no objection to a medical marijuana growing facility being erected on the site of the former Stanley Flagg Brass plant.

Keith A. Morgan, a partner in the Holistic Farms operation, said the growing and processing facility will all be under-roof; in fact in a concrete building with no windows that is so secure, it has been described as a "Fort Knox."

Not only is the proposed 100,000 square-foot replete with cameras, the lock if so

An indoor medical marijuana growing facility in Maryland.

complex it costs $4,000, he said by way of example.

Once up and running at full size, it could provide as many as 150 jobs, according to information he provided at a previous township meeting.

But this is by no means a done deal.

Morgan explained that Pennsylvania, the 28th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, will issue only 12 permits statewide.

The state has been divided up into six regions for this purpose and Morgan's company will be competing with others for one of only two permits to be issued in the 11 counties which comprise the Southeast Pennsylvania region.

He said his company is hedging its bets by also pursuing a license for another site in New Castle, Lawrence County in the Northwest region.

To apply, Morgan said his company must pay $10,000 application fee, as well as a $200,000 cost if the license is approved. The license is good for one year costs $30,000 to renew every year.

The cost to build the facility is estimated at $10 million but the potential returns are significant given that this is anticipated to be a $1 billion a year business in Pennsylvania in five years.

In the meantime, if approved, the West Pottsgrove facility would slowly amp up, starting in a temporary growing building, particularly given that there may be as few as 3,000 citizens enrolled statewide in the first year.

By the third year however, given that 17 different ailments are certified to receive marijuana prescriptions, the number of enrollees may rise as high as 50,000, said Morgan.

The proposed facility in West Pottsgrove -- which would still need to go through the land development process to be built -- would grow the plants, remove the THC and CBD, the chemicals of medical use.

The chemicals would be processed at the site into pills, lotions or ointments, said Morgan.

The state is scheduled to make a decision on which companies get the license in June, but Morgan said most believe an Aug. 15 date is more likely.

Residents at Wednesday night's meeting offered observations that ranged from endorsement, to caution.

Tina Himes said the facility would be good for jobs and for the tax base, while Gladys Frain wondered if the road construction project of Route 422 or the fact that the site is in the 100-year flood plain would post any problem.

Morgan said no.

Another resident worried about potential crime, but Morgan and Police Chief Matthew Stofflet said the facility will be extremely secure, if built.

In other business, Stofflet said he had met with the board of Pottstown PAL about residents complaints about the Dek Hockey program run at West Pottsgrove Elementary School on Grosstown Road.

He said PAL agreed that there will be no more Friday games, and that blocks of time will be blocked off from play. They include: April 10 to April 16 for Easter; May 26 through May 29 for Memorial Day; May 14 for Mother's Day; June 18 for Father's Day as well as no Sunday games after 6 p.m.

Additionally, a smoking ban will be instituted and parking will only be allowed on the school grounds.

And with that, here are the limited Tweets I was able to get out from the meeting:

Hazing, Substitute Pay and Calendar Top Agenda

I would be misleading you to tell you that last night's Pottsgrove School Board meeting was a barn-burner.

It was barely a camp-stove burner.

Nevertheless, the business of the public must be chronicled.

Several expressed an interest in the board's decision to return to the practice of starting school before Labor Day. The new calendar for the 2017-2018 school year is now posted on the district web site.

There was also a discussion, brought to the fore by board member Bill Parker, about the shortage of substitute teachers, what substitute administrators are paid, and the idea that perhaps upping the daily rate would attract more subs.

Superintendent Bill Shirk noted that there are regular support staff in the district who have not seen a raise in six years and if increasing pay is going to be discussed, they should be included, which the board agreed to at least consider.

Also of interest, to me anyway, is the adoption of a new hazing policy. The previous one basically said "don't haze people."

But the problem "is more than just in the locker room," Superintendent Bill Shirk said, noting that "no gay Thursdays" hazing issues in the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District brought the problem to painful public spotlight.

We'll be taking a closer look at that policy in an upcoming Mercury article.

In the meantime, here are the Tweets from last night.

Pottstown Police Get 3 Years of 3% Raises in Pact

Borough Council saved the news for last last night.

After leaving immediately to a closed-door executive session after the meeting began, the vote and details of a new three-year contract with the Pottstown Police Officers Association were not addressed until the end of the meeting.

As you have no doubt already read in the print version of The Mercury, council unanimously approved a new three-year contract for police that provides raises of 3.25 percent the first year; 3.5

percent the second and 3.5 percent in the third.

The police contract cycle is now the same as the non-uniformed union cycle and all borough employees are in the same health plan -- there were once something like seven plans.

In other news, council also agreed to assist with plans to put a welcome to Pottstown sign in the empty lot at King and Manatawny streets across from The Ice House, as well as art panels along the King Street bridge and light pole banners downtown.

Borough Manager Mark Flanders said work on replacing the King Street bridge will likely not get underway until the summer of 2018 and council voted to apply for a Montco 2040 grant to install a pedestrian crossing across King Street at the entrance to Memorial Park and the Carousel at Pottstown on the other side.

Council also agreed to sell 629 Walnut St. to Habitat for Humanity to be refurbished and sold to a first-time homebuyer.

And Phillies Fire Company Vice President Miles Feather said about a dozen people turned out for the first Fire Academy event. The next one will be on Feb. 26 and will focus on ladder operations.

While you're waiting, you can read the Tweets.

$1Million Up for Grabs in Montco Grant Program

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Montgomery County.

Applications are now open for a $1 million grant program aimed at furthering the goals outlined in Montgomery County's comprehensive plan and there is a March 1 deadline to apply..

The Montgomery County Commissioners approved $1 million for the second cycle of the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program. The program is intended to assist municipalities in making targeted physical improvements that achieve real progress toward the goals of the County’s comprehensive plan, Montco 2040: A Shared Vision.

This year, for example, Pottstown intends to apply for funding to pay for a pedestrian crossing on King Street, linking the Carousel at Pottstown and Manatawny Green mini-golf with Memorial Park and the

Colebrookdale Railroad, furthering several county goals including making communities more walkable and promoting tourism and recreation as an economic driver.

“This grant program provides the opportunity for municipalities to advance and build projects, such as parks, sidewalks, public art projects, and green infrastructure, which improve our communities and raise Montgomery County’s quality of life,” said Jody L. Holton, AICP, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

The program will be administered similarly to 2016, with another $1 million available on a competitive grant basis for municipalities and their partners, but with one important change in 2017.

Applications will no longer be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis. A deadline of March 1, 2017 is the important date to submit applications for projects that are ready to go for round one of funding.

There will also be a second round opportunity to apply by July 1, 2017, but that round will be dependent on funding still remaining after the first round.

The program, initiated in 2016 with annual allocations expected over the next five years, successfully awarded 14 projects totaling $1.24 million in 2016, with the final two projects awarded at a recent Board of Commissioners meeting.

The first was a $42,500 grant to the Upper Perkiomen Region headed by East Greenville to implement a wayfinding and identity program that will install 65 signs across the region.

The second was a $200,000 grant to Lower Merion Township supporting Phase 2 of a multimillion dollar roadway and streetscape project that will improve pedestrian and vehicular travel across a 1.4-mile stretch of the busy corridor separating Montgomery County and Philadelphia.

“The program focuses on supporting local projects that make Montgomery County a great place to live,

Val Arkoosh, chairperson of Montgomery County Commissioners

work, and raise a family,” said Val Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “These projects specifically further the goals of Montco 2040 and its themes of Connected Communities, Sustainable Places, and Vibrant Economy.”

While the program is open to a wide array of projects fitting within the comprehensive plan, there are specific focus categories announced each year that highlight recent County planning initiatives.

In 2017, these focus categories will correspond to Walk Montco and Bike Montco (trails, paths, sidewalk connections, and bike facilities), Support of Downtowns and Community Destinations, and Revitalization of Office and Business Parks.

Visit www.montcopa.org/Montco2040GrantProgram for program details, a brochure that provides information on eligible projects, complete guidelines for the 2017 cycle along with application forms and instructions, and to view the 2016 grant recipients.

For more information on the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program, please contact Scott France Scott France, AICP, Section Chief of County Planning, at 610-278- 3747 or via emailsfrance@montcopa.org.