A Routine Borough Council Meeting

Wednesday's work session of Pottstown Borough Council was a quick one, less than an hour.

There were few big ticket items, but a few smaller one.

Police Chief Rick Drumheller reported that the locations for street cameras have been identified and that project is moving forward thanks to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

Plans to close High Street for the Halloween Parade on Oct. 25 are moving forward, as are approvals for the Walk-Bike Pottstown project, which will change a few street orientations to make room for bike lanes.

Council also appears prepared to vote on changes to the fire ordinance, which will give more control to the fire chief position and now, thanks to input from council, will require the chief live within five miles of the borough within a year after getting the job.

The borough will likely hire the Maillie firm to conduct the next two year's audits of the borough's books due to their price coming in lower than was charged this year.

And, there are also a number of vacancies on borough boards, some of which may be filled Monday night.

They are: two vacant seats on the code board of appeals; one on the Environmental Advisory Council; one on the Historic Architecture Review Board; several on the Human Relations Commission and one on the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority.

In the meantime, here are the Tweets and video from last night's meeting.

July 4th Events Canceled and Other Business

What much of the Pottstown area feared came to pass Wednesday night; official word that there will be no parade, no fireworks and no Independence Day festivities in Pottstown this year.

Marcia Levengood, co-chair of Independence Day Ltd., the non-profit organization which has struggled to field events for the last three years, said almost no contributions were received as a result of fundraising efforts.

Borough Council President Dan Weand reiterated that the borough never has, and has no intention to start now, of funding the event with taxpayer dollars.

And council member Dennis Arms wondered why council is complacent enough to allow Borough Manager Mark Flanders to spend $2,500 to hire a consultant to find a replacement for the departing Assistant Borough Manager Eric Batdorf, when the borough "has an HR department charged with hiring and recruiting," but won't spend money on a July 4th parade.

And so it went. You can read and watch more about that in the Tweets below.

On to the "other business."

First of all, Vice President Sheryl Miller sketched out a way that the Pottstown Human Relations Commission could be put back up and running. Significant among the changes sought are appointment of commissioners by borough council and not the mayor, as happens now.

The PART bus system, whose $2.3 million budget will likely be approved at Monday's meeting, will have a fare increase starting July 1 after a public hearing at which no one spoke.

The LERTA tax break, or as the Digital Notebook staff calls it -- "The Never-Ending Story" -- may finally be adopted at the joint council school board meeting on June 21

And what we all hope will be the final version of plans for the land on the former Mrs. Smith's Pies site at south Hanover and Industrial Drive -- now called Hanover Square -- will be voted on Monday.

That should be enough to keep me on my toes for a couple days.

Here are the Tweets 'N More:

Steve Toroney Begins the Long Goodbye

Photos by Evan Brandt
Pottstown Mayor Sharon Thomas congratulates Council President
Stephen Toroney on his 17 years of service on council Wednesday.

December is more than just the season for holidays, presents and Christmas carols.

December is also when people say good-bye, particularly elected officials and public employees who are retiring at the end of the year.

And so it was Wednesday night, when borough council presented a proclamation thanking water plant assistant manager Clifford Craft for his 39 years of service to the borough.

(Video of the presentation to Craft is embedded in the Tweets below.)

Then it was Tax Collector Barbara Toroney's turn, who got a thank you (delivered by her husband) for 10 years of service to the borough, a proclamation that ended with a kiss (also delivered by her husband.)

"It's not often you get to kiss your tax collector," Toroney joked.

Here's video of that presentation:



Then it was Toroney's turn, as Mayor Sharon Thomas read a proclamation thanking him for his 17 years of service on Pottstown Borough Council.



As he has been saying for several months, Toroney promised some interesting comments on his part at his last meeting of the year, quoting radio icon Paul Harvey by saying he will present "the rest of the story."

But it was more than just goodbyes Wednesday night.

The latest proposed configuration of buildings for the corner of
South Hanover Street and Industrial Highway.

Council was also informed of the latest version of plans for the commercial portion of the former Mrs. Smith's Pies site along South Hanover Street.

It now consists of three buildings, made necessary by the large and very necessary sewer pipe which cuts across the property and down Industrial Highway on its final leg of the journey to the wastewater treatment plant.

Council will vote Monday on whether to support the variance before the zoning hearing board to allow the project to move forward after 10 years of waiting.

There was also some discussion of the closing of The Very Best hot dog shop, and Mayor Sharon Thomas had a few things to say about that.

Here's video of her comments:



And there was other stuff too, and you can find out all about that in the Tweets from the meeting pasted below ...

Officer of the Year, Fire Merger Fall-out, New Life for Mrs. Smith's Pies Site, Rental Issues Update

Photo by Evan Brandt

Pottstown Mayor Sharon Thomas, right, reads the proclamation naming Det. Heather Long Pottstown's Office of the Year, while Police Capt. Robert Thomas, left, and Chief Richard Drumheller listen.

So sometimes, you know, technology just fails you.

Despite waning battery life, it was not my mobile devices which made life difficult last night, it was the after-the-fact compilations.

I don't know if it was Storify or YouTube that had a stick up its ass, but I could not get the video links of Heather Long's swearing in to show up on the Storify of last night's council meeting.

And I had such good seats too.

Anyway, because I will never let a good video go to waste, I am embedding them here in a different, hopefully more cooperative program (Not much more).

Here is video of Police Chief Richard Drumheller praising Heather Long's dedication:



And here is more video, this time of Pottstown Mayor Sharon Thomas, reading the proclamation for Long's honor:



And I'd like to say more about last night's meeting, because it was kind of interesting, but you'll have to get it from the Tweets below because at this point, I need a cocktail ... or 10.

Every Picture Tells a Story ... Our Story

The Casselberry Home, by Peter Ehlinger,  was the home of Pottstown's first library.

I confess to being not only a history buff, but a local history buff.

It is constantly remarkable to me how much history lives all around us, how it is connected to the great events about which we learn in school, and thus as a reminder that the events of the day will become the same -- local history that connects us to the great events of our day.

Celebrating that local history is the Gallery on High, which is now offering the third of its Signature Series of art depicting important people, places and events in Pottstown history.

The Pottstown Signature Series is a series of collectible, high-end lithographs that will be released annually. Each edition will focus on a significant aspect of Pottstown’s rich history. The Signature Series is sponsored by the Greater Pottstown Foundation. The first edition in the series, titled Look for the Rope Edge, is centered on Mrs. Smith’s Pies. Drawn by local artist and Gallery Member Artist Steve Kent, this inaugural image is limited to a run of 100 prints.

The Gallery School of Pottstown's second edition of the Pottstown Signature Series honors the Pottstown Firebirds football team.

The second series, by Mary Ellen Christ, celebrates the Pottstown
Firebirds football team.

Relive that time in our town's history when the Firebirds were all the buzz, and everyone was a fan.

Created by Gallery Member Artist Mary Ellen Christ, this tribute is titled Hometown Champions and is available in a limited edition of signed and numbered lithographs.


The third edition is now available for order. This latest Signature Series features the Casselberry home, which was Pottstown's first library. This watercolor was created by Gallery School Member Artist Peter Ehlinger.

You can learn more about the Signature Series by clicking here.

Each Signature Series is $60, and can be purchased online at the Gallery's website, or in person at 254 E. High St. Questions? For details, call 610-326-2506 or email them.