Montgomery Elks Club Seeks Another Liquor License

Montgomery Elks Lodge Nor. 1271 is located at 605 Walnut St. in Pottstown.

The Montgomery Elks Lodge No., 1271 on Walnut Street is once again seeking a liquor license.

A public hearing on the transfer of a club license from Bridgeport that was scheduled for Wednesday was postponed until June 3 at 7:30 p.m. "when the applicant hopes we can conduct the meeting in person," according to Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr.

It was February of 2019 when the club last sought to transfer a license from the Gilbertsville Fire Company, and was rejected by a 6-1 vote of borough council.

During those hearings, several neighborhood residents turned out to complain about disturbances at the club, located at 605 Walnut St., which still rents out space for BYOB parties.

Others suggested that the opposition to the club was based more on race, as most of its members are African-American.

The club lost its license in 2015 when the high number of police calls to the 605 Walnut St. location led the Pennsylvania Liquor Control board to refuse to renew the club's license.

One incident involved someone being shot outside the club and police officers trying to aid the victim being assaulted.

Incidents since then have dropped, but began to rise again in 2017. Since no testimony was offered Wednesday night, it is unknown how many police calls were generated regarding the location in the last year.

Transportation Grants

Borough Manager Justin Keller reported that the federal government awarded the Pottstown Area Rapid Transit bus system a $750,000 grant to cover operation costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another $1 million capital grant will help with the purchase of two new buses.

Additionally, Keller said the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded the Pottstown Municipal Airport a $30,000 grant.

Another $48,536 grant from the Bureau of Justice has also been awarded to the Pottstown Police Department to help pay for personal protective equipment for officers to use during the pandemic.

Another Brew Pub

While businesses are struggling to make it through the diminished customers created by the stay-at-home order, one opened up.

Peggy Lee Clark, executive director of Pottstown Area Industrial Development -- the borough's economic development arm -- told council that Imprint Brewery opened at the Pottstown Terminal Market at the corner of South Charlotte Street and East High Street.

"They had a highly successful opening and the line from the entrance on Charlotte Street was around the block," Lee-Clark said.

Bad Behavior Unmasked

But not all businesses are thriving.

Sheila Dugan, who owns Grumpy's Handcarved Sandwiches with her husband Gene, expressed frustration with people who are not wearing masks in public, potentially extending the shut-down period.

A screenshot from Wednesday night's online council meeting.

"Grumpy's can hold on a little while longer, but I'm getting really nervous that this could happen again over Christmas," she said. She said the eatery, which makes much of its money through catering events, "has most of our bookings through September."

Mayor Stephanie Henrick echoed similar concerns about the behavior of customers in the Giant supermarket in the Upland Square shopping center.

"The store has done a really good job of putting markers on the ground, of making an in-door and an out-door, but people are not listening," Henrick said. "They are not practicing social distancing, they are fighting with the staff and dawdling in the aisles."

She also chided residents for not filling out the U.S. Census.

"I'm a little disappointed. I've seen one map that puts the borough at 35 percent response, and another at 45 percent," said Henrick.

"The Montgomery County rate is 57.7 percent and I would really like to see a higher number for Pottstown," she said, emphasizing that not filling out the form may short the borough out of both federal and state funding.

Tax Deadline Extension?

Borough Council, which already extending the 2 percent property tax discount period through the end of the month, will decide next month weather to waive the penalty for late payment.

There seemed to be little appetite for extending the discount period after Keller said it could have a serious impact on an already undermined borough budget.

"We'd be more comfortable with extending the face period rather than extending the discount period," he said.

"People aren't working, so I don't see how we can charge a late fee," said Councilwoman Lisa Vanni.

Parades Canceled

Both the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades in Pottstown have been canceled, Keller said.

And the organizers of the GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park have announced they plan to move the event to Labor Day, when a reduced event will be held.

But they still plan on having fireworks.

'Green Energy' Plant Proposed for Keystone Blvd.

Photos from Screenshots

Terry Planton, CEO of SEP-1, makes a virtual presentation on his company's plan to build off Keystone Boulevard during Wednesday night's online Pottstown Borough Council work session.

Who says you can't press forward with a new business in the midst of a worldwide pandemic?

Not Pottstown.

During Wednesday night's council work session, the first of what promises to be many on-line virtual civic meetings, an update on a new business proposed for Keystone Boulevard was unveiled.

The proposal calls for the construction of a $142 million "green renewable diesel production plan" that creates diesel fuel from cellulose items like paper and cardboard.

It also produces a "co-product" called "bio-char" that is used in agriculture as a soil additive, according to Terry Planton, CEO of SEP-1, the development company looking to build the plant.

Map of the KEEP planning region.

The project is the first to be considered under the KEEP plan for Keystone Boulevard, a joint plan
between the borough and West Pottsgrove Township has has been seven years in the making.

(KEEP stands for Keystone Employment and Economic Plan.)

The plan seeks to attract light industrial, office and residential uses to the 255 acres along the Schuylkill River in both municipalities, and thus to help fund the extension of Keystone Boulvard to the Grosstown Road interchange with Route 422.

Borough Manager Jason Keller said this proposal, planned for 451 Keystone Blvd, which is where the road currently ends, is the first to come in under the umbrella of that plan.

The proposed plant would take in recycled cellulose like paper, cardboard, wood pallets and other non-food organic material and heat it to 2000 degrees, "but not burn it," according to Planton.

This process, called "thermal decomposition" that is undertaken in the absence of oxygen, would create a bio-diesel product and the bio-char product, which is much like fireplace ash and comprises fully 20 percent of the plant's revenue stream.

The bio-char will be transported in "closed containers" and will not be lose, Planton said.

It is a "closed loop," said Planton, noting there is no smell, little to no emissions and no noise louder than the freight trains that play the tracks through Pottstown day and night. Two similar plants are already in operation in Tennessee, he said.

If approved, the plant would employ 68 people full time, working in three shifts over 24 hours and have a $3.9 million payroll with an average wage of $58,000, according to Planton, who added that the company is "committed to hiring locally to fill our positions."

When up and running, the plant would generate $39,000 a year in wage taxes for Pottstown, along with about $551,000 in property taxes, according to Planton.

There is already a detailed sketch plan for the project.

Construction, which would begin in June, 2021 according to the schedule, would take 18 months and employ 174 construction workers.

If the schedule holds, the plant would be up and running by January of 2023.

Keller praised the design and of the site, saying the office building up front, and evergreen screening all about will hide most of the site from the road.

"All operations take place inside," said Planton, although it will require 50 trucks a day to keep the plant running.

The idea is to use the plant as leverage to help push the extension of Keystone Boulevard so those trucks can go directly to and from Route 422 to Keystone Boulevard.

Because the project is occurring under the KEEP plan, the KEEP Oversight Committee, which has representatives from both the borough and West Pottsgrove, will act as the planning commission for the project, said Keller.

Borough staff is also recommending a change to the borough's zoning. The current zoning "did not anticipate such a use and this is cutting-edge technology," Matthew Hovey, the borough's assistant solicitor, said during the meeting.

Requiring the company to seek a variance from the zoning hearing board could present difficulties "because the legal standard to obtaining a variance, showing hardship, is high," Hovey said.

Better, he said, to create a new category for a "gasification facility."

Council agreed and will vote Monday on advertising a change to the zoning ordinance, which will allow for adoption at the June meeting.

The deal has also generated a "memorandum of understanding" between the borough and the developers, to clearly outline the responsibilities of each, Keller explained.

Attendees at Wednesday's Borough Council work session

recite in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Planton praised the borough for its cooperation. "They haven't missed a beat and we are still on
schedule. In these times, we find that astounding," Planton said of the difficulties of conducting business planning during a worldwide pandemic.

"Our finance team in New York is ecstatic that we are still on schedule," he added.

"We welcome new businesses to the borough," said Council President Dan Weand.

"I can't wait to see what it looks like when they get it up and running," said Councilman Don Lebedynsky.

"I am very much in favor of this," said Councilman Ryan Procsal, who is in the KEEP Oversight Committee. "I think it's a great way to develop our last frontier along the riverfront."

Council Approves 10-Year Comcast Franchise Deal

Photo by Evan Brandt

CHAMPIONS ALL: Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick and Councilman Michael Paules took a few minutes Monday night to congratulate four Pottstown High School female wrestlers, all of whom won medals at a regional tournament in Gettysburg over the weekend. Their names are sophomore Mia Bumbarger, junior Julianna Figueroa, freshman Xiyah Robinson and freshman Daishawnia Dean

If you were thinking that a potential 10-year franchise re-up with Comcast would attract a crowd of angry villagers upset about rising fees, then you don't know Pottstown.

Sure, there were a few Facebook bros who talked about what council should do, and how Comcast should face competition, but when it was time for people with something to say to show up and say it when it actually mattered .... no shows.

So without any input from the public, council unanimously adopted the new franchise agreement,
ending the previous 15-year agreement and replacing it with another 10 years.

According to Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr., who negotiated the contract over the course of the year with Borough Manager Justin Keller, it includes a one-time technology grant of $65,000.

It also maintains two channels for PCTV, channels 22 and 28.

Keller said last week the deal with provide a 5 percent franchise fee to the borough, which works out to about $350,000 to $400,000 a year over the term of the contract.
That's about all there is to it folks.

Council also approved plans for a renovated McDonald's on Shoemake Road, a renovated car wash across the street and a whole bunch of beer gardens in the coming months.

You can read about them here, in the Tweets from the meeting.

10-Year Comcast Contract Vote Looms Monday

Photos by Evan Brandt

Comcast representative Brian Jeter talks to borough council about how awesome his company is.

If you have something to say about your cable service with Comcast, you had better clear your schedule for Monday night.

That's when a public hearing will be held and it will be your last chance to have your say before council votes on a proposed 10-year-contract with the cable giant.

Before council to smooth things over Monday night was company man Brian Jeter, who talked about

how Comcast is, mentioning the new Xfinity store the company opened in the Upland Square Shopping Center and noting that upgrades are on tap for the building on Shoemaker Road, that houses 80 to 100 employees.

Borough Manager Justin Keller said he is frequently asked why other service providers are not in the borough and he said the contract under consideration does not prevent that. He said other providers like FiOS "aren't interested in coming here."

Keller said the deal with provide a 5 percent franchise fee to the borough, which works out to about $350,000 to $400,000 a year over the term of the contract.

Councilwoman Lisa Vanni provided the only pointed questioning of Jeter, which he deftly demurred.

She complained there are not a lot of options for picking channels or different levels of pricing, but Jeter said there are more options available than there were just one year ago.

Here is video of a relatively brief borough manager's report:



Council also heard from Tricia Reedy Jones, who was in town to talk about the importance of participating in the Census, which will begin arriving in mailboxes starting March 12.

She said Pottstown was totally lame 10 years ago and had two Census tracts that were undercounted by more than 25 percent.

What makes that even more lame is that in both of those Census tracts, children living in poverty surpasses 45 percent, meaning the children most likely to benefit from federal anti-poverty programs were undercounted, thus ensuring those programs are underfunded.

Reedy Jones said there are only nine questions on the Census and it only takes 10 minutes to fill out. Is it really too much to ask people? Come on, get in the game.

And with that, click here to see the Tweets from the meeting.

A Routine Council Meeting

If you were taking a cat nap around 7 p.m. last night, you would have missed the borough council meeting.

But don't worry yourself, we've got you. The staff at the Digital Notebook is here for you.

Matt Ryan, left, takes the oath of office as administered by

Council President Dan Weand, right, and overseen by

Fire Police Captain Jim Smale.

Sadly, we don't have much to give you from this meeting. It was awfully routine.

Although maybe not so much for Matt Ryan. He was sworn in last night as Pottstown's newest fire police officer.

Congratulations Mr. Ryan and thanks for your willingness to serve.

As for news, there was some.

Paula and Robert Bickelman got what they wanted, a vote to waive the conditional use hearing that may have been triggered by a very small variation from the requirements to convert a former warehouse at the the corner of Walnut and North York streets into apartments.

The Bickelmans, who offered a brief run-down of the other renovation work they've done in the borough at the work session last Wednesday, will still need to get a zoning variance before they can begin work.

Council also approved a wide array of ordinance changes designed to make it easier to do everything from having a pool in your backyard to doing your own plumbing work at your own risk.

Council also approved its usual auditing firm of Maille LLP to conduct its audit and to sign on to a $200,000 grant request from the Colebrookdale Railroad seeking money to improve the King Street crossing between the railroad's new station in Memorial Park and Pottsgrove Manor

The council members also agreed to move ahead with having the planning commission and Historic Architecture Review Board meet on the same night and share two members, Andrew Monastra and newly appointed Tom Hylton, to smooth things for applicants.

Also, the road closures for the Red Horse Motoring Club's car shows this coming summer were also approved.

And with that, here are the Tweets, what few there are, from last night's meeting.

Groff Thanked for 28 Years With Phillies Fire Co.

Photo by Evan Brandt

Joe Groff, right, is congratulated by Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand Wednesday night upon his retirement as chief of the Phillies Fire Company. Looking on are Fire Chief Frank Hand, left, and Borough Manager Justin Keller. Groff has volunteered with the fire company for 28 years.

Nothing stood out as blockbuster news at last night's Pottstown Borough Council meeting -- unless, of course, your name is Joe Groff.

Groff, who this month marks 28 years volunteering with the Phillies Fire Company, retired as the company's fire chief in December. Last night, he was recognized by a borough council resolution and hearty hand shake from Council President Dan Weand.

Here's video of the resolution being read:




Groff will be replaced in the chief's position by Chad Quinter, but will continue to volunteer with the Phillies as the safety officer.

The rest of the meeting was a little of this, a little of that.

Lydia Messinger, the executive director of Boyertown Multi-Service was on-hand to report on the agency's re-opening of the Ricketts Community Center last month.,

Jocelyn Charles, new Ricketts director.

She said visitors jumped from about 20 the first day to 68 by the end of the week. The center has been repainted, new safety equipment installed and a dance floor installed in the back room.

Summer programming is now being planned and the center is looking for volunteers to help run
programs, Messinger said.

The Pottstown Ministerium will host an open house/meet and greet on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the center and all are welcome. 

But of course readers of The Mercury already know that as we reported it Tuesday, along with the news that a new director has been hired for the center.

Borough Manager Justin Keller announced that a new finance director has been hired to replace Janice Lee, who is retiring. But I'm afraid I didn't quite catch the name, so you'll have to wait on that information until I get it right.

Of perhaps more interest, at least to residents of Johnson Street, was Keller's update on complaints about a homeowner with seven dogs, and the conditions in which they're living and how those conditions impact neighbors.

Keller said inspections by the SPCA found the dogs healthy and conditions for their care adequate, however Keller said the homeowner has also agreed to allow the borough to make spot inspections without warning.

Further, he said the local district justice has agreed that the homeowner will no longer receive warnings from the borough, but be cited immediately any time there is a problem. "We've been before the judge six times with this property," said Keller.

Keller also said that developers have expressed an interest in the "Hess lot," site of a former gas station, at the corner of South Hanover Street and College Drive. 

Long vacant, the site sits at the "southern gateway" to the borough. Keller said rather than simply put the property, which the borough owns, up for bid, that it instad may be conveyed to the Pottstown Area Industrial Development agency, which can in turn turn the property over to a developer who has proposed a use that fits with the borough's vision for that gateway.

Also on the development front, a couple who has successfully rehabilitated at least two residential properties in town has asked council to waive the need for a conditional use hearing to convert a vacant warehouse at the corner of North York and Walnut streets into four market-rate apartments.

A vote on this and other items could come as soon as Monday's council meeting.

Council will wait until March to vote on a proposed franchise agreement with Comcast to provide cable TV service in the borough. As currently proposed, the deal with be 10 years long.

Council will also consider a number of changes to borough ordinances designed to make things easier on homeowners. They include making it easier to own an inflatable "storable" pool; for homeowners to do their own plumbing repairs; and to eliminate parking requirements in the zoning code for existing buildings in the downtown area.

The Colebrookdale Railroad will apply for a $200,000 Montco 2040 grant, on behalf of the borough, to construct pedestrian improvements for crossing King Street between Pottsgrove Manor and the new rail station being built in Memorial Park.

The railroad will provide the 20 percent match, but the project is contingent on approval from PennDOT, since King Street is also state Route 663.

And with that, click here to see all the Tweets from last night's meeting, misspellings and all.

Pottstown Council Unanimously Opposes Zoning Variance Being Sought to Open New Air BNB

Here's the third, that's right, the third, borough council report this month.

The first meeting, the re-organizational meeting, had a bit of excitement, when two new council members were sworn in.

And the work session last Wednesday at least had retirements of three employees who, together, had provided 100 years of service to the borough.

So, as you might have guessed, by the time they got to the voting meeting Monday night, there wasn't much more to say.

In fact, the meeting took barely a half hour.

Perhaps the most interesting thing was council's unanimous vote to oppose a zoning variance request from Ketteline Guerrier, who is seeking variances from the bed and breakfast ordinance, including not living in the building, not serving breakfast and not having dedicated parking.

Council's opposition was in deference to newly minted Council Vice President Don Lebedynsky, the councilman who represents the Third Ward, where the building is located.

Full disclosure, that location is 31 E. Fifth St., which is directly across the street from my house.

And I cannot make a claim to objectivity because when Guerrier approached us about her plans, my wife and I signed a letter in support of her proposal, which is to operate the home, which is quite large, as an Airbnb.

For those two of you who don't know, Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale.

According to the website, "Airbnb began in 2008 when two designers who had space to share hosted three travelers looking for a place to stay. Now, millions of hosts and travelers choose to create a free Airbnb account so they can list their space and book unique accommodations anywhere in the world."

When we first moved in 20 years ago, a very nice couple, the Knittles, lived across the street. They had raised 11 children there so the home had been expanded several times.

Before I knew their name, Dottie Knittle, who knew everyone, had learned ours and my son's birthday. There was a present waiting on the front porch for him on his birthday, which was only about two months after we moved in. She and Harry could always be counted on to hand out ice pops when the neighborhood kids ran around during summer vacation.

When the house became too much for them, the Knittles sold it to retire to a tidy fishing spot and a nice family from Philadelphia moved in, but they stayed for only a few years. Then it was sold to an investor, who turned it into a rental.

Within a few years, drugs were being dealt out of the house, with people coming and going all the time. I helped the police build a case for the raid that ended their tenancy and they're gone now.

Guerrier is another investor, but when she approached us about her plans, the advantage which caught our attention was that by running it as an Airbnb, "if we get complaints, we can kick them out in 24 hours," she said.

Anyone who has lived across the street from a problem rental knows it can take months for the eviction process to proceed.

I appreciated that Guerrier had come to the neighbors to explain her plans and her rationale. She showed me another letter supporting her request from her neighbors on one side, and the neighbors next to us also indicated they were considering one as well.

What we were unable to appreciate was our elected councilman coming to us to find out what we think.

Because he didn't.

When the matter came up at Wednesday's work session, Lebedynsky said he had spoken with neighbors who had expressed concerns about parking.

Strange, that he never spoke with the people who live across the street from the property when getting the pulse of the neighborhood. Equally strange is the fact that parking is somewhat plentiful on our street, with a double lot next to our home, which is home to no car, and our own off-street parking in the rear.

So I don't know who Lebedynsky talked to, only that it was not us.

What I also appreciated was that Guerrier is trying to do things right and follow the rules. She came to the borough and tried to make her business venture legal.

Instead, our elected leaders will oppose her request, and we the taxpayers will pay the fee for Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. to go to the zoning hearing board and oppose the application for a new business in town.

And here I thought we were trying to be welcoming to a new businesses, particularly those that follow the rules?

I don't get it. Don't people who stay in an Airbnb spend money in town? I'll bet Peggy Lee-Clark, Pottstown's economic development chief, would have told Lebedynsky they do, if he bothered to ask.

Even more irritating is that if anyone wants to come to Pottstown the week the zoning hearing board will hear Guerrier's case, a quick check of the official Air BNB site shows me nine different places in the borough they could stay to sleep after the proceedings.

One wonders how many of those nine Air BNBs being advertised on the site have tried to follow the rules and received a bed and breakfast license from the borough. One also wonders, but not with much conviction, if the Licensing and Inspections Department will look those sites up and go cite those folks for zoning violations.

More importantly, one wonders if they should.

Don't we want to bring visitors to town? Aren't we always talking about the need for more hotel rooms?

What one begins NOT to wonder, sadly, is how Pottstown got its reputation for being a difficult place to do business; a reputation we now pay Lee-Clark taxpayer money to overcome so she can attract new business.

Not to lay on the irony too heavily here, but one might also find it remarkable that Mr. Lebedynsky is the head of a committee established last year that is supposed to "streamline procedures" in the borough to make it easier for businesses to come to town.

It's a committee to which Council President Dan Weand re-appointed him last night. The more things change ...

In other appointment news, council also re-appointed to one-year terms, all four incumbent members of the Blighted Property Review Committee, adding Deb Penrod as the fifth member.

Council also re-appointed Michael Benner to a five-year term on the Pottstown Borough Authority and Mark Patrizi to a three-year term on the Pottstown Zoning Hearing Board.

And with that, I urge you to click here to see the Tweets from last night's meeting.

Pottstown Thanks Three for 100 Years of Service

Photos by Evan Brandt

From left, Mayor Stephanie Henrick, Detective David Mull, Officer Gregory Fritz, Police Chief Mick Markovich after recognizing the two retiring officers for a combined 60 years of service to the Pottstown Police Department.

Kathie Mintto, center, is congratulated by Pottstown Borough 

Council President Dan Weand, left, and borough Manager

Justin Keller, right, on her retirement after 40 years.

Two days after welcoming some new faces, borough hall said goodbye to some very familiar ones.

Two police officers, David Mull and Greg Fritz, both retired after 30 years of service each to the department.

Also bidding borough hall farewell was Kathie Minotto, who has held a number of posts in the borough offices for 40 years.

Mull served for more than eight years as the School Resource Officer in Pottstown Middle and High School and in 2012 was selected by his fellow officers as the Officer of the Year.

Fritz was recognized last month with a lifesaving award for his successful efforts to save a baby during birth in September.

Speaking of life-saving, Fire Chief Frank Hand reported to council Wednesday night that not only did the borough's emergency medical services have 353 calls in December, in all of 2019, they responded to 3,959 calls. "That means our emergency services were on the street an average of 13 times a day," Hand said.

On the fire side, the department has 86 calls in December with two fires totaling $125,000 in damages. In all of 2019, the department had 1,069 calls and 12 major fires totaling $580,000 in damage, said Hand.

In other matters, Borough Manager Justin Keller said on Tuesday, five parking kiosks were installed along High Street which will allow people to pay for parking without downloading the smartphone Parkmobile app the borough initiated in May.

The app will still work, but the kiosks will allow those without to pay for parking without getting a ticket.

The kiosks can be used for any spot or parking lot on High Street because "we're now identifying vehicles with their license plate numbers," Keller said.

He also reported that an improved pedestrian crossing will be installed in King Street to make it easier for folks to cross between Memorial Park, and the new Colebrookdale Railroad station there, and the Carousel at Pottstown and Manatawny Green mini-golf.

Also of interest is a plan to make it easier for developers and property owners to get through the borough processes by having the planning commission and historic architecture review board meet on the same night and, when possible, share members.

Not only would it make it easier on applicants, it would also save the borough money by not having to pay professionals to be at two different meetings on two different nights, Keller said.

And now, because Twitter Publish seems to no longer want to embed its own product, click here to read the Tweets from the meeting.

Council Welcomes New Members, Same Leadership

Photos by Evan Brandt

Michael Paules, center, takes the oath of office as a new member of Pottstown Borough Council representing the Sixth Ward while holding his one-month-old grandson Elias Johnson, while his daughter Alyssa holds the Bible and Mayor Stephanie Henrick administers the oath of office during Monday night's re-organizational meeting for council.

Two new members of Pottstown Borough Council took the oath of office Monday night and a third returning member joined them.

Lisa Vanni, representing the Second Ward, and Michael Paules, representing the Sixth Ward too their

Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick, left, administers the
oath of office to new Councilwoman Lisa Vanni, right,
while Pam Hacker holds the Bible.

oath and their seats at council for the first time Monday night.

Councilwoman Trenita Lindsay, who was appointed to the seat in June of 2018, took her seat for the first time as an elected official. She ran unopposed.

By contrast, both Vanni and Paules ousted incumbents to win their seats.

Vanni defeated former vice president Carol Kulp in the spring Democratic primary. Paules ran a write-in campaign during that same primary and ran as a Republican, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat Rita Paez by a handful of votes.

Whether the party differences make any difference remains to be seen as Paules voted with the majority to return Dan Weand to the Council President's post and to appoint Don Lebedynsky to the vice president's position.

Councilwoman Trenita Lindsay, left, takes the oath of office Monday.

Councilman Joe Kirkland cast the only vote against Lebedysnky and was then unanimously elected President Pro Tempore.

Weand told the new board members that they were now "the leaders of a much larger family of 22,000. Don't do anything to them that you wouldn't want done to your own family."

Weand added, "it's not your money, it's theirs. It's not your personal agenda, it's theirs."

There were few other changes, Virginia Tackacz remains council treasurer and the borough's Open Records Officer; Charles D. Garner Jr. remains the borough solicitor and Matthew Hovey the assistant borough solicitor.

Cedarville Engineering remains the borough engineer and the planning commission engineer and Jim Derr was appointed to the vacancy board.

It will be a week before other appointments are made. They will be discussed Wednesday during the work session.

They include a five-year appointment to Pottstown Borough Authority where incumbent H. Michael Benner has applied to be re-appointed and, according to the agenda, has a Dec. 17 letter of support from Borough Authority Board Chairman and former council member Jeff Chomnuk,

The other applicant is Kulp. As a former council member and regular supporter of Weand's while she was on council, my money is being put on council appointing Kulp over Benner.

Also up for appointment are four one-year terms to the Blighted Property Review Board; a four-year term on the Historic Architecture Review Board and a three-year term on the Zoning Hearing Board.

Incumbent Mark Patrizi has applied to be re-appointed.

Also on the agenda for Wednesday night's meeting are recognition of two retiring police officers, Dave Mull and Greg Fritz, and long-time borough hall employee Kathy Minotto.

Click here to see the Tweets from the meeting.

Christmas Comes Early for Borough Manager, Chief

File photo from August, 2018 when council removed the "interim" from the titles of Police Chief Michael Markovich, left, and Borough Manager Justin Keller, right. At center is Borough Council President Dan Weand.

It only took about 30 minutes Monday night for Pottstown Borough Council to spend more than $45.6 million.

It happened when council unanimously adopted the $45,618,671 2020 budget as advertised.

It will raise property taxes by 3.83 percent.

No one from the public showed up to speak in favor or against the budget.

No one on council had any questions or comments about next year's tax and spend plan before voting.

The same could be said for two additional surprise additions to the agenda of the last meeting of 2019.

Borough Police Chief Michael Markovich received an 8 percent pay raise for a one-year contract extension, pushing his salary from the current $110,000 to $118,720 in 2020.

Borough Manager Justin Keller, who was making $107,000 this year, got a new three-year contract.

It gives him more personal days and carries raises of 3 percent in 2020, 4 percent in 2021 and 5 percent in 2022, according to Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. who explained the specifics of both contracts only after council had already voted.

Keller was first hired in 2016 as assistant borough manager to then-borough manager Mark Flanders. His salary at that point was $78,000.

Keller became interim borough manager on Jan. 1, 2018 when Mark Flanders, a former police chief, retired as borough manager.

It was August of last year when the "interim" was removed from his title, as was the clause that required that he live in the borough and he was awarded a contract that expires this month.

That same night, Markovich also had the "interim" removed from his title of police chief, a post he inherited from predecessor Rick Drumheller, who retired in July of 2018, 18 months early.

Taken together, the two votes will add up to another $22,069 Pottstown taxpayers will pay over the next three years.

But that pales in comparison to the impact of the five-year police contract council approved unanimously last night, again with no comment from the public and no comment or question from council members.

Police Contract Approved

That contract will provide more than 18 percent in raises over its five-year term and will add more than $750,000 to the police budget by the fifth year.

In exchange, the Pottstown Police Officers Association agreed to end its post retirement health care for new employees.

That benefit has ballooned over the years into a liability of almost $29 million by the end of 2017, which requires an annual contribution of $2.3 million, according to a May report on Pottstown's finances.

"From 2014 to 2018, retiree benefit expenses have increased by 46 percent. Retiree benefits are predominately comprised of retiree health insurance costs," the report's authors wrote in May.

Janice Lee said it may take 20 years before the financial benefit of that change is realized.

The police defined benefit pension remains firmly in place however, something else which has generated rising costs for borough taxpayers. This year, combined pension liability payments added $1 million to the expense catalog.

Although the police pension is the same, the non-uniformed borough workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees agreed to implement a defined contribution plan for their new employees hired after Jan. 1 in the three-year contract they signed with the borough in September. 

Another unanimous vote council took last night implemented the ordinance putting that new AFSCME pension plan in place.

New Ricketts Center Contract

In other business, council unanimously approved a two-year contract with Boyertown Multi-Service

to run programming at the Ricketts Community Center on Beech Street.

Council chose the agency in October, over proposals by Pottstown-based agencies.

Last Week, Lydia Messinger, executive director of Boyertown Multi-Service told council clean-up and painting of Ricketts Center will occur in first weeks of January.

The said in 2020, the center will be open seven days a week, with a focus on after-school, days when schools are closed and summer time.

Street Tree Maintenance

Council also unanimously approved a proposal by Thomas Hylton for the maintenance and replacement of street trees.

The proposal will not cost taxpayers anything. A $35,000 grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation will be matched by another $35,000 from Hylton and his wife Frances, who are once again donating their own money toward the maintenance of street trees.

Hyltont told council he will focus on trees on main thoroughfares like King Street, High Street and Hanover Street.

Street trees along King Street.

In the two previous years, the Hyltons contributed $70,000 toward the maintenance and care of street trees in Pottstown, in addition to paying to treat them against the invasive insect, emerald ash borer

In addition to being a member of the Pottstown School Board and Pottstown Planning Commission, Hylton heads up the Pottstown Tree Funds, originally called Trees Inc.

It is a non-profit entity that in 2016 merged with Save Our Land, Save Our Towns, also founded by Hylton.

Since 1984, Trees Inc. had planted more than 1,900 new trees; 700 replacement trees; removed about 300 stumps; trimmed roughly 11,000 trees and remediated 431 sidewalks damaged by trees, all at a cost of about $1.1 million. 

The Pottstown Tree Funds has taken up the upkeep of Pottstown's street trees after council disbanded the shade tree commission Hylton headed nine years ago.

Two Councilwomen Say Goodbye

Photos by Evan Brandt

Outgoing council members Carol Kulp, left and Rita Paez, right, are recognized by Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand at Monday night's meeting.

This being the last council meeting of the year, two councilwoman who lost their reelection bids, said goodbye and were feted by council.

In the Second Ward, Council Vice President Carol Kulp lost a Democratic primary contest in May to Lisa Vanni, who will take the seat at the first meeting in January.

Kulp, who has applied to be appointed to the Pottstown Borough Authority seat held by Michael Benner, who as applied to be re-appointed, said being a member of council was "an educational experience."

She said "it's always good when younger people get involved in government."

Council President Dan Weand read proclamations recognizing Kulp and outgoing Sixth Ward Councilwoman Rita Paez.

Michael Paules, center, graduated from citizens academy Monday.
Next month, he will be sworn in as the Sixth Ward councilor.

Paez lost her seat in November by just six votes to newcommer Michael Paules, who ran as a Republican after winning the ballot position as a write-in in the May primary.

Ironically, Paules was also recognized Monday night as one of several who had successfully completed the "Citizens Academy" course the borough offers for free to anyone who wants to learn more about how the borough operates.

Normally at this point, I would say "here are the Tweets from the meeting."

However, the Twitter Publish site seems to be having the holiday heebeegeebees and I current cannot embed them here.

So instead I'll just direct you to the moment on my Twitter feed. It is titled "Everybody Gets a Raise."

Pottstown Tax Hike Drops, Cops Get 5-Year Pact

Photos by Evan Brandt

When it comes to determining the big story from the Wednesday night borough council meeting, it's kind of a toss up.

The two biggest contenders are the budget and a five-year police contract.

• The gist of the budget story is the threatened tax hike of 4.25 percent outlined in October, has been whittled down to 3.83 percent. 
• As for the police contract, the union has agreed to a five-year contract which will provide raises of 18.5 percent over its length.
• Council will also vote Monday on a two-year lease with Boyertown Multi-Service to operate

  

  Potential improvements at the community
  college campus in Pottstown.

  the Ricketts Community Center.
• Additionally, officials from Montgomery County Community College made an exciting presentation re-imagining the Pottstown campus.
• And then there is the Carousel at Pottstown, which has raised the $800,000 to $1 million needed to expand its building to allow a restaurant to operate there.
• Thomas Hylton informed council Trees Inc. has received a $35,000 grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, which he and his wife Frances will match, to create a $70,000 budget for street tree trimming, maintenance and treatment to fend off the invasive emerald ash borer.
• Council was also presented with a draft of a new 10-year franchise agreement with Comcast to continue to provide cable service in the borough, but will eliminate one of PCTV's three channels.
• There is also a move afoot to eliminate some of the 20-year-old licensing fees for "entertainment machines," but a concern about the growth of digital gambling machines.
• Then there are the five appointments to five different boards and commissions that must be made Monday and Council Vice President Carol Kulp, who lost her seat in the Democratic primary in May, has applied to be appointed to a five-year term on the Pottstown Borough Authority, replacing Michael Benner, who has also applied.
• Also, be aware that the red Mascaro trash bins are being replaced this week by gray ones so

  

  Ed Kelly shows council some of the bike path
  stanchions he has picked up.

  they stand out less.
• And "fans" of Pottstown's bike lanes may appreciate the visit from Roland Street resident Mike Kelly who, for the second time, hand-delivered some of the stanchions that separate the bike lane from the car lane and which, he said, residents were assured "would be maintained" by the borough.

So we'll have to see how many of these can be turned into full-fledged news stories in The Mercury.

And for fans of reports, here is the monthly mayor's report:




Want more? How about the borough manager's report? (I challenge you to decipher what it is we are supposed to do with the old red Mascaro trash bins from this. I gave up and turned it off so as not to make it even more confusing.)



And with that, here are the Tweets from the meeting

Tax Hike Down, 5-Year Police Pact Gives

Dragon Boat Will Ferry Santa to Pottstown Saturday

Santa will arrive in downtown Pottstown Saturday via dragon boat, crossing the Schuylkill River to land in Riverfront Park, before riding a fire truck downtown for more holiday fun.

There was news a-plenty at last night's Borough Council meeting, which we will get to in tomorrow's post, but first I want to let everyone know how busy Santa Clause will be in Pottstown, particularly on Saturday.

Despite the fact that no one provided any of this information to the newspaper, or me, the economic development report delivered at Wednesday night's council meeting by Peggy Lee-Clark, executive director of PAID, provides the basics.

Christmas magic begins Friday night at The Alley on High Street, which is now decorated as a
"Christmas Village" and from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, vendors including NV Donuts, will be there along with a Christmas Tree.

"But the real excitement starts on Saturday," Lee-Clark said.

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Santa will be at The Pottstown Integrated Wellness Complex at 724 N. Adams Street, known to most as the YMCA, to visit with children and adults alike.

From 12 to 2 p.m., Beverly's Pastry Shop at 322 High St. will host Christmas cookie decorating.

The big man in the red suit will arrive in downtown Pottstown via, get this, a dragon boat, which will ferry him and his throne across the Schuylkill River to Riverfront Park at 2 p.m.

From there, he will ride a fire truck to The Alley on High Street to hob knob with Pottstown peeps.

From 3 to 6 p.m. is the official "Holiday Stroll" on High Street where shoppers can fill out a "bingo card" with a theme from "A Christmas Story," which, by zero coincidence, is the show that opens at Steel River Playhouse, which opens Friday and runs through Dec. 22.

Bingo cards can be obtained from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area in Riverfront Park, where Santa will stop by after his sojourn across the river, and at The High Street Terminal market, 300 High St.

But make sure you are back at Smith Family Plaza in front of borough hall by 7 because that's when the tree lighting begins.

It is also when the winners of the contest for businesses decorating the planters outside their buildings will be announced by the judge, Mayor Stephanie Henrick.

(Santa will return to Pottstown on Dec. 21, when he will ride a fire truck through town, according to Pottstown Fire Chief Frank Hand.)

And don't forget on Sunday is the Historic Holiday House tour, proceeds from which raise money to pay for July 4, 2020 fireworks at the GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park. Read more about that here.

Here is video of Lee-Clark's report:



And for those of you who can't wait for the hard news out of last night's meeting, here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Tax Hike Down, 5-Year Police Pact Gives

Borough and Police Said to be Close to New Contract

There were not a lot of headlines to come out of last night's borough council meeting.

The meeting was less than 30-minutes long and the big item on the agenda, the possible approval of a new police contract, passed without any action.

Given that the police department is the single largest item in the general fund; and that its pension fund and post-retirement are together underfunded by more than $30 million make this item of critical import to the borough's finances.

In September, council approved a new three-year contract with the borough's other major union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Beyond the 4 percent raises, perhaps the most impart aspect was the implementation of a new kind of pension plan. Rather than guaranteeing benefits, making the borough responsible for producing them, it guarantees contributions.

Those contributions are deposited in a plan much like a 401K and whatever returns it produces at an employee's retirement is what they get. That new methodology will apply to all new employees hired after Jan. 1.

In fact, last night council approved the advertising of the ordinance that will put it into place.

But whether a similar system will be put in place for new police officers and finally stem the red ink bleeding from the budget won't be known until next month.

Borough Manager Justin Keller said the borough and the police union are not done negotiating.

"We're making great progress. We're very close. Just smoothing over some language. We'll be in good shape a couple weeks," he said.

Speaking of the budget, council approved the advertisement of a $45.3 million 2020 budget that would raise taxes by 4.26 percent.

By law, the budget must be advertised 10 days before its adopted. Keller said he is still awaiting some numbers which may allow the tax hike to be lowered before it is adopted next month.

In the meantime, council approved two new business ventures last night. A massage therapy shop will move into the Nagle Center off Moser Road and a new auto body repair shop will be built on West High Street if the conditions set out in the approvals are met.

The borough may also make headway on the hidden problem of 100-year-old stormwater arches that have begun to collapse.

Two funding programs offered by the Commonwealth Financing Agency previously restricted to sanitary sewers and drinking water have been expanded to include stormwater facilities.

Council approve applying for $1.5 million from two grants to repair those collapsing, conduct maintenance on those that might, and survey those whose conditions are unknown.

And with that here are the Tweets from the meeting, what few there are:

Quick Work

Can a New Building Sustain Edgewood Cemetery?

Photos and fuzzy videos by Evan Brandt

LIFESAVER: Pottstown Police Officer Gregory Fritz is congratulated by Mayor Stephanie Henrick after being presented with a Lifesaving Award for saving the life of an infant being born.

Wednesday was a busy work session for borough council, as it often is after Election Day.

Perhaps the most significant item was a presentation on making the maintenance of Edgewood Cemetery more sustainable by allowing a mixed-use building to be constructed along the Beech Street site of the cemetery.

But we'll get to that in a minute.

First, let's watch a presentation to Pottstown Police Officer Gregory Fritz, whose training and quick thinking saved a newborn from being strangled during birth.



Good work Greg.

From left, Justin Keller, Karen Lewandowski, Dan Weand.

Also on the docket was recognition of borough workers who have been in the borough's employ for everything from five years to the remarkable 40 years Public Works Director Doug Yerger was been there.

Receiving special recognition was Karen Lewandowski who is retiring after 20 years with the borough.

Here's the presentation made by Borough Council President Dan Weand:




Also reporting to Council was Peggy Lee-Clark, executive director of Pottstown Area Industrial Development, or PAID. Here is the video:




Among the more interesting items was the revelation that The Mercury building has been sold and the new owner, who, rumor has it, is April Barkasi, owner of Cedarville Engineering, plans to convert it into a "boutique hotel with a whiskey lounge on the first floor."

Lee-Clark said she hoped I would be happy there in my old building. I replied I've been known to drink a glass of whiskey from time to time.

There is no video of the presentation made by Andrew Monastra about making the maintenance of Edgewood Cemetery sustainable because, well,  I've met Andrew. There is no phone battery in the world that could have filmed everything he had to say...

Andrew Monastra talks with council about Edgewood Cemetery.

Here is the gist of it.

For the last two years, the historic cemetery on East High Street has been maintained, by hook and by crook, by volunteers sweat and willingness to beg for donations to pay the costs, said Monastra.

But it costs $25,000 a year "just to cut the grass" on the site bordered by Beech Street to the north, Edgewood Street to the west and Keim Street to the east.

Eventually, Monastra said, the volunteers will get tired and dwindle, as will the donations.

What's needed, he said, is a way to make the cemetery sustainable.

The idea, presented to him by investors Elliott Menkowitz and John Jones, is to take the part of the cemetery on which no graves are located, along Beech Street, and put a mixed-use building there.

The green rectangle at the top left shows the location of the

proposed building. 

Because about 60 percent of people now choose cremation over traditional burial, the plan would also establish a "columbarium/mausoleum," a pet cemetery and "scatter garden," where ashes can be scattered.

The mixed use building would put a commercial use in an area of town with a paucity of such uses and its location so close to The Hill School's Beech Street entrance would provide it with high visibility, said Menkowitz.

He said students and faculty at The Hill were polled and asked for things like a barber shop and dry cleaners. "But it would be open for everyone," Menkowitz said.

An artist's rendering of what the proposed building
along Beech Street might look like.

Not only would the proposed building generate tax revenue for the borough and school district, the for-profit entity that would run it would first drive those profits into creating a $500,000 endowment, whose interest proceeds could cover much of the cost of cutting the grass, said Monastra.

But the borough's help is needed because, legally, the cemetery is owned by no one. The borough would have to condemn it and take ownership "for like a second," and then convey it to the entity that could sub-divide it and allow the building to be constructed.

For its trouble, the borough would receive a $5,000 annual contribution (in addition to the property taxes) in the first three years; and then $10,000 in years four and five, said Monastra.

Council agreed informally to have staff look at the issues involved and explore the proposal with Monastra and Menkowitz.

And now, what you've all been waiting for -- the Mayor's monthly report!!!! (Warning, it's more than 7 minutes long. She had a lot to say.)



And not to play favorites, here is the November report from Borough Manager Justin Keller (which is only about three minutes):


And last, but not least, here are the Tweets from the meeting:

Edging Closer to Sustainability