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 ...