For the Interim, Keller Remains Interim Manager

The news about what happened at last night's council meeting is more about what didn't happen.

Despite the fact that Interim Borough Manager Justin Keller's contract, extended last month for 30 days, expires at the end of the month, no action was taken on either hiring him as the permanent manager, or extending his contract for another 30 days.

These leaves council with two choices.

1) Hold a special meeting and either extend his contract or pull the firggin trigger and name him manager or;

2) Begin August with no borough manager at all.

As the second seems unlikely, it was no surprise when a source in a position to know confirmed the first.

Nevertheless, it must be rather harrowing to be kept dangling on the end of a rope like that due more, no doubt, to the niggling details that can't seem to be worked out in two months, than any actual objection to hiring the guy full time.

What council did do was pass a change to the borough manager ordinance that would allow Keller, who no longer lives in the borough, to be hired anyway.

But after breaking for an executive session, Council President Dan Weand emerged about 10 minutes later and announced council would not be coming back into session for a vote.

In other news, one resident and one business owner complained about the new bike lanes, one a High Street business owner who said he has lost parking as a result and may lose an opportunity to expand his business and hire more people.

Animal control officer Jon W. Daywalt asks for cat clarity.

Also, animal control officer Jon W. Daywalt sought guidance from council on how he is supposed to deal with feral cats in Pottstown, primarily whether he is allowed to trap them. He said the current ordinance makes it unclear what his authority is regarding cats.

As the result of a unanimous vote, Council will seek a consultant to look at its finances and operations under the state-sponsored Early Intervention Program in an attempt to avoid another 12 percent tax hike, like the one adopted in December.

Council also avoided the histrionics on display in West Pottsgrove and quietly, and without objection, voted unanimously to agree to the terms of an effort to attract development to land along Keystone boulevard and over to Grosstown Road.

Another unanimous vote approved "an addendum" to the lease with Trilogy Park Parent Association regarding the BMX park in memorial Park  which was not immediately available to the public or discussed by council.

They also appointed Andrew Monastra to the Pottstown Planning Commission, chosen from among three applicants.

In the matter of a vacancy of the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority, council voted 5-2 to accept the PDIDA board's recommendation to appoint Gabrielle Davidheiser, who executive director described as "young and interested in getting involved."

A previous 4-3 vote rejected Steve Everett for the post, who, Weand said, was one of the major land owners and developers downtown. Dugan said the board was worried he might not have enough time to be "an active board member."

And with that, here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Interim for the Interim