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.