‘Swift Current’ funding provides options for at-risk NFIP properties
Applications are now being accepted for the Swift Current Initiative, a new flood-mitigation program funded with $5 million in Pennsylvania through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Properties that are covered by a policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and have sustained repetitive losses due to flooding are eligible for the program. Funds are intended to help homeowners elevate or retrofit their homes, relocate, or allow local and state governments to buy the home and demolish it if it has been flooded too many times. Homeowners who are interested in this program should contact their local municipality or county emergency management agency for more information. FEMA will select projects based on eligibility and funding. Applications are being accepted through Oct. 3. Read more here.

State historical marker nominations now open
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is seeking nominations for sites that deserve markers commemorating historic properties, people and events. The organization has placed more than 2,500 of the distinctive blue-and-yellow markers across the state since 1914. Beginning this year, nominators will not have to pay for the fabrication of the markers but will have to cover costs of installation. The commission assumes all responsibilities of upkeep after installation. Nominations are reviewed by a panel of independent historical experts who make recommendations for the commissioners to review, followed by a formal vote on Sept. 7. The 2022 nominations must be submitted online by June 1. Full details on marker criteria and the approval process are available on the commission website.
Source: Daily Times; 4/5/2022

U.S. will require valves on new pipelines to prevent disasters
United States officials adopted a rule aimed at reducing deaths and environmental damage from oil and gas pipeline ruptures — a long-delayed response to fatal explosions and massive spills that have occurred over decades in California, Michigan, New Jersey and other states. The rule requires companies to install emergency valves that can quickly shut off the flow of oil, natural gas or other hazardous fuels when pipelines rupture. But safety advocates said the move by the U.S. Transportation Department would not have averted the accidents that prompted the new rule. That’s because it applies only to newly constructed or replaced pipelines — and not to hundreds of thousands of miles of lines that already crisscross the country, many of them decades old and corroding.
Source: Daily Times; 4/1/2022

Bristol Borough approves sale of sewer authority for $50M
Bristol Borough Sewer Authority officials approved the sale of the borough authority to the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, which will pay $50 million for the borough’s authority and infrastructure. The sale was recommended by Bristol Borough Council and came quickly after the public notice. The agreement includes a stipulation that the three borough sewer employees will be offered jobs and that customer rates will freeze for three years. Borough sewer customers currently pay $81 per quarter for 10,000 gallons and $7.06 per 1,000 gallons after that. The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority is a public entity that was chartered by the county in the 1960s. It services many municipalities in Bucks County, and some in Montgomery and Chester counties as well, for a total of just over 100,000 households. Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said the sewer system is almost out of debt and in good working order, and joining a larger public system would provide “economies of scale” and come with benefits for customers. Borough officials have not said how the one-time boost in revenue will be used.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 3/29/2022

Housing Link program offers cash bonuses for Realtors and landlords
Bucks County’s Bonus for Bucks Landlords program provides cash rewards to landlords, and Realtors who refer them, who lease to low-income renters. Landlords who are new to the Housing Link program can receive a bonus equal to two months’ rent when they lease to a program participant. Landlords and Realtors who refer a landlord to the Housing Link can receive a $2,000 finder’s fee if that landlord ends up participating. Aside from the cash bonus, landlords involved in the program receive reliable rent, continuity coverage payments between leases, the ability to collect additional referral bonuses, and support from the Housing Link staff. For more information on the program, visit the Bonus for Bucks Landlords website and read answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Bonus for Bucks Landlords is a joint effort between the Bucks County Housing Link Partners, the Bucks County Association of Realtors and the Suburban Realtors Alliance.
Source: Bucks County Housing Link

Bucks County sets Household Hazardous Waste Collection dates
Bucks County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program returned last weekend with the first of several planned collection events in the county. The free collection event offers residents a chance to safely dispose of up to 25 gallons or 220 pounds of common household items, such as pesticides, flammables, cleaning chemicals and vehicle batteries, which could be harmful to people and the environment if improperly discarded. Some types of items cannot be accepted, including electronics, explosives and ammunition, latex paint, and medical waste. This event is for collection of residential waste only. Collections are planned through October in locations throughout the county. Registration is not required this year.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 3/29/2022

$6.7 million in federal funds heading to Bucks County
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-1) recently announced federal funding totaling $6.67 million for nine projects in Bucks County. They include:

• YMCA Fairless Hills Branch Revitalization Project ($3 million)
• Newtown Rail Trail Extension Project ($1 million)
• Bristol Waterfront Park and Maple Beach Road Improvement Project ($500,000)
• Forensic Diversion, Treatment and Rehabilitation Facility - Bucks County Department of Mental Health and Developmental Programs ($500,000)
• Woods Service Specialized Outpatient Mental Health Services for People with Intellectual Disability and Mental Health Conditions Program ($500,000)
• Hepatitis B Foundation’s Center of Public Health Excellence ($475,000)
• Luke’s Hospital Quakertown Campus Behavioral Health Unit Renovation and Expansion ($400,000)
• Kin Wellness and Support Center ($200,000)
• Doylestown Hospital Infant Protection Project ($100,000).

Source: LevittownNow.com; 4/4/2022

Upgrades to Bristol Borough Train Station to come sooner than expected
The recent federal bipartisan infrastructure law will allow SEPTA to improve the Bristol Borough Train Station sooner than the agency had planned. Prior to the passage of the infrastructure bill, the station was not scheduled to be reconstructed until 2027 to 2033. A SEPTA representative told LevittownNow the design for the station reconstruction will begin this summer and be completed by the end of 2023, with a goal for construction to start in 2026. The station sits along SEPTA’s Trenton Line, which runs along Amtrak’s vital Northeast Corridor. In total, the multi-year project to overhaul the station will cost $30 million. It will make the aging station safer and more accessible.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 4/4/2022

 

Perkasie Borough Council posts vacancy
Perkasie Borough Council is seeking residents of the first ward who are interested in being appointed to the borough council. The open term runs through Dec. 31, 2023. Eligible applicants must be registered voters residing in the first ward who have resided one year continuously in the borough. Applications will be received through Thursday, April 14, and the council will select one of the candidates at its meeting on April 18, at 7 p.m. Appointment to the council is an opportunity for individuals to serve their community and be involved with the critical issues like subdivisions, budgeting, and community and economic development. An application form is available on the Perkasie Borough website.
Source: The Intelligencer; 4/3/2022

Westtown officials might purchase part of Crebilly Farm
Westtown Township supervisors voted to enter into an agreement of sale that could lead to permanent protection of the 306-acre Crebilly Farm, which has been owned since 1937 by the Robinson family. The township would purchase 208 acres at $100,000 per acre, or $20.8 million, and Natural Lands might pick up the rest of the tab for the remaining acreage. The township will seek grant funding within the next year, but township residents will need to go to the polls in November to vote for a referendum and a tax increase to fund the purchase. Natural Lands and the township must secure approximately $25.5 million in grant funds to purchase the easements and to fund what will be a publicly accessible portion of the farm. Toll Brothers proposed building 319 homes at the property, which is the largest chunk of open space along the Route 202 Corridor between King of Prussia and Wilmington. Hundreds of concerned citizens attended long public meetings to oppose Toll Brothers’ plans. They argued that traffic on already busy roads would only get worse and that the site should be preserved because of its link to the Revolutionary War. All three township supervisors voted the project down, and the courts agreed to deny Toll Brothers.
Source: Daily Local; 4/4/2022 and 4/6/2022

Kennett Township manager cleared of ethics violations
Kennett Township Manager Eden Ratliff did nothing improper in connection with the reorganization of the Kennett Fire and EMS Regional Commission, a Philadelphia-based law firm concluded in its independent review regarding claims of a potential violation of state ethics laws. Ratliff was cleared of wrongdoing in working on the reorganization, despite the fact that his wife had been hired as a paid employee by one of the fire companies that obtains funding through the Kennett Fire and EMS Regional Commission. The 34-page report by the law firm of Blank Rome LLP was presented to the board of supervisors on Friday. Blank Rome reviewed thousands of documents, including relevant emails, letters and meeting minutes, and conducted interviews with 18 individuals connected to the case.
Source: Daily Local; 4/5/2022

Coatesville nonprofit gets $50K state grant
Good Works Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides free home repairs to low-income residents and families, will receive $50,000 in state grant funding, according to state Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-19). The funds, which Comitta helped secure through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Keystone Communities Program, will support the purchase of materials and supplies. Like many nonprofit organizations, Good Works experienced an increased demand for services and related challenges and impacts. Despite the emergence of COVID-19 variants, Hurricane Ida, economic uncertainty, supply shortages, and rising fuel and material costs, the group completed work on 40 homes last year and assisted 165 families through more than 27,600 volunteer hours. Based in Coatesville, Good Works primarily services homeowners in central and northern Chester County.
Source: Daily Local; 3/27/2022

Phoenixville to consider adoption of comprehensive plan
Phoenixville Borough Council will hold a public hearing regarding its proposed comprehensive plan update, and may vote to adopt the update after the hearing. Public participation at the hybrid meeting may be in-person or via Zoom. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at 351 Bridge St.
Source: Mercury; 3/28/2022

Phoenixville school district sells property to Toll Bros
The Phoenixville School Board voted to sell a 7.3-acre property last used as a kindergarten center to Toll Brothers for $4.6 million. The developer plans to build about 80 townhomes. The 5-3 vote came after all but one speaker at the board meeting spoke against the move and a petition opposing the sale with 800 signatures was submitted to the board. Read more here.
Source: Mercury; 3/29/2022

Judge reverses own order tossing West Chester school directors
The Chester County judge who ousted five West Chester Area School Board members in late March because they failed to answer a petition from masking opponents reinstated the members on April 1 after their lawyer said they believed they had more time to respond. “I understand the gravity of the situation,” Judge William Mahon told a large audience during a hearing. He noted that the board members were “duly elected,” and said he did not want to “cripple the school district.” The petition against the board members remains before Mahon, with allegations that they acted illegally and forced students to use “experimental medical devices” by approving mask requirements. It was filed by Beth Rosica — a West Chester parent who serves as executive director of Back to School PA, a pro-school reopening political action committee — and signed by 10 residents. Mahon is also handling similar petitions filed against board members in other Chester County districts.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/1/2022

West Caln will consider changes to peddling and soliciting rules
The West Caln Township Board of Supervisors will consider amendments to the peddling and soliciting ordinance. A copy of the proposed ordinance is available on the township website. A public hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 13, at 7 p.m.
Source: Daily Local; 4/6/2022

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