PA legislature approves a new home repair assistance program
Pennsylvanians will soon be able to get state assistance to pay for home repairs, thanks to a new program that lawmakers passed as part of the state budget. Under the Whole Home Repair Program, eligible homeowners can apply for grants of up to $50,000. Small landlords can apply for the same amount in the form of a forgivable loan. The initiative will have a $125 million budget in its first year. The proposal drew bipartisan support. “I think there are a number of different initiatives that cut across county and geography that are held in common by lots of different people and are popular,” said state Sen. Nikil Saval (D-1), of Philadelphia, who introduced the underlying legislation. “We had an intuition that this would be one of them, and it turned out to be true … everyone deserves a safe and healthy home.” Another recently enacted law, Act 58, contains a provision that allows municipalities to offer property tax abatements for home improvements if 30% of the housing on site meets the initiative’s affordability requirements.
Source: WHYY; 7/8/2022

Department of Revenue warns of scam targeting business owners
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is warning business owners that scam artists are impersonating the department and sending fraudulent letters in the mail. The letters tell the business owners that they are being investigated for an “alleged violation of delinquent sales tax liability” and threaten them by saying penalties will be imposed on their accounts. The letters conclude with contact information for a “resolution officer” and urge the business owner to provide accounting records prepared by a licensed professional, such as an attorney or CPA. “If you have any doubt at all about the legitimacy of a notice from the department, please use the contact information listed on our website,” Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said.
Source: Daily Times; 7/17/2022

Local officials express concern over proposed BCWSA sale
A deal being explored by the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (BCWSA) Board of Directors to sell the sanitary sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania for $1.1 billion has drawn a negative reaction and a lot of concern from local officials. The officials worry that Aqua will dramatically increase rates for BCWSA’s 75,000 customers within years of a sale closing. The proposal has a one-year freeze on rates and would leave no employees without work. The authority board voted 3-1 to begin a year of exclusive review of Aqua Pennsylvania’s offer and to solicit public feedback. The heads of North Penn and North Wales water authorities in Montgomery County have joined together with the current director of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association to speak out against the privatization of public water and sewer systems and the consequences of Act 12, which is said to benefit corporate investors. Maggie Rash, president of the Bucks County Association of Township Officials and a supervisor in Buckingham Township, said the organization believes a sale will hurt residents, and Warrington Township Supervisors Chair Fred Gaines said the municipality will explore whether to buy back its sewer system from BCWSA. Read the full article from LevittownNow. The authority is planning two public open house events for Tuesday, July 26 — click here for the locations and times.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 7/14/2022

Springfield supervisors want more details about regional fire department
Springfield Township supervisors are seeking more details about the proposed Palisades Regional Fire and Rescue Service. Community Fire Co. No. 1 of Riegelsville and Ottsville Volunteer Fire Co. are joining forces to form the new entity. Supervisors are trying to determine how much the merger will affect the township’s finances and how well the township will be covered. Springfield officials plan to question organization representatives at their August meeting. Township Manager Jason Wager noted that the regional fire consortium will have Springfield representation, but several supervisors were not mollified. The township continues to consider a dedicated fire and EMS tax to relieve pressure on its general fund but is taking a wait-and-see approach until details of the merger become clearer. The township could impose a millage rate increase of up to 3%. Other options include funding emergency services through its $52 annual local services tax currently levied on workers, or adopting a per capita tax at a maximum of $10 per adult. The per capita tax would net the township only an estimated $20,000 and is deemed “difficult to collect.” Springfield currently budgets $298,000 for fire and ambulance expenses — a number expected to increase to $334,000 by 2027.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/14/2022

EPA starts cleanup at backlogged Bucks and Montco Superfund sites
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently broke ground at the North Penn Area 6 Superfund site in Lansdale, Montgomery County, where the EPA is accelerating construction to clean up the site. North Penn Area 6 is one of 49 Superfund sites nationwide to receive a total of $5.4 billion in new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding for accelerating cleanup of legacy pollution. The Chem Fab Superfund site in Doylestown, Bucks County, is also among the 49 sites receiving the first wave of the BIL funding, allowing EPA to initiate work where Superfund construction projects were backlogged.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/18/2022

Another warehouse possible in Bensalem
A combined warehouse and office building may be coming to a 16.9-acre, underdeveloped industrial area between the Delaware Expressway and State Road in Bensalem. Johnson Development Associates Inc. intends to build a roughly 252,000-square-foot warehouse with driveways, parking, stormwater management and enhanced landscaping. According to the developer, 60% of the site contains waste fill. At the turn of the 20^th century the land was used to deposit waste gypsum from chemical processes, and since the 1960s the land has been used for intermittent storage of containers and random work equipment. The project is in its early stages and needs various approvals from the township to proceed.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 7/14/2022

Richland welcomes new supervisor
Chris Vanelli was recently sworn in as Richland Township’s newest supervisor. He replaces Tim Ritter, who is moving out of the township. Vanelli, secretary of the board of the Richland Township Water Authority, will serve through the end of 2023. He has 25 years of community service in Richland and with neighboring communities, including being named Volunteer of the Year in the township in 2003 and 2021.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/14/2022

Jennersville Hospital sale completed
ChristianaCare completed its $8 million purchase of the former Jennersville Hospital location from Tower Health. Under its new name, ChristianaCare West Grove Campus, the site will once again serve the health needs of the southern Chester County community — but the opening of services at the campus will take some time. “We are here as long-term partners in supporting a healthy southern Chester County community,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO. ChristianaCare and Tower Health initially announced the purchase agreement on June 14. The purchase included the hospital, which has been closed since Dec. 31, 2021, and Tower Health’s interest in two office buildings, plus an additional 24-acre parcel of land adjacent to the hospital. Since the purchase was announced in June, ChristianaCare leaders have been meeting with community representatives to listen and learn. ChristianaCare already serves many residents of southern Chester County.
Source: Daily Local; 7/14/2022

Caln commissioners to vote on LERTA
The Board of Commissioners of Caln Township have scheduled a hearing to consider a resolution to reestablish the boundaries of deteriorated areas that will be eligible for tax exemption pursuant to the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) Law. If the resolution is enacted, the board will consider adopting an accompanying ordinance to authorize tax exemptions for properties within the LERTA boundaries, define the criteria of the LERTA eligibility, set a maximum exemption amount, and lay out the procedure for applying for an exemption. A copy of the resolution, including a map of the LERTA area, can be found in the agenda of the July 14 commissioners meeting. The full text of the ordinance is available at the township office during normal business hours.
Source: Daily Local; 7/20/2022

Applications accepted for ag conservation easement programs
The Chester County Agricultural Land Preservation Board is accepting applications for two competitive programs funded by the county commissioners — the Commonwealth/County Program and the Chester County Challenge Grant Program. To date, more than 560 farms totaling more than 43,000 acres have been preserved through these two programs. The county pays farm owners for their development rights in exchange for a permanent agricultural conservation easement on their land. The owner still owns the land and can sell it or pass it on to the next generation if it remains in agriculture. Farms with 10 acres or more of tillable land are eligible for both programs if they are adjacent to other permanently preserved lands. For farms not adjacent to permanently preserved land, the acreage minimums are 35 acres for the Commonwealth/County Program and 25 acres for the Challenge Grant Program. The application deadline for both programs is Friday, Aug. 5. For more information, visit the county’s Farmland Preservation webpage.
Source: Daily Local; 7/14/2022

Millions in funding secured for multi-use sports facility in Coatesville
Plans to bring a multi-use sports facility, velodrome and events center to Coatesville will receive $3.6 million in state grant funding and a $5.4 million loan. The funds, approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, will support IDG Development’s plans to construct the National Sports and Events Center (NSEC) in the city. The $50 million project, which includes a 200,000-square-foot multi-use facility, 12,000 square feet of supportive retail space, 8,000 square feet for a sports medicine provider, a 10,000-square-foot sports performance facility, and a 150-room hotel, is slated for the approximately 25-acre site known as the Flats. Last year, Coatesville City Council approved the sale of the Flats, the city’s largest parcel, to IDG, a Coatesville-based joint venture led by New Heritage Properties of Coatesville. The project is expected to create 348 jobs. The NSEC would house the first indoor velodrome on the East Coast, offering bicycle track racing for local, Olympic and world-class caliber athletes.
Source: Daily Local; 7/19/2022