Rents are out of reach for most minimum-wage earners
A new study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that workers are not making enough to keep up with skyrocketing rental rates around the country. According to the Out of Reach report, “In no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. can a worker earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage afford a modest two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent by working a standard 40-hour work week.” The report defines “affordable” as 30% or less of a person’s income — meaning that, on average, a person would have to earn $24.90 per hour to rent that modest two-bedroom home on no more than 30% of their pay. Read more here.
Source: NPR; 7/14/2021

NAR Policy Forum Series: Housing Is Critical Infrastructure
A top official from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development joined policy experts from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to discuss solutions for the nation's historic housing supply shortage. The virtual policy forum went in depth on research commissioned by NAR, which found that the U.S. is in the midst of an "underbuilding gap" of around six million housing units dating back to 2001. The report, Housing Is Critical Infrastructure, has taken center stage in national conversations on housing policy, particularly after President Joe Biden last week reiterated his administration's focus on housing as part of its broader infrastructure push.
Source: Nar.realtor; 7/15/2021

Open Records office updates guidance on governmental transparency
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) held a webinar on recent changes to the state’s Sunshine Act. Senate Bill 554 of 2021 amends the Sunshine Act to include a requirement that all municipalities and agencies must post agendas on either their websites or social media at least 24 hours in advance of meetings. The changes take effect on Thursday, Aug. 29. For more information, download this short OOR PowerPoint video. For comprehensive information on the Sunshine Act, click here.
Source: OOR; 7/14/2021

‘Why is my house valued at X but assessed at Y?’
After a countywide reassessment, properties are assessed for tax purposes at 100% of their market values. But over time, older assessment values become inaccurate as the real estate market changes. To keep new property tax assessments in line with older ones, the state Department of Revenue sets a Common Level Ratio factor for each county every July. For example, Montgomery County has a 2021-2022 common level ratio factor of 2.24, meaning a home’s market value should equal 2.24 times the assessment. Doing the math in reverse, a Montgomery County assessment should equal about 44.643% (1 divided by 2.24) of market value. So, a home with a market value of $100,000 would be assessed at about $44,643, and that assessed value would be used to calculate local property tax bills. The 2021-2022 common level ratio factors that went into effect this month are:

• Bucks: 12.05 (assessments = 8.299% of market value)
• Chester: 2.22 (assessments = 45.045% of market value)
• Delaware: 1 (assessments = 100% of market value)
• Montgomery: 2.24 (assessments = 44.643% of market value)
• Philadelphia: 1.07 (assessments = 93.458% of market value)

Read more on the SRA blog: What is an accurate property assessment?

NAR responds as Justice Department walks away from agreement
As part of a November 2020 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Association of Realtors (NAR) committed to making changes in its Code of Ethics and multiple listing service (MLS) policies to further support market competition. In an unprecedented move, the DOJ withdrew its consent to the agreement earlier this month, and NAR’s mandatory policy changes are now on hold. NAR president Charlie Oppler recently published a national op-ed promoting the real estate industry’s compensation model and multiple listing service and explaining their pro-consumer benefits. “Commissions for real estate agents and brokers are negotiable. Always have been. Always will be,” Oppler wrote. “It’s the free market at work, and the reality is that the commission structure gives everyday Americans critical advantages they otherwise wouldn’t get. That structure is what ultimately makes it possible for many people to realize the dream and benefits of homeownership.” Oppler also called the MLS the “envy of the free world,” saying it offers a model of cooperation that bring transparency and equity, maximizing options for both buyers and sellers.
Source: NAR; 7/19/2021

Lower Bucks flooding resources
Local and state emergency management teams surveyed the damage caused by recent flash flooding in several Lower Bucks County communities. Hardest hit were the Lafayette Gardens condominium complex in Bensalem, the Croyden Acres neighborhood in Bristol Township and Pond Street in Bristol Borough. Residents and business owners are urged to report storm damage by calling municipal officials: Bensalem Township, 215-633-3741; Bristol Borough, 215-788-3828, ext. 12; and Bristol Township, 267-812-2938. Bensalem Township posted a video, titled “Storm Resource PSA,” to provide information and scam alerts. The county’s Consumer Protection Department is urging residents whose claims are denied by their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance companies to file appeals with the insurance companies. Additional assistance may come from the state if it issues a disaster declaration for the flood-damaged areas. Bucks County has declared a disaster for the areas. Federal funding also may be available for homeowners and renters if preliminary damage assessments exceed local and state resources. The county has also opened a Multi-Agency Resource Center at Keystone Elementary, 1800 Keystone St., Croydon, to assist affected residents. Click here for more information.
Sources: Bucks County Herald; 7/15/2021, Bucks County; 7/20/2021, Bensalem Township; 7/2021, Bucks County Courier Times; 7/16/2021

Richlandtown to consider animal and bee regulations
Richlandtown Borough Council has scheduled a public meeting to consider two proposed ordinances. The first amends the “regulation of keeping certain animals,” establishing the kinds of animals permitted. The second ordinance will establish the requirements and procedures for beekeeping and penalties for violations. The proposed ordinances may be examined at Borough Hall, 125 S. Main St. A public meeting on the ordinances will be held on Tuesday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at Benner Hall, 1260 E. Cherry Road, Quakertown.
Source: The Intelligencer; 7/16/2021

Doylestown Borough posts Ward 2 council vacancy
The Borough of Doylestown is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on borough council for Ward 2. The term expires Dec. 31. Residents who have lived in Ward 2 since Aug. 16, 2020, who are interested in serving should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Borough Manager John H. Davis, Doylestown Borough, 57 W. Court St. Applications will be accepted until Friday, July 30. View a ward map on the borough website.
Source: Doylestown Borough; 7/20/2021

Plumstead Township Police start residential lockbox program
Plumstead Township Police have initiated a residential lockbox program for residents who either live alone or must be left alone on a regular basis and who are either age 65 and above or under 65 with a major medical issue that could render them incapacitated or unconscious. A lockbox with a key to the residence will be installed and the code will only be provided to the Bucks County Emergency Services radio room. The program began with a donation of eight lockboxes, and police are looking for donations to assist in the purchase of additional lockboxes.
Source: Plumstead Township; 7/2021

Bucks-to-Philadelphia transportation survey
Bucks County residents who work in Philadelphia are asked to participate in an 11-question survey to assess post-pandemic commuting patterns. The survey, conducted by the nonprofit transportation management association TMA Bucks will give PennDOT insight into residents’ commuting habits so it can plan future construction and outreach activities related to Interstate 95 reconstruction. The online survey will be available for several weeks.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 7/16/2021

County officials call for shutdown of two Mariner East pipelines
Chester County Commissioners sent a letter asking the state Public Utility Commission to halt operation of two Mariner East 1 pipelines while further investigation is conducted on public safety, in light of an outbreak of sinkholes near construction sites for the adjacent 350-mile Mariner East 2 pipeline. The pipelines in question are Energy Transfer’s Mariner East 1 eight-inch and 12-inch natural gas liquid pipelines. Both pipelines have been in the ground for about 80 years but only began carrying natural gas liquids under high pressure much more recently. According to the commissioners’ letter, at least seven sinkholes have been caused by construction near the lines in 2021 in the fragile, hollow karst geology near the heavily trafficked Chester County Library and Exton Mall in West Whiteland Township. The commissioners have engaged their own independent pipeline engineer and geologist to study the issue, but those experts must rely only on publicly available information.
Source: Daily Local; 7/20/2021

History Center seeks to expand access to membership
The Chester County History Center (CCHC), in conjunction with Peco Energy, plans to create an accessible membership level for people who have Access/EBT cards or who receive government assistance. “This program is designed to break down barriers that exclude individuals from the educational opportunities that are normally only available through paid memberships,” said history center president Conor Hepp. “This program will provide underserved members of our community the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a full membership to CCHC with additional free access to other arts and cultural organizations in the surrounding area.”
Source: Daily Local; 7/20/2021

CASD eyes revamped communications plan
The Coatesville Area School Board is expected to move forward with updates to its communications plan based on an audit conducted by Trapani Communications. The effort began after a controversy last year in which a lack of planning by district officials left students standing outside for hours waiting for a bus. Trapani found internal communication has been the district’s greatest deficit, and there has been much inconsistency in the way administrators communicated with parents and students. It also found that Coatesville’s website is disorganized, confusing and lacking information. The plan, if approved by school directors, would be for the district to develop more robust marketing materials, consider rebranding and even changing the district logo, run a social media campaign, increase positive publicity in news outlets, increase bilingual staff who can interact with parents, and host open houses and offer school tours.
Source: Daily Local; 7/17/2021

River bacteria likely cause of bad water taste
Since July 6, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been investigating complaints about bad tasting water from systems that pull from the Schuylkill River. Six public water systems seem to be affected, according to Jamar Thrasher, DEP press secretary: Pottstown; Pennsylvania American Water in Royersford and Phoenixville; the Aqua PA Main System; Pennsylvania American Water in Norristown; and Philadelphia. Thrasher said complaints came from West Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove, Pottstown and Spring City. The DEP continues to investigate the issue, but preliminary results indicate the likely culprit is a kind of nontoxic bacteria called 2-methylisoborneol, also known as “MIB.” The fact that the tap water smells does not indicate a health risk, and the water is safe to drink, according to Thrasher. That was the same answer Pottstown Borough Manager Justin Keller gave during a council meeting last week. He said after receiving complaints, the water from the Pottstown Water Plant was tested and found to be within all safety parameters and safe to drink. Complaints should be directed to the DEP’s new GreenPort website.
Source: Daily Local; 7/17/2021

Groundbreaking on Penn’s Landing park over I-95 pushed back
PennDOT Engineering District 6 spokesperson Brad E. Rudolph said the pandemic and other factors had pushed back a timeline that originally sought a 2021 groundbreaking for the long-awaited transformation of the Old City highway trench into parkland. State officials now expect to put the “cap” project out to bid late next year with construction starting in 2023. The delay will push back the park’s opening to 2026. Planners had initially expected to welcome visitors in 2024. “The delay can be attributed to COVID and complexities of lease and property rights that go back many decades, as well as engineering complexities that only come into focus during final design,” Rudolph said in an email. In 2017, after decades of discussion about restoring downtown waterfront connections, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the William Penn Foundation and the city pledged a combined $205 million toward a $225 million proposal that would cover 12 acres of the highway trench between Chestnut and Walnut streets with parkland. Joe Forkin, executive director of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC), the regional economic development agency guiding the project, said slowdowns were not unusual in complex projects. Forkin said the project was currently still in final design stages, and hoped to have updated plans unveiled later this year, while right-of-way clearances were being finalized with the Federal Highway Administration. Despite the delay on the cap project, Forkin said that DRWC was proceeding along with the construction of the central portion of a two-mile segment of the Delaware River trail between South Philadelphia and Northern Liberties. That work has been underway for about a year. The funding gap for the cap had also narrowed to just $4 million, which would be closed by additional fundraising.
Source: WHYY; 7/21/2021

Designers offer a new vision for Ben Franklin Parkway
Three design firms are pitching visions for a more walkable, accessible and inclusive Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The proposals — unveiled during a city-sponsored Parkway Ideas Workshop stakeholders meeting — mark the culmination of a more than decade-old “More Park, Less Way” initiative. Eventually, one firm will be selected to guide redesign efforts to remake the triumphalist boulevard long criticized as too auto-centric. “This is about a vision and a framework,” said Harris Steinberg, executive director of Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, which worked with city agencies on the request for proposal process. “It is intended to stimulate a sustained public discussion.” Each proposal offered a different focus, but they shared a goal of making the space more pedestrian-friendly and diverse. Steinberg said the goal was to create a “cosmopolitan canopy” — an allusion to Yale sociologist Elijah Anderson’s concept of truly welcoming, multi-ethnic public spaces. Read more here.
Source: Plan Philly; 7/16/2021

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