Most families to receive monthly child credit payments starting July 15 
The U.S. Treasury Department announced that 39 million families will receive monthly child payments beginning on July 15. Qualified families will receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under 6 and up to $250 per month for children between the ages of 6 and 17, without their parents needing to take any additional action. The payments are part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which expanded the child tax credit for one year and made it possible to pre-pay the benefits on a monthly basis. The credit was previously capped at $2,000 and paid out after taxes were filed, but this year couples earning $150,000 or less can receive the full payments on the 15th of each month, in most cases by direct deposit. The IRS will determine eligibility based on the 2019 and 2020 tax years, but people will also be able to update their status through an online portal.
Source: Associated Press; 5/18/2021

Opinion: First-time homebuyers are losing out in twisted housing market
As the Philadelphia-area economy reopens, an undersupply of houses for sale is provoking a frenzy of bidding wars across price points. But it is would-be first-time buyers — people of modest means who are looking, after the economic damage of the last year, for the financial stability of buying a first home — who should have most of our attention. They are the people who need houses to begin building wealth. They are being iced out even in starter suburbs where $150,000 rowhouses or twins historically had been accessible for years. “Last year, and here’s an example from Montgomery County, we had 1,800 homes for sale in May 2020. This year it’s 612,” said Vince Range, chairman-elect of Suburban Realtors Alliance. “Everyone’s got upset buyers.” Buying a house can make the difference between living paycheck-to-paycheck and finally being able to save some of what you earn. Policymakers must take heed and help. Read more here.
Source: Inquirer; 5/13/2021

Election results: PA voters back bid to ban race discrimination in constitution
Early election returns showed Pennsylvania voters backing a proposal to amend the state constitution to outlaw discrimination based on race and ethnicity. The proposal was supported by approximately 70% of voters, with about 45% of precincts reporting. Jon Greenbaum, chief counsel at the Washington-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the amendment could open the door to lawsuits in state court over so-called “disparate impact,” in which government policies have unintentionally harmed racial groups. Full statewide election results can be found at the Pa. Department of State website. For local election results, visit the following county websites:

• Bucks County Board of Elections
• Chester County Voter Services
• Delaware County — Delco Votes!
• Montgomery County Voter Services

Source: Penn Live; 5/19/2021

Recap: CDC eviction moratorium vacated and then stayed
On May 5, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down the Centers for Disease Control & Preventions' (CDC) nationwide eviction moratorium that was set to expire at the end of June, concluding the moratorium exceeds the limits Congress placed on the CDC's authority. The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a notice of appeal and an emergency stay of the order pending the appeal, and the D.C. District Court issued a temporary administrative stay that kept the CDC eviction moratorium in place pending further action. On May 14, the D.C. District Court granted the DOJ's request for an emergency stay, which means the CDC eviction moratorium continues to remain in place across the country during the appeal. The plaintiffs have asked the D.C. Circuit Court to vacate the stay in an effort to seek immediate relief from the CDC order and to prevent further extensions of the order by the Biden administration. The Circuit Court is expected to rule by the end of the month. The plaintiffs have also notified the D.C. District Court of their motion to vacate the stay with the Circuit Court, as well as provided an update on the improving public health crisis that may justify reversal of the stay. See NAR's updated background information here. 
Source: Nar.realtor; 5/18/2021

Developer plans to replace Chalfont sports club with homes
New Britain Township will hold a hearing to consider a conditional use application regarding a plan to construct a twin/townhouse community at the site currently occupied by High Point Racquet Club. According to a zoning application filed in January, Foxlane Homes at Highpoint plans to demolish the athletic complex to build 137 residential units at the site. The parent company of Philadelphia Sports Clubs, which operates the complex, filed for bankruptcy last September. The hearing will take place on Monday, June 7, at 7 p.m. at the township building, 207 Park Ave., Chalfont.
Source: Intelligencer; 05/12/2021

Lower Makefield considering ways to spend $53 million in sewer sale proceeds
At their May 5 meeting, Lower Makefield Township supervisors hosted the first of what will likely be many discussions about what to do with proceeds from the sale of the township’s sewer system. The $53 million sale to Aqua Pennsylvania was approved by the supervisors in a 3-1 vote in August, with one supervisor abstaining, though it still has to be approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Township Manager Kurt Ferguson said the township could pay off the combined debt on the sewer system and the township-owned golf course, Makefield Highlands, for about $27.5 million, leaving the balance of the proceeds for other uses, including possible capital projects. Among other ideas for the sale money are creating a kind of trust fund and using the interest to help keep property taxes lower, and creating a similar fund that would help hold down sewer rate increases.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 5/13/2021

Anti-transience proposal fails in Newtown-Wrightstown-Upper Makefield joint council
A long-discussed proposed zoning change aimed at combating transience in residential communities in Wrightstown, Upper Makefield and Newtown Township is going back to the drawing board. Supervisors in Wrightstown and Upper Makefield voted to approve the change in April, but the measure failed to advance even to a vote among Newtown supervisors. The three townships jointly manage zoning through the Newtown Area Joint Zoning Council, and all three needed to approve the zoning change ordinance for it to go on the books. “If an ordinance is not approved by all three townships, the process starts again from ground zero,” Wrightstown Supervisors Chairman Chester Pogonowski said. The proposed ordinance would have redefined “family” within the joint zoning ordinance to exclude boarders and lodgers. “We seek only to avoid transiency, which tends to disrupt the sense of community and shared commitment to the common good,” the ordinance said.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 5/13/2021 

Centennial School District to adopt budget May 25
The Centennial School Board plans to adopt a final 2021-2022 budget in the amount of $125.9 million at its meeting on Tuesday, May 25, at 7 p.m. Copies of the proposed final budget are available on the district website. 
Source: Intelligencer; 5/14/2021

Bedminster to flush water system; expect low pressure and discoloration
Bedminster Municipal Authority will flush the water distribution system from Sunday, May 23, to Wednesday, May 26, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Customers may experience low pressure and temporary discoloration of water, which should dissipate over a period of several hours. If discoloration persists, customers should call the authority at 215-249-1042. 
Source: Intelligencer; 05/19/2021

Buckingham to vote on door-to-door soliciting ordinance
Buckingham Township supervisors will consider for adoption an ordinance to regulate door-to-door soliciting in the township, to “protect its citizens against unwanted home solicitations, protect the legitimate privacy expectations of citizens at home, [and] assure that those merchants and individuals canvassing or soliciting door to door are of good moral and business character.” The draft ordinance would repeal two existing ordinances and: define the terms canvasser and solicitor; require applicants for a solicitation permit to provide information concerning the canvasser or solicitor and the goods or property proposed to be sold; establish a fee; require the police chief to investigate the applicant’s business; establish a “no soliciting” registry; and allow for permit revocation, among other provisions. The full draft ordinance is available on the township website. A public hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 26, at 7 p.m. at the township building. Visit the township website for meeting details.
Source: Intelligencer; 5/19/2021

Seibert property preserved in Charlestown
French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust has preserved forever 19.7 acres in Charlestown Township through a conservation easement on property owned by Thomas and Marjorie Seibert. The Seibert property is visible to the public from 400 feet of frontage along Pikeland Road, which is designated as a scenic road in the Charlestown Township Open Space Plan. The easement was funded by the township. The more than eight acres of contiguous woodlands within the property will continue to provide a habitat to numerous land and aquatic animals and foster the growth of a healthy and unfragmented forest or woodland. Since its establishment in 1967, French & Pickering has protected more than 13,000 acres in northern Chester County through purchases, conservation easements and public/private partnerships. The nonprofit organization works with landowners, townships, foundations, and the state and county to purchase and monitor conservation easements, create parkland and preserve environmentally sensitive land.
Source: Daily Local; 5/18/2021

Chester County Planning Commission announces 2021 Town Tours
Chester County’s 2021 Town Tours and Village Walks program will begin on Thursday, June 17, with a virtual ceremony and Juneteenth Commemoration starting at 5 p.m., followed by optional in-person walking tours at 6:45 p.m. at the Chester County History Center. Much like last year, the virtual programs will occur “Live at 5” on Thursday evenings throughout June, July and August — but this year will bring back a limited version of the walking tour component. 
Source: Chester County; 5/13/2021  

Commissioners announce countywide effort to support farms
The Chester County Commissioners and the county’s Ag Task Force have announced the start of a countywide agriculture economic strategic plan. The plan will strengthen agriculture, the county’s top industry, and reinforce its role in building healthy communities and a sustainable economy. “This agricultural plan will assess our county’s current industry subsectors, and identify trends and opportunities for future growth,” said Commissioners Chair Marian Moskowitz. Learn more about the plan at the Ag Task Force website. 
Source: Chester County; 5/14/2021

 Unionville-Chadds Ford named PA’s ‘District of the Decade’
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District landed in the top spot as the decade’s highest-scoring school district across the commonwealth, according to a Pittsburgh Business Times analysis performed as part of its annual school ranking. With no state standardized testing in 2020 to build the traditional rankings, the Business Times looked at data from the last 10 years of state standardized testing, from 2010 to 2019, to see which districts had the highest-scoring students over that span. Delaware County’s Radnor Township School District placed second on the list, and Tredyffrin-Easttown in Chester County placed sixth. View the top 30 rankings on the Unionville-Chadds Ford website.
Source: Daily Times; 5/18/2021

Philadelphia extends eviction moratorium through June 30
Philadelphia’s eviction moratorium, which was set to expire at the end of May, has been extended until the end of June. In his order extending the deadline, Philadelphia Municipal Court President Judge Patrick F. Dugan said the court would resume considering cases on June 30 but noted that it “will depend on conditions at the time … in terms of the global pandemic.” All evictions must go through a court process, meaning that even once the moratorium is lifted, there will likely be a long backlog of cases preventing immediate lockouts. A nationwide moratorium on evictions, enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is being disputed in court. A federal judge ruled that the CDC had exceeded its authority, but the hold on evictions remains in place pending an appeal from the Department of Justice.
Source: Inquirer; 5/13/2021

Philly’s development director says proposed budget threatens land bank operations
Mayor Jim Kenney’s budget doesn’t include new funding for the Philadelphia Land Bank — a primary vehicle for redeveloping vacant public property. The zeroed-out budget proved to be a problem the administration’s director of planning and development, Anne Fadullon, and city council could agree on in a contentious budget hearing. “Not being able to operate the land bank, without any operating dollars, is going to make service delivery very, very difficult,” Fadullon said in response to questions from Council President Darrell Clarke, who voiced concerns about the lack of general fund dollars going to the agency. Fadullon said the cut in city funding threatened progress on affordable housing projects, business expansion and community gardens already in the works. “Let alone having dollars to potentially acquire properties through the land bank,” she added. Clarke’s $400 million Neighborhood Preservation Initiative relies on the land bank as a tool for creating affordable housing and he fears the program — council’s landmark achievement coming out of the economic and housing crisis of 2020 — could face setbacks if the agency isn’t fully operational. Read more here.
Source: PlanPhilly; 5/12/2021

Councilmember Parker introduces bill to cut Philly parking taxes
City Councilmember Cherelle Parker introduced a bill that would dramatically lower Philadelphia’s parking tax rate. The proposed legislation would cut the levy on revenues paid at parking lots and garages by nearly a third –– from 25% to 17% –– and would take effect in July. Parker says the reduction is a benefit for both parking industry leaders and their employees.
Source: PlanPhilly; 5/13/2021

Email grassroots@suburbanrealtorsalliance.com to receive our weekly News Briefs. It's as simple as submitting your contact information so we can create a user profile.