HB 1861 extends live stream courses through March 2022
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved legislation, House Bill 1861, that was amended in the state Senate to extend all temporary regulatory waivers for live stream real estate courses an additional six months — to March 31, 2022. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the legislation into law yesterday as Act 73 of 2021. The temporary waiver that currently allows for in-person real estate education courses to be conducted via live stream methods was set to expire on Sept. 30. PAR has been working with state Rep. Todd Polinchock (R-144) to advance House Bill 1849, which amends the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA) to permanently allow in-person courses to be conducted via live stream. That legislation has already passed the House and was voted out of the Senate Professional Licensure Committee earlier on Sept. 29. PAR expects the bill to be approved by the Senate and signed into law prior to the March 31, 2022, temporary waiver deadline.

Major improvements coming to National Flood Insurance Program
On Oct. 1, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will implement a new pricing methodology for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) called Risk Rating 2.0: Equity in Action. The changes will apply to new flood insurance policies. Existing policyholders can take advantage of any premium decreases at the time of their renewal. Most existing policies will not be affected until after April 1, 2022. With the new methodology, FEMA now has access to modern insurance technologies, catastrophic models and data sets, so it no longer requires zones or elevation certificates. The new methodology rates each individual home according to property-specific rating factors, such as unique elevation, distance to water and cost to rebuild. Learn more about NFIP at the Department of Homeland Security’s FloodSmart website. For Pennsylvania-specific flood resources, visit the state Department of Community and Economic Development website.
Source: Nar.realtor; 9/27/2021

Voter resources page
The Pennsylvania Department of State has resources available to voters on its VotesPA website. Residents can register to vote, apply for a mail-in ballot or receive a reminder about voting in the Tuesday, Nov. 2, election. The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 18. The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Treasury Department issues warning after rental aid is unspent
The U.S. Treasury Department said that state and local officials had disbursed less than 17% of federal rental aid as of the end of August. The $46.5 billion eviction-prevention program continues to be plagued by bottlenecks eight months after its creation. State and local governments that have struggled to distribute the funds face a Sept. 30 deadline to obligate most of their allocations or risk having the Treasury redistribute the money elsewhere. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo on Friday sent a letter to state and local housing officials outlining how the department will approach reallocating money from poorly performing jurisdictions to those that have done a good job getting money out the door. Read more here.
Source: Politico; 9/24/2021

Superintendent turnover up in Philadelphia suburbs
At least eight collar county school districts have, or will have, new superintendents this fall. With heated debates over COVID-related mitigation measures, efforts to restore normalcy and help children who struggled during virtual schooling, being a superintendent right now is “excruciating,” said Mark DiRocco, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. According to DiRocco, between 80 and 90 superintendent positions turn over in the state’s 500 school districts annually. The first half of 2021 has seen about 60 Pennsylvania superintendents leaving their job and the full year could see more departures than normal. “It’s like a snow day every day,” Jim Scanlon, who retired last month as superintendent of the West Chester Area School District, said of managing schools during the pandemic. Other districts changing superintendents include Spring-Ford Area, Cheltenham, Central Bucks, Chester Upland, Lower Merion, Wallingford-Swarthmore and Phoenixville. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/28/2021

DCNR to publish weekly fall foliage reports
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has begun publishing weekly fall foliage reports on its website. The reports will be updated every Thursday. Fall foliage in Pennsylvania usually peaks near the beginning of October.
Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star; 9/2021

PennEast cancels pipeline
PennEast Pipeline recently announced it would cease development of a 116-mile natural gas pipeline it proposed to build from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, saying it had not acquired the state permits needed to begin construction. The pipeline's proposed route would have crossed through the northern tip of Bucks County. Federal approval for the project was acquired in 2018, and three months ago the U.S. Supreme Court sided with PennEast over the state of New Jersey, which had attempted to block the company from seizing state-controlled land for the project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had granted PennEast eminent domain to seize land from uncooperative landowners, including the state of New Jersey. Announcing the astounding turnaround, PennEast said in an email, "The PennEast partners, following extensive evaluation and discussion, recently determined further development of the project no longer is supported," noting it "has ceased all further development of the project."
Source: Reuters & Whyy.org; 9/27/2021

FEMA recovery center opens in Bucks County
A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recovery center for people affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida has opened in Bucks County. The center is located at the Warwick Square Shopping Mall, 2359 York Road, Jamison, in the former Giant food store. The center will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center puts disaster survivors in contact with representatives from various agencies to help them through the recovery process. Residents can get help applying for federal assistance, learn about types of assistance and the appeals process, and get updates on applications, according to a FEMA news release. Representatives from the Small Business Administration also will be there to give information on its low-interest disaster loans program. Click here for more information.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 9/24/2021

Northampton declares ‘Trash Emergency’
Northampton Township supervisors approved an Emergency Declaration Resolution recognizing the severity of the trash collection problem in the township. The resolution allows the township to contract with other waste haulers, if available, to supplement J.P. Mascaro & Sons efforts to collect waste, and to use whatever other means are immediately available to address the collection issue. Read more about Northampton’s efforts on the township website. Northampton’s “trash emergency” is part of a larger issue with trash haulers in the region. Trash haulers serving Bucks municipalities have had trouble recruiting and retaining drivers and other waste collection employees since the pandemic began. Bill Fox, general counsel for Mascaro, said the recruitment problem in finding drivers with CDL licenses to operate large commercial vehicles is not just with Mascaro, but with other trash collection companies, school bus and public transportation companies.
Source: Northampton Township & Bucks County Courier Times; 9/23/2021

Falls supervisor resigns; board looks to fill vacancy
The Falls Township Board of Supervisors accepted the resignation of supervisor Jeff Rocco and announced that a replacement would be appointed during the board’s Monday, Oct. 18, meeting. Rocco cited a conflict with a job promotion as the reason behind his resignation. He had served on the board of supervisors for nearly 10 years and his current term runs through Dec. 31, 2023. Resumes and letters of interest for the vacant seat will be accepted through the close of business on Monday, Oct. 11. Those interested in serving on the board can submit a resume or letter of interest to Township Manager Matthew Takita at m.takita@fallstwp.com or drop it off at the municipal building, 188 Lincoln Highway, Suite 100, Fairless Hills.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 9/23/2021

Pennsbury may study possible merger with Morrisville
The Pennsbury School Board recently agreed to put out a request for proposals for a study to look at a possible merger with Morrisville School District. “We’re not even at step one,” Pennsbury Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith cautioned, stating that the request for proposals is just to see how much the study will cost. The board will then have to decide if they want to move forward with the study. Morrisville Borough School District has long struggled due to its size (800 students) and lack of sufficient funding. Morrisville Superintendent Jason Harris sent a letter to Pennsbury earlier this year to put forward the idea of merging with the 10,000-student Pennsbury School District. Proposals for a merger between the two districts have been around since the 1970s. The potential study will evaluate a full merger and also a model of Morrisville sending all or some students to Pennsbury on a tuition basis.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 9/25/2021 & Bucks County Courier Times; 9/27/2021

Survey: Most Chester County businesses heading back to pre-COVID levels
Despite significant concerns about revenue and labor shortages, 75% of surveyed Chester County businesses say they’ll return to pre-COVID operations and 77% report no change in the size of their physical workspace and facilities. The statistics come from a business survey that the Chester County Economic Development Council conducted in partnership with Restore Chester County, a group of business, economic, education and government leaders. See the key findings of the survey here.
Source: Daily Local; 9/26/2021

DEP seeks public comment on plan to clean up decades-old contamination at Bishop Tube site
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking public comment on a proposal to clean up decades-old contamination at the site of the former Bishop Tube facility in East Whiteland Township. Under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, DEP is proposing remedial action to address soil, groundwater and surface water contamination, and an affected residential drinking water supply. The goal is to ensure that the site meets state environmental standards and prepare it for reuse. Several businesses manufactured stainless steel tubes at the 13.7-acre Bishop Tube site from the 1950s until 1999, contributing to various kinds of contamination. Officials are most concerned about trichloroethylene (TCE), which over time can cause neurological, cardiac, reproductive and developmental health problems. Residences with contaminated wells would be connected to an existing public water line. The public comment period is open until Jan. 3, 2022. Comments can be emailed to RA-EP-SEROECB@pa.gov with “Bishop Tube Public Comment” in the subject of the email. A virtual public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 9. Individuals who wish to present testimony must email the above address at least 24 hours in advance to register. Read more here.
Source: WHYY; 9/28/2021

Tower Health to shutter Jennersville Hospital
Financially struggling Tower Health announced plans to cut two of the smallest facilities in its six-hospital system. Tower will seek to close Jennersville Hospital in Chester County and to transfer Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia to a new owner. Tower said it is fully committed to placing as many impacted employees and physicians as it can into other suitable positions within its system, or to give them priority consideration for open positions at Penn Medicine, with which it recently announced plans to develop a strategic alliance.
Source: Daily Local; 9/28/2021

FEMA opens Disaster Recovery Center in Brandywine region
Hurricane Ida, which had been downgraded to a tropical depression by the time it reached Pennsylvania, caused historic flooding along the banks of the Brandywine River and devastated many homes in that area of Delaware and Chester counties from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5. On Sept. 17, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened a Disaster Recovery Center at the Chadds Ford Municipal Building with representatives from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration, which offers low-interest federal loans for businesses, homeowners and renters. The center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, read the FEMA press release. Disaster Recovery Centers are also operating in Blue Bell, Montgomery County, and Downingtown, Chester County.
Source: Daily Times; 9/26/2021

Homeowners ask for more protections from faulty construction in their neighborhoods
A package of bills introduced this month in the Pennsylvania House aims to protect homeowners from the rise in construction damage that has followed Philadelphia's construction boom. One bill would require the state Department of Labor and Industry to compile an Adjacent Neighbors’ Bill of Rights. Developers would need to mail a copy of the pamphlet to adjacent homeowners. Legislation also aims to prevent amateur house flippers from calling themselves homeowners to avoid registering as contractors. Under the bill, anyone performing home improvements would either be a contractor or a property owner who lives in the home for at least one year after construction. State Rep. Joseph Hohenstein (D-177), the prime sponsor of the package of bills, said his hope is that the requirement will professionalize home flipping and change the perspective of flippers who would have to live in the property they constructed. Another bill would require code enforcement officers to be taught about illegal construction practices and require residential building code inspectors to be taught the proper installation of stucco. Legislation also would require builders of new construction to repair construction defects that appear within the first two years for free. In July, Mayor Jim Kenney signed into law legislation aimed at protecting residents from construction accidents by ensuring excavation work is done safely by qualified contractors and that neighboring property owners are better informed about construction work. Beginning Jan. 1, the city will require excavation licenses, separate permits for most contractors who dig deeper than five feet underground, and inspections of adjoining properties prior to construction work. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/25/2021

Hite to leave Philadelphia School District
Philadelphia School District Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. announced he will leave his post in August when his contract expires. Hite has been superintendent of the 120,000-student school district for 10 years. Philadelphia School Board President Joyce Wilkerson hailed Hite’s “strong and stable leadership” and said the board will soon engage a search firm and begin the work of looking for a new schools chief. Though it will cast a national net, candidates from Philadelphia will also be sought out and considered, she said.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/28/2021

Philadelphia to look at ranked-choice voting
Philadelphia City Council recently passed a resolution to consider using ranked-choice voting for municipal elections and will proceed with public hearings to discuss it. Under ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference. In the case that no candidate receives majority support, an instant runoff will occur, as the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and that person's support is redistributed to voters' second choices. That process continues until one candidate crosses the 50% threshold. Momentum for ranked-choice voting has been building across the country — Maine and Alaska offer it in statewide elections and New York City successfully used the system in its June mayoral primaries.
Source: The Fulcrum; 9/27/2021

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