June 21, 2012

As anticipated, the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District budget for 2012-2013 will raise taxes for the district’s Chester County residents.

At the same time, however, the school tax will drop for residents in Chadds Ford Township, the sole Delaware County township in the district.

School Board members voted 8-1 for the budget during their June 18 meeting. The plan calls for appropriations of slightly more than $71 million with a millage rate of 25.18 — up 0.66 mills — for Chester County residents and of 21.44 — down 0.38 — for Chadds Ford residents.

A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value. At the new rate, Chester County property owners will be paying $2,518 in school property taxes for every $100,000 of assessed value. In Delaware County, the tax for the same assessment would be $2,144.

Board member Holly Manzone, from Region B, referred to the spending plan as a “maintenance budget.”

“The idea of this budget is we’re not adding anything, Manzone said after the meeting. “We’re hoping that we’re not taking anything away. What we tried to capture this year was status quo.”

The only dissenting vote came from Region C Representative Frank Murphy of Chadds Ford. He voted no because of the tax hike.

“I believe we could maintain the school district budget at the exact same dollar amount as voted on tonight, and I believe we can supply the same services, programs and benefits for our students, but we didn’t need to raise taxes as we did,” he said.

Murphy went on to explain that the board could have tapped into a reserve fund that has $150,000 more than the board policy. He said the policy calls for a 5 percent reserve, but that reserve is now 5.23 percent.

“So, by simply reducing the reserve a bit,” he said, “we’d be able to provide the exact same budget, exact same programs and exact same services to our students, but not raise taxes as much as we did.”

Murphy was asked if tapping into the reserve was a slippery slope. He agreed that it could be, but that there was sufficient amount above the 5 percent threshold and that tapping into some of the overage would be “totally compliant with board policy, totally compliant with good accounting principles and totally compliant with good school district governance and not harm the district whatsoever.”

Board member Kathy Do, also from Region C, but in Pennsbury Township, said she respects Murphy’s position, but disagrees.

“My concern has to do with what we’re seeing in other districts, districts that are fighting bankruptcy and insolvency. I felt we needed to keep our reserve as strong as possible at this time to insure that does not happen to Unionville,” Do said.

She added that the budget is “appropriate for the current time.”

“Right now, we are experiencing a serious financial situation. We are seeing what is happening in other school districts in the region. We needed to pass a budget in which we could sustain our programs with as little pain as possible to the taxpayers, but at the same time, maintain our educational mission,” she said.

Do is also pleased that the board was able to pass a budget that did not force any layoffs.

Other business
• Board members voted unanimously to raise school lunch prices to $2.50 for elementary school students and to $2.75 for others. It’s an increase of $.25 for both. The prices reflect implementation of the federal law, “The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act.”

• Members also voted to consolidate the positions of food service and transportation supervisors. Marie Wickersham, the former supervisor of food services, was reclassified as supervisor of food services and transportation.

• The board, along with Superintendent John Sanville, is in the process of deciding how much to charge nonprofit organizations for using school facilities. Organizations such as Unionville Recreation Association, Southern Chester County Soccer and KAU Little League have been using facilities at no cost, but the board and administration thinks they, and others, should now pony up. Exact figures have not been decided upon yet, but estimates range from $4 up to more than $28 per hour.

— By Rich Schwartzman

Longwood offers ambulance club

Pennsbury Township residents will soon be getting a letter from the Longwood Fire Co. regarding a new ambulance subscription service designed to reduce ambulance costs to members.

Tammy Whiteman of the fire company made a brief presentation about the service during the June 20 meeting of the Pennsbury Board of Supervisors.

Whiteman said the idea is to get people to pay an annual fee for ambulance service — $50 for an individual and $100 for a household. In exchange, she said, “You’ll never see a bill from us.”

She explained that the actual cost for an ambulance trip can be as much as $1,200 with many people getting bills for $50 to $200 or more after insurance. She added that the service is only for residents with insurance. Those without can’t participate, she said.

According to a copy of the letter presented at the meeting, Longwood would charge the insurance company and the subscriber would not be billed for what the insurance declines to pay other than a deductible or co-pay.

In addition, the letter said, “When a patient’s deductible is greater than the total cost of the ambulance bill, the patient would pay.”

Whiteman said the subscription fee can be a tax write off if there’s no ambulance service used during that year.

She said the service is being offered because of insurance companies and Medicare changing the way they reimburse ambulance companies.

The ambulance club is being offered to all residents in Longwood’s basic life support coverage area.

Other business

• Township manager Kathy Howley said the township is preparing a letter to send to the Chester County commissioners to oppose a suggested $5.20 tax per person to fund the 911 and other emergency services. Howley said many townships oppose the tax.

• Supervisors approved an amendment to the township’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. The amendment changes the fee in lieu of open space requirement from all subdivisions to only major subdivisions, those of more than three lots.

• Supervisors’ Vice Chairman Charles “Scotty” Scottoline said there’s been no decision yet on the fate of the Hope House. He said Pennsbury Village Associates developer Tim Filler has agreed to extend the date for a decision until the end of the year. As part of the approval for the PVA development, which uses township property, Filler offered to move the house to another location if the supervisors so chose.

–By Rich Schwartzman

The clock has started for Birmingham Township supervisors to decide whether or not to approve outdoor seating for P.J. Whelihan’s in the Shoppes at Dilworthtown Crossing.

The board held a conditional use hearing for the seating application on June 18 prior to the start of their regular meeting, and has 45 days in which to render a decision.

Testimony included that from Jim Fris, the chief executive officer of the PJW Restaurant group. Fris said the popularity of outdoor dining is driving the request for expansion. Many of their competitors on the Route 202 corridor offer the outdoor option, he said.

Brian Nagle, attorney, described the project as an outdoor dining space that will not change the amount of impervious surface but will have a fixed roof, heating and roll down siding.

Following dialogue with Supervisors’ Vice Chairman Bill Kirkpatrick, the applicant agreed that the outdoor space would be for seasonal use only and not a year round permanent increase for restaurant seating capacity.

P.J. Whelihans will apply to serve liquor in the new space prior to opening.

The Zoning Hearing Board already heard the application and approved it with two conditions. First, Thornbury Township — where most of the shopping center is situated — must acknowledge the allocation of 15 parking spaces that are not committed for existing establishments. The second condition is that the lighting for the crosswalk to the auxiliary parking lot be adequate.

Neal Liebman from Bernardon, Haber, Holloway showed a drawing of the proposed addition and testified that it was in keeping with other similar structures in the township.

Other business

• Roberta O’Dell brought a plan to install solar panels on a barn at her Meetinghouse Road property.  Supervisors passed the request on to the zoning board with no recommendation, but with the condition that the installation not be visible from any of the three roads bordering the property.

Neighbors must be notified in writing.  Solicitor Kristin Camp said she would provide O’Dell with list for mailing and unofficially help see that the task is completed in time for the scheduled July 7 zoning board hearing.

 • Applications for two residents to install drip irrigation systems generated a discussion on the role of government. The options are to mandate a generator for emergency backup to protect the fields from harm during power outages or to advise applicants not to use water during power outage.  The board opted for advising applicants who have municipal water supply not to use their systems during power outages.  The applications were approved with the stipulation that all bills are paid prior to final signature.

• Birmingham township supervisors plan push back on proposed head tax from Chester County.  Under the proposal, the township would be billed $5.20 per resident.  The funds would be used for emergency services most of which is to buy a new radio system.  Kirkpatrick estimates the tax would cost the township $25,000 per year.  Chairman John Conklin said that the county should budget for emergency services just like they do fire protection.  Put the expense in their budget not bury it in a township fee.  The supervisors will be at the Sunshine meeting with county officials Tuesday 6/19 to express their views.

 

• The Rev. Dr. William H. Scott, of Brandywine Baptist Church in Chadds Ford Township is retiring on June 30 and he will be preaching his last sermon on Sunday, June 24. The congregation will celebrate his ministry of 24 years at the church in a program following the 10 a.m. service. A banquet will be held in the Fellowship Hall immediately after the program.

• On July 3, the Brandywine River Museum will open Andrew Wyeth’s Chadds Ford studio for tours. Wyeth painted in the studio from 1940 until mid-2008, and the studio is virtually intact, looking as it did when he last left it. The building also served as home for Wyeth and his family for more than 20 years. Tours take place Tuesday through Sunday at 10, 10:45, and 11:30 a.m. and 12:15, 1, 1:45, 2:30 and 3:15 p.m., from July 3rd through November 18. Tours are approximately one hour long and are for ages 6 and older. Children under 6 are not permitted on the tours. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended. The cost is $8 per person in addition to Museum admission.

• There’s a free July 4 celebration at Chester Park, according to a press release. There will be free food and American Roots music. Come for the food and music, and stay for the fireworks. The program features the bluegrass group the Rockdale boys and local award winning country artist Sarah Spicer of Yacht stock fame as well as two other bands. It starts at 3:30 p.m. at the Foundry Church 25 Cedar Road Wallingford. www.thefoundrychurch.org