September 15, 2015

Continuing a recent pattern in Pocopson Township, the nearly two-hour supervisors’ meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, was dominated by debate over the Barnard House and punctuated by some testy exchanges.

Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Barnard House is being renovated for use as the township municipal building and the home of the Kennett Underground Railroad Center. The project has produced sufficient conflict that a question-and-answer session is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pocopson Home.

The supervisors, with support from the Barnard House Steering Committee, agreed to hold the event in response to a request from Elaine DiMonte, who is running unopposed for supervisor. She said she believes residents’ concerns, which include allegations of shoddy workmanship, ineffective oversight and spiraling costs, need to be addressed. The issue of whether the historic building is well-suited to township administration has also surfaced.

But setting up the forum has also generated acrimony. At Monday night’s meeting, Supervisors’ Chairman Barney Leonard applauded the work of DiMonte and residents Holly Manzone and Sarah Mims. The three comprised a task force formed to create a format for the Q&A.

Leonard rejected the trio’s recommendation that township resident Robert L. Miller, a lawyer and member of the Pocopson Township Planning Commission, serve as moderator at no cost. Leonard said that despite Miller’s strong qualifications, he did not believe it was fair to ask a township resident – someone with “skin in the game” – to preside.

He and Supervisor Georgia Brutscher voted 2-1 to appoint Thomas Oeste, a lawyer who had been suggested earlier by the township solicitor, for the role. Oeste will receive $175 an hour. Supervisor Ricki Stumpo voted no.

Mims, who said Miller attended a recent Barnard House Steering Committee meeting in preparation for serving as moderator, said if the supervisors had wanted a non-resident, they should have said so. “Why did you waste my time?” she asked.

Leonard disagreed. “No one’s time was wasted,” he said.

With some minor modifications, the supervisors agreed to accept the task force’s general guidelines for the event. The moderator will allot 90 minutes to answering questions submitted by residents, and 30 minutes for follow-up questions and comments. If time runs out, the answers to questions will be posted on the township’s website.

Lauressa J. McNemar, a member of the Barnard House Steering Committee, said she believed more than 100 questions had been submitted; however, DiMonte said she thought some of the submissions echoed earlier questions, making the actual number smaller.

Debate also accompanied a discussion about security at the event. Brutscher and Leonard voted 2-1 to pay a uniformed Birmingham Township officer $65 an hour from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Stumpo concurred with several residents who said the township should use its own constable.

A question about whether non-residents would be permitted to speak generated some spirited remarks. Brutscher said members of the Kennett Underground Railroad Center (KURC) should have a voice. Calling them “a major stakeholder,” she said the group had contributed more than $50,000 to the project.

“They are not stakeholders; they don’t live here,” said resident Sean Rafferty.

Another resident, Randy Mims, asked whether KURC’s use of the Barnard House violated the covenant the township signed with Chester County, which sold the property to Pocopson for $1 in 2008, a question that was not answered.

Stumpo said she felt residents should get priority to speak at the Q&A. Leonard said that issue would be determined by the moderator. He expressed surprise that only 44 residents had RSVP’d; however, a couple of residents said they had been away and didn’t know about it.

Leonard said the room holds 80. “It would be helpful to have RSVPs,” he said, adding that the moderator would determine the best way to deal with a potential overflow crowd.

With Stumpo dissenting again, the supervisors voted to reinstate Richard Jensen as the Barnard House’s project manager. At the July 27 meeting, they voted to have Jensen withdraw from the project after questions were raised about his dual role as both project manager and zoning-code enforcement officer.

Leonard said Jensen would not be doing any formal inspections. Jensen is needed to sign off on work done during the first phase of the project so that the contractors can get paid, Leonard said.

Representing a more upbeat topic, Karen Cresta said plans for Pocopson’s Founders Day are in the final stages. Cresta said she and fellow organizers – Colleen McKinney and Christine Hagen – were excited about this year’s event, titled “Harvesting a Great Community.”

“We hope all the community members will come out,” Cresta said.

She said Founders Day – scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 4 p.m. at Pocopson Park – relies on volunteers, a task that always represents a challenge. She encouraged residents to get involved and pointed out that Unionville High students could earn community service credits, which are required for graduation.

In other business, the supervisors were unable to agree on whether to appoint a resident to the Kennett Library Task Force and tabled that issue until the new supervisors take over in January. Similarly, a request from a resident interested in serving on the Kennett Library’s Board of Trustees will also be delayed.

Leonard echoed his view that a new library board should be given time to solve its problems without interference from a task force, which represents municipalities dissatisfied with some of the library board’s recent decisions, including a name change and conflict over a location change.

According to Pocopson Township minutes from May 2013, Pocopson’s supervisors have not contributed any funds to the library since learning that the library board had rejected its two nominees for a seat on the library board.

The supervisors’ voted unanimously to spend $5,500 on the township’s share of an assessment commissioned by the Emergency Services Joint Task Force. Stumpo said the group includes the municipalities served by the Longwood, Po-Mar-Lin and Kennett fire companies: East Marlborough, Newlin, Pocopson and Kennett townships and the Borough of Kennett Square.

“We all agreed that we don’t know enough to make decisions” about fire and ambulance services, said Stumpo. “We don’t know who needs a pumper and who needs a ladder truck,” she explained, adding that “the volunteer system is not working.”

Brutscher said she would attend a meeting called by East Bradford Township to discuss the possibility of forming a regional police force. Although she agreed with Leonard that the prospect did not appear to meet Pocopson’s needs, she said it was prudent to get information.

***UPDATE 6:50 p.m. Sept. 15 ***

According to an Easttown Township Police Department press release,  Anthony Ciccio was been found in Philadelphia. No other information was available.

End update.

The Easttown Township Police Department is looking for the public’s assistance to locate a missing 92-year-old man.

Police said Anthony Ciccio last had contact with the staff of Devon Manor Nursing Home, where he resides, at 9:30 a.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Witnesses stated that they observed a male who matched Ciccio’s description boarding the Septa 105 bus, which was headed toward the 69th Street terminal at 10:30 a.m., according to a press release from Easttown police.

Ciccio, who is originally from Darby, is diabetic and insulin-dependent and was not carrying his medication or a cell phone, police said. He is described as a white male, 5-foot-7, and 170 pounds; he was wearing a white shirt, khaki pants with suspenders, and a dark-colored Jeff cap.

He is utilizing a red walker, which can be converted to a chair, police said, adding that may be trying to get to the Darby area in Delaware County. Anyone with information is urged to call the police radio room at 610-647-1440.

Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-9, recently introduced legislation that requires tax-exempt organizations that engage in political issue advocacy to file finance reports with the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Senate Bill 998 would require 501(c) and 527 organizations to file expense reports when they make expenditures of $1,000 or more, to influence Pennsylvania elections. These reports would include names of donors contributing at least $100 to the organization, said a press release from Pileggi’s office.

Under current law, only groups that engage in political advertisement that expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate are required to file reports with the Department of State. However, in recent years, since the United State Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Pennsylvania has seen an influx of so-called issue advocacy, which is not subject to public disclosure, the release said.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in 2014 over $534 million was spent to influence state and local elections throughout the United States. Currently, these expenditures are not subject to public disclosure or reporting in Pennsylvania.

“Because of this loophole in the Election Code, the use of these tax-exempt organizations, which are not subject to the same rules as candidates or party committees, has risen dramatically,” Pileggi said in the release. “Senate Bill 998 subjects all persons making expenditures to influence elections, to disclosure requirements.”

The legislation, modeled after Delaware’s Election Disclosure Act, which was recently upheld by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, would not change the current reporting requirements for candidate or party committees.

“Senator Pileggi’s efforts to help Pennsylvania voters understand who is working behind the scenes to influence the outcome of elections is extremely important.” Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause PA, said in the release. “Common Cause PA applauds Senator Pileggi’s endeavors to evaluate the fairness and integrity for our elections through Senate Bill 998.”

Senate Bill 998 has been referred to the Senate State Government Committee.

Birmingham Township supervisors Monday night reaffirmed their Aug. 3 decision to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for a home to be built at 1236 Birmingham Road.

The certificate, recommended by the Historical and Architectural Review Board, was challenged at the time. Neighbors and the Brandywine Conservancy argued the proposed home — a two-story structure with a four-car garage — was taller than the previous home on the property and that large trees would be removed and ruin the scenic view of the area.

However, supervisors approved the certificate because, as Supervisor Bill Kirkpatrick said at the time, the board had an obligation to assess the application based on laws, ordinances and regulations, not on emotion.

Approval came with conditions that were officially memorialized with the reaffirmation on Sept. 14. Among those conditions are requirements that the location and construction of out buildings be in accordance with the plans submitted to the township, that the façade be made with a creative use of stone to mirror the style used elsewhere in the historic district and that a landscape plan, prepared by a landscape architect, be submitted to supervisors for review.

Other business

• Kathy Wilson, vice president of the West Chester Library Board made a brief presentation to supervisors, saying there are 1,210 West Chester Library cards issued to Birmingham Township residents, but that the number of township users is higher because, in many cases, multiple members of the same household will use the same card.

Those residents borrowed 5,621 items from the library last year. They also took part in many of the library’s programs, Wilson said.

During the presentation Wilson thanked the board for the township’s allocation to the library, adding, “I would not be doing my job if I didn’t ask not only to continue your allocation in the 2016 budget, but also increase it.”

No dollar amounts were mentioned, but she said if the library receives an amount of $1 for each township resident, the library would receive matching funds from the state.

• The board also approved a waiver for Gino Razzi, who recently purchased the property at 1140 Street Road near the township building, to have a pole barn for equipment storage where a previous shed had been located. That location is within the 200-foot setback

Township Manager Quina Nelling said the waiver is required by Historical Commission ordinance and that the commission recommended approval.

Nelling also welcomed Razzi to Birmingham, saying, “I’m thrilled that you cleaned up the property so nicely.”

Construction began on Monday, Sept. 14, to rehabilitate the historic Knox Covered Bridge on Yellow Springs Road in Valley Forge National Historical Park, said PennDOT in a press release.

The Knox Covered Bridge in Tredyffrin Township is the second of three covered bridges in Chester County to move to construction as part of PennDOT’s $3,201,562 improvement project, the release said.

Work began last month to repair the Rapps Dam Covered Bridge on Rapps Dam Road in East Pikeland Township, which is expected to reopen in October. The Speakman Covered Bridge on Frog Hollow Road in West Marlborough and East Fallowfield townships will move to construction in 2016.

The Knox Covered Bridge, which was closed to traffic after being struck by a large vehicle on July 6, is expected to reopen in late December. PennDOT’s contractor will work the next three months to repair damaged and deteriorating wooden truss support members inside the barn; repair the damaged wall and siding; replace the timber deck; reinforce steel support beams with steel plates; and repair the stone masonry abutments and stone masonry sidewalls, the release said.

During construction, motorists will continue to follow the posted detour of Route 252, Swedesford Road and North Valley Road. Local access will be maintained up to the bridge. Motorists are advised to continue to allow extra time when traveling through the area. The work is weather dependent.

The Knox Covered Bridge, which averaged 2,000 vehicles a day before its closure, was built in 1865 and rehabilitated in 1996 and 2006.  In 2012, PennDOT, Valley Forge National Historical Park, and the Friends of Valley Forge Park partnered and completed an enhancement project that painted the outside of the covered bridge and replaced deteriorated wooden panels.

Eastern Highway Specialists, Inc. of Wilmington, Del. is the general contractor on this project. The Knox Covered Bridge and Speakman Covered Bridge are financed with 100 percent state funds, and the Rapps Dam Bridge is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.  PennDOT will seek reimbursement for the cost of repairing the Rapps Dam Bridge from the trucking company responsible for the damage.