Kennett Township ushered out 2015 with a full plate that included a heap of budget numbers, a side of shiitakes, and a dollop of blackberries.
The final supervisors’ meeting of the year began on a celebratory note as David Shepherd and Bob Hammaker were honored for their years of service to the township. It ended with the passage of the 2016 budget, a multi-fund spending plan that contains no tax increases.
Supervisors’ Chairman Scudder G. Stevens, who presented plaques to both men, applauded their exemplary contributions, and he noted the presence of many supporters in the audience, including family members and township volunteers and employees. Shepherd served on the township’s Planning Commission for six years and logged a decade of service on the Historical Commission. Stevens said it was impossible to measure Shepherd’s positive impact.
Shepherd joked, “One wonders what should I say? I think the smart answer is say thank you and sit down.” However, he said he wanted to express gratitude to the many supervisors, fellow commission members and township staff members who provided thoughtful counsel and assistance to him during his tenure.
“It’s been a wonderful experience to be on these commissions,” Shepherd said. “I leave this with a lot of fond memories.”
In recognizing Hammaker, Stevens said he was sorry to see the end of his colleague’s 12-year stint as supervisor. In addition to Hammaker’s service to the township in that capacity as well as his five years on the Environmental Advisory Committee, Stevens voiced appreciation on a personal level.
Stevens said Hammaker was particularly supportive and encouraging when Stevens joined the board, facilitating his transition. “I am eternally grateful for his actions in that regard,” Stevens said.
Hammaker, visibly surprised by the attention, also expressed thanks to his colleagues and staff. “I’m not going to make a speech,” he said.
Not a problem, responded Township Manager Lisa M. Moore, as Sara Meadows, who chairs the Historical Commission, presented Hammaker with a vanilla cake featuring blackberry filling. Moore said it would be cut and distributed while the supervisors got back to the business on the meeting’s agenda.
One of those items involved a vote on the preliminary land development plan from Kennett Square Specialties to build 38 mushroom houses on a 15.5-acre tract on Ways Lane, which is zoned limited industrial. With some conditions, the Planning Commission recommended the plan for approval on Nov. 12, Moore said.
In response to concerns from resident Joe Duffy about smells emanating from the operation, Lou Caputo, one of the applicants, explained that the facility would not be used for composting or growing mushrooms, but rather for preparing exotics like shiitakes for growth.
Caputo said the process involves sterilizing an oak sawdust and grain mixture formed into a log and then inoculating it with shiitake spores. By the end of a 5 ½-week process, the log would be petrified. Caputo said some of the logs would be sold as is and others would be transported to a growing facility, where “like a chia pet, it has to be submerged in water” to grow.
The supervisors voted unanimously to approve the preliminary land development plan. They also passed the 2016 budget after hearing some modifications from Moore. The budget includes an accounting of six funds – capital, general, library, open space, sewer and state.
Highlights include two anticipated open-space purchases totaling $2.5 million, one of which is likely to be announced in February, Moore said. The projected balance of the open-space fund at the end of 2016 is nearly $2.9 million. Moore said the township also budgeted $90,000 to start a sustainable development office that would look at development proactively and assist in the coordination of grants. To view the budget, click here.
Stevens said work would definitely begin on the Chandler Mill Bridge in 2016; however, the extent of it cannot be assessed yet. The township can’t determine the stability of the foundation until the bridge is deconstructed, Stevens said. “We won’t know until we’re in the big muddy up to our elbows,” he explained.
In other business, Kennett Township Police Chief Lydell Nolt said police responded to 401 incidents last month, with state police handling 69 of them. He noted that people are particularly susceptible to theft at this time of year, and he urged residents and businesses to consider installing surveillance cameras.
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