Kennett Twp. raises taxes

Kennett Township supervisors approved the 2023 budgets Wednesday night, with a half-mill tax increase to help pay for increasing emergency and police service costs. The 0.5-mill increase will mean the average taxpayer in Kennett, with a property worth $624,000 and assessed at $246,871, would pay an extra $123 each year in township taxes, according to Kennett Finance Director Amy Heinrich. (A mill is $1 for…

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New open space in Kennett Twp.

Kennett Township supervisors voted Wednesday to approve the township’s newest open space acquisition. The township will purchase about 23 acres at 421 Burnt Mill Road for $925,669.22 and designate the land for open space. The supervisors accomplished that by unanimously approving two resolutions at Wednesday’s meeting: Resolution 2022-21 designates the land for open space, and Resolution 2022-22 authorizes the acquisition of the land. Open space…

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Kennett eyes open space

In a 15-minute meeting Wednesday, the Kennett Township supervisors approved a confidential settlement agreement and an open space grant application formally appointed a chief administrative officer for pensions and finalized two appointments to the planning commission. The confidential settlement agreement that was unanimously approved was for a matter of personnel, according to township Manager Eden Ratliff. Ratliff said at Wednesday’s meeting, held at the New…

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Polling place changed in Kennett

Meetings and polling places usually held at the Kennett Township building will be held elsewhere while remediation and repair work continues in the township’s meeting room. Kennett Township residents who normally vote in elections at the township building will instead vote at Bethany Presbyterian at 316 Kennett Pike, according to a press release. Election Day in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Nov. 8. “On Oct. 6, the…

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Kennett starting budget talks

Kennett Township supervisors will consider advertising their draft budget and finalizing a proposed tax increase at tonight’s (Oct. 19) meeting. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the New Garden Township building, where recent meetings have been held while the township’s meeting room is remediated for mold. The meeting will not be live-streamed. Final budget approval is slated for the supervisors’ Nov. 16 meeting. The…

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Mold remediation continues in Kennett

The Kennett Township supervisors will continue meeting this month in an alternate location as mold remediation is done in the township’s meeting room. The Oct. 5 and 19 meetings will be held at the New Garden Township building, 299 Starr Road, Landenberg. According to the township, they are in-person meetings only, meaning that there is not an option for people to watch the meeting remotely…

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Twp. wants property cleaned up

The Kennett Township supervisors approved the possibility of pursuing an injunction against the owner of 821 Burrows Run Road for violating the zoning code. “I can say confidently that 821 Burrows Run Road is in violation of our zoning code, as well as our property code,” township Manager Eden Ratliff said, adding that the zoning officer found violations “mainly having to do with large construction…

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Kennett Twp. police promotes two

The Kennett Township Police Department recently promoted two officers. During a ceremony in late July, Cpl. Amanda Wenrich and Detective Miguel Juarez were sworn into their new positions. Supervisors’ Chairman Richard Leff said at the ceremony that the police department, including Wenrich and Juarez, “take community policing to heart.” According to Kennett Chief Matt Gordon, Wenrich is in charge of the detectives and two patrol…

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Insurance settlement in Kennett

The insurer for Kennett Township’s former auditing firm will pay the township $735,000 in a dispute related to the $3.2 million embezzlement by the former township manager. The Kennett Township board of supervisors unanimously approved adopting a settlement, in which both sides “without admitting or conceding any liability or wrongdoing … have determined that it is in their best interests to resolve this dispute,” according…

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Library plans art fundraiser

The Kennett Library, in the process of building a new facility, is hosting its first arts fundraiser this fall. The family-friendly Kennett Arts Festival will be held on Oct. 15 and 16 and will benefit the library. “The event will showcase more than 100 local and regional artists’ work in an array of mediums, across palates and price points. Patrons may purchase artwork as well…

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Investigation: No conflict of interest

An independent investigation commissioned by the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors found no merit to the conflict-of-interest complaints by a township resident against township Manager Eden Ratliff, reaffirming the findings of the state ethics commission. Blank Rome LLP, an outside law firm hired by the township in 2019 in the wake of the Lisa Moore embezzlement, issued a report to the supervisors on April 1…

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