Happy Summer, friends and neighbors, fellow Lansdowne residents,
As we enter the dog days of August and the waning days of summer, I want to take a moment to thank the many folks on the boards of the Swim Clubs in the area and youth programs who made spaces available for our residents to recreate this summer. In particular, thank you to the Lansdowne Swim Club Board and employees and the Nile Swim Club Board and employees for maintaining the vibrant places of joy to fuel the future nostalgia of our children.
Also, as we approach the beginning of the school year, please be aware of the changing traffic patterns in the morning to keep our children safe as they walk to school, bike to school, and are dropped off by their parents. Their safety is more important than anyone shaving a few minutes off their commute by driving too fast.
Public Safety:
At a special meeting on July 27th, Lansdowne Borough Council unanimously voted to provide financial support to the Lansdowne Fire Company to partner with the Narberth Ambulance Company and provide 24/ 7 EMS to the residents of Lansdowne.
Thank you, President Mike Boyce, Vice President Sinoe Naji-Taylor and the Public Safety team, the Finance Team and this council for working as a team to provide a solution to a challenging problem that is being faced by many communities in Delaware County and Pennsylvania.
Also, President Mike Boyce has invited Council to the Fire Company’s blessing celebration on September 9th to bring the new ladder truck into service.
On August 1st, Lansdowne Borough collaborated on our National Night Out event with East Lansdowne Borough. Thank you to both the Lansdowne and East Lansdowne Police Departments and Fire Departments and the Lansdowne Business and Professional Association for creating another great night for our community. Special thanks to Officer Albertoli for his many years of coordination of this event.
Economic/ Community Development:
On July 23rd, Lansdowne celebrated with members of the Liberian community to celebrate Liberian Independence Day. Lansdowne Borough is the first and currently the only community in Delaware county to recognize and celebrate the Liberian community. Thank you to Saadiq Kamara, Amah Dunor, and Prince Massaquoi for organizing the event, the speakers, music, and food. We also want to thank U. S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, Senator Tim Kearney, and County Council Dr. Monica Taylor for attending. See the article in the Delco Times here.
On July 24th, the Historic Lansdowne Theater hosted an event to announce the completion go fund-raising and the beginning of construction. Many of our representatives were in attendance, including Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, Senator Tim Kearney, County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, Council Vice-Chair Elaine Schaefer. Mayor Magda Byrne and I attended representing Lansdowne Borough. Congratulations to Executive Director Matt Schultz and the Theater Board for working with all of the many partners including Lansdowne Borough to bring this project to near completion. The Theater announced that opening will be in the Fall of 2024. See the article in The Patch here.
And, if you missed it, Lansdowne has two great new restaurants: Leo’s Cafe and Sophusion Cafe.
Comprehensive Plan:
We will be moving forward with the next public meetings to receive input prior to adoption of the Comprehensive Plan this fall. Over the course of September and October, Lansdowne Borough will host two public meetings to receive public comment on the Comprehensive Plan before a vote for adoption.
The first meeting will take place on September 26, 2023 at Borough Hall. The meeting will be at 6:30 in the evening.
We encourage all residents to review the draft proposal and to offer comments here, as well:
Finance:
Lansdowne Borough Council will be holding a special meeting on August 30th at 7:00. The meeting will be hybrid and at Borough Hall. This meeting will be an opportunity for the finance team to review the assumptions and fixed costs at the beginning of the budgeting process.
Thank you to Finance Chair Tangela James, Borough Manager Craig Totaro, Treasurer Donna Lang, and the Finance Committee for their preparation of this meeting.
Facilities:
On August 8th, the ad hoc Facilities meeting met and received a presentation from the Library Board and from Chief Rutherford to review the necessities for expansion and updates to both premises. The presentations were both thorough and thoughtful. Lansdowne Borough Council will consider the alternatives for a site plan and vote this fall to determine the future course of action in selecting the plans to move forward. At this time, there is not an architectural drawing of any buildings. Council will only be voting to determine which strategy to pursue in land development.
Please review presentations here.
Pennsylvania Borough Association Training
On August 2nd and 3rd, I attended the Pennsylvania Borough Association Municipal Legal Training and attended workshops pertaining to code Enforcement, the Ethics Act, supervision of the police department and the contract negotiations. I shared much of the material with members on Council. On August 16th, both Councilmember Carol Martsolf and I attended the first part on a series for Complete Streets policies and implementation. Borough Code provides a stipulation that all Boroughs should provide funding for professional development of Council Members by the Pennsylvania Borough Association and we are committed to maintain the same professional training and expertise that earned our Borough an award for Excellence in Local Government this past spring.
Condolences:
At the August 16th meeting, Lansdowne Borough began the meeting with a moment of silence for Raphal “Rap” Curry, a long-time resident of Lansdowne, whose inspiration and legacy pervades the Lansdowne Community and the surrounding areas due to his work as the athletic director of the William Penn School District. Lansdowne Borough Council discussed and passed two resolutions concerning Rap Curry, in honor of not just his legacy, but the legacy of the Newman Curry family who have lived on Bartram Avenue for nearly a century. We offer condolences to the Newman Hackett Curry family and remember Rap Curry for his impact and legacy and memory that still impacts the future of our community. May we all live a full life like Rap Curry.
Please read the resolutions and Borough Council eulogy here.
Save the Date:
- August 30: Special Council Meeting: Budget: 7:00 at Borough Hall
- September 26th: Comprehensive Plan Meeting: 6:30 at Borough Hall
- September 30th: Celebration of Labor: 1pm-4pm 20th Century Club
- October 1st: Arts on the Avenue: 12- 6 Lansdowne Avenue and Owen Avenue Lot
- October 21st: Dedication of Rap Curry Park “The Center”: Bartram Avenue
To all of my friends, neighbors and fellow residents, Lansdowne is on the Move.
I hope to see you around the town in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Hover