Delco Gets Report On Libraries — Delaware County (Pa) Council, last night, March 20, was told that Marple and Middletown public libraries were among the best in state but there may be as many as 10 that were below average and on their way out.
Council was told that the average cost of a library in a community is $30 per capita and the county’s average is $26 per capita.
Councilman Kevin Madden said community libraries are surprisingly growing in importance in the day of the internet. He said they are not just for books but are becoming community centers.
He noted Delaware County has more municipalities per square mile than any other county in the country. This has led to the county’s old and crowded southeast quadrant to have what might be the high density of community libraries in the county.
Wannabe hipster wine moms have led to some unnecessary controversy, though, regarding the library’s place in the community.
Carris Kocher of Concord said she did not want tax money going to drag queen shows for kids.
Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby said that illegals appear to be camping at the Bywood branch of her township’s library system.
Councilwoman Christine Reuther responded by saying just because they are homeless doesn’t mean they are illegals.
History Was Topic At Delco Council — Delaware County Council, last night, March 20, approved an $85,000 grant to the Delaware County Historical Society for preservation of its collection.
In public comments Carris Kocher of Concord said the amount was too late too late.
Councilman Kevin Madden took issue with her. He said that while the building may be sold but the collection is safe.
The vote was 4-0 with Madden abstaining as he is on the Society’s board.
In another matter of history, Janet Lloyd Murphy of Middletown expressed concern that county might have forgotten its promise of help for a project to restore The Old Main building on the Crozer Chester Medical Center campus in Upland into the MLK Center for Peace and Justice.
She said she reached out to county officials in February but had not heard back.
Solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein said he had gotten her message and would be contacting her.
County Executive Director Barbara O’Malley approached her after the meeting and said the county was fully behind her project.
The Old Main was part of the Crozer Theological Seminary where Martin Luther King Jr. studied. His dorm room was in the Old Main.
Yeadon Mayor Rohan K. Hepkins asked council to give its support for celebrations honoring Flag Day. Yeadon was the home of William T. Kerr who got the event recognized as a national holiday in 1949.
He said he has invited Joe Biden and Gov. Josh Shapiro to a celebration and asked the county to consider providing a grant.
Delco Passes Movie Making And Residency Changes; Bond Issue — Delaware County Council, last night, March 20, unanimously passed ordinances allowing commercial movies to be filmed in county parks and to allow the issue of general obligation debt of $74.5 billion to pay for infrastructure projects.
It also passed with Dr. Monica Taylor dissenting an ordinance to allow the hiring of non-county residents for all jobs except those requiring local residency by state law.
Carris Kocher of Concord said she had asked courthouse workers if taking an oath was still a requirement. It wasn’t as there were many employees who weren’t citizens. It would be unfair to ask them, she was told.
She asked if at least citizenship would be a requirement.
Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby asked if the county would hire people without permanent addresses.
Carl Bell (phonetic) asked why the need to hire outside the county.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther said she would be happy to hire someone without a permanent address. She said the law need changing because of trouble hiring people.
Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer said that Delaware County was the only county in the state besides Philadelphia that had a residency requirement. She supported changing the law.
Councilman Kevin Madden said he has changed his mind over the past few years due to the hiring problems.
Councilman Richard Womack said he also changed his mind. He noted the number of positions the county already exempts from the resident requirement.
“You might as well get rid of (all exemptions},” he said.
Ms. Taylor, the lone dissenter, said it was best to hire from within Delco.
In the second round of public comments, Mrs. Kocher returned and emphasized the need for a citizenship requirement.
She noted that that foreigners are being hired by many counties to help run elections.
Bell also returned and asked if the county could hire from other states. He also wanted to know how the new policy could help get workers if Delco was still paying less than other counties as one council member said.
There was no discussion regarding the bond issue and the change to the movie making rules was greeted positively by all.
Kathy from Haverford said she had relatives in the movie industry and the county would have no problem getting filmmakers to pay a fee for the use of the parks.
Delco Told Prison Bosses Retaliated Against Guards Who Met With Councilman And Exec Director— Frank Kwaning, president of the Delaware County (Pa) Prison Employees Independent Union, yesterday, March 6, praised county Executive Director Barbara O’Malley and Councilman Richard R. Womack for their recent tour of the county’s George Hill Correctional Facility and the point they made to privately talk with correctional officers.
Kwaning said, however, the prison administration retaliated against those officers after the county officials left.
Womack said that he was appalled to hear that and asked Kwaning to supply him with specifics.
Kwaning, a 14-year-veteran, of the facility was among the 68 fired after the County took over the facility in April 2022. He and 12 other former correctional officers filed a federal lawsuit, Feb. 29, saying their termination was improper.
Ms. O’Malley, earlier in the night, said major upgrades have been planned for the prison and that she would investigate all complaints. She said, however, she was satisfied with how things were going there.
Carris Kocher of Concord during public comments took issue with Solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein’s claim that only elected officials were required to take oaths of office. She read to him state law that specifically cited clerks and deputies.
She also asked why the county needed process servers outside the elected constables, who are recognized law enforcement officers.
A Concord man brought to council’s attention a matter of suspicious zoning in his township.
Delco Prepares To OK $74.5 Billion Bonds — Delaware County Council, yesterday, March 6, held the first reading of an ordinance to allow it to issue general obligation debt of $74.5 billion to pay for infrastructure projects.
Solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein said it was not expected that the entire allowable amount be borrowed.
The maximum interest rate allowed would be 6 percent.
Council also recognized March as National Women’s Month albeit the definition of a woman was left undefined.
The county-owned Fair Acres Nursing Home in Middletown was recognized for having been declared one of the nation’s best nursing homes by Newsweek magazine.
Council approved 31 consent items. These included an agreement of sale with Commonwealth Land Title Company to buy 123 N. Olive St., Media for $775,000 and a contract with WGL Energy services to become part of the Sustainable Energy Partnership of Southeastern Pennsylvania for five years at 67 cents per megawatt hour.
Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer commented and expressed great approval at the latter one.
Public Defender Again Criticized
Former public defender John Baldini (phonetic) of Upper Darby again criticized how Chris Welsh is running his old department. He took issue with statements by councilmembers defending Welsh last month.
Baldini said things are much worse. Judges previously had three public defenders of varying degrees of experience and the younger ones were mentored by the older. Now indigent defendants have access to just one inexperienced attorney, he said.
Ordinance Would Allow Out-Of-Delco Hiring — Delaware County Council, yesterday, March 6, held the first reading of an ordinance that would allow the hiring of non-county residents for all posts except solicitor, executive director and other positions mandated by state law.
Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther said the county was having trouble filling positions and noted that government employment has fallen by 7 percent over the last decade.
Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer pointed out that the county has lost good workers because they had to move a mile away. She said Philadelphia is the only other county that has a residency requirement. She said that 42 percent of the county workers already have an exemption.
Councilman Richard R. Womack said he had mixed feelings about changing the policy and that, if it should change, he would hope county residents would still get a preference in hiring.
Executive Director Barbara O’Malley also said she had mixed feelings but that the change was necessary.
Solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein said the part of the bill providing for reimbursement for relocating only applies to those moving to the county and is not automatic.
Speaking against the ordinance were Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby and Carris Kocher of Concord.
John Baldini (phonetic) of Upper Darby said the county should open up but there should be a salary cap on non-county residents.
Delco Concedes CYS Is Poorly Trained And Understaffed — Delaware County, Pa. Executive Director Barbara O’Malley, last night, March 6, addressed the horrific stories concerning the county’s Children and Youth Services Department.
Mothers had been separated from their children for almost a year and stigmatized as abusers on the flimsiest of claims.
In at least one case, it was reported that the child, after removal, was placed in an environment in which he was sexually abused.
Further, the rulings by CYS have kept these women from getting jobs — at least two are teachers — or otherwise working with kids.
Ms. O’Malley reported that CYS was extremely understaffed and Delco was having trouble finding workers (see other story). She also noted the department’s training was poor.
Somewhere in her statement was a vague promise to improve things.
Recognizing the problem is a positive but immediate action can and must be taken to end immediate suffering.
First step is to make right the lives of those who were victims of this incompetency.
County Council can do this.
Simply call the person in charge and say let it be so. If this person won’t make these problems go away you make her go away and hire someone who knows what he’s doing.
By the way, we’ve heard reports of retaliation by CYS against a woman who spoke out. We are watching.
Second step is to create policy in which children aren’t removed due to domestic complaints unless a, hopefully, better trained supervisor does a follow up investigation. This is especially true if a judge has awarded custody to the accused.
Third step is don’t hire consultants that hire people implicated in serious scandals involving the removal of children.
Defensive Delco Council Shrilly Denies Issue With Illegals — Delaware County Council, tonight, March 6, perversely promoted multiculturalism when given first-hand accounts of suffering caused by illegal aliens and reports of law enforcement unable to keep them in custody when they commit crimes.
Sharon Devaney of Haverford Township described how she was permanently disabled in 2017 when a car traveling 70 mph and driven by an illegal, t-boned her Toyota Camry at Lawrence and Ellis roads. She had been dropping off her daughter with her parents before work. The illegal was not insured and in violation of numerous laws yet the police released her without charges.
Ms.Devaney implored council to change Delco’s status as a sanctuary county.
Our officials don’t appear to have a handle as to what’s happening.
Christine A. Reuther dismissed Ms. Devaney’s claim that the problem was illegal immigration and that Delco was protecting illegals.
“I heard someone say we’ve been a sanctuary county since 2014, which I’m sure would surprise our previous councilmembers who I can’t imagine would have voted to have made us a sanctuary county,” she said.
Dr. Monica Taylor expressed anger at the words used by those describing the crisis and claimed those expressing the concerns were directing them at immigrants rather than the flood crossing the border in violation of our laws.
She also dismissed Ms. Devany’s experience saying the person who nearly killed two people while crippling one while speeding through a busy intersection was just an “uninsured driver” and it was not an immigration issue.
So tell us Dr. Taylor, where do you think this person took her test for her driver’s license?
Swarthmore College student Jonas Salk (phonetic) praised sanctuary cities and multiculturalism.
Ms. Reuther made a puzzling statement in her objections to the concerns expressed about illegal immigration.
“They can speculate about what we might do or tell you what they might do if they were sitting up here but to simply say that ‘Oh gee maybe somebody that has nothing to do with any of this who to be quite honest with you isn’t necessarily supported by every member of County Council in a run for higher office, who can’t affect any sort of usage for any sort of property that doesn’t belong to the county is just fearmongering.”
So who is this person running for higher office not necessarily supported by every member of County Council? We doubt it’s a Republican.
Delco To Allow Movie Making In County Parks At Sun Center Studio’s Request — Delaware County (Pa) Council, Feb. 21, approved the first reading of an ordinance that would let movies be filmed in county parks.
The filming would require permission of the county and would not be allowed to disrupt previously planned activities.
Commercial filming had been prohibited.
Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer said the change was made at the request of Sun Center Studio in Chester Township and is expected to bring significant economic rewards to Delco.
In other matters, Delaware County approved 51 agenda items including the acceptance of a $226,900 DCED Greenways grant for the design of the Darby Creek Trail connector from Kent Park to Scottdale Road in Clifton Heights;and the acceptance of a $75,000 Greenways grant for the expansion of the parking lot at the Knowlton Road Trailhead in Middletown on the Chester Creek Trail.
The Knowlton Road lot will be expanded from 10 parking spaces to 35.
Also, Council approved a $96,540 contract with Wilson Engineering for the final design of Phase II of the Chester Creek Trail; and approved offers to buy land and easements from six property owners in Middletown and Aston for Phase II. The county’s total offer will be $228,400.
Council voted to apply to the PHMC’s Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants program for a $100,000 grant for restorations to the Leedom House in Rose Tree Park. The county will have to match the money.
James Peterson was appointed as director of purchasing. Joanne Phillips was appointed to the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority for a term ending January 2028.
Other stories from the meeting can be found here regarding the Public Defender’s Office; here regarding election concerns; here regarding the county prison; here regarding the register of wills; and here regarding extremely concerning matters involving Children and Youth Services.
Delco To Allow Movie Making In County Parks At Sun Center Studio’s Request
Delco Council Defends Public Defender Over Turmoil Claim — Delaware County (Pa) Council vigorously defended Public Defender Chris Welsh over a charge that he has his office in turmoil and lacks experience.
John Baldini (sp) of Upper Darby, a former attorney with the office, said Welsh has only handled one trial while his predecessors had handled dozens including murder trials. He also said his predecessors had only fired a handful of attorneys in their long tenure while Welsh has fired 15 in his two years.
Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer praised Welsh and supported his goal of using attorneys who only work for the Public Defender’s Office and are not distracted by a private practice.
Councilman Kevin M. Madden joined in the love saying trial experience wasn’t important for what Welsh did.
Great.
Council, however, has expressed concern about staff shortages regarding CYS and poll workers. We kind of wonder how much they will have to pay to keep the public defender’s office filled if the only attorneys they have are full-time yet skilled enough to thrive in a private practice.
