Current Bulletin

April 2011

Panhandle Civic Association Meeting, April 8, 2011

The Annual Meeting of the Panhandle Civic Association, attended by 50 members and guests and held at the St. Davids Golf Club, was called to order by Acting Presidents Julie Lindberg and Mark Werther at 6:45 on April 8, 2011.

The Acting Presidents introduced and welcomed Kenneth Burton, the President of the Mount Pleasant Community Association.

Julie introduced the Executive Committee and explained that our Recording Secretary/Newsletter officer, Stephanie Abbott, is moving and Darcie Milkevitch, will be our new Recording Secretary.

Ann King has offered to chair our Membership Committee, as Bonnie Bennett is also moving. Mark and Julie asked if there were additional nominations from the floor. When there were none, a request was made for a nomination to approve the Executive Committee. The nomination was made and seconded. A vote was taken and the Executive Committee was approved. Thanks were extended to those retiring Board members and Block Captains who have contributed much to the success of the PCA for many years.

The Treasurer’s report stated that the Panhandle Civic Association (PCA) has a $9,200 balance in our emergency fund.

Mark Werther introduced the first of two speakers. Michelle Kichline, who grew up in the Panhandle, is a municipal attorney, and was elected to the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors in 2009. Michelle spoke to us about the following three items that directly related to the PCA.

The Mount Pleasant community has been troubled with misbehavior on the part of students living in rental properties in that neighborhood. The community, with support from the PCA, brought this issue to the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors. A student housing ordinance was enacted last August which requires landlords to register with the township if they are planning to rent their property to students. One of the stipulations is that a property must have at least a 10 foot buffer around the house and that student rentals must not be in too close proximity to each other. Additionally, no more than three students may reside in a single home. The supervisors worked with the area residents and the police to create this ordinance. Residents are urged to contact the police if violations or nuisance behaviors are observed.

The second item was that the PCA recommended that Tredyffrin Township contribute to the newly ordered Radnor Fire Company hi-reach ladder truck. As the Radnor Fire Company is the first responder for the Panhandle, the PCA Executive Committee felt strongly about the necessity of this additional financial support. $15,000 was agreed for this year. (MNW Comment: Based on economic conditions it is unclear if additional funds in 2012 will be forwarded as the request was for $50,000.)

The third item was about the Tredyffrin Planning Commission for the township. Ms. Kichline explained that most Townships rely on their Supervisors for planning project approval. Since 1986, however, Tredyffrin has given that responsibility to the Planning Commission. The belief was and is that members appointed to the Planninng Commission have extended expertise and familiarity with the Planning process and are highly competent to make appropriate decisions. Four Supervisors, Philip Donahue, Michael C. Heaberg, John P. DiBuonaventuro, and Michelle H. Kichline, voted to keep land development decisions with the Planning Commission. Further, a Supervisor liaison will attend all of the Commission meetings and report back to the Board of Supervisors, thus keeping the BOS current on Commission actions.

Our second speaker was Karen Cruickshank, President of the T-E School Board. Karen explained that the funding for public schools has a deficit projected of $10,241,562 million for 2011-2012. This includes an additional $1.6 million reduction from state funding recently announced for this year. The gap has been caused by a decrease in real estate taxes of $1 million and a loss of transfer taxes due to fewer property sales. Additionally, teachers’ pensions have increased and will continue to increase based on State voted approvals. These pensions in recent years have not had commensurate fund appreciation. The School Board has cut programs and staff as well as proposing no salary raises for next year. Karen is asking all sides to share in sacrifices to meet this deficit together. Mark recommended that the Reserve Funds being used to meet the deficit this year should not be depleted in future years as a way to meet a deficit, and asked Karen to give us an update in 3 months.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:10.

The annual PCA social dinner followed, with neighbors enjoying an evening together. Many remarked that they look forward to this every year as it is rare to be able to meet new and old friends in such a nice setting. The dinner of roast beef and salmon is beautifully presented. St. Davids Golf Club was rebuilt several years ago, and we are fortunate to have such a beautiful facility in the Panhandle. It is a favorite spot for special dinners, parties, wedding and holiday affairs, and we thank the Club for making it possible for us to return each year.

Respectfully submitted,
PCA Executive Committee