Summary of 12 March 2025 BOS Meeting
This is my personal summary of the March 12, 2025, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
Agenda Items, Discussions, Decisions, and More
- Reports of Board Members
- Engineer’s Report
- Manager’s Report
- Official Video
Reports of Board Members
Why Is My Electricity Bill So High?
I reported that on March 4, 2025, he attended a Zoom meeting presented by PennFuture and Conservation Voters of PA to learn more about who’s in charge of our electricity and how we can work to make it more affordable.
My monthly PECO bill for electricity + gas rose from $356 in Oct 2024 and $457 in Nov 2024 to $664 in Jan 2025 and $630 in Feb 2025. My small 1900 sq ft house is gas heated. My bill for gas in the Feb 2025 bill was 80% higher than in the Dec 2024 bill (the electricity part rose 25%).
According to the experts who presented at the webinar, policymakers and residents must be wary of the false solutions sold by oil and gas CEOs. PennFuture’s perspective: Clean energy (e.g., solar) and energy efficiency are the most immediate and effective ways to drive down costs. Fossil fuel dependence = volatility and necessarily increasing costs. Clean energy and energy efficiency lower costs and create reliability on the grid.
The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (NBCJMA, aka Newtown Sewer Authority) voted Tuesday, 11 March 2025, to halt work on a proposed wastewater treatment plant in Newtown Township. Read “#NewtownPA Waste Water Treatment Plant Decision: Does "Stop" Really Mean END?”
Before the vote, residents attending the meeting were forced out of the meeting room while the Authority met in Executive Session for OVER AN HOUR to discuss how to vote on the issue of the proposed Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). Many more were waiting outside. The Authority claimed it was not able to have its Exec session in another room and allow residents to stay in the meeting room because of “technology issues!” That excuse was that one Board member - Linda Bobrin - attended via Zoom. If they don’t have the technology to handle a problem as simple as this – or to fix the broken water fountain outside the room – then how will they be able to manage a high-tech sewage treatment plant??? Just sayin’
Why I Wore a Zelenskyy Ukrainian Army T-Shirt
Following comments made about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attire during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance on Feb. 28, 2025, in the Oval Office, I decided to wear a Ukrainian Armey T-shirt in support of Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion.
On April 13, 2022, the Newtown Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to divest Twp pension funds of Aberdeen (ABEMX) holdings, which includes Russian & Chinese securities, in protest against the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the apparent war crimes being committed by Russia in Ukraine. My survey at the time revealed that 78% of Newtown Residents approved this decision.
Further information:
Engineer’s Report
Engineer’s Report: March 6, 2025
Newtown-Yardley Road Sidewalk Concepts
RVE is preparing conceptual plans and cost estimates for sidewalk improvements in the following areas:
- Newtown-Yardley Road, between Terry Drive and South Elm Avenue
- Newtown-Yardley Road, between Terry Drive and Tara Boulevard
- Newtown-Yardley Road, between Tara Boulevard and South Elm Avenue
Further Information:
DCNR Meadow Conversion Project
As stated in the Manager’s Report: “DCNR has indicated that it will be moving forward on bidding the Lawn to Meadow projects in the county and in Newtown Township. Please recall that this grant/project is to convert lawn areas into meadows for ecological purposes. The Township will be required to execute a ‘Lease & Right of Entry’ with DCNR. The documentation will be included in the packet for review in advance of the meeting. The areas in Newtown Township include lawn conversions in Silver Lake Park and Roberts Ridge Park. There is no cost to the Township for the work. The areas being converted are in accordance with the Township’s MS4 plan.”
The plan submitted to and approved by the BOS shows the drainage basin area (lower right) completely converted to meadow, whereas the DCNR version shows only a portion of the basin converted. The original plan also shows the meadow along Frost Lane and Lower Dolington Rd ending BEFORE the path leading past the playground whereas the DCNR plan shows the meadow extending PAST the path and abutting the playground.
The Newtown Engineer agreed to discuss this with DCNR to hopefully make sure the BOS-approved plan shown on the left in the above graphic is implemented.
Also, DCNR plans to use Roundup to kill the turf in the first phase of the project, which will be begin in August 2025. I asked that not only should the area treated with Roundup be cordoned off, there should be adequate signs notifying the public that the herbicide has been used in the area.
I noted that I have received complaints from residents about the use of Roundup by the township in public parks and ball fields near seating areas. Our PW Director has said that he has no issues purchasing signage and posting prior to spraying in the future. I hope this would be the same during the meadow process. Supervisor Snyder suggested that the township ban its own used of Roundup in public parks and use vinegar for weed control, although it should be noted that I was advised by a DNCR expert that “horticultural vinegar does not produce the complete kill needed to remove the competitive edge of turf grasses, and it changes soil pH.”
Further Information:
Manager’s Report
The Newtown Creek Coalition will be finalizing a recommendation to the Board and obtaining a contract for professional services for design of the pedestrian bridge. Once finalized, it will be on a future Agenda for the Board’s consideration to award the contract. The fees will be paid by the LSA Grant.
Further Information:
- $1 Million in Funding Awarded for Construction of a Pedestrian Bridge
- Supervisors OK #NewtownPA Creek Pedestrian Bridge Grant Application, BUT I Have Concerns
Approval of Penn Community Bank as Township Depository
For a long time, Supervisor Phil Calabro has voted against paying the township bills because it uses a “foreign” bank – i.e., TD Bank (aka Toronto Dominion Bank) – for its checking account, credit cards, and other banking services. At the 14 February 2024 BOS meeting, Mr. Calabro gave his reasons: "We have a lot of local banks in the area but we're doing business with Toronto Dominion Bank which if anyone searches Google for Toronto Dominion Bank they will see an abundance of scandals that that bank has been involved in from Ponzi schemes to pay for play. So, I don't know why we're doing business with this bank."
Amanda Gattuso, Newtown Township Finance Director, provided a memorandum outlining the provisions behind the recommendation to approve Penn Community:
“This recommendation is based on the criteria outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on January 27th for our Operating, Payroll, and Escrow bank accounts. After reviewing the proposals submitted, I feel comfortable recommending Penn Community Bank as the Township’s new banking provider. Penn Community Bank’s proposal stands out for its comprehensive offerings and competitive interest earnings terms. Fulton Bank submitted a strong proposal with a slightly higher interest earnings rate, but it comes with a minimum balance requirement that could lead to fees for services, similar to our current account structure at TD Bank. In contrast, Penn Community Bank offers those same services without any minimum balance requirements or fees.”
The BOS approved the motion 5-0.
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