Featuring content curated from articles published in local newspapers and other sources. The insights/opinions expressed here are solely those of John Mack and do not represent the opinions of any other person or entity.
Residents Voice Concerns Regarding Newtown Gun Show
There is growing concern over the upcoming “Newtown Gun Show” to be held at the Newtown Sports Training Center on March 26-27, 2022. At the January 26, 2022, Newtown Board of Supervisors public meeting, several residents voiced concerns about this show. View a short 10-minute video of resident comments.
At the January 12, 2022, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) public meeting, Fire Chief Glenn Forsyth spoke about the reason why he is seeking approval to submit the third application to FEMA for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.
Chief Forsyth explained why the grant is important to Newtown. According to Forsyth, the Township is "struggling" to meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) timeframe standards for getting crews to fire locations. NFPA says first fire truck from a paid department should arrive within 4 minutes to a fire scene, volunteers within 9 minutes.
Supervisor John Mack asked him why he thought the 3rd time would be the charm. His response was very enlightening.
In the end, the BOS approved the application unanimously.
View the 7-minute video...
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John Mack's Insights:
In a 2018 Fire Study commissioned by Newtown Township, it was determined that the average on scene times for the volunteer Newtown Fire Association are in the 9:05 minute to 10:30 minute timeframe. This was during the period of 2016-2018.
Related Content:
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Pennsylvania has announced a ban on another invasive species of vegetation that is devastating to native ecosystems: the Callery pear. Commonly known as Bradford pear, the fruit tree has been added to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's list of noxious weeds, which means it cannot be sold or cultivated in the state.
Officials said it's the latest in a long line of plants brought to America for their "beauty and rapid growth" without any consideration for the devastating ecological impacts.
More...
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The following are the TOP TEN viewed blog posts in 2021 in rank order.
- Wawa is Back! (205 views) Wawa has been a perennial favorite topic since 2018!
- Newtown Gate Residents Versus Doggy Dayz K9 Resort (159 views) It's all about the noise (see #8).
- It's Time to Improve Pedestrian Safety on N Sycamore Street! (117 views)
- Find out here...
- Find out here...
- Attacking the Root of the Opioid Crisis - Pharmaceutical Companies (89 views)
- Four others...
Find the links to all 10 here... |
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On January 18, 2022, the Newtown Planning Commission heard from Variance to permit the installation of three (3) electric vehicle charging stations (G-16 use) which is not a permitted use in the LI District and would require relief from the parking standards.
The applicant is Cameron C. Troilo & Olga Jean Troilo, applicants/owners, Homewood Suites, 110 Pheasant Run, Newtown Business Commons, Newtown Township, Newtown, PA.
These charging stations will be for shared use by hotel guests, the office complex, and any member of the public.
Listen to the discussion...
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John Mack's Insights:
An electric car charging station is not a use enumerated in the Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance. The Township has taken the position that the charging stations do not count towards the Property's parking requirements.
Note, however, that the E-30 Motor Vehicle Fueling and Convenience Store ordinance does specify electric vehicle charging stations are a permitted use. In fact, in the Newtown OR district - where Wawa will be located - at least one electric vehicle charging station is required.
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The township will receive $250,000 over 18 years.
Three years after the Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers, promoters, and distributors of synthetic prescription Opioid medication, the supervisors voted to authorize the signing of a settlement agreement with Johnson & Johnson and its U.S.-based Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (“collectively J&J”) and opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson.
More details, including a list of things the money can be spent on...
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My TOP 10 viewed videos in 2021: Police report, residents who don’t attend meetings called “lazy”, Taylor farmhouse, Feds v. KVK Tech, 2022 Budget, Toll Settlement, more...
Meanwhile, view these video playlists I created:
The complete list of TOP TEN videos with links to Youtube... |
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Mack's DataBank
Supervisors are presented with many documents before each Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting. Some of these may involve litigation or other confidential matters but most are public documents. Some – Not All! – are archived on the official township website.
Instead of going through hoops searching for these documents, you can easily access them via my online Google Docs “DataBank.” I call this the “Mack's DataBank.”
The DataBank also includes many of my personal notes, audio/video recordings of meetings (not available elsewhere) and/or comments from residents submitted to supervisors via email.
DataBank Folders...
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