The state statute authorizing the Borough to create a HARB (53 P.S. §8003) sets certain criteria for the membership of that board:
"The board shall be composed of not less than five members. One member of the board shall be a registered architect, one member shall be a licensed real estate broker, one member shall be a building inspector, ..."
The present members of Phoenixville’s HARB are Joseph Puleo (who has submitted his resignation effective the end of August), Dana Dugan, Frank Tallarico, and Brian Ayers.
So, we have four members of a board that must have five, no architect, although one is required by law, and a real estate broker who will be gone in a month.
Is the Borough serious about having a HARB? Has anyone bothered to think about whether it is proper to require applicants to appear before a board that is not even properly constituted?
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13 comments:
Just remember, Borough Council created HARB therefore Borough Council can un-create HARB.
Why not do it?
Abolition of the HARB would be a long-overdue improvement.
And while you're at it -
Abolish the Shade Tree Committee.
All hail the abolitionists!
The Shade Tree Commission seems to be one Commission that actually works -- shade trees get planted, those who can't rake their leaves get them raked, etc.
Borough Council needs to be reduced to one Councilperson/Ward with the "at-large" member being the Mayor. This would give us a Borough Council of 5 -- with fewer Council members to argue with, more should be accomplished.
Since qualified persons don't want to serve on HARB, rather than add the unqualifed, the Board should be abolished.
Does the Recreation Board serve any useful purpose?
Unless there is an ordinance or law (ha!) preventing it, many of these committees which theoretically could do some good should be opened up to others from the region. There are more architects, engineers and other professionals in the region than within the confines of the borough. Phoenixivlle was and should be a regional center and its revival should be of some interest to others in the region .
The HARB basically abolished itself when it let those "next stop for gas up ahead" colored fixtures go in. Even more scary than HARB and shade tree committee is the sad state of the planning commission. The loss of Charlie Berger wasn't just the dead canary in the coal mine, Now the whole shaft this borough got is crumbling all around.
I believe there is an ordinace or law that only permits Borough residents from serving on Borough committees -- the Townships all have their own committees.
The attempt at regionalization with the Planning Commissions has been a complete failure -- once the Borough suddenly said it wanted more votes than everyone else, the Townships basically told the Borough to pound sand.
I attended the big regional planning get-together at the Colonial (2 years ago?) and was surprised at how the Township folks were so adamant about "no development in our township" that they wouldn't even consider mixed-use development in Phoenixville or improving the rail line because instead of seeing this as concentrating development in Phoenixville (which everyone says they want), they saw it as a nibble that would allow development in their townships. So they are against it all. I don't see how we can work together regionally when Borough and Township residents can't even agree on the basics of planning.
Someone needs to swallow their pride and get Charlie Berger back on the Planning Commission.
Mr. Bruer: your rant on tuesday, 8/14 was nothing short of television gold! thank you for the laugh. we all need it, but now we need to make some difficult decisions. at any rate i appreciate your input and humor.
To commenter at 12:09.
I'm glad you enjoyed the humor.
I'm truly sorry if you think that anything that's going on in our Borough government is really funny.
I guess the rest of us have to wait until next week for Ch. 22 to air yestersday's meeting -- just turned it on and they are airing the July 23 meeting.
Hate the suspense!
I would like to ask that if you, Mr. "Should run for council" B., presented something on tues. that you haven't posted your disgust towards already, Please post it here. I do not have fios or Comcast TV and cannot always make the meetings. Thx.
I spoke about the Streetscapes budget and the lack of adequate or accurate financial reporting. I suggested that the Borough defund the CDC and discharge the Manager, or failing that, shackle Messrs. Cassidy and DiGirolomo together in the fashion of the 1958 movie "The Defiant Ones."
That's pretty much the summary.
AMEN!
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