On Monday, July 28, 2008, Borough Council held a public hearing regarding a grant application for $250,00 for a revolving loan fund.
After that hearing, at which no one spoke, the Council tabled the vote on the matter. Seems that neither the Council members nor the Borough Manager actually had any papers or solid information about the grant application.
Since the matter had been advertised for a public hearing back on July 17th, you might think that somebody in the Borough government would actually know what it was all about. Perhaps the Manager, who presumably arranged for the advertising, could have informed himself. Maybe he could then have passed the information on to Council. Is that too much to expect?
Instead, the Manager and Council simply moved forward with a public hearing despite their own virtually total ignorance.
What sort of public hearing input were they expecting? Was it a genuine effort to accept public comment?
I suppose we should be thankful that they didn’t vote on something on which they were admittedly uninformed.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
What the CDC got
In answer to a question raised to an earlier post:
According to the Main Street CDC’s 990s, it received the following in public support and government contributions from January 2003 through June 2006. The CDC’s 990 for July 2006–June 2007 is not yet on Guidestar.
Year /Period ...Public support ........Government contributions
2003.....................$64,780 ....................$50,000
2004 ....................$45,615 ....................$65,000
1/05-6/05 ..............$4,821 ....................$56,667
7/05-6/06.............$90,139 ....................$95,000
Totals .................$205,355 ..................$266,667
Go to Guidestar to get the full reports of the Main Street CDC, PCHF, etc.
According to the Main Street CDC’s 990s, it received the following in public support and government contributions from January 2003 through June 2006. The CDC’s 990 for July 2006–June 2007 is not yet on Guidestar.
Year /Period ...Public support ........Government contributions
2003.....................$64,780 ....................$50,000
2004 ....................$45,615 ....................$65,000
1/05-6/05 ..............$4,821 ....................$56,667
7/05-6/06.............$90,139 ....................$95,000
Totals .................$205,355 ..................$266,667
Go to Guidestar to get the full reports of the Main Street CDC, PCHF, etc.
Drink tax for Phoenixville--not quite
Councilman Buckwalter suggests that we investigate an alcoholic beverage tax, modeled after the recently introduced tax in Allegheny County, as part of the Borough's revenue -raising portfolio.
The Allegheny County tax is imposed under authority of Act 44 of 2007, which added 53 Pa.C.S. Sections 8601 and 8602 to state law. (Look here, go down to 53 Pa.C.S.A., and keep opening nodes till you get there.)
Some problems exist in trying to apply this law to Phoenixville:
Phoenixville is not a county of the second class. Last I looked, Phoenixville isn't even a county.
The alcoholic beverage tax must be applied to support transit systems. So, are we now going to build a Phoenixville transit system?
The Allegheny County tax is imposed under authority of Act 44 of 2007, which added 53 Pa.C.S. Sections 8601 and 8602 to state law. (Look here, go down to 53 Pa.C.S.A., and keep opening nodes till you get there.)
Some problems exist in trying to apply this law to Phoenixville:
Phoenixville is not a county of the second class. Last I looked, Phoenixville isn't even a county.
The alcoholic beverage tax must be applied to support transit systems. So, are we now going to build a Phoenixville transit system?
To your health!
According to the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation’s 990 filings, it gave grants to the Main Street CDC of $30,000 in FY 04-05, $77,500 in FY 05-06, and $37,500 in FY 06-07, for a total of $145,00 in those three years.
PCHF’s FY 06-07 filing also reports approval of a future grant of $75,000 to the CDC. Since the reporting period ended June 30, 2007, more than a year ago, one might suppose that this ‘future’ grant has already been paid.
So, it would seem that the CDC got $220,000 from the PCHF. Don’t you now feel so much healthier.
Not to mention $333,333 of Borough funds on top of the $220,000.
PCHF’s FY 06-07 filing also reports approval of a future grant of $75,000 to the CDC. Since the reporting period ended June 30, 2007, more than a year ago, one might suppose that this ‘future’ grant has already been paid.
So, it would seem that the CDC got $220,000 from the PCHF. Don’t you now feel so much healthier.
Not to mention $333,333 of Borough funds on top of the $220,000.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The right idea
Lifted from an anonymous comment on Councilman Senley's blog:
Some things to consider:
(1) Should the CDC contract be renewed at all?
(2) Should the CDC contract be renewed independent of the 2009 budget process?
(3) Should the CDC contract be renewed at an increased rate?
(4) Should the term of a new CDC contract be 5 years?
(5) What services will the CDC provide to the Borough if the CDC contract is renewed? Are those services necessary?
(6) Can grants be obtained to fund any of the cost of the CDC contract?
(7) What services provided under the CDC contract can or should be done by Borough staff?
(8) Are there merchant or business organizations willing and able to provide any of the services provided under the CDC contract?
(9) Are all of the CDC's operating costs and expenses paid from the base contract amount? Does the Borough incur any additional costs like filing fees, travel expenses, etc.?
Some things to consider:
(1) Should the CDC contract be renewed at all?
(2) Should the CDC contract be renewed independent of the 2009 budget process?
(3) Should the CDC contract be renewed at an increased rate?
(4) Should the term of a new CDC contract be 5 years?
(5) What services will the CDC provide to the Borough if the CDC contract is renewed? Are those services necessary?
(6) Can grants be obtained to fund any of the cost of the CDC contract?
(7) What services provided under the CDC contract can or should be done by Borough staff?
(8) Are there merchant or business organizations willing and able to provide any of the services provided under the CDC contract?
(9) Are all of the CDC's operating costs and expenses paid from the base contract amount? Does the Borough incur any additional costs like filing fees, travel expenses, etc.?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The CDC Director weighs in on his own conduct
Just an short excerpt from Mr. Cassidy's "shrimp boiled in beer" posing of July 24, 2008:
it was not without controversy and problems. some contractor whistled the three stooges theme every time i walked by his site for about a week...i did nothing and kept moving but them it got too much when they yelled stuff like is he a boy or girl...hey honey. i did confront...got a little verbal with him and he made a mistake in throwing a punch which hit me in the forehead...i hit him in the stomach and he doubled over...his workers were stunned...they just sat there and looked with their mouths open because this guy had a big bark...hit him in the nose with my knee when he was doubled over and whipped out my member and pissed in him. told him to notice i did not have to squat.
To read it all, go here
it was not without controversy and problems. some contractor whistled the three stooges theme every time i walked by his site for about a week...i did nothing and kept moving but them it got too much when they yelled stuff like is he a boy or girl...hey honey. i did confront...got a little verbal with him and he made a mistake in throwing a punch which hit me in the forehead...i hit him in the stomach and he doubled over...his workers were stunned...they just sat there and looked with their mouths open because this guy had a big bark...hit him in the nose with my knee when he was doubled over and whipped out my member and pissed in him. told him to notice i did not have to squat.
To read it all, go here
Thursday, July 10, 2008
An 'authoritative' hour
The newly-created Phoenixville Parking Authority held its initial meeting Wednesday evening, July 9th. The five Authority members were joined by Borough Manager Krack and CDC Director Cassidy.
The one-hour meeting proceeded in a measured and businesslike manner. After introductions of the members, the discussion moved to a review of the 2004 “Parking Study Report,” Borough parking issues generally, on-street and off-street parking, downtown and neighborhood parking issues, and a possible parking garage. The Authority also plans more frequent future meetings and the active solicitation of public input. The members noted that, somewhat to their surprise, their task included all parking in the Borough, not just the downtown.
The funding sources for a downtown garage include potential federal, state, and county grants totaling $7.8–$8 million, according to Cassidy. Also, he suggested that a private donation of the land for a garage may be in the offing. The value of that donation would be used as the local match.
The Authority appears to realize that it has no current Borough appropriation or staff and that it will need to develop its own funding ability.
Anyone wanting an emailed mostly-complete copy of the 2004 parking study can email me at
morechickencacciatore@yahoo.com
Please put “parking study” in the subject line.
The one-hour meeting proceeded in a measured and businesslike manner. After introductions of the members, the discussion moved to a review of the 2004 “Parking Study Report,” Borough parking issues generally, on-street and off-street parking, downtown and neighborhood parking issues, and a possible parking garage. The Authority also plans more frequent future meetings and the active solicitation of public input. The members noted that, somewhat to their surprise, their task included all parking in the Borough, not just the downtown.
The funding sources for a downtown garage include potential federal, state, and county grants totaling $7.8–$8 million, according to Cassidy. Also, he suggested that a private donation of the land for a garage may be in the offing. The value of that donation would be used as the local match.
The Authority appears to realize that it has no current Borough appropriation or staff and that it will need to develop its own funding ability.
Anyone wanting an emailed mostly-complete copy of the 2004 parking study can email me at
morechickencacciatore@yahoo.com
Please put “parking study” in the subject line.
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