At the Sept. 4 Kennett Square Borough Council meeting, Mayor Matthew Fetick made several astute observations during a discussion about fire and EMS services in the Kennett Square region.

Fetick pointed out, for example, that there might be smaller steps that could be taken to boost collaboration between the fire companies and ambulance divisions that serve Kennett Square Borough and the five surrounding municipalities, rather than opting for a large-scale change.

Fetick also noted that the commission that is studying the regional fire and EMS services hasn't had the opportunity to get sufficient input from the citizens of the six municipalities.

Fetick, who is in his third term as the mayor of the borough, has always been judicious when it comes to sharing his views on issues at council meetings. Most of the business at these meetings is conducted by council members, and as long as council isn't evenly divided on a particular decision, the mayor does not get to cast a vote.

But, occasionally, Fetick will speak up, and when he does he is cool, calm, and reasoned. He understands the diverse community that he serves, and he has good ideas about how to keep it moving forward.

A few years ago, when a large number of residents in the community were concerned about the future of the Kennett Library, and in particular the direction that the Kennett Library board was taking it in, it was Fetick who helped bring about positive changes.

During his nine years in office, Fetick has advocated for Kennett Square Borough to transition to clean, renewable energy, and he has argued against efforts at the federal level to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) legislation. He has supported a resolution that called for the strengthening of protections against gun violence because it would help make the community a little bit safer.

To its credit, Kennett Square Borough Council has always welcomed comments from the mayor, and Fetick has always managed to offer input when it is useful or helpful, and has not overstepped his bounds.

As a former police officer who has moved on to a new, unrelated profession, Fetick is uniquely qualified to handle the most important duty of a small town Pennsylvania mayor, which is overseeing the operations of the police department. But Fetick excels in the many different roles that he has as a mayor. He can serve as a guest speaker, chair a committee, preside over the town's Christmas parade, and, occasionally, provide some help viewpoints about a controversial issue.

Fetick is a good representative of the Borough of Kennett Square, and a quality public servant.