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Chester County Press

Oxford Borough seeks a representative for Oxford Area Sewer Authority

11/01/2021 08:40PM ● By Steven Hoffman

Oxford Borough Council is looking for a borough resident to represent the borough on the Oxford Area Sewer Authority. A motion to approve the new borough manager, Pauline Garcia-Allen, was approved at the meeting, but council member Mary Higgins was hopeful that a resident of the borough could be found instead of having the borough manager fill the position.

“I would really like to see a resident come forward for this since our new borough manager is going to be attending a lot of meetings when she starts her new position,” Higgins said.

Anyone interested in representing the borough on the Sewer Authority is asked to contact the Oxford Borough at 610-932-2500 for more information.

Traffic should be moving faster in the borough after a recent decision by council. Council approved a motion to purchase and install video detection equipment for the intersections of South Third/Market Street and South Third Street/Hodgson Street as detailed by the Borough’s Traffic Signal Contractor, Signal Service, in the amount of $15,730. The amount is covered from the borough’s Liquid Fuels Fund.

At the meeting, Oxford Borough Council heard from Robert Weer, the London Grove Township assistant township manager/fire marshal. Weer spoke about his relatively new position with that township, a position which Oxford Borough Council is considering.

As fire marshal, he is concerned with life safety issues within that municipality.

The Fire Marshal is responsible for performing a variety of technical duties in support of the township’s local code enforcement program.

“The intention of our program is to maintain life safety issues throughout our commercial and institutional properties,” he explained. “We check buildings to see how prepared they are for an emergency. Not every property has fire sprinklers if they were built before a certain time. We check to make sure we have accurate contact information, or if the building can be easily accessed.”

Weer added, “Through this program we have decreased the number of false fire alarms, we have educated persons on fire prevention and ultimately we have saved lives.”

Council will continue to discuss this position and how it may fit into the Oxford Borough’s Code Enforcement program going forward.

Council member Robert Ketcham had a brief discussion regarding adding items to the agenda. Borough solicitor Stacey Fuller spoke briefly on the amendment to the Sunshine Act, saying, “according to the new amendment you can’t  amend the agenda at the meeting, except in the case of an emergency.”

Fuller was referencing the amendment by Act 65 of 2021 providing new requirements for publishing and posting public meeting agendas and new restrictions on when public bodies may vote on at meetings on matters not listed in the published agenda. This amendment to the Sunshine Act was effective August 29, 2021. 

Detective Chris Coverly spoke to council about a collaborative effort between law enforcement and educational partners in the community.

“Preventing a crime is better than solving a crime,” he said. “I’m an Internet safety instructor and we work with our educational partners in the community to make students, parents and teachers aware of how seemingly simple applications on phones can have serious implications to children. Some applications are gateways where children can be led down a rabbit hole of criminal activity.  Our department is also implementing a driver’s education program which would answer students’ questions about what a driver should do if pulled over by police. All of this is about community policing. We plan to have a presence at First Friday, with a table of information designed to make children and the entire community feel more comfortable with the police officers.”

Coverly said they have reached out to the school district’s media production team to produce a minority recruitment film. He informed council that the Sheriff’s Department announced they have released two grants that will pay for two students of color to attend the Police Academy online.

Mayor Phil Harris reported that he will be applying for a small grant from Walmart. He and the chief continue to work on the police budget for next year.

“Like everyone else, I continue to be concerned about the closure of Jennersville Hospital and the impact it will have on the police department and community,” he said. 

Fuller spoke briefly about the status of the review of the Traffic Calming Policy, noting it was still with the engineers. She is hopeful that they will have the review completed by December.

Council member Richard Winchester expressed displeasure with the borough engineers saying, “I am really concerned with how long it takes these engineers to review everything. It seems like we are falling behind on a number of projects.”

In other business, council removed the motion to adopt Ordinance 945-2021 Amending §1-502, Authorized Activities of Fire Company from the current agenda. It will be placed on the November agenda for approval to advertise.

Council approved a motion to approve appointing Pauline Garcia-Allen as the Chief Administrator Officer (CAO) of the pension plans effective Oct. 25, 2021. Council approved a motion to approve appointing Pauline Garcia-Allen as the Secondary representative to the Chester County Tax Collection Committee effective Oct. 25, 2021. 

Council approved a motion to approve Resolution No. 1319-2021 regarding the closing of Jennersville Hospital.

Winchester continued to express his indignation over the closure of the hospital and encouraged everyone to make their feelings known to Tower Health.

“We should all flood Tower Health with our concerns,” he said.

Council approved a motion to approve Escrow Release No. 2 in the amount of $44,275.00 to Sycamore Crossing for Phase 3 improvements.  

Council approved the proposal received from Gessler Construction for emergency repairs to stormwater infrastructure in the amount of $48,000. 

Council also approved the Final Land Development Plan for John Walsh.

In other news, council approved HARB recommendations for the following: 16 Third Street, 46 S. Third Street, 32 S. 6th Street, 27 N. 4th Street, 546 Broad Street, and 426 Market Street.  

Council also approved Resolution No. 1320-2021 adopting a Social Media Policy.

Interim borough manager Carey Vargo told council that they are working on the 2022 budget. He thanked Arlene Harrison, the borough’s treasurer, for her assistance. He also thanked all department heads for their cooperation and input. The preliminary budget will be presented at the November council meeting. Vargo said the numbers will be refined, and that they will put some data in the budget so it is easier for residents to understand.

Council approved the installation of an interpretive sign at the cost of $642. The sign will be located where master watershed stewards from Penn State Extension worked with council member Kathryn Cloyd to plant a native plant garden. The sign will include a QR Code which, when scanned, will connect the public with a web page that identifies the native plants. 

Borough resident Randy Teel stressed the need for better signage on First Fridays to indicate where parking was available or pointing out detours. Teel also told council that there is a serious problem of speeding on Niblock Alley. He also asked council about the status of Well number 14.

Council president Peggy Ann Russell announced that the borough will be dedicating the service alley to a local veteran during the Nov. 5 First Friday event.