Kennett Square Borough shared a completely clean 2022 audit with attendees to the Borough Council Meeting on 9/13, with unmodified opinions on financial statements - the highest level of assurance a CPA can provide. The CPA firm, Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC (ZA), provided the findings which are available on the borough’s public meeting documents site here. ZA required supplementary information for the review, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis, Budgetary Comparison Schedule, and Pension Plan Schedules.

 Police pensions were a separate topic covered during the meeting, with the approval of the 2024 Minimum Municipal Obligation. Act 205 of 1984, as amended, governs the funding requirement for all municipal pension plans. The law requires the Chief Administrative Officer for the Kennett Square Borough Pension Plan (Police Pension Plan) to inform the governing body of the Borough of Kennett Square plan's expected financial obligation for the coming year by the last business day in September. The financial impact totaling $92,659 - a number that did not shift much from last year’s based on average salaries, average retirement age etc. The Non-Uniform Pension Plan MMO was also approved under the same Act, totaling a financial impact of $241,023.

The Police Department also had the Acceptance of Certified Hiring list moved to consider adding another officer to staff. Council Member, Fred Norris, always poses the question if the new officer is bilingual, and Police Chief Holdsworth posed a challenge back to the council, urging them to work with lawmakers to change a PA Borough Code requirement that candidates must have a civil service background. Holdsworth feels the requirement is too strict and limits the availability of the hiring pool for the department. The challenge was accepted by Borough Council.

A liquor license transfer for Nino Zavala LLC from their current location in Tredyffrin Township to 305 W. State Street. The restaurant spent 23 years at it’s previous location, serving Mexican cuisine and a full service bar. The new location was approved for the transfer, with all fees associated being handled by the tenant. 

Approvals and notices of downtown events were shared, including Kennett High School’s Homecoming Parade on September 29th. The Police Department has filed a permit with PennDOT for the closure of 82 for the event and expect approval. Kennett On Top will return 6/22/24 on top of the parking garage. This fundraiser, hosted by the Rotary Club, raised $13k for area nonprofits this past June, and aims to meet or exceed that number next year. 

Renovations were approved for 233 N. Union Street, replacing stucco, and  216 E. State Street, the old library in which the new retail owner is looking to install and ADA compliant storefront entrance and regrading the rear parking area. 

The Kennett Trails Alliance has been working in conjunction with East Penn Railroad to apply for a grant allowing an at-grade crossing be constructed on the train lines by Pennock Park. An at-grade crossing allows for an even surface for personal transportation devices like bikes and wheel chairs to travel over the train lines. It was previously not an option because of storage limitations for East Penn Railroad, and winning the grant would allow the railroad to improve storage areas outside of the borough and complete the crossing. There is no cost to the borough for the grant or the crossing, but borough and township approval were both required for the railroad to move forward with the grant.