Pottstown To Begin Street Sweeping Tuesday

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN — Get ready to start moving your cars — the street sweeper is coming.

The borough announced late Friday afternoon that it will begin sweeping Pottstown’s streets starting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, and vehicles left on the roadway on sweeping day will be “ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.”

Pottstown has been divided up into 10 zones and the sweeping of each zone will take two days, according to information posted on the borough’s website.

On the first day of sweeping, the north and west sides of streets in that zone will be swept.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140808/pottstown-to-begin-street-sweeping-tuesday

Reading Administration Revives Proposal For Streetlight Assessments

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer’s administration is reviving a proposal to impose a streetlight assessment that might cost a row home owner $16 a year, but larger property owners several thousand dollars.

Managing Director Carole B. Snyder asked City Council on Monday to consider introducing the enabling ordinance this month, to get some benefit from it this year.

“We don’t want to put any more burden on anyone, but we’re limited on options,” Snyder said.

The fee is being considered because it’s one of the few ways to get the 32 percent of city properties exempt from property taxes to pay for city services, she said.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=482631

Borough Of Pottstown Mission Statement Adopted October 11th

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MISSION STATEMENT
Borough of Pottstown

Our mission is to provide and maintain superior municipal services in a safe and controlled community setting, keeping within the designated financial constraints as set forth in our annual budget, in order to attract and retain responsible property owners, businesses and community leaders that will continue to assist in our improvement and growth for the future, while remembering our P.R.I.D.E.

P.R.I.D.E. Core Values

• P – Plan – We will accept that change is inevitable, and PLAN accordingly for the future.
• R – Responsible – We will manage our financial and human resources in a RESPONSIBLE manner.
• I – Interests – We will consider the INTERESTS of the entire community in decision making
• D – Deliver – We will strive to DELIVER superior services to the tax and rate payers.
• E – Equity – We will treat everyone and every situation with EQUITY and fairness.

Adopted and approved by Pottstown Borough Council October 11, 2011.

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Pottstown Borough Leaf Collection Information

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Leaf Collection Program

The Borough of Pottstown’s leaf collection program will begin on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 and end Thursday, December 15, 2011. Leaves must be placed in BIODEGRADABLE PAPER BAGS for pickup.

LEAF BAGS WILL NOT BE PICKED UP BEFORE OR AFTER THE DATES LISTED ABOVE

Even Limerick Township Is Not Recession Proof

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When one thinks of communities that would have budget woes, Limerick Township is not normally a place that would pop into your head. 

The 22.6 square mile township has 13,534 inhabitants (2000 census).  85% of Limerick’s residents own a home.  The estimated median house/condo value in 2008 was $271,583.  The estimated median income in 2008 was $81,877.  Only 1.9% of its residents live below the poverty level.  These numbers are well above the state averages.

Somehow, the township found themselves with an $850,000 deficit going into their 2011 budget process.  Declines in land development and permits (recession) were blamed.   The end result was making some hard decisions about purchases and facility upgrades along with the elimination of two staff positions.

Bottom line here is that taxes will not increase for 2011 and the budget trimming will not reduce services for residents.

Demographic information is from City-data.com

Municipal And School District Consolidations – Interesting Piece From The Harrisburg Patriot

This is certainly a topic of conversation that people are passionate about but there is merit in some of these ideas for consolidation of services.  Take a moment to read through the comments at the bottom.  Surprisingly many people agree with some or all of these ideas.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/12/your_comments_regionalize_area.html