The power of us

Yesterday I delivered the first shipment of food from our January Food Drive to the Colonial Neighborhood Council on E. 4th Avenue.  This is the first of two drop-offs because I could not fit our large collection in my car!  I will deliver the rest of the food next week.

Because of your generosity we collected lots of food to benefit a Conshohocken organization that helps neighbors in need.  They were grateful for your support and generosity.  I hope we can come together to do this more often.

Thank you again to the two local businesses, Guppy’s and Donnie Mac’s Deli on 4th which donated space to collect all of these items.

Blue Route Meters to be Activated

Late last week, PennDOT announced that beginning this month, traffic meters will be implemented on the Blue Route in an effort to control traffic flow and reduce accidents.  While no meters appear to be slated for the Conshohocken ramps, the meters should impact — and hopefully — help congestion on I-476.  Read the press release here for details.

Zoning Hearing — 528 Fayette Street

I recently received a number of inquiries about the proposed Continental Bank on Fayette Street.  The Conshohocken Zoning Hearing Board will consider the applicant’s zoning requests at their meeting on Monday, February 15 at 7:00 PM at Conshohocken Borough Hall (720 Fayette Street).  This is a continuation of a prior hearing and the record for the hearing is closed.  The Chair of the Zoning Board will have the discretion to take public comment.  I encourage all interested residents to attend.

Share your best parking fix

I was recently appointed to serve as the Chair of Borough Council’s Parking and Transportation Committee for this year.  In that capacity, I’ve asked each member of Council to identify one parking “action item” in their ward that the Borough can cost-effectively (and realistically) address by the end of this year.  Action items may be policy or procedure goals, a signage change or a structural fix.  We won’t be able to solve all of our problems overnight, but this is a down payment on our efforts.

I’m a firm believer that there is no monopoly on good ideas.

I’d like to hear your suggestions and recommendations for Ward 1. What do you think would be a smart, inexpensive parking fix for our Ward (from Fayette Street to Colwell Lane, and the south side of West 4th Avenue to the River) that we can accomplish over the next 11 months?

If you don’t live in Ward 1 but have an idea, please send it along, and I’ll share it with your Councilmember.

Volunteer for the Environmental Advisory Committee

Borough Council is currently accepting resumes from residents interested in serving on the recently-established Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC).

The mission statement of Conshohocken’s EAC is:

The mission of Conshohocken’s Environmental Advisory Committee is to promote initiatives for conservation of energy and natural resources, in response to local governments and residents whose communities are consuming resources at a rate that cannot be sustained over a long period of time.  It is also the mission of the Environmental Advisory Committee, here after referred to as EAC, to influence the conservation of energy and natural resources of Conshohocken owned buildings, parks, and grounds through enhancement of environmentally sound procurement of products and services and through a continuing education program.  The EAC is an advisory committee made up of Borough Council officials and volunteer residents of the Borough of Conshohocken.

Residents interested in serving on the EAC should send a letter of interest and resume to Borough Manager Fran Marabella at FMarabella@conshohockenpa.org, please include “EAC Resume” in the subject line.

Lend a Hand to Haiti

Eat and Drink this Wednesday, January 20th, from 7 PM to 10 PM at ANY of the below establishments and 20% of the money you spend will go to the American Red Cross to help the relief efforts in Haiti!

Great specials and great people at all of these bars, and of course it is for a great cause!

Please PLEASE get the word out! Pass this along to your friends and family, and enjoy local fare while giving what we can to help those who desperately need it.

Go to ANY of the following establishments to participate:

• Coyote Crossing
• Guppy’s Good Times
• Old Mansion House
• The Great American Pub
• Pepperoncini Restaurant & Bar
• The Bagattaway
• Totaro’s Restaurant
• Spamps
• Gypsy Saloon
• The Stone Rose

A special thanks to ConshohockenCoupons.com for helping organize this effort.

January Food Drive

I am excited to partner with two local businesses, Guppy’s and Donnie Mac’s Deli on 4th to collect non-perishable food donations for local needy families during the month of January.

Food banks usually receive fewer donations in the beginning of the year, after much of their reserves have been depleted throughout the holiday season.

Items such as teabags, baby food, cereal and Ensure are particularly in-demand.

Donations may be dropped off at Guppy’s (2 Maple Street, at the corner of Maple and West Elm) during regular business hours:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: 4 PM until 12 Midnight
• Wednesdays: 11:30 AM until 1 AM
• Thursdays and Fridays: 11:30 AM until 2 AM
• Saturdays: 3 PM until 2 AM
• Sundays: 10 AM until 12 Midnight

Donations may be dropped off at Donnie Mac’s Deli on 4th (326 Fayette Street, at the corner of Fayette Street and West 4th Avenue) during regular business hours:

• Mondays through Fridays: 6 AM until 8 PM
• Saturdays: 8 AM until 6 PM
• Sundays: 8 AM until 2 PM

For more information about this, or to inquire about any Borough-related issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Tax cut

Last night Borough Council passed Conshohocken’s 2010 budget plan.  I am pleased to announce that this budget includes a 12.5% cut in the property tax millage while maintaining borough services. While the Borough’s property taxes are only a fraction of our overall property tax bill we recognize that in tough times every dollar counts.  Last year, during my first year on Council, we balanced the budget without raising property taxes.

I want to extend a special note of thanks to Council Finance Chair Paul McConnell for his leadership in crafting this year’s budget.

MoreThanTheCurve.com

MoreThanTheCurve.com, a relatively new local electronic media outlet tracking Conshohocken news, featured a post about me today.  While I don’t consider myself a ‘celebrity’ I do appreciate the recognition of some of the work we’re trying to do to make Conshohocken a better place to live, work and raise a family.  Check out the article and let me know what you think.

100 Block of Fayette Streetscape Improvement Meeting

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.

Conshohocken Borough Administrative Office, 1 West 1st Avenue, Suite 200, Conshohocken, PA  19428

Conshohocken Borough is in the process of bidding streetscape improvements for the 100 block of Fayette Street. Improvements will include paver treatments on bump outs at the intersections of 1st and 2nd Avenue, some pedestrian lighting, curb replacement, installation of a paver strip at the curb line and the installation of dura-therm crosswalks.

Grant funding for this phase of the project has been limited and even with the addition of Borough matching funds, there will be insufficient funds to complete all aspects of the project as completed in other blocks of Fayette Street.

The Borough will hold a meeting for property owners and tenants on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at Conshohocken Borough Administrative Office, 1 West 1st Avenue, Suite 200, Conshohocken, PA  19428. Representatives from the Borough and from Remington, Vernick and Beach Engineers will be present to discuss the project.  Areas to be discussed include the possible sharing of sidewalk replacement costs; how to deal with the numerous Bilco doors on the block; the time frame for construction, including an estimated start date and duration; access to businesses during construction; who to contact during construction when problems arise; and maintenance responsibilities.

Please plan to attend this important meeting, and inform any of your tenants who might be affected by the project.  Those requiring special accommodations to attend the meeting should contact the Borough Administration Office at 610-828-1092 as soon as possible to make arrangements.