2009 News

January 22, 2009

Second Commissioners' Meeting of 2009 Produces Spirited Debate About Annual Programs
After Thorough Discussion, Resolutions Approved for 15 County Departments

During a two-and-a-half hour meeting Jan. 21 in the Courthouse Community Room, the Board of Bucks County Commissioners dissected multiple items of business, including application and authorization of the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership (HOME) program and the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program. Ultimately, the board, comprised of Commissioners Charles H. Martin, chairman, James F. Cawley, Esq. and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW, approved all the resolutions on the agenda, including the federally funded CDBG, HOME and ESG applications that have been recommended by the Bucks County Community Development Advisory Board.

Not all of them were unanimous, however. After receiving an extensive explanation of the $3.6 million allocation anticipated through the CDBG ($2.4 million), HOME ($1.2 million) and ESG ($100,000) programs from Community and Business Development Director Vitor Vicente, Commissioners Martin and Cawley voted to approve the recommendation list as presented. Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia voiced her disagreement with the funding of several line items in the CDBG list, indicating that she doesn’t feel CDBG funds should be used for historic preservation projects. Her motion to table the item for further consideration failed due to the lack of a second. One of the seven stated objectives of the CDBG program is “restoration and preservation of properties of historic value.”

Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia voted no on a $10,200 upward mobility project for SCORE 570, a $101,505 historic library rehab for the Fallsington Library in Falls Twp., a $35,000 fire department driveway rehab in Langhorne Borough, a $114,434 restoration at the Stover-Myers Mill in Bedminster Twp., a $38,789 farmhouse rehab in Upper Southampton’s Tamanend Park, $70,011 of road reconstruction in Upper Southampton, $60,000 of road improvements in Richland Twp., $23,200 for street lighting in Dublin Borough, a $39,500 park pavilion replacement in Trumbauersville, and a $106,400 blight elimination in Chalfont Borough. She also voted against an amendment for project delivery costs at the Stover-Myers Mill. For a complete list of the CDBG, HOME and ESG program line items that have been proposed for 2009, please click here.

“This year, we had a lot of requests,” Vicente told the board, Chief Operating Officer David Sanko and Solicitor Glenn Hains. “We had 54 (CDBG) applications, of which the board recommended 37 projects.”

The bulk of the discussion involved funding allocations to the Bucks County Housing Group (BCHG), which operated a homeless shelter in Milford Twp. and also conducts mortgage and foreclosure counseling in the housing arena. BCHG board President Sean Galt commented that the BCHG’s demand is rising steadily in the current economic climate, and its “persistence is based on persistent
need. We are one of the largest providers of this service in Bucks County.” At Vicente’s request, the commissioners unanimously agreed to closely monitoring the funding streams that are available to the BCHG and its operations.

The commissioners unanimously approved a $2.5 million annual allocation for the county’s Agricultural Land Preservation program to secure matching funds that can be used through December, 2010. “We are hoping for a one-to-one match,” county Agricultural Preservation Director Rich Harvey told the commissioners. “This is our largest allocation to date. We are very grateful for what you have done.” To date, this highly popular program has preserved 123 farms totaling 10,725 acres since 1990. The county currently has 71 farms on the waiting list, and 12 new applications.

Although all agenda resolutions passed, Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia also cast a “nay” vote for a pair of one-year Corrections contract with Philadelphia service-provider Aramark to provide materials, supplies, maintenance and project support services. While Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia asked if some of these tasks could be performed by county staffers, Commissioner Cawley asked for a “request for proposal” later this year to find out if there might be potential cost savings. Chairman Martin joined him by requested background on the Aramark contract from Corrections Director Harris Gubernick.

Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia also cast the lone dissenting vote on a $4,192 contract reduction for climate control services at the Juvenile Detention Center and a $98,427, one-year extended warranty for the county’s 763 Danaher voting machines.

During his Chief Operating Officer report, Sanko praised the county for cost-efficient Web election results reporting during the November, 2008 General Election. He pointed out that Philadelphia spent $354,000 to post its results on line. Bucks County’s election Web hosting costs just over $19,000.

Mr. Sanko also referenced Gov. Ed Rendell’s upcoming budget address, which is scheduled for Feb. 3. There is “considerable anxiety” in Harrisburg about projected budget shortfalls, according to Mr. Sanko. Also included in his report was a continuing dialogue with Congressman Patrick Murphy about infrastructure funding that has been proposed by the federal government.

During the miscellaneous discussion portion of the meeting, Chairman Martin and Commissioner Cawley amplified on the county’s intention to send out a newsletter to the residents of Doylestown Borough updating them on plans for the Justice Center construction – which will begin in earnest this spring along Broad St. While Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia objected to spending $1,600 on the newsletter – suggesting the county use the borough newsletter as vehicle of spreading information – Commissioners Martin and Cawley vigorously defended the missive. “It about not only transparency but accuracy,” Commissioner Cawley explained. “We owe it to the residents of Doylestown Borough, and we need to explain it to them. We need to provide them with facts, allay their concerns, and kill rumors.”

The commissioners did find common ground on the possibility of blogging about construction updates, setting up a telephone line for information about the project, and sharing news with the local newspapers as a partner. The county also will set up a Web cam on a house adjacent to the construction site. It will be available for viewing 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the county Web site.

Bucks County Statement of FY 2009 Proposed Use of Funds - CDBG, Home and ESG Programs

The next commissioners’ meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4, in the Doylestown courthouse community room. For a full audio account of the Jan. 21 meeting, please go to www.BucksCounty.org and click on the link on the commissioners’ meeting page.