Tuesday’s Phoenixville Borough Council Meeting at a Glance

The March meeting of Phoenixville Borough Council once again was packed full of information.

Two big items addressed included the parking fees in borough lots, which, despite a vote to change them at the February meeting, will stay at $1 an hour. Also, after Councilman David Gautreau changed his vote on advertisement, a $5 per capita tax will land back on the table for consideration for the April meeting.

Two council members were absent. Council Vice President Kendrick Buckwalter was not in attendance, and Councilwoman Dana Dugan was not at Tuesday’s meeting.

Here’s how it looked from the audience.

What Happened: After a lengthy executive session on litigation, personnel and real estate, council returned to the chamber and just before 11 p.m. made the decision with a 5-1 vote, with Council President Richard Kirkner in opposition, to advertise a $5 per capita tax. The tax will be up for consideration at the April meeting.

During the discussion and following the meeting, Kirkner and Mayor Leo Scoda held a heated exchange regarding discussion on the potential tax, which the borough would share with the school district.

What it Means to Residents: According to Borough Manager Jean Krack, despite being listed in the school district budget otherwise, all of the $10 per capita tax currently goes to the school district. If approved, the borough would be voting to take half of that.

Background: The tax is listed in the 2011 budget as $10 per person. A vote to advertise the tax at $5 per person was shot down at the February meeting. The topic came up again following executive session at Tuesday's meeting.

What Happened: After fees for credit card use were examined, last month’s vote of changing parking costs in borough lots from $1 per hour to $0.50 per hour was rescinded by a 6-0 vote. Taking into account the cost of signage, software changes and the credit card questions, council opted to send the issue back to committee.

Several council members lamented the current parking issues in the borough, with Gautreau calling the current situation “kind of embarrassing,” and other members expressing similar frustration.

What it Means to Residents: As prices in the lots never actually changed, things will remain as they had been before.

Background: Though the vote on the fee schedule at last month’s meeting lowered the parking prices, the change never took effect. The issue will be re-examined.

What Happened: Council voted 4-2, with Gautreau and Councilman Marc Reber in opposition, to reinstate pay for those serving on council. The pay would be $150 per month, with no differential for the council president. The pay would only be in effect for council members with terms beginning in 2012.

What it Means to Residents: The pay comes out of four different funds. The full cost of $14,400 per year won’t be reached until 2014.

Background: Council passed an ordinance to eliminate council pay on Dec. 20, 2006.

What Happened: Council decided to wait on action on a wayfinding project. The project was presented to council by Craig Berger. The project involves signage for the gateways to the borough, the trails and destinations within the borough, and also involves students from Drexel University.

A potential grant of $35,000 from an unnamed foundation won’t be decided on until April, and a motion was made—and then withdrawn—to approve the $35,000 in funding fo the project with the hopes of getting the grant.

What it Means to Residents: New signage for the borough and the preliminary work by the committee members will wait on funding.

Background: The start of the project was funded through a grant, and Berger donated his time. The next phase would be design of the signs and implementation. The design firm settled on by the committee is the same firm responsible for the signage at Main Street Exton.

Editor's Note: This article has been changed. It previously stated that council members had ceased receiving pay in 2006. That was incorrect. All council members stopped receiving pay in Jan. 2010.