PennDOT OKs limits on brake retarders

from the bcct:

PennDOT OKs limits on brake retarders

By GEMA MARIA DUARTE staff writer Calkins Media, Inc. | 0 comments

Morrisville - Truck drivers, take notice. Signs in Morrisville will soon be going up to let you know that brake retarders are prohibited on certain borough streets.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation gave Morrisville its blessing to stop the use of brake retarders on portions of state-owned streets - Delmorr, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Trenton avenues and Bridge Street.

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Morrisville followed in the footsteps of Bristol and Yardley, where similar requests were made and permission granted from the state agency after residents complained of the loud noise the braking system makes. Brake retarders, commonly known as Jake brakes and used to save costly wear on conventional brake pads, can create a loud chattering or "machine gun" exhaust noise. The braking system installed on some diesel engines uses a blast of compressed air from engine exhaust valves to slow a moving truck.

"I did previously state that it was in PennDOT's hands, but I had a good feeling that they would grant us permission," Morrisville council President Dave Rivella said. "I believe that PennDOT made the right call on this, after all when you think about Morrisville's roads they are pretty flat. If we had steep hills then I could see for safety reasons that the big trucks may need to use a Jake brake but that's not the case here and I agree that we should be able to regulate them."

Because the streets are state-owned, Morrisville needed PennDOT's approval, according to Pennsylvania law. PennDOT approved the request in a letter dated April 25, after conducting a study of the streets. From that study, PennDOT is allowing Morrisville to prohibit the use of Jake brakes on:

n North Pennsylvania Avenue from Ridge Avenue to Bridge Street

n South Pennsylvania Avenue from Ridge Avenue to Post Road

n North Delmorr Avenue from East Trenton Avenue to East Bridget Street

n West Philadelphia Avenue from South Pennsylvania to Wright Avenue

n East Philadelphia Avenue from South Delmorr to South Pennsylvania

n East Bridge Street from the Trenton-Makes (Lower) Bridge to Pennsylvania Avenue

n West Bridge Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Althea Avenue

n East Trenton Avenue from Calhoun Street Bridge to Pennsylvania Avenue

n West Trenton Avenue from Pennsylvania Avenue to Route 13.

The borough will be responsible for enacting an ordinance to prohibit the use of Jake brakes, as well as its enforcement, the letter reads. It will also be the responsibility of Morrisville to purchase and erect the appropriate signs prohibiting the braking system. The maintenance of those signs will also fall on the borough.

"While the borough will be responsible for the signs that get posted I believe it is in the best interest of our borough to move forward on this," Rivella said.

He added that a vote to move the ordinance forward will take place at the May 16 council meeting.

Taxes going up a bit to pay for pool debt

from the bcct:

Property taxes to increas $20

By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE

The money from the tax hike will go toward paying off debt accrued by the municipal pool's owner.

It's final. Morrisville residents will pay $20 more in property taxes in 2011.

Despite objections by Mayor Rita Ledger and Councilman Todd Sanford at Monday night's council meeting, the extra money from property taxes will be used for debt - including liens - accrued by Morrisville Swimming Pool Inc., owner of the municipal swimming pool in Williamson Park.

Morrisville officials are trying to work out an agreement with the group that would transfer ownership of the closed pool to the borough for the debt payment.

The vote to approve next year's $5.9 million operating budget was 4-2. Sanford and Eileen Dreisbach voted against it. Voting in favor were council President Nancy Sherlock, Kathryn Panzitta, Rhonda Davis and Fred Kerner. Missing were Victor Cicero and David Rivella.

Sanford argued that if the pool management did run up high debt and liens, the borough should use other accounts to pay for it rather than raising taxes. Ledger said she researched the possibility of liens on the pool and there aren't any.

But borough solicitor Sean Kilkenny insisted, "There is debt on this property." His firm researched the property, so did former solicitor James Downey of Begley, Carlin & Mandio, said Kilkenny.

According to Sherlock, the pool's debt is about $75,000 and the extra money from property taxes will help pay $58,898 of that total.

Property owners will be assessed taxes at a rate of 40.93 mills. That means someone with a home assessed at the borough average of $20,000 will pay about $818 in municipal property taxes next year.

The independently operated Morrisville Community Swimming Pool closed in 2008 after years of trying to stay afloat financially. The swim club board blamed the financial strain on declining membership and attendance as well as keeping up with new safety laws.

Though the borough wants to buy the closed pool, there's no official plan for their future, officials said.

Before the council decides on anything, it intends to offer the public a chance for input.

Sherlock said the pool is "blighted and is an eyesore" and Morrisville has to do something about it.

The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching the pool owners for comment Tuesday.

Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com
Follow Gema on Twitter at twitter.com/deadlineduarte.

December 15, 2010 02:11 AM

Historical society wants tapes of meetings

Really? Are our officials really quivering over videotapes. This is a classic case of neither side giving in no matter how trivial the issue. Personally, we feel the tapes should be put in some sort of digital format and preserved. Whether of not the historical society has any business having control over them is a completely different matter. The paper has quoted a "Bill Mander". We believe this is actually Bill Minder.

Historic society seeks videotapes of meetings
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville

Morrisville residents would like borough officials to give old meeting tapes to the historical society instead of destroying them.

But that's unlikely to happen.

Sharon Hughes, president of the Historic Morrisville Society, would like to obtain videotapes of council meetings, some as old as 15 years. She argues that those tapes contain borough history. For instance, community awards have been given to local groups such as Little League and Eagle Scouts at council meetings, and those people might someday want a copy of those moments, she said.

Council President Nancy Sherlock on Friday said she wants the hundreds of videos kept in storage destroyed to preserve the "integrity of the tapes." She said council minutes are the official records and kept at borough hall for public viewing, so the tapes aren't needed.

Resident Bill Mander said the borough should consider giving the tapes to the historical society.

"If they don't want (them), then get rid of them," he said.

For now, the tapes will continue to be stored because the mayor refuses to sign the resolution approved earlier this month allowing the tape's disposal.

Mayor Rita Ledger on Friday said she won't sign it because she feels she has a conflict of interest. Ledger sits on the Historic Morrisville Society Board of Directors and has requested copies of 19 videotapes this past winter and summer and has yet to receive them.

If Ledger doesn't sign the resolution before the next council meeting, Sherlock said she will bring up the issue at the November meeting.

In the meantime, Hughes has volunteered to make copies for the public before the tapes are destroyed.

Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com.

October 24, 2010 02:30 AM

New Boro manager starts today

Bates starts as Boro manager today
By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville

Morrisville has a new borough manager after more than a year without one.

Tom Bates Jr. starts his new part-time gig today.

Bates' salary will be voted on at today's council meeting, council President Nancy Sherlock said Friday. The council hired Bates during last week's work session with a 5-2 vote. Council members Eileen Dreisbach and Todd Sanford voted against the hire.

George Mount III, the borough's former manager, retired from the part-time, $41,000-a-year manager's post June 2009 after serving 12 years.

After Mount's retirement, the council agreed to an acting borough manager for a year, Sherlock said. Dorothy Gaydula, the borough's assistant secretary and treasurer, was appointed to the position. Appointed to help Gaydula was Robert Seward, who was named acting assistant borough manager. He also is Morrisville's code enforcement officer and fire marshal.

Sherlock said the borough moved fast to hire a borough manager because Gaydula gave the council notice about three weeks ago that the one-year deadline was up and she no longer wanted to continue as acting manager. Gaydula will resume her secretarial job duties at borough hall, Sherlock said.

Morrisville advertised the manager position on the borough's website, channel and at borough hall, Sherlock said. The borough received two applications and interviewed both, she added. For Sherlock, Bates has the financial background Morrisville needs and she liked his demeanor, she said.


In other news, Councilman Victor Cicero rescinded resignation comment at the work session. In September, a frustrated Cicero abruptly resigned and left the council meeting after members voted 5-3 to table a discussion on the disposal of videotapes of old council meetings.

The council didn't vote on accepting his verbal resignation in September. And Cicero didn't provide his resignation to the council in writing. All resignations must be officially submitted in writing and formally accepted.

At that time Cicero, along with council President Nancy Sherlock and Councilman David Rivella were in favor of getting rid of the tapes, some of which are as old as 15 years.

At Tuesday's work session, the council voted 4-3 to dispose of the meeting tapes. Opposing the disposal were council members Eileen Dreisbach, Fred Kerner and Todd Sanford.

Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com.

The Bucks Local News version

And now the Bucks Local News version
Victor Cicero abruptly resigns from Morrisville Council over issue of destroying meeting tapes



By Petra Chesner Schlatter
BucksLocalNews.com

MORRISVILLE -- Morrisville Borough Councilman Victor Cicero abruptly announced his resignation last night after council voted to table a motion to dispose of video recordings of public meetings, while also allowing Mayor Rita Ledger access to previously requested videos.

Immediately after the matter was tabled by a 4-3 vote, Cicero stood up and announced, "I'm resigning!"

Cicero, who had made the motion to destroy the tapes, said, "Good night. I don't know why I got involved. What are you afraid of? What a bunch of fools. I've never seen anything like this in my life."

When asked by phone Tuesday morning if he was indeed resigning, he would only say "I will not be at the next meeting."

Ledger said she had been asking for tapes from 2009 -- particularly November and December -- but hadn't been able to gain access to them despite several requests.

"I still haven't gotten any copies," she said at the meeting. "How can they be destroyed before copies have been given to somebody who has requested this twice?"

Borough Solicitor Todd Eisenberg said the recordings would be available to her before they are destroyed.

Eisenberg discussed the legality of disposing of recordings. He said the state publishes a document every couple of years, which outlines how borough records can be disposed of.

"One of the regulations is that video tapes of meetings can be disposed of after the minutes are approved unless the council finds there is a historical significance in keeping them," he said. "Most of the municipalities that I know destroy them after the minutes are approved."

Eisenberg said, "If a person, not just the mayor, wants them right away and we do not have the ability to make the copies we can send them out and have the copies made."

Ledger said those who request a copy should not have to pay if the borough sends the recordings out for a copy to be made.

Before his resignation, Cicero asked if the borough has the legal right to charge for a copy and Eisenberg said, "Absolutely."

Eisenberg said he would provide more information on the history of the disposal of recordings "so everyone will have a better feel. You have the right to get rid of these tapes. It's just an issue of, 'Do you want to?'"

Borough Council President Nancy Sherlock said prior administrations had conversations on this matter.

"There's no reason to have six, seven or eight boxes of all these tapes," she said.

Sharon Hughes, president of the Historic Morrisville Society, has been videotaping council meetings since she was told the borough's recording equipment was not working. She has volunteered to broadcast and record meetings for years.

"Why are you afraid? What is the word up there, we might be sued? Somebody's asking for tapes now and all of a sudden we have to have them destroyed? They've been sitting there for 14 years," said Hughes.

"They are a historic record of what this board has done...They are the history of this town. They are the history of this borough," she continued.

Hughes challenged the idea that Morrisville should be like other municipalities and destroy the recordings right away.

"Somebody wants records and other people up there don't want them to have them," she said, stressing that a decision should not be made quickly.

"It's not the right thing to do in my opinion," she said.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Mayor Ledger said she wanted the tapes for prosperity's sake.

"I'm the first woman mayor," she said. "I would like to keep the tapes of meetings that I preside over. It would be great for future generations of your family to see it ... and it is a way of making everyone accountable for their actions."

She would not offer comment on Cicero's resignation.

Sherlock said the issue would be discussed at council's Tuesday, Oct. 12 meeting.

"In Febuary 2009, council approved a motion declaring its intention to follow the schedule and procedures for disposition of records as set forth in the municipal records manual that that was approved on Dec. 16, 2008," Sherlock said in a phone interview Tuesday. "Since the resolution has been passed it is our duty to follow the guidelines ... We are not able to dispose of anything the commission deems historic or necessary to keep."

In other news, Ledger reported that she and former Mayor Lee Rockafellow met recently with the Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department about the future of the Morrisville Swimming Pool. They did a walkthrough of what was once a thriving facility, but is now a crippled community hub following a major flood. The community pool has been closed ever since.

Ledger said she will find out whether the county will work with the borough on getting the facility back in shape and open to the public.

The council also:


Awarded the 2010 Emergency Generator Bid to the low bidder, A.C. Scott Electric & Testing Co. for $80,000.
Appointed V.K. Macivana to the Morrisville Economic Development Authority.
Re-appointed John Eperjesi, Patricia Wilcox, Patricia Brofman and Lillian Piscopo for two-year terms to the Recreation Advisory Board.

Councilman: 'Nothing is official' after resignation

It's a shame that this is what make the papers. Did anything else happen at the meeting or did they bicker over VHS tapes for a couple of hours and accomplish nothing else. We're sure there was other notable business that could have been covered by the BCCT reporter.

PhillyBurbs.com: Councilman: 'Nothing is official' after resignationBy: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
Morrisville

As of Tuesday, Morrisville Councilman Victor Cicero officially was still on the council.

But late Monday night his status was questionable after he abruptly resigned and left a council meeting.

He didn't want to comment Tuesday afternoon, noting, "I haven't decided" and "nothing is official."

A frustrated Cicero left the council chambers after members voted 5-3 to table a discussion on the disposal of videotapes of old council meetings. Some council members had concerns about getting rid of the tapes, and the issue became a tit-for-tat among council members themselves and the public. That's when Cicero got frustrated and left.

Cicero, along with council President Nancy Sherlock and Councilman David Rivella, was in favor of getting rid of the tapes, some of which are as old as 15 years.

Two ordinances for tapes' disposal were up for discussion but not on the agenda because borough solicitor Todd Eisenberg provided the resolutions to the town the same day of the meeting, Sherlock said.

One resolution explained the reasons for the disposal and how the tapes would be discarded. The other resolution explained the process, Sherlock said.

Morrisville went from VHS tapes to DVD in June 2009, so Sherlock had suggested trashing the VHS tapes only and keeping the DVDs.

In February 2009 the council passed a resolution to follow the schedule of public information retention set by the state, so the resolutions were simply just following through with the 2009 resolution, Sherlock said Tuesday. The state schedule states that the meeting minutes are the official records.


"We don't need receipts from 1968," she said. "We have four or five boxes of tapes that are easy to get rid of. It's simply a procedure thing. The real records (of meetings) are the minutes, not the tapes. They are of no use to the administration."

Mayor Rita Ledger was particularly disturbed of the possibility of the tapes' destruction, saying Tuesday that she requested meeting recordings from November and December and hasn't been given the copies. Borough solicitor Todd Eisenberg assured Ledger she would get those recordings, which wouldn't be destroyed under the proposed resolution, Sherlock said.

To ease the concerned council members, Eisenberg will write a memo to the council explaining the process, Sherlock said.

Sharon Hughes, president of the Historic Morrisville Society, has been recording the meeting for years and suggested the possibility of donating the recordings to the local library or the historical society, Ledger said.

Hughes questioned the reasoning behind the sudden need to dispose of video tapes after years of being stored.

Sherlock assured Tuesday that disposing of the tapes has nothing to do with the public's request for copies of the recordings.

Since the issue was tabled, it will be discussed at the October council meeting.

September 22, 2010 02:10 AM

File this one under.." Sorry Sharon"

For those that don't already know, Sharon Hughes also video tapes the school board meetings. It is also not known what she does with the tapes.

from the BCCT:
Plan to record meetings hits a snag

By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE - Morrisville is having some technical difficulties.

The borough purchased new video recording equipment including a new monitor for the system used to record council meetings. The new equipment was supposed to be hooked up for this week's meeting, but it didn't turn out that way. The new pieces weren't compatible to the 15-year-old recording setup.

Council President Nancy Sherlock said the borough will fix the problem in the next few weeks and hopes to be able to start recording again in September with the help of volunteers.

The issue came up after Councilwoman Eileen Dreisbach was concerned that future meetings weren't going to be recorded. Dreisbach's concern was raised because letters were sent to volunteers who monitor the recording system informing them that their services weren't needed this month. The letter didn't go into detail nor did it mention a date that recording would resume, leading Dreisbach to think recordings of meetings had been suspended permanently.

But Councilwoman Kathryn Panzitta said there wasn't any indication in the letters that meetings weren't going to be recorded anymore.

Volunteer Sharon Hughes, who records the council meetings from inside a booth, sat in the audience recording the meeting with a hand-held camera. It was unknown Thursday what Hughes is going to do with the recording.

Boro Council meeting recap

Leftover grant funding could go to upgrade street lights

By: DANNY ADLER
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE

Now that work on the Morrisville Free Library is complete and the building opened its doors again last weekend, Morrisville is looking to redirect more than $12,800 in leftover grant money for new street lights.

Borough council voted 7-0 at its meeting Monday to ask the Bucks County Department of Community Development to use $12,856 remaining from a community development block grant to install between eight and 10 energy-efficient LED streetlights on some of the borough's secondary roads.

The money is left over from a block grant that funded the roughly $200,000 project to put air conditioning at the Morrisville Free Library. The library reopened Saturday after it was closed for nearly two months during renovations.

Councilwoman Rhonda Davis was absent from the meeting.

In other business, the council approved an agreement with the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission for a $56,300 curb and sidewalk project. The bridge commission announced recently that it was giving Morrisville the money as part of its Compact Authorized Investment program, which funds transportation-related initiatives in riverfront communities.

The money will fund work putting new curb and sidewalk along the west side of Delmorr Avenue from Corliss Alley to Bridge Street and along the east side of Delmorr from Corliss to Williamson Park, according to the bridge commission.

Also Monday, PECO presented Morrisville with a $7,500 check for upcoming work in Williamson Park.

The money, given through the utility company's open space grant program, will fund a 3,200-foot hard-surface trail in the Delmorr Avenue park, said Ted Dorand, PECO's external affairs manager in Bucks County.

Morrisville was one of four Bucks towns to receive $7,500 from PECO this year through its PECO Green Region program. The others were New Britain Borough, New Britain Township and Doylestown Township.

July 20, 2010 02:12 AM

Getting back up to speed

We are hearing that there was a great turnout for the swearing in of the new council members. Our best wishes goes out to all of the newly elected council members, and our new mayor also.

What's this about the heat being all out of wack at the IS/HS? Is the thermostat set too low, or is it a bigger problem? One would think after spending millions on a "renovation" the new state of the art boilers would be functioning properly. Let's hope it's just a minor glitch, and not a major problem. Can you say warranty?
Maybe newly elected school board member Mr. Stout can get to the bottom of this.

And lastly, has the School Board answered the questions from the public regarding M.R. Reiter? We can all assume that the school will never reopen, but seriously guys answer the questions already!

Boro Council reorganization tonight

Don't forget that tonight is the Boro council reorganization meeting at Boro hall from 7:30pm to 9pm.

Stay on trackers select Ed Bailey for council

It's official, they did the unthinkable, stay on trackers Worob,Ledger,Burger, and Dreisbach voted to put Ed Bailey on the Boro Council. Luckily this is only till the first Monday in January when the winner of the election will take over. This charade was actually on the local TV channel apparently as a live broadcast. Comcast CH 22. and Verizon CH 38. Rita Ledger made a buffoon out of herself, and when asked if she felt someone was disenfranchised by the selection process, she said yes, even though her "guy" got the spot.
Fom the bcct:
Bailey selected for council
By: DANNY ADLER
Bucks County Courier Times
A Republican council candidate was appointed to Morrisville Council on Monday to fill the unexpired term of Democrat Edward Albertson, who resigned from council last month because he moved out of the borough.

Ed Bailey, who is running against Democrat Rhonda Davis in next month's election, was appointed by council in a 4-3 vote by council members Rita Ledger, Jane Burger, Stephen Worob and Eileen Dreisbach.

Council members Nancy Sherlock, Kathryn Panzitta and David Rivella voted for Morrisville Environmental Advisory Council member Deborah Colgan, who is not running for election this year.

Davis was the third nominee for the seat, but she did not get any votes Monday.

Quickly before an executive session at the end of the meeting, Rivella told the newspaper that he, Sherlock and Panzitta voted for Colgan because she was not running in this year's election, and that Colgan had said she would hold the seat until Nov. 4, then yield to whoever won the race between Bailey and Davis.

Solicitor James Downey told the council that if Colgan had won and stepped down on Nov. 4, officials would have to go through the whole process of filling the vacancy within 30 days again.

Bailey was sworn in and took his seat at the dais after the 4-3 vote. He will fill out Albertson's 3rd Ward council term, which expires at the end of this year.

Albertson was the second councilman to resign from that seat in a year. He was appointed by council to fill the seat of Republican George Bolos, who vacated the post in September 2008 because he also moved out of the borough.

Will of the people...descision on 3rd ward boro council seat tonight

Council to pick new member
By: DANNY ADLER
Bucks County Courier Times
Council is scheduled to appoint a new member at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. tonight in borough hall, 35 Union St.

Morrisville Borough Council will appoint someone to a 3rd Ward council seat for the second time in 13 months.

Councilman Edward Albertson resigned effective Sept. 22 because he moved out of Morrisville and could no longer hold onto his seat, borough officials said.

Albertson, a Democrat, served on the council for one year after he was appointed to take the seat of George Bolos, a Republican councilman who resigned in September 2008 because he moved out of the borough.

Council President Nancy Sherlock said the council has interviewed three candidates to fill the remainder of the seat, which expires at the end of this year, including two candidates in the upcoming November election.

The three candidates are Republican candidate Ed Bailey, Democratic candidate Rhonda Davis and Morrisville Environmental Advisory Council member Deborah Colgan.

The council is scheduled to make an appointment at its meeting tonight. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at borough hall, 35 Union St.

Boro Council Agenda meeting recap

Did anyone attend the Boro Council agenda meeting? Post your observations here.