2009 News

March 6 , 2009

Commissioners Visit Conwell-Egan Catholic High School for Wide-Reaching, Three-Hour Meeting

The Board of Bucks County Commissioners issued four proclamations and approved contract resolutions involving 15 county departments during its March 4 meeting – conducted in the spacious auditorium of Conwell-Egan Catholic High School. The meeting also included a series of protracted policy discussions and the tabling of three items.

Commissioners Charles H. Martin, Chairman, James F. Cawley, Esq. (a 1987 graduate of then-Bishop Egan Catholic High School) and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia engaged in a lengthy debate regarding Children & Youth Social Services foster-care services. Ultimately, the board approved nearly $3.5 million for eight different service providers, with Commissioner Marseglia voting no on five in objection to specialized services being provided outside of Bucks County.

The foster-care discussion also led to Commissioner Cawley’s objection to a recent letter proposing a state hearing that was circulated by three local Democrat members of the Pennsylvania House without seeking bipartisan support for this important issue. Saying there is no place for partisanship, Cawley noted, “There is no Democrat or Republican way to care for foster children. I am hopeful this is not a sign of things to come.” Commissioner Cawley added that he feels placing special needs youth in appropriate programs should not be constrained by geographic boundaries.

While moderating the discussion, which included input from county Human Services Director Joe Funk, Chairman Martin suggested, “Let’s look forward, not backwards.” The state House Democrat field hearing date has not yet been announced publicly.

In the Community & Business Development realm, the Commissioners approved a $242,535, three-year application for the Pennsylvania Dept. of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Emergency Shelter Grant Program on behalf of the American Red Cross Homeless Shelter and the Bucks County Housing Group. The approval also included the request to have state officials prioritize the Homeless Shelter’s funding application.

The Commissioners unanimously approved a Natural Areas Program Grant to acquire a 70-acre conservation easement in West Rockhill Township. According to county Open Space Coordinator Kris Kern, the property is located at the union of three already preserved Natural Areas sits, including the Priority 1 Quakertown Swamp.

As Bucks County government continues to strive to make information accessible to the public through technology upgrades, the Commissioners keep that goal in mind during the resolution process. To that end, they approved a $19,690 contract with GeographIT to develop a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) viewer. Planning Commission Executive Director Lynn Bush described the information as part of a “complicated data collection” that will become easier to access. “

The Commissioners resolved to table a pair of no-bid advertising contracts for the Board of Elections, pursuant to additional research, and they also tabled a $26,000 contract for electrical construction of a cooling tower for Neshaminy Manor. Also in General Services, the board approved a $288,428 contract for emergency repairs to the Silo Hill Bridge in Plumstead Township. The bridge’s deck and beams were damaged severely when an overweight truck tried to cross. The county has documented the damage, and will seek reimbursement from the trucking company and its insurance policy.

During his Chief Operating Officer’s report, David Sanko discussed multiple items, including a successful recent Pennsylvania Department of State audit of the county’s Danaher voting machines, the launch of a Web cam trained on the Parking Garage construction site in Doylestown Borough , a letter from Middletown Township Acting Public Safety Director Patrick McGinty praising the members of the Bucks County Department of Corrections Honor Guard for their participation in the funeral events of Middletown Police Officer Christopher Jones, and an analysis of Bucks County’s homeless count, which declined to 465 this year from 485 during 2008 when the count was executed.

Mr. Sanko also addressed ongoing concerns about the future of Washington Crossing State Park and its Visitors Center. The Commissioners will be sending a letter to U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Robert Casey and U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy requesting that the Federal government explore the possibility of adding Washington Crossing to the National Park System, or providing financial assistance to the state.

Commissioner Cawley requested that his colleagues approve two more members for his Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB), Dr. Joseph Brosnan, president of Delaware Valley College, and Mr. Kevin Cruz, an information technology executive. Both appointments were unanimous.

The meeting began with a moment of silence, which Commissioner Martin personalized in the memory of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. and Bucks County Corrections Officer Mark Baum. The board issued four proclamations, recognizing the Arc of Montgomery, Berks and Bucks County; the United Way’s Operating Helping Hand food drive; Emergency Weather Preparedness Day (March 5); and declaring March 4 as “Steve Slaton Day” in honor of the Houston Texans running back and Levittown native.

NOTE: The next Commissioners’ meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March, 18, in the Courthouse Community Room, 55 E. Court St., Doylestown, PA 18901. For a full audio account of the March 4 meeting, please go to www.BucksCounty.org and click on the link on the Commissioners’ meeting page.