Lansdale recap: Streetscape work ahead of schedule
LANSDALE — A lack of rain this fall has led to an unexpected benefit for a long-discussed project in Lansdale.
"A quick update on the East Main streetscape project: the contractor has had the benefit of very good weather this summer and early fall, and they are making very good progress," said Director of Community Development Jason Van Dame.
"They have actually moved up their completion date to the end of November, so shortened the project timeline by four or five months, assuming we continue to get good weather," he said.
Construction kicked off in July on a project that's been on the drawing board since 2014 , when the town secured roughly $3 million in grant funding for the project after finishing two similar projects that upgraded utilities and replaced old sidewalks with new brick and pavers on downtown Main, Broad and Madison Streets in 2011-12 , then along Wood and Vine Streets in 2013-14 .
After delays throughout 2022 and early '23 , a contract for the project was awarded in April 2024 , and construction started in July , as borough staff said the project was scheduled to run through spring 2025, and residents griped about the removal of trees along Main to make way for the utility work.
During the borough council meeting on Oct. 16 , Van Dame gave an update, saying the relatively dry weather had allowed project contractors to make headway on that schedule.
"It's looking great out there if you get a chance to get out and walk the first couple of blocks, with all of the decorative stuff, and see the work they've done out there. Maybe we'll get some rain, and be able to test out the new stormwater improvements too," he said.
Council President Mary Fuller said she was glad to hear about the schedule, and fine if the rain stays away.
"Maybe we want to hold off on that rain 'til construction is done. We don't want to delay it: we like a project that's ahead of schedule," she said.
Thanks for state grant
Van Dame also passed on thanks from borough Manager John Ernst for a grant award recently announced by state representative, and former councilman, Steve Malagari.
"I would like to thank Representative Steve Malagari for securing a $200,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development for vehicle replacement. We are incredibly grateful for this grant funding, which will play a vital role in enabling Lansdale to carry out the necessary improvements and services to our community," Ernst said.
That grant award will combine with $250,000 already authorized in the town's 2024 budget for used vehicle purchases, the manager told council.
"To date we have acquired nine vehicles, three pieces of equipment, one trailer, and one plow for a total of $235,000, so they're spending that money well," Ernst said, and Van Dame added "a lot of staff also feels appreciative of being able to acquire that equipment. It helps our guys do our jobs better."
Council pay raise voted ahead
Council members also voted unanimously on Oct. 16 to increase the compensation for those who serve on council, but not right away.
"I move that borough council authorize the solicitor to prepare, and the borough manager to advertise, an ordinance amending the borough code to increase council members' and the mayor's annual compensation to $4,125, for future council members and future mayors, after January 1st 2026, in accordance with the Pennsylvania borough code," said councilwoman Carrie Oglesby.
During the council committee meetings two weeks prior, Oglesby reported that she had looked into the topic, comparing borough elected officials' compensation with several adjacent townships, all of which were higher or included medical benefits, and discussed it with the administration and finance committee she chairs.
"From our research, it doesn't look like there has been an increase in council's pay since before our recordkeeping began in 1970," she said.
Council President Mary Fuller added that the increase would only go into effect in 2026 for those council members elected or reelected in 2025, with the increase for the rest of council taking effect after those members are elected or reelected two years later.
"So it wouldn't happen all at once, and we can budget for it," Fuller said. "We don't vote for ourselves, it's for others."
Solar talks to heat up in 2025?
Council also heard a preview of what could become a bigger discussion in 2025: should the town look into more ways to generate electricity locally ?
"We had a pretty robust budget discussion, and a lot of it is still in the air right now, but the biggest thing that most of you are already aware of is that the cost of electricity is going up," said electric committee chairman Andrew Carroll.
"Starting in May of 2025, capacity costs are looking to rise sharply . This is a problem greater than the borough of Lansdale: this is a problem from Maine to Virginia, and as far west as Chicago," he said.
North Penn could shop for new electric contract this summer
In 2020 into '21 the town activated and installed two solar panel arrays, atop borough hall on Vine Street and at the electric department headquarters and wastewater plant on Ninth Street, saying both could help the town reduce its electrical transmission costs by generating power locally. The electric committee has since held talks on possible solar systems on other town-owned properties , but none have progressed beyond the drawing board . In early talks for 2025, Carroll told council, indications are that those transmission costs could rise by $1 million or more, and Mayor Garry Herbert said that could mean another look at a topic he's pushed at length : more local solar power .
"We need to start to really consider how we are going to generate more power here in the borough, because that's really the only way to combat this reality," Herbert said.
Pool plans proceeding
Parks and Recreation committee chairwoman Rachael Bollens gave an update on another long-running topic: potential renovations to the borough's two pools, and plans being developed for the facilities at Whites Road Park.
"We spoke about potentially renovating not just the bath house, but the building itself, and the opportunities that could bring: potentially being able to use that building for the nine months that it's not in service for the pool, and maybe renting it out," she said.
Lansdale's pools were the subject of a deep dive in May from an outside consultant, who detailed for council the results of a study examining the short- and long-term equipment needs, aging infrastructure, and possible options for reconfiguring and revamping the borough's complexes at Fourth Street and Whites Road parks. Since then, the outside consultant has been working on formal engineered plans for repairs, upgrades and renovations to the Whites Road pool complex, with estimated costs of roughly $3 million to bring the pool complex up to current accessibility standards, and another $500,000 in upgrades to the restrooms there, and the parks committee has held talks on membership fees for 2025 as budget season begins.
Those plans are not yet finalized, Bollens and parks and recreation Director Courtney Fox told council, and the committee is considering a design contract for up to $170,000 that could develop formal plans, with early estimates at roughly $500,000 for upgrades to just the locker room area and no cost estimate yet for a larger renovation.
"The proposal we're talking about does not include any construction cost. This is just the design, the bid specs, just the design and the documents to go out to bid," said borough Manager John Ernst.
