Tredyffrin News: Tredyffrin Township December E-Newsletter

Tredyffrin Township

December 2012

Tredyffrin Township Welcomes Its New Township Manager!

The Township welcomes new Township Manager, William F. Martin. Mr. Martin, who is a resident of Tredyffrin, was sworn in at the Board of Supervisors meeting on November 19th. To watch the ceremony, please visit TTTV's online public access site.

2013 Preliminary Budget

The 2013 Preliminary Budget was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on November 19th for purposes of advertising. It will continue to be discussed at upcoming meetings. To view the Preliminary Budget, please click here and to see the presentation given at the Board of Supervisors meeting on November 7th, please visit TTTV's online public access site.

Commercial Zoning Project Presentation and Workshop

As part of the Township's ongoing analysis and revision of commercial zoning districts project, there was a presentation by and discussion with the consultants retained by Tredyffrin on November 20th at the Township Building. For a copy of the DRAFT report, please click here (12.6 MB) and to view the presentation given at the Board of Supervisors meeting on November 19th, please visit TTTV's online public access site. Please stay tuned for future presentations and workshops. Many partners are needed to make this project a success and we look forward to your participation and input!

Operation Safe Holiday

Tredyffrin Township Police continues to participate in grant based safety initiatives such as Buckle Up PA and Aggressive Driving reduction programs. As the holidays approach, we remind all motorists that highways can be dangerous places where thousands of residents of the Commonwealth are involved in crashes and are injured or killed each and every year as a result. In 2011, Tredyffrin Township Police responded to 1074 traffic accidents (crashes).

The Police Department, partnered with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, urges all motorists to "drive safely" and to review these "sobering" facts. The Tredyffrin Township Police Department wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Feel The Warmth Coat Drive

Tredyffrin Township is partnering with the Feel the Warmth organization to sponsor a Winter Coat Donation Drive from November 26th – December 10th. Drop off bins will be available in the front lobby of the Township Building. The winter coats should be either new or "gently" used. Children's winter coats are most in demand; however, Feel the Warmth will collect adult coats as well. More information about this organization can be found at www.feelthewarmth.org.

Township Blood Drive

Tredyffrin Township will partner with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on Wednesday, December 12th from 1:00 – 6:00 pm in Keene Hall at the Township Building on Duportail Road. Appointments are preferred, so please go online to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code 02210984 to sign up. If you are over 17, weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in good health, you can be a donor. Let’s all help the Red Cross meet is goals for 2012. If you have any questions, you may call Pat Hoffman at 610-644-1100.

Leaf Disposal & Adopt-an-Inlet Program

As you may be all too aware, certain areas of Tredyffrin are prone to flooding, and some of this flooding is directly related to stormwater inlets becoming covered with leaves, grass, and debris. The Township has over 3,000 stormwater inlets and only limited staff to maintain them. We need your help!

The Public Works Department is asking residents to Adopt an Inlet. This program asks residents who have a street or rear-yard stormwater inlet to make sure they are cleaned off and unobstructed. Once the debris is cleared the inlets can drain properly. If you have an inlet anywhere near your home, please be a good neighbor and keep it clear.

Please remember that the Township does not collect leaves, and that they should not be piled along roadways. For removal, contact your trash hauler or utilize the Township's residential composting site.

This year, residents will be hauling materials to the site at 1542 Mill Road. For more information, including accepted materials and times for drop-off, please click here.

Winter Recreation Program Details are Available Online!

This winter, Tredyffrin will hold its traditional Winter Recreation Program as well as a new program run in conjunction with GROOVE. Check out all the options and download registration forms, by visiting the Township's Park & Recreation page!

2013 Police Learning Series

In 2012, the Police Department held a successful learning series on a monthly basis. This series, which is free and open to the public, will commence again in 2013 on the fourth Tuesday of January through June at the Township Building from 7 to 9 pm. For the complete schedule, please click here.

Tredyffrin Township Library Updates

Award-winning author and renowned Civil War expert Allen Guelzo visits Tredyffrin Public Library on Sunday, December 9 at 2 pm to talk about his new book Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction. At the heart of Guelzo’s expansive narrative survey of America’s greatest trauma, is the idea that the Civil War was a true test of democracy and the strength of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution when faced with the single issue of slavery. Sign up at the library or call 610-688-7092, ext. 206.

Paoli Library hosts their annual Holiday Book Sale through Sunday, December 23rd during library hours. Find great prices on holiday gifts!

The libraries are hosting lots of fun events for kids and families in December. Come enjoy storytimes, movies, music, and more at Tredyffrin Public Library and Paoli Library.

A Message from the Inspections & Permit Services Department

Before the real cold sets in and the snow falls, residents should take the time to check one last time to make sure their roof rain gutters are clear and free of any debris that could find its way to the downspout opening causing blockage, then allowing the gutters to fill up and spill over onto the ground. This additional weight may contribute to the failure of the gutter system and costly repairs. Also, when rain waters are not controlled from the downspout and away from a building’s foundation, the potential for freezing water thawing and entering the basement is increased and can lead to additional costly repairs as well as mold. On behalf of the Inspections and Permit Services Staff, have a safe and sound holiday season.

Township Communication Policy

At its meeting on November 19th, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion approving the Township’s “Communication with the Public” policy. The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines as to how a member or group of members of Tredyffrin Township’s institutions should communicate with the public. In this era of a multitude of vehicles for disseminating information, the Township has determined that it should adopt a communications policy that will help residents clearly distinguish the communications of an individual from those of one of the Township’s institutions. The purpose of this is not to reduce open dialog but to provide reasonable guidance to Township officials on how to communicate with the Public. To view the complete policy, please click here.

Artist of the Month Series

The December Artist of the Month Show is now on display in the Community Room at the Township Building on Duportail Road. This month’s artists are Marie T. Harris and Lorraine Sierchio. Marie has taught art, music, literature, and reading-writing strategies to all ages and studied art privately and with special teachers from BCCC, PAFA and local art centers. Marie works primarily in oils and acrylics, but also experiments in pastels, gouache and watercolors and her paintings are in both private and corporate collections and her subjects include flowers, still life, landscapes, city and travel scenes, portraits, people in settings and abstracts. Lorraine began painting seriously after retiring from the corporate world. Lorraine’s style has been described as strong with a dramatic flair and several well know artists with whom she has studied are credited for their influence in her developing technique. Lorraine has been a recipient of numerous awards and her paintings hang in collections from Maine to California. Some of her subjects have been pets, houses, sports cars (what fun!), favorite flowers and landscapes - done dramatically of course. For more information on the Delaware Valley Art League, you can visit their website: www.delawarevalleyartleague.com.

Public Meetings

@ Township Building

Board of Supervisors: Monday, December 3, 7:30 pm

Environmental Advisory Committee: Tuesday, December 11, 7:00 pm

Board of Supervisors: Monday, December 17, 7:30 pm

Zoning Hearing Board: Tuesday, December 18, 7:30 pm