Mayor Edward Brown’s Response/Clarification To UDAEF Video and Claims

The following video is Mayor Edward Brown and Upper Darby Townships' response to claims made by the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation (UDAEF) regarding the Township Council, ARPA funding, grant requests and the township’s on-going commitment to the arts and Upper Darby Summer Stage. Full Transcript below video.

https://fb.watch/vScmoT9FJa/

Full Transcript: 

Hello, Upper Darby residents. I want to take a moment to address recent discussions surrounding Summer Stage and the Arts and Education Foundation, and to address a recent video released by the Arts Foundation that inaccurately represents the situation. Summer Stage is a creation of the Upper Darby Township and the Upper Darby School District, not the Arts and Education Foundation. For 49 years, Summer Stage has been a cherished partnership between the Upper Darby Township and the Upper Darby School District. Together, the Township and the School District exclusively convened Summer Stage for 46 years. In doing so, the two bodies have for decades provided countless opportunities for Upper Darby children to explore the arts. 

Three years ago, the Art Foundation requested to end its long-standing role as the fundraising affiliate of the school district where it had provided scholarships for students and teachers, as well as technology for classrooms. In several meetings that I attended as an Upper Darby school board director, the Art Foundation leadership explained that their connection to the district and the township hindered their ability to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from other organizations. As a result of this request to stand alone, The district and the township agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding that permits the Art Foundation to use the summer stage license and convene summer stage. That agreement remains in effect today. 

To that end, The Art Foundation has only been convening SummerSage for three years, not 49 years, as their messaging implies. Since our agreement with the Art Foundation, the township has annually contributed $125,000 in taxpayer dollars to provide scholarships for Upper Darby students. Additionally, the Upper Darby School District has generously offered its facilities at reduced rates to support our local students. 

Again, both commitments remain in effect today. Secondly, there has been a misrepresentation of this administration's intent regarding the $800,000 in ARPA funding that the Art Foundation is seeking to establish a regional arts center. I want to clarify that this funding is not tied to Summer Stage, and in no way does the denial of this funding impact the convening of the 50th Summer Stage in 2025. The only thing that would prevent Summer Stage 2025 would the Art Foundation's unwillingness to do so. 

As your mayor, I remain committed to supporting Summer Stage and the arts in our community. That being said, the ARPA funding is federal money, and there are specific regulations about how it can be used. The Arts Foundation's proposal to create a Regional Arts and Education Center, which, as outlined in their application, would utilize federal funding intended for Upper Darby Township residents to serve students from surrounding communities.
 
By federal law, these funds are intended solely for Upper Darby residents. To be clear, we have raised similar concerns about the Art Foundation's evolving approach to summer stage as well and have been working with them to address those concerns. It is also crucial to recognize that providing funding under these conditions could result in significant consequences, including the potential need to use Upper Darby taxpayer dollars to repay the federal government for any disqualified ARPA dollars spent. 

There are other federal qualification concerns with the Art Foundation's application as well, including a lack of specific documentation and data supporting the need for their proposed program. specific clarification of their service area and the portion of funding requested that is allocated for Upper Darby residents, insufficient documentation for claimed matching funding, and concerns with the overall financial viability of the proposed venture as their 2023 year-end finances show a break-even status with no reserves. I want to emphasize that this administration's focus is not political. It is about ensuring that we are responsible stewards of federal dollars designated for Upper Darby residents. However well intentioned, any granting of Upper Darby funds must ultimately be vetted against local, state, and other federal guidelines and sound business practices. We must make fiscally sound decisions. that prioritize the needs of Upper Derby residents, not the region, and ensure that any funds we receive are used and dispersed appropriately. 

My administration is committed to the arts and to the continued success of Summer Stage, and we look forward to the Arts Foundation convening of the 50th Summer Stage next year. I will work diligently to support these initiatives in a way that truly benefits our community. Thank you for understanding and support.

Mayor’s Message to Council

Mayor Ed Brown

February 21, 2024

Good evening. Earlier today I had the pleasure of welcoming to Upper Darby Township, Federal Transit Administrator Fernandez, Senator Fetterman, Representative Scanlon, SEPTA General Manager Richards and other honored guests to the 69th Street Transportation Center as they announced a $317 million federal grant to support the replacement of the Market Frankford Line railcars. A stronger SEPTA is a stronger Upper Darby, as public transportation is one of our most important assets. 

I was then pleased to welcome Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon on a tour of the Upper Darby Police Headquarters along with Superintendent Tim Bernhardt. I’ve asked the Superintendent to be here this evening to provide a Public Safety update.

(Tim's remarks)

Thank you, Superintendent Bernhardt. I appreciate all that you and the Department are doing for the Upper Darby community. As the Superintendent stated, we are looking forward to recognizing and honoring our heroes in a Council Meeting next month. 

Today is International Mother Language Day which was created in 1999 to promote, protect and preserve all languages. Upper Darby is the home of diverse culture, heritage, and rich traditions and the Proclamation recognizing the importance of this day can be found on the Township website. With over 100 languages spoken in our community, it is very important that we celebrate our diversity in many ways and as often as we can.  

(Mayor’s remarks)

Mayor’s Message to Council

Mayor Ed Brown

February 14, 2024

Good evening President Tunis, Vice-President Haman, Council, Administration and the Public.  Tonight’s special meeting was called to ensure that our millage rate, trash fee, and sewer fee are passed correctly. If these three ordinances are passed tonight then the property tax bills will be dated February 20, 2024 which will make the discount period available through April 20th and face value due by June 20th. After June 20th the normal 10% penalty for late property taxes will be in effect. The trash and sewer fees would also be due on June 20th. This year you will also have the option for online payment for current year property tax, sewer, and trash. Instructions will be included in your bill. 

Upper Darby Summer Stage Registration is now open and I’d like to remind residents that the Township sponsors the full registration cost for our residents. Simply go to www.udfoundation.org and you will be asked for residency information to waive your registration fee. There are programs for students who have completed 4th grade through high school.

This Monday, February 19th is a Township Holiday. Monday’s Trash and Recycling will be collected on Wednesday, February 21st. Wednesday’s recycling will be collected on Tuesday for Area 1 and that Friday for area 2. The full calendar is available on the Township website: www.upperdarby.org/trashcalendar.

I’d like to start by talking about the recent developments in the surrounding area, particularly the two police officers shot in the course of their duties. Officer David Schiazza, Lansdowne Borough Police Department and Officer Rob Meehan, East Lansdowne Police Department are both heroes and I’m happy that they are now at home convalescencing with their families. I am proud that UD Officers played a major role in the fact that these officers are now home safely with their families. I’m sure that I speak for everyone when I say that we truly appreciate all officer’s service and dedication to their craft. I had the fortune and honor last week to accompany Superintendent Bernhardt in going down to Penn Presbyterian hospital to greet both officers as they were discharged from the hospital and given a well-deserved heroes' motorcade and escort home. It was great to see the genuine brotherhood and sisterhood that exists in the police ranks as officers came from near and far to greet their fellow heroes.  I was proud to see it and be a part of it.  We will be planning a proper acknowledgement for the heroes in our Police Department and thanking them for their excellent work and heroics in the very near future.  

Next, I want to thank you for your patience as we develop our business rhythm and fine tune our operations and Administration that allows people to play to their strengths. We’ve had a lot of meetings so we appreciate you hanging in there with us. You all deserve the very best execution that we can deliver and we are working hard to quickly get there. We will take a big step towards that regard in a couple of weeks when Mr. Crandall Jones starts as our CAO.  He has been spending time with me in the Township on Fridays the last couple of weeks to get the lay of the land and quickly get up to speed.  Even after he joins our team, that doesn’t mean that everyone will agree with every decision that we make and that’s okay.  You are allowed to disagree.  Nevertheless, we will communicate, be transparent and accountable for everything that we do and for that you are welcome to hold us accountable.   A thorough review of the Township’s operations including all departments, personnel, finances, processes, procedures continues and we will share this critical data with the incoming CAO and establish the immediate, short-term, and long-term priorities for the Township.  

I talked last week in my Mayor’s message about working closely with this Council to develop a rapport and earn their respect.  I just want to share with the public my plan to put that into action.  When I served as the Upper Darby School Board  President, I created something called Friday Chats and it was essentially office hours that I carved out for my fellow Board members. This allowed me to stay in tune with my colleagues and answer any questions or concerns that they had or just to talk for a few minutes.  They understood that from 8am to 9:00 am, I was available for them and nothing else was on my plate.  I’d like to offer the same opportunity to Council and offer every Friday, 8:00 am to 9:00 am my availability for a quick call to chat.  This won’t be the only time that I will avail myself for Council and I will always do that as needed but this time is set aside for them.  I talk to the President Tunis and Vice-President Haman as the leaders of Council often but I want to ensure that the rest of Council has the same opportunities to engage.  I think that it is important so this begins on Friday, February 16th.  I hope to speak to as many Council members as possible.  

Next, I’d like to read the statement of condolence about Mr. Brian Sharif Taylor that I posted to my Mayoral page since he had many people that loved and cared about him.

I was saddened to learn last week of the passing of Brian Taylor, CEO of Taylor Made Vets. Every time we talked, it was a respectful conversation and I appreciated his commitment to bettering the lives of veterans based on his distinguished service in the Army. It was very apparent that he believed in his mission and was dedicated to helping others. 

I liked his demeanor and the fact that he always tried to deliver his message calmly and always focused on others rather than himself. I am certain that his legacy of service will live on through his many friends and family. May he rest in peace.

Thank you. President Tunis and Council, that completes my Mayor’s message.  

Hi Everyone, a few housekeeping reminders first: Christmas and New Years fall on the next two Mondays this year, so please check the trash and recycling calendar on the website to see how your collections are affected.

I have been blessed with a dedicated and energetic leadership team who have made improvements that will benefit their staff and our community for years to come.  There is a long list of accomplishments throughout the administration and I will try to highlight as many as possible:

The Police Department, headed by Superintendent Tim Bernhardt

1. Is now a qualified, accredited law enforcement department by the commonwealth
2. Has invested in body cameras, a new Sally port, employs a Victim Rights advocate and is home to an office for the Domestic Abuse Project
3. Began initiatives in Community Policing such as the TAPS program which operates in UDHS, Bonner-Prendie High School and the Municipal Library on Bywood Avenue

The Fire Department first under the stewardship of Chief Sawyer and now Chief Boyce

1. Improved their ISO rating in last year’s assessment which demonstrates concrete steps they have taken to increase public safety effectiveness
2. Implemented a comprehensive Fire Code Inspection Program, a False Alarm initiative, and insurance reimbursement procedures
3. Opened their free smoke alarm inspection and installation program to renters in addition to homeowners

The Public Works Department, under Joe Martin has

1. Revamped the Sellers Library campus, removing rusted and bent fencing and repairing the barn building
2. Expanded the Yard Waste collections from twice a year to weekly from April to November and saved the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars with a new recycling vendor and professional development within the sanitation division
3. Had new roofs and solar panels installed on the township building and Watkins Senior Center and a new roof on Sellers Library
4. Worked cooperatively with the Shade Tree Commission, the Tree Tenders and other volunteers on the 69th Street project & Gillespie Park improvements, the streambank stabilization project by the Swedish Cabin and dozens of other projects throughout the township

Another way to track our progress is by district:

1st District

1. Fern Boulevard Street-Scaping project complete
2. Built the Bloomfield Road extension of the Darby Creek Trail 

2nd District

1. The bridge spanning the Darby Creek at the Swedish Cabin
2. The recreation trail through Gillespie Park

3rd District

1. The bridge at Drexel Gardens Park
2. The streambank restoration project at Drexel Gardens Park

4th District

1. Traffic-calming measures on Parkview & St. Laurence Roads
2. New basketball hoops at Parkview and Westview playgrounds

5th District

1. Traffic-calming measures on Owen Avenue
2. The Clyde & Gisela Hunt Tree Nursery and existing building improvements in Naylors Run Park

6th District

1. The complete renovation and renaming of the Stonehurst Hills Recreation Area
2. Infrastructure Improvements to Aberdeen Park
3. The Market-Powell Street-Scaping project

7th District

1. Stormwater and street-scape improvements to Municipal Parking Lot #1 and around the township building on Garrett Road and Long Lane
2. The facade-and-street light improvement project on the unit block of Garrett Road
3. The construction of the the first phase of the Naylors Run Trail starting at Chapman Park in the 7th District and continuing to Long Lane in the 6th District

Below-ground initiatives/projects:

1. As a board member of the Community Action Agency, I assisted in bringing a Community Action Agency office into the township and it is currently housed in Murphy’s Giving Market on West Chester Pike
2. Across all departments, we have made improvements that allow interacting with the public easier with online payments and forms options; the ADA-accessible One Center on the ground floor of the township building on Garrett Road; the transition to Open Gov, 21st Century software, has been completed for the Finance Department led by Diane Scutti and will continue through each department including L&I, headed by Dan Knowles, and the Department of Community and Economic Development, under Rita LaRue.
3. The Department of Leisure Services, led by Bill Kaplan, continues to grow and innovate with new programming since the pandemic and has recently launched the Office of Community and Cultural Affairs. 

I have heard maybe more often than I would like that I don’t talk about the good things that are happening here in Upper Darby.  And I think about our township Facebook posts, the mayor’s messages which happen twice a month, the website, the monthly e-letters (you can sign up for these through the website), the township YouTube channel and I know that there is always room for improvement regarding communication and at the same time, we’re not operating in a cave.  One thing I did innovate as a pivot from the COVID pandemic is the outdoor neighborhood meetings: we’ve done a couple of dozen of them since 2021 and by we, I mean, representatives of the Police, Fire, Public Works and L&I departments and myself would go to a neighborhood to talk about a neighborhood issue like traffic calming, or residential permit parking or a recreation trail that borders their property lines and then open up the meeting to the department leaders to talk about what they do, how to contact the township for various issues and answer residents questions.  Turnout and reception at these meetings were generally very good and the creation of these meetings is one of the things of which I am most proud during my tenure.  Going to the people beats having them have to come to us.

Looking back, I am also proud of the activation of our boards, commissions and committees.  We have met and now work with a broad spectrum of talented people who volunteer their time and energy to various township offices, people from all areas of the township and who are not “party” people.  Another highlight of the last four years has been working with various local organizations and volunteers on COVID testing and vaccine clinics, the food drives, tree plantings, neighborhood and park clean-ups.  All these things form the foundation of the dynamic, engaged Upper Darby community that I know it to be and that I love.

I’m heading into the home stretch here with people that I’d like to thank: (and this is not in any particular order)

Alexis Cicchitti and I have been friends for over twenty years when she was then working in the police department. The Municipal Clerk position is a tough one, especially navigating the waters of what can generously be described as a contentious council. Thank you for your 27 years of service to the township and best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement.  We’ll see each other.

Mike Galante, our energetic and creative engineer, who has made every land development and project better with stormwater and infrastructure improvements, whether it was for the Wawa on Oak Avenue, the Drexeline development, Delaware County Community College, the vast stormwater and sanitary sewer infrastructure improvements he oversaw with Joe Martin, or the road paving and ADA-ramp program.

I’d like to thank State Representatives Margo Davidson, Mike Zabel, Gina Curry and Heather Boyd, as well as State Senator Tim Kearney and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon for supporting our grant applications and other initiatives which needed the assistance of state and federal government to push them over the finish line.

Which brings me to Delaware County Council: thank you to Monica Taylor, Christine Reuther, Elaine Schaefer, Kevin Madden and Richard Womack without whom countless programs and most notably the Darby Creek Trail and bridge would not have happened this quickly.

Special thanks goes to Vince Rongione, Alison Dobbins and Scott Alberts who were a tremendous, incredible help after the 2019 election as well as the launching and leading of my administration.  Our entire community really went through it: the transition, the pandemic, the looting, Trashgate, August flooding - all in 2020!   Their hard work and dedication to serving our community and bringing their best every day has made all the difference in shepherding projects to completion and in the daily operations of this entity and to moving Upper Darby forward.  We have a lot of successes to look back on and I thank you for joining me on this ride.

The biggest thanks goes to my family: my husband John and daughters Raeleen and Gaeli who have encouraged and supported me the entire way through from 2007 and the single-stream recycling movement to elected office for the last 10 years: 6 on council and 4 as mayor.  Over the years, we’ve opened our home for canvass launches, petition and notarizing parties, dozens of meetings.  Many people sitting up here have been in our home, more than once. We’ve opened ourselves to a lot of political nonsense that was unnecessary and personal and ultimately completely unsuccessful.  The new mayor and new council should feel very optimistic for their future given the election results in November.  Best of luck to Mayor-elect Brown.  I’ve tried to give you the best transition possible and am in your corner as you go forward.

Thank you to the voters for giving me the opportunity to serve our community.

Mayor Barbarann Keffer

Good Evening Everyone,

Yesterday, the Wawa at Drexeline had its official opening ceremony. It’s a beautiful project on our western gateway which includes a walking path along Darby Creek and fantastic stormwater improvements along with gas pumps and the products we’ve pretty much all come to expect from Wawa.  Wawa has always been a great community partner to us as sponsors for various township events and as “good neighbors”. We’re happy this project is finished and we wish Wawa continued success as they take over the Eastern Seaboard.

Tonight I will be hosting a Town Hall on the proposed Earned Income Tax at 6pm here in this room. The meeting will be livestreamed and also archived on our township YouTube channel.  I’ve tried to answer as many questions as possible during the budget hearing last night and I look forward to answering questions tomorrow. On our township website is a list of Frequently Asked Questions which might be helpful.

This 1% EIT:

• Allows for the hiring of 5 new police officers, including their salaries as well as immediate and long-term benefits 

• Helps keep our seniors in their homes by moving the tax revenue from being property based to income based

• Decreases our dependence on property taxes for revenue

• Spreads the costs of municipal services more evenly among residents

• Maintains our commitments to retirees’ pension and health care costs and addresses our long-term structural deficit 

• Brings revenue back to Upper Darby that has for decades gone to other municipalities

There will be a Special Meeting on Wednesday, November 29, at 6 pm, for a hearing on the EIT ordinance.

Tomorrow Friday, November 17, around 10 am, the streetscaping project on 69th Street will officially kick off, jump started by the TD Bank grant awarded to the township earlier this year.  We are looking for volunteers to help with the tree plantings. Please call or email the One Center for more information. Also, two controller box paintings have recently been completed and are part of this TD Bank grant and they look fantastic!

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 23. Please check the township website to see how your trash and recycling pick-ups are affected that week. Trash and recycling will be picked up on Black Friday, even though the township building will be closed.

Starting on Small Business Saturday, there will be no ticketing at meters and kiosks on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of this year.  Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy providing jobs and preserving our diverse community.  Please come out and support our local businesses this holiday season.  So, starting on Small Business Saturday, November 25, two days after Thanksgiving, there will be no ticketing at meters and kiosks on weekends through the end of this year.  There will still be ticketing for public safety violations such as parking in a fire zone or illegally parking in a handicap spot.

Yesterday, in the One Center we held a soft opening for our Office of Community and Cultural Affairs under the Leisure Services Department. Headed by Raya Fagg, this office will build our cultural and language capacity to more efficiently deliver municipal services and will work with existing and emerging local community groups to expand our partnerships throughout the township. 

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Mayor Barbarann Keffer

Good Evening Everyone!

Tomorrow night, the Stonehurst Hills Community Association will hold a meeting at 6 pm at the Holy Ghost Jesus House of Prayer located at 434 Millbank Road as part of their National Wildlife Grant to reforest the Stonehurst Hills neighborhood. There will be information on free rain gardens, trees and lawn meadows whether you rent or you own. So, if you are a homeowner, a renter or a landlord, this program is for you!

Also tomorrow evening, at our One Center, Delaware County Council will hold a Town Hall on the use of the multi-state opioid settlement.  The Town Hall will begin at 6:30 pm.

This season’s leaf collection schedule is posted on our website and our Facebook page. Also in recycling news: we are working with the Pennsylvania Resources Council, the PRC, on their glass recycling pilot program. The PRC will drop off a recycling bin at Naylors Run Park to collect glass for one week. This is a glass diversion project, it does not replace our single-stream recycling program. For one week and for FREE, the PRC will collect glass recyclables of all colors in a bin located at Naylors Run Park, near the tennis courts. There will be a video camera, so please, only drop off glass recyclables. This program is free and open to the public.

I would like to make some clarifications regarding our Recreation Department. The department  does not function in a silo; we partner with many entities and our own departments to create programming for residents of all ages.

• We began and continue to offer free Summer Stage programming for any and all Upper Darby youth ages 10 to 18.  Over the last two years of this program, over 600 of our children have experienced the magic of Summer Stage at no cost to their families.
• Two recreational trails have been built here, the first two ever in our township, and both during my administration. One trail includes a bridge that spans Darby Creek near the Swedish Cabin. This trail is part of the larger Darby Creek Trail. The other, which is nearing completion, runs along the former Cardington-Newtown train line from Chapman Park towards Marshall Road and has a spur which connects to Long Lane. This trail is the first segment of the Naylors Run Trail.
• The township funds over 85% of the budget for our three libraries and, in turn, each of the libraries have a slate of wonderful programming for people of all ages. 
• We just started an after-school program in the new Community Policing Office at Barclay Square.
• Summer youth programming is funded by the township and run by the YMCA
  The Watkins Senior Center is also part of Recreation, 50% of funding comes from COSA, 50% from the township.  
• We’ve hosted a variety of pop-up programs: goat yoga, bike ride with a cop, the skateboard pop-up as we continue work on a Master Plan for our Parks and Open Spaces. We will have a public meeting on the plan next month. 
• USA Sport Group is hosting a basketball skills clinic (not a league) for girls and boys ages 4-11.  Sign-ups have opened up and the 5-week program will begin in the new year. 
• This would be a good time to give an update on our PAL program:  contrary to statements made many times at public meetings. Mayor Keffer did not “end the PAL program”.  People in our finance department have been working for months and months with Superintendent Bernhardt and his team to reinstate the non-profit status of the PAL organization. PAL’s tax-exempt status was automatically revoked in May of 2020 because for the 3 prior years, required paperwork had not been filed, 2017, 2018 and 2019. We expect PAL to regain its tax-exempt status next year and we look forward to rebuilding the program.
• Under the leadership of Superintendent Bernhardt, we offer the TAPS program at Bonner-Prendie and Upper Darby High Schools and at the Municipal Library on Bywood Avenue.
• We have also made upgrades at many of our parks and playgrounds: 4 new basketball hoops, the rusty chain link fence at Sellers Playground was removed and the barn on that property was repainted and the squirrels evicted from the cupola hotel there.  We completely renovated the new Stonehurst Hills Recreation Area.
• The Police and Fire Departments hold a joint summer camp which is a brand new program begun during this administration.

I do encourage you to either like the “Upper Darby Township Recreation” Facebook page or go to our website www.upperdarby.org for more information about Recreation and other township news. Also, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter at upperdarby.org/newsletters to receive our brief but informative e-newsletter.

Have a great evening!

Mayor Barbarann Keffer

Mayor's Message & 2024 Budget Address - October 4, 2023 Council Meeting

As this year winds down and the 2024 public-facing budget season begins, I’d like to highlight some of this year’s projects:

1. Working with council, we acquired new open space at Blanchard Road in Drexel Hill and also near the Bond Shopping Center in Upper Darby
2. We completed a streetscape and stormwater improvement project at the Five Points intersection at the base of the township building and have almost finished the streetscape and stormwater improvement project on Market Street between Powell and Glencoe, creating a sidewalk and installing ADA ramps where none had been before
3. The 150-foot-footspan recreational bridge across Darby Creek was installed this year, linking Creek Road near the Swedish Cabin to the recreational trail in Gillespie Park.  On tonight’s agenda is a resolution I am asking council to support for a county grant to help fund a second bridge on the trail to connect Gillespie Park with the Addingham neighborhood
4. Another recreational trail is nearing completion: from Chapman Park along the former Cardington-Newtown train tracks and along Ruskin Lane to Long Lane.  

These projects have been funded through various sources and partnerships: our CDBG program, the capital improvement budget, County Council, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Department of Community and Economic Development, our partners in the Pennsylvania state house, among others.

Another project that isn’t above-ground and visible but very, very important to the future of Upper Darby is the transition from the long-outdated AS400 system which requires multiple contractors to pull the necessary data to OpenGov, a cloud-based, 21st Century program.  In January, we transitioned our accounting systems to OpenGov. This transition, which will include other departments, is a huge step forward in modernizing our township administration and is exactly the kind of reform and reinvestment that I committed to as Mayor. Which brings us to the 2024 proposed Budget.

This proposed budget is the product of many, many hours of hard work by the Finance team and department heads. In addition to our constant internal review and a methodical process creating the budget proposal, the Administration met with members of council for nearly 9 hours over three evenings last week to clarify the proposed budget and answer questions. 

I was on Council for six years before becoming Mayor and I often voted against the budget, concerned that the administration was kicking the can on post-employment and pension costs, contractual obligations that we owed our deserving employees and that are growing and threaten our long-term finances.  In order to get a handle on the scope of our outlook, I switched the focus of the Department of Community & Economic Development’s (the DCED’s) STAMP program to a 5-Year Financial Management Plan.  Two weeks ago, we held a Town Hall on that plan presented by PFM and last year, we held a Town Hall on Key Financial Background and Concerns by the Kapoor Company.  Both reports are available on our website.  We are very grateful for our partnership with the DCED and PFM, both reputable organizations which have worked both with my administration and the previous one. 

To date, we have incorporated changes as to how we collect and generate revenue: we contracted with E-Collect to streamline our business privilege tax system, we have a vacant property registration, and we're working on updating our LERTA ordinance to encourage development. Other suggestions as you would see in the reports include an earned income tax and usage-based sewer fees.  Working with council, we instituted a realty transfer tax (we may have been the last municipality in the state to do so), We also work with council to make periodic adjustments to our fees to reflect increases that we incur and to cover administrative costs.  

In the short term, my administration will work with Council on a series of ordinances related to revenue and fees charged to cover costs related to utility and fuel prices and contractual salary and benefit obligations when providing certain services.

Specifically, the proposed 2024 budget incorporates revenue from fee increases for the following services:

• An updated Licenses & Inspections Fee Ordinance will bring these fees in line with neighboring municipalities and more accurately reflect the costs incurred by the Township when providing services for specific permits and inspections. 
• An increase of the Business License fee to $50 which is more consistent with surrounding municipalities and which would require Council action on a proposed ordinance. 
• Cost recovery for the rental of Upper Darby picnic groves, pavilions, and recreational facilities to ensure users are covering staffing expenses related to these rentals. This would also require Council action on the proposed ordinance. 
• After piloting an electric vehicle charging program in Municipal Parking Lot One, we will now send to Council an ordinance to begin charging a fee for usage of those charging stations. 

All of these measures are already factored into the 2024 Proposed Budget. Council action is required to implement these ordinances which will increase revenue to cover  township costs..

Once we receive the property tax assessment from the county - which is usually early November - we will be able to provide more specific updates and exact adjustments to the tax rates. At this time, based on the 2023 assessed value, we are estimating an increase of .72 mills, which represents $72 per year or $6 per month for each $100,000 of assessed value of a property. More than half of that amount, $46, will go to debt service (known as the sinking fund). The sinking fund repays bonds that the township has historically used to fund routine capital improvement expenditures.   

Also, trash and sewer fees will be adjusted to reflect rising costs for tipping fees from the county solid waste authority, from our handler and from the three sewer authorities. Like fees for inspections and permits, costs help cover the real costs of these necessary services. The 2024 proposed budget includes an increase of $15 per year for trash and recycling collection and an increase of $15 per year for the sewer fee. In 2021, we started a weekly yard waste collection program to help lower disposal costs.  

On Wednesday, October 18, Diane Scutti, our Acting Finance Director, will present the preliminary 2024 budget to Council and our taxpayers. I would like to thank Diane, Donna Stillwell of Brinker Simpson, Alison Dobbins, Acting CAO, the Department Heads and the entire Finance Department team for their hard work on the 2024 proposed budget. Please join us on October 18th. Thank you.

-Mayor Barbarann Keffer

Good Evening,  

At the last council meeting, I was unable to give the mayor’s message since for the third time in less than two years the council president has shut down council meetings before the publicized agenda items were addressed.  Some of those items will appear on the agenda for the next council meeting but others are more time sensitive, like the mayor’s message. 

1. Tomorrow, September 30, we will hold the Upper Darby International Festival from 1-6 pm at the 5 Points intersection in front of the township building. You won’t want to miss the music acts, food demonstrations, vendors, Artillery Brewing, and more from around the community. The YMCA and Upper Darby Libraries have created the best Kids Zone ever.  This event is free and open to all.   

2, Next week we will host a Kick-off for Fire Prevention Week, on October 5, from 5-7pm at the 2nd Ward Playground (at Crosley & Stockley); the playground will also be officially renamed at this event to the Stonehurst Hills Recreation Area.  We have done a complete renovation of the space and we hope to see you there! 

3. The fall Identity Theft Prevention Event will be held on Saturday, October 14, from 9am to noon at Upper Darby High School. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VIDEO GIVES THE INCORRECT DATE. The correct date is Saturday, October 14, 2023. 

4. I’d like to address a couple of themes which keep popping up during the public forum.  As I have said before, I respect every resident’s right of free speech but there is not enough time in any sort of meeting to address or acknowledge the various false statements that are made here in this room. In this message, I would like to clarify our commitment and support of our Police Department.  Since 2020, we have purchased: 

Body Worn Cameras and upgraded Tasers for all officers on duty. The department has recently received State Accreditation which includes an update of all policies and procedures.   

We have hired 35 officers and promoted 23 since 2020.  We now have the most diverse police department in Upper Darby’s history. 

The department has developed TAPS (Teens and Police Service Academy) which runs at Bonner-Prendie. the Municipal Library on Bywood Avenue and now at UDHS.   

A new Community Policing Center has been opened at Barclay Square and includes the hiring two civilian Community Liaisons and the former Community Affairs Office at the  Drexeline Shopping Center has also been reopened at Pilgrim Gardens. 

We also have (4) New Patrol Canines: (K9 Bane, K9 Juno, K9 Kilo, and K9 Bronx). One dog is assigned to each patrol platoon and a Community Service Dog has been assigned to  Community Affairs Officer Bateman. 

A long-needed Sally Port was added and enclosed to the rear of Police Headquarters.   

We have a full-time Victim Services Coordinator and we purchased an office trailer, which is now our Victim Services Unit. 

The old courtroom located inside of police headquarters was converted into a larger, state of the art Training facility for the police department.   

Office space in police headquarters was renovated and now houses the Domestic Abuse Project.   

There have been technological investments as well: the purchase of Grayshift software for detectives which allows them to analyze cellular devices. Previously, devices had to be sent out to other agencies. All interviews in Upper Darby are now conducted with audio/visual equipment. We also added all this equipment for recording interviews with detectives.  We have a new ALPR tag reading system Township-wide.   

I’d like to note that this is not a comprehensive list of all that has been accomplished and I’d like to thank Superintendent Bernhardt and his team for doing so much to  modernize and improve public safety for our community in less than four years. 

That’s all for now.  Hope to see you all at the International Festival tomorrow!

Good evening. 

I would like to start by thanking everyone for their support and well wishes this past month. I have truly appreciated it. Concerning the events of January 26th, I want to say again that I take full responsibility for getting into my car that evening, and I am grateful every day that no one was injured due to my actions. 

Like many people, I have struggled with addiction to alcohol and through this past month I have taken steps to address and treat it. I have had a drinking problem since I was 18. I hope that my experience might encourage others to seek the same help and remind them that they are not alone in their fight against addiction. Rehab has reinforced the importance of empathy and compassion for those in our community who are struggling, and reminded me that we should always treat each other with understanding and respect.  The last four weeks have been very helpful in ways I could not have previously imagined.  I feel more focused and determined than before and I am better prepared to continue the important work of leading this administration and serving our community.

I have said since running for Mayor of our community that this isn’t about me, it’s about we. I want to thank the strong administrative leadership team for their hard work over the last three years and especially this past month. As usual, they did and continue to do a great job of ensuring the smooth day to day operation of the Township. 

With the support of my administrative team, it remains my goal to reform, revitalize and reinvest in Upper Darby. With my new perspectives and experiences I am committed to seeing that goal through. While I have made the difficult decision not to run for re-election, I am looking forward to finishing this year strong. 

The ARPA Non-Profit Funding Application is open until March 24.  The next virtual seminar on the application process is Tuesday, March 7, at 6 pm.  Please register for the webinar through a link on the township website, www.upperdarby.org.

Thank you. 

Good evening. 

I wanted to note that today is Councilor Michelle Billups’ birthday. Happy Birthday, Michelle. 

This afternoon, we held the ribbon cutting ceremony for the all new Upper Darby One Center. The center opened on the ground floor of the municipal building facing Garrett Road and is a great new resource for our community. The new space is ADA accessible and will assist us with providing world class constituent services to all our residents. I would like to thank all our township staff who made this project possible. 

Also, tomorrow, January 19th, we will be hosting a public meeting in the One Center from 7-9pm for community input on the all-wheels, ADA accessible Skatepark planned for Observatory Hill. We want to hear ideas from any Upper Darby residents who would like to come join us for a friendly discussion with 5th Pocket Skateparks, and Upper Darby Township. 

Lastly, tonight, we will be voting on the acquisition of a property on Wycombe avenue. I encourage council to vote yes on this ordinance as it will be a much needed public works location. Joe Martin, our Director of Public Works, is here tonight to speak on why this acquisition is so important. 

*Joe Martin Speaks* 

That concludes my message. Thank you. 

Good evening and Happy New Year everyone. 

I’m excited to announce that the all new One Center will be opening this month, on January 18, on the ground floor of the municipal building. Just as Upper Darby is the “World In One Place,” the One Center will assist with all of our constituent services as a one-stop, ADA accessible space that shows Upper Darby is a world class provider of municipal services. I am so excited to be bringing this resource to our residents and thankful to our administrative team who have worked together to make this a reality. 

By way of a friendly reminder, next week, January 9-13th, Christmas trees will be collected along with the regular recycling.  Our public works staff chip the trees for mulch and they also  use the trees as part of an innovative streambank restoration project near the Swedish Cabin.  Recycling the trees also keeps them out of the normal trash stream which helps our local environment as well as keeps costs down. Please consider recycling your Christmas Tree next week along with your regular recycling. Do not place it in a bag and ensure all decorations are removed. 

Our public works staff have also been doing great work renovating the Watkins Senior Center the past couple of weeks. The work will brighten the center for our seniors. To date, we have replaced our old ceiling tiles, repainted the walls and rewaxed our flooring. Thank you to our staff for your hard work and our residents for your patience while we make these improvements. 

I hope everyone had a relaxing and joyful holiday season and I look forward to what we will accomplish in 2023. 

Thank you. 

Good evening. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays.  By way of a friendly reminder, the trash and recycling schedule is impacted by the New Year holiday. The township building will be closed this Monday, January 2nd to observe New Year's Day and there will be no trash or recycling collections on Monday. Please visit our website www.upperdarby.org/trash to get more information on the trash schedule next week. During the week of January 9, Christmas trees will be collected along with the regular recycling.  Our public works staff chip the trees for mulch and they also  use them as part of a streambank restoration project near the Swedish Cabin along Darby Creek.  Recycling the trees also keeps them out of the incinerator.  Please consider recycling your christmas tree the week of January 9-13 along with your regular recycling.

Tonight is a special meeting where the 2023 budget and the 2023 tax ordinance is on the agenda. I want to thank Council for releasing the revenue replacement funds as part of budget resolution 54-22. These funds will allow us to minimally raise taxes, maintain the municipal services our residents and business owners are used to and deserve, meet our contractual obligations, and face the burdens of inflation. We have not raised taxes these last  two years. I understand that residents might prefer taxes not be raised at all. Please know that my administration  works hard to keep our costs down while providing world class services to residents and businesses in the township. I hope that council will go ahead and approve Resolution 54-22, which is a compromise budget that keeps the tax increase low (at 2.7%), uses American Rescue Plan money for its intended purpose of revenue replacement, and incorporates cuts that my administration and council negotiated.  The tax ordinance, ordinance number 3132, should reflect the budget that is passed tonight.  

Finally, I would like to wish everyone an early Happy New Year, and I look forward to 2023. 

Thank you. 

Good evening everyone and Happy Winter Solstice, 

The trash and recycling schedule will be altered for the next two weeks to accommodate our winter holidays. There will be no trash or recycling collected next week on Monday, December 26th as we observe Christmas Day. Also, there will be no trash or recycling collected on Monday, January 2nd in observance of the New Year. Please visit www.upperdarby.org/trash to see how your pick up will be affected by the holiday schedule. The website has an excellent translation option for our neighbors to get township information in their preferred language. You can also sign up for delco alerts to receive updates on changes to the trash schedule by visiting www.delcopa.gov 

On the agenda tonight is a resolution to reappoint three members of the Zoning Hearing Board: Erin McPhearson, Marguerite (Peggy) Wilson and Bob Gwin. All three have been serving on the Zoning Hearing Board and during their time there they have excelled in their roles serving our Upper Darby community. I am asking for a motion to reappoint Erin, Peggy and Bob to the Zoning Hearing Board. 

Also on the agenda tonight is my final proposed budget.  The proposal has gone through two public hearings in November after multiple meetings between Finance Department staff, department heads and members of the council Finance Committee.  After the public hearings on the budget closed and just prior to the December 7 council meeting, the council finance committee demanded $1.7 million in budget cuts.  In an effort to work with the finance committee, Deputy CAO Dobbins, Donna Stillwell, and Controller Diane Scuitti met with councilors Hayman and Andrusko the following Sunday evening and agreed to $1.1 million in cuts.  My proposed budget incorporates them.

This budget proposes a .35 millage increase and the use of $2.5 million in ARPA revenue replacement funds. As Acting Finance Director Donna Stillwell has stated on record, in 2020 alone the township suffered over an $8 million revenue shortfall. I would also like to add that on the agenda tonight is a public hearing on the $2.5 million revenue replacement funds and that this is the sixth time that some form of a revenue replacement ordinance has been on council meeting agendas this year.

As members of council have voiced concerns over the township’s lack of a robust fund balance and possible lack of funds for police backpay when the contract comes out of arbitration, I believe my proposal addresses these concerns, uses a small amount of eligible ARPA revenue replacement funds and has the lowest tax increase to our residents while preserving critical municipal public safety and public health services.

We haven’t raised taxes the last two years. The tax increase with my proposed budget is estimated to be 2.7%. Again, this is the first tax increase over the last 3 budget cycles which would average out to less than 1% a year. Before I ask for a motion for my budget resolution, I would like to ask Jack Reagan of UHY to come to the podium and explain the purpose of ARPA revenue replacement funds for the record.  Donna Stillwell, our Acting Finance Director, is also here to address any questions that council may have.

That concludes my message, thank you. 

Good evening. 

I have some exciting news to share tonight. Upper Darby has officially been approved for a grant through the Federal ARPA funds and the PCCD process  towards police record management systems, unmanned aerial system programs, additional police upgrades, and more in the amount of $2.2 million. This is a great opportunity for improvements that can enhance our police force. I’m very thankful to Senator Kearney for helping us secure this grant. 

Also, on the grant front, we received news that the county has awarded us $100,000 towards the construction of the Cardington-Newtown Trail and $250,000 towards the rehabilitation of Observatory Hill Playground on West Chester Pike.

There are also many events going on this week I would like to provide details for:

The Upper Darby Township & Sellers Memorial Free Public Library is hosting an after hours concert this Friday December 16! The trio of string musicians are all Temple University Graduate Students in Music Performance, and will play a selection of classical favorites. The concert is free and open to all. Please note that the library will be closed to regular service, and doors will open at 5:45 pm for seating in the adult area of the library. Concert begins promptly at 6:00 pm. Please contact Jennifer Stock, Director of Libraries, at 610-789-4440 for more information or questions.

The deadline for the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation's Toy Drive for local children is also this Friday, December 16th. There is a drop box for any new toys (still in packaging) inside the township building. Residents can drop donations off during our business hours 9-4:30pm tomorrow and Friday.

There will be multiple Santa runs occurring this weekend by our various Upper Darby fire companies. The Garrettford- Drexel Hill Fire Company will be escorting Santa with candy canes through some sections of Drexel Hill on Saturday, December 17th. In addition Co. 74 will be running a Santa detail in the Penn Pines Neighborhood on December 17th and the Westbrook Park Neighborhood on December 18th. 

As an additional reminder, the township building will close early tomorrow, December 15th at 3:30pm. 

As part of my message I’d like to invite our acting finance director, Donna Stilwell, to address a series of questions that were sent in an email late last night sent by Councilor Wentz representing the finance committee. For the past week my administration has worked hard to address requests made by the finance committee to make over $1 million in cuts to the 2023 budget - requests which were made less than 24 hours before the prior meeting. It seems now that the goal post has been moved again with more demands, so I would like to give Donna an opportunity to address those questions for Council before the public. Additionally, I asked the township labor attorney, John McLaughlin, to meet with council tonight prior to this meeting to answer questions councilors may have about arbitration related to the police contract.

*PAUSE FOR DONNA*

That concludes my message. Thank you. 

Good evening. 

Right before this meeting, we held our second annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in the municipal lot #1 across the street. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped us usher in the holiday spirit. As we close out on the end of the year there are some other holiday events which are occurring this week that I would like to share:

Upper Darby Township is participating in the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation's Toy Drive. One of the drop boxes for toys will be open in the municipal building during business hours 9-4:30 on Mondays-Fridays. Any new toys (still in their packaging) are greatly appreciated for the children in our local community! Toys will be accepted through December 16th. For more information please call 610-321-3535.

This coming Sunday December 11th from 1-3pm, the Friends of the Swedish Cabin are hosting their "Trim-a-Tree Christmas Party" at the Swedish Cabin! Participants can come and enjoy decorating the cabin’s Christmas tree. Admission is free for the day and there will be refreshments as well.  Also on Sunday, the Marine Corps League at 1026 Providence Road in Secane will host their annual Christmas Toy and Food Collection from noon until 4 pm.  Cost of admission is a $10 or better toy, or cash equivalent. Actual food will not be collected, as the detachment prefers to give gift cards to local Super markets to the local families being assisted. Food and refreshments are provided, the museum will be open, and Santa will make his annual appearance between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

I’d like to talk about the budget resolution and the tax ordinance on tonight’s agenda.  We’ve had a budget presentation and two budget hearings in this room over the last six weeks. My administration and leadership team has worked diligently to put this budget together responsibly and openly.  

Members of my administration have been meeting with various members of council since the end of September.  To maintain public safety and municipal services, reflect union contracts and address inflation, my final budget proposal is a 2.7% tax increase and an allocation of $2.5 million from the American Rescue Plan revenue replacement funds. Currently, we have $11.7 million dollars of revenue replacement money sitting in a bank account.  The revenue replacement calculation is from a federal formula.  Revenue replacement is a valid expenditure of the funds.  UHY, the firm we hired to insure our compliance in using ARPA funds has verified our revenue replacement number. Again, we have $11.7 million dollars budgeted for revenue replacement. I am asking council for $2.5 million of these funds to offset expenses.  Repeatedly over this year, five times, the slim majority of council have refused to release the funds.  The ARPA money belongs to the community and should be used to benefit the community.  

Over the last two fiscal years we have not increased taxes for residents. To maintain our high quality of public safety and municipal services however, the federal government has provided this money to our community and has deemed through their calculations that Upper Darby lost roughly $11 million in revenue. I urge Council to approve the revenue replacement ordinance which calls for the release of $2.5 million dollars.  I’m advocating for a 2.7% tax increase so that we can begin to work on our long term structural deficits while not unnecessarily burdening our residents with the cost as we seamlessly continue to provide world class municipal services to our community. 

Just to be clear:

1. We have had 3 public meetings on the 2023 budget: the budget presentation in October and 2 public hearings in November and there was no public expression of concern by anyone on the Finance Committee about the proposed budget.

2. Acting Finance Director Donna Stilwell has been very consistent about the budgetary realities of our township: payroll and benefits, municipal services and inflation.

3. I spoke with Council President Burke two Sundays ago about using revenue replacement funds to cover critical municipal services and when there was no further discussion and no mention of an ARPA revenue replacement ordinance on the preliminary agenda, I created one which will be introduced tonight  

4. A slim majority of council has voted down revenue replacement fund ordinances five times this year 

5. As a show of good faith, I’d like council to amend the revenue replacement ordinance to reflect the $2.5 million needed to create the budget that I support.  A budget that maintains our public safety and municipal services.

6. Last night I attended a meeting with the Finance Committee, Acting Finance Director Donna Stilwell and Controller Diane Scutti where critical changes to the proposed budget were discussed and I’d like to bring up Donna Stilwell now to talk about these issues publicly 

Good evening, 

Tonight, we are continuing our discussion of Upper Darby’s 2022 budget, and I would like to thank our department heads for their time and input as well as the public’s comments. We have put a great deal of time and careful planning into this budget, and it underscores my administration’s commitment to reinvestment, revitalization, and reform in Upper Darby.  

We will be hosting a tree lighting ceremony again this year on Wednesday, December 7th at 6pm at the five points intersection near 100 Garrett Road. I hope to see all our residents come out and join us as we light our tree, enjoy local entertainment and welcome in the holiday spirit. Light refreshments will be served.

I would like to wish all who celebrate an early Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the hard work of our Upper Darby employees, particularly our Public Works staff who ensured that five days of trash pickups were completed in three days this past week and worked diligently to inform the community of the changes caused by the short week. I encourage residents to sign up for Delco Alerts at www.delcopa.gov/delcalert or follow us on Facebook to stay informed about holiday trash and recycling schedules. We have a holiday coming up next week as well. On Thanksgiving, November 24th, there is no trash or recycling will be collected. You can view the holiday trash schedule by visiting www.upperdarby.org/trash. The municipal building will be closed on Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th.

In addition, I would like to announce that there will be free parking next Saturday, November 26th, for Small Business Saturday. We hope everyone takes advantage and shops at the many small businesses in Upper Darby. 

I have some exciting news to share. Upper Darby has been awarded $2 million in RACP funds towards the Community Center. We are so grateful to our state representative, Gina Curry, and Senator Tim Kearney for their help in securing this grant for our community. 

Now I would like to allow Steve Nitz, the chair of Upper Darby’s Historic Commission, to give a presentation to Council concerning the Preservation Ordinance and Survey. 

*PAUSE FOR STEVE* 

That concludes my message. Thank you.

Good evening. 

I would like to apologize for being late tonight. I was on my back from Lancaster where I attended the 2022 Litter Summit. This event was sponsored and held in partnership with the PA department of environmental protection and the department of transportation, and it helps to bring together communities from across Pennsylvania who recognize that issues like litter are a national issue. I recognize that there are many in Upper Darby who care very deeply about keeping our community clean and litter free, so I was happy to attend this summit and learn more about what others in the state are doing to mitigate litter. 

Related to our waste, next week there are two township holidays and our trash and recycling schedules have been altered to accommodate them. There will be no recycling or yard waste collection next week, so please remember to put out your recycling and yard waste this week in preparation. For specific information on your altered trash schedule, please visit our website www.upperdarby.org/trash

We are actively working with our ARPA Administrator from UHY to create a fair and inclusive process for applying to nonprofit and small business grants funded through ARPA to ensure all community needs are met. We will continue to keep the community updated. 

As I said, the municipal building will be closed for two holiday’s next week. The first will be Tuesday, November 8th for the Pennsylvania General Election. I’d like to take the time now to encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote. We will also be closed on Friday, November 11th in honor of Veteran’s Day. Thank you to all our veterans for your service. 

That concludes my message. Thank you. 

Good evening. 

This Saturday, October 22nd, Upper Darby is holding another Shred event from 9am till noon at Upper Darby High School (601 N. Lansdowne Ave, Drexel Hill 19026). Two boxes are allowed per vehicle and non-confidential documents, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, flyers, and junk mail will NOT be accepted. There will be on site data destruction of laptops, tablets, hard drives, and cell phones, but NO TELEVISIONS. Delaware County's Drug Take Back Van will also be on site. For more information visit our website www.upperdarby.org

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I encourage everyone to check and see when their last mammogram was and to make an appointment if it’s been over a year.   Yearly mammograms remind us to take care of ourselves on a regular basis.

October is also Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. Locally, the Domestic Abuse Project works to support survivors of domestic abuse and to prevent domestic abuse.  Our township supports the Domestic Abuse Project on a regular basis through our Community Development Block Program. Next Thursday, the Domestic Abuse Project will have a grand opening of their Upper Darby office and we welcome them and their mission and the opportunity to more directly serve the residents of our township and of Eastern Delaware County.

Last night, there was a residential fire where a civilian and a firefighter were injured. Our thoughts are with the resident and firefighter as they recover. I’d like to take the time to remind everyone to practice fire safety around portable oxygen units and electric space heaters in addition to preparing and practicing a fire escape plan.  This year’s Fire Prevention Week was “Fire Won’t Wait, Plan Your Escape”.  Please test your smoke alarms on a monthly basis and call the UD Fire Department at 610-734-7673 for installation of a free smoke detector if you are in need of one. 

Tonight, our representative from Brinker Simpson, Donna Stilwell will present to Council and the public our 2023 preliminary budget. I would like to pause now and allow Donna to give her presentation. 

*PAUSE FOR DONNA*

That concludes our presentation and my message. 

Thank you. 

Good evening. 

There are many upcoming events in the community this week. Tomorrow, Thursday, October 13th from 6:30-7:30pm, I will be partnering with Senator Tim Kearney to host his Tenant/Landlord Forum. Tenants and landlords are encouraged to attend the forum to learn important information regarding these issues and better understand what rights they have.

This Friday, the Upper Darby Fire Department will be hosting a BBQ for all residents at the 69th Street Recreation Area in celebration of National Fire Prevention Week which is October 9-15. This year’s theme is “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape” and I’d like to thank our firefighters for a great week of educational events that they have planned to teach our residents the importance of fire safety and of being prepared. 

On Saturday, October 15th from 10am-12pm, Friends of Sellers Hall will be holding a fall open house! Come learn more about the history of Sellers Hall, which is located at Walnut and Hampden, the work being completed to help preserve it, and a brief tour of the Underground Railroad Walking Tour with the Friends of Sellers Hall. Also this Saturday  the Upper Darby Tree Tenders, through TreeVitalize program, will be planting 120+ trees in Gillespie Park from 9am to noon. The event is open to anyone who would like to stop by and help us create a native healthy diverse riparian buffer along Darby Creek. 

Next Saturday, October 22nd, the township is holding another Shred Event from 9am till noon at Upper Darby High School. Two boxes are allowed per vehicle and non-confidential documents, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, flyers, and junk mail will NOT be accepted.

October is also National Winterization Month.  The county’s weatherization program is run through the Community Action Agency which opened an office in Upper Darby last month.  The location is at 7408 West Chester Pike at Murphy’s Giving Market and the office is currently open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

As we approach the end of 2022 and my third year in office, I am excited to celebrate what we’ve accomplished so far and to look ahead to 2023. This year saw the introduction of our Trash Fee Rebate program for seniors and residents who qualify for the PA-100 rebate. Weekly Yard Waste collections, April through November, are in their second year and show greater participation from our residents and help us lower our trash tonnage. We also created a partnership with the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation to cover the cost of Summer Stage programs for any Upper Darby resident between the ages of 10 and 18.  The first solar panels have been installed on the township building as well as new, functional solar panels on the Watkins Senior Center. By doing this, we will cut future energy costs as we work towards a greener, more sustainable Upper Darby. 

2022 also saw the allocation of some of our American Rescue Plan Act funds, also known as ARPA funds. To date, we’ve allocated:

• $3 million to the Community Center, to be located at 7000 Walnut Street, on property that the township already owns, 

• $2.5 million to the Fire Department for equipment and apparatus, 

• $2 million to the Police Department for vehicles and equipment upgrades, 

• $150,000 for gun violence prevention initiatives, and 

• $5 million for flood mitigation and sewer upgrades. 

• $6 million for revenue replacements

Our annual budget is an opportunity to showcase the priorities that will set us on a path to becoming the very best version of Upper Darby that we can become together. Those priorities remain: reinvestment, revitalization and reform. These three objectives are intertwined as we build the future of our community. As we have since day one of my administration, we aggressively pursue grant opportunities. This year, we received many grants including the following:

• From DCNR, $250,000 in Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant for Observatory Hill Playground Developments 

• $1 million in Federal Community Project funding for development of the Upper Darby Community Center

• The Phase II of the DCED STAMP grant to construct a 5-Year Finance Plan 

• $25,000 PA Department of Education Keystone Libraries Grant for the Upper Darby Township & Sellers Memorial Free Public Library Master Plan.

The 2023 budget will continue to tackle the structural deficits my administration inherited. As Vijay Kapoor and our Auditor, Mallie, have presented to Council multiple times, we have long term unfunded pension and post-retirement benefit liabilities as well as a low general fund balance that all need to be addressed.  The Kapoor report can be found on the township website under “Departments”, then “Finance” and then “Special Reports”. The ARPA Funds can help us mitigate this issue. I have proposed to Council an ordinance that would allocate $11.7 million as revenue replacement; meaning, the allotment would go straight to the general fund to be spent in the normal budget process. This would help begin to alleviate the existing structural deficit and put Upper Darby on the right track going forward.  

Demolition on the site of the first ever Upper Darby Community Center was completed this year and with grant funding and allocations from the ARPA funds, headway will be made in 2023 on construction of the community center. Not only will this be Upper Darby’s first community center, it will also be our first LEED certified building. The community center will serve as an amazing gathering place for the community and positively impact the adjoining commercial and residential neighborhood and it is the foundation for creating a robust, dynamic Recreation Department. 

The budget also reflects the 2023 realities of utility and fuel prices, contractual salary and benefit costs and inflation. In addition, it includes the success we have seen in increased revenues stemming from improved collection rates from the existing business privilege and mercantile taxes and the newly implemented realty transfer tax. The proposed 2023 budget is the result of our township department directors working with our Acting Finance Director, led by Donna Stilwell and her team from the firm Brinker Simpson. 

 We are still at the preliminary stage of the budget season. As we work with Council on allocations of the ARPA funds for revenue replacement, and as we look for the property tax assessment from the county - typically delivered in November - we will be able to provide updates and make adjustments to the tax rates as needed.

In 2023, the trash and sewer fees will be adjusted in accordance with rising costs from the solid waste and sewer authorities in order to help cover the real costs of sanitation and sewage disposal. This will continue to improve inherited structural budget deficits. We have also taken into account feedback on our residents regarding twice weekly trash pick up during the summer and are in discussions concerning extending the dates for this service in order to provide streamlined trash disposal for the community. 

As part of our continued efforts to revitalize Upper Darby, we have also created the new Upper Darby One Center. This is a dramatic modernization and improvement to constituent services. Housed on the ground level of the Municipal building, in the former space of the municipal library, this ADA accessible center will make accessing municipal services far easier for our residents. The opening of this center will come this fall.  

2022 saw the launch of our new website, which is a complete overhaul of the previous system, and includes easy to use features, the 311 request system, all our township press releases, a community events calendar, online forms and payment options and much more. The launch date for the transition of the AS400 to our new OpenGov system is set for January of 2023 as well which is a massive technological advancement for Upper Darby. We are steadily evolving our digital capabilities and making great strides towards increasing accessibility of our services. And our efforts are being recognized. This year, Upper Darby has been featured in multiple well known publications, including a feature piece in the August print edition of the Philadelphia Magazine as well as being named #1 Philly suburb to move to, and many other locally published articles highlighting our projects during 2022. 

The operating budget reflects our commitment to reinvest in our workforce with paid professional development, promotion-opportunities and a retooled Human Resources Division; we hired seven new police officers this year, and we have also brought to the team a director of our Licenses and Inspections Department who brings years of expertise to Upper Darby. In addition to engaging with Brinker Simpson as our acting Finance Director we have hired a Controller in our Finance department who is an amazing asset during our transition from the AS400. 

We are also excited by the opportunity provided through the American Rescue Plan Act to offer our hard working employees with COVID premium pay and vaccine bonuses for their continued effort working throughout the pandemic to provide world class municipal services to our residents. We also have our proposed grant program to support small local businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID through use of ARPA funds. These allocations are up for public hearing at tonight’s meeting and we look forward to seeing it approved so that we may reward all hard working individuals in our community the funding they deserve for their efforts. 

Donna Stilwell - our representative from Brinker Simpson - will present the preliminary 2023 budget to Council and our taxpayers at the next Council Meeting, a week from today, October 19. We look forward to the presentation and the ensuing discussion.  

That ends my message for tonight. Thank you.  

Good evening. 

This Saturday is the 5th annual Upper Darby International Festival from 12-6pm. It’s free and fun for all ages. We have a great performer lineup, featuring Minas, a Grammy nominated band, playing songs from their hit record Beatles in Bossa which sold-out when it premiered at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, and Snacktime, a brass-heavy Philadelphia band formed over the pandemic and now, it has a new live album, and gigs galore across the city and at our festival! We’ll have a beer garden which is new this year and the traditional parade of flags. The YMCA Kids Zone will also be returning. We’ve recently been featured in Visit Philly’s list of “things to do” in the greater Philly area this weekend, and it’s going to be a great event. I can’t wait to see everyone there. 

The Upper Darby Police Department is now holding their Teen and Police Service Academy at the Municipal Library from 4-7pm on the second Wednesday of every month starting in October. Each session will cover a new topic and give teens from grades 7-12 the opportunity to have open, honest, and real conversations with Upper Darby’s police officers. For more information, visit our Facebook page, Upper Darby Township - Government. 

I would now like to invite our representative from Brinker Simpson, Donna Stilwell, Acting Finance Director, to give an update to Council. 

*PAUSE FOR DONNA* 

Finally, there are three ARPA ordinances on the agenda for discussion today which include funding for Parks and Public Spaces, Revenue Replacement, and COVID Relief and Negative Economic impacts which allocates funding in the form of grants for nonprofits and small business as well as our COVID premium pay for township staff. As I stated in my letter to Council, now that multiple reports have shown that none of this ARPA money is missing, the time is now to put our debates behind us and focus on the future of our community. Our dedicated Township employees are rightfully restless watching other priorities go before their well earned COVID pay. Our residents with small businesses or nonprofits are awaiting grant funding from these ARPA allocations. These funds must be allocated and contracted out by December 31, 2024 and must be spent in full by December 31, 2026. I would like to ask that a member of Council make a motion to introduce and advertise Ordinances 3121, 3123, and 3124 tonight.

Thank you.  

Good evening. 

We received word today that the DCNR has awarded the township a grant of just over $174,000 towards the engineering of a trail from Marshall Road to Garrett Road through the Beverly Hills Recreation area.  I would like to thank the PEC, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, for all their work on this application and the work they continue to do with my administration to make this recreation trail, which runs from Chapman Park almost to Township Line Road, a reality.  

Upper Darby Tree Tenders are doing an amazing job maintaining the newly planted trees in Gillespie Park. This Sunday, September 11th, from 9am-1pm the Tree Tenders are holding a volunteer event to help clear invasive species from the next section of Gillespie Park to make room for more trees. You can visit our Facebook page, Upper Darby Township - Government for the link to sign up.  Even an hour of your time makes a big difference! 

One of our residents has spearheaded a fundraiser to construct an observatory on the new Community Center and, also, to build astronomy programming for Upper Darby residents of all ages. Under the umbrella of 12th House Productions, this “Reach for the Stars” fundraiser will be held at the Drexel Hill United Methodist Church, on Burmont Road, this September 17th from 2-9pm.

We received word today that the DCNR has awarded the township a grant of just over $174,000 towards the engineering of a trail from Marshall Road area through the Beverly Hills Recreation area.  I would like to thank the PEC, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, for all their work on this application and the work they continue to do with my administration to make this trail which runs from Chapman Park almost to Township Line Road.  

Included on tonight’s agenda are a hearing for three ARPA ordinances and a vote for final passage. These include:

• Ordinance 3119 - $3 million for the Upper Darby Community Center 

• Ordinance 3122 - $2.5 million for the Upper Darby Fire Department

• Ordinance 3120 - $2 million for the Upper Darby Police Department, $150,000 for Gun Violence Prevention, and $5 million for Flood Mitigation and Sewer Upgrades

I urge Council to pass these ordinances for our community tonight. 

The following ARPA ordinances were tabled on August 16 and have not yet been introduced and advertised: 

• Ordinance 3121 - $4.5 million for Parks and Public Spaces which will help fund the upkeep and acquisition of green spaces in Upper Darby and bring about more park improvements such as those being completed at 2nd Ward Playground and Observatory Hill

•  Ordinance 3123 - $5.7 million for COVID Relief & Negative Economic Impacts which contains grants for small businesses and nonprofits, as well as COVID premium pay for our hardworking employees who kept our township running throughout the pandemic. 

• Ordinance 3124 -  $11.7 million for Revenue Replacement for 2020 and 2021 which will help bolster the township’s fund balances and improve our credit rating. 

These funds belong to the community.  I would ask Council for a motion to untable Ordinances 3121, 3123, and 3124 and then a motion to introduce and advertise them.

Thank you. 

Good evening, 

Thank you to everyone who attended Monday night’s town hall in person and virtually. This was our third ARPA town hall that we’ve held since January of this year. It has now been 8 months since our first ARPA town hall meeting and I can happily say that we have answered all questions received from both our residents and Council concerning the usage of these funds. In February, we hired an ARPA Administrator from UHY Meridian, Jack Reagan, to ensure our compliance with the federal “final rule” and we’ve committed to continuous updates on the status of the funds. Jack has been to four public meetings now to answer questions from the public and from council and to discuss the timeline for the allocation and spending of the ARPA funds. I’m glad that the ARPA ordinances are on tonight’s agenda. Our residents are eager to see real progress concerning the release of the funds so the administration can begin the bid process for projects and procurement. 

Since Monday’s Town Hall, my administration has updated the ARPA PowerPoint. This updated PowerPoint has been posted to our township website, under “Finance Department”, “Special Reports”. I would like to share with everyone the updates:  In response to council’s request for more details, here are the changes: 

This is a more complete breakdown of the Police & Fire investments.

The Community Center budget slide includes a breakdown by construction category.  With this once in a lifetime opportunity that the ARPA funds present to us, we could construct this much needed resource for our community with little to no cost in local taxpayer dollars. By utilizing the ARPA dollars as matching funds for other state and federal grants, we can spend $4 million in local funding and receive $11 million in total. There is a lot of opportunity with federal and state matching grants, but in order to meet application deadlines, we must have the ARPA funding allocated and available. 

Regarding COVID-19 relief we parsed out Premium Pay and Employee Vaccine Incentives for our employees who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep things running smoothly on a day to day basis..

Throughout this week, we’ve also made an effort to work with council and have their input reflected in the ordinances.  In Ordinance 3119 which deals with the Community Center funding, these two Whereas clauses were added (read from the ordinance).  Would someone from council like to make a motion to include these two Whereas clauses in all of the ARPA ordinances?

It’s great to see the ARPA ordinances back on the agenda, I hope Council does what is right for their constituents and votes to introduce and advertise the release of the funds. 

Good evening, 

Last month, we hosted a town hall meeting concerning the ARPA funding which remains unallocated by Council. The atmosphere fostered by our amazing community speakers and our panel of administration leadership, as well as all our resident attendees was one of positivity and inspiration. It was incredible to see such a display of what makes our Upper Darby community the amazing place that it is. And how much it deserves this ARPA money. Council received on July 14th six narrowly tailored ordinances for each of the allocations of the funds. 

These include:

• Flood Mitigation & Sewer Upgrades: $5,000,000.00

• Police & Fire: $5,500,000.00

• Upper Darby Community Center: $3,000,000.00

• COVID Relief & Negative Economic Impacts: $5,786,245.00

• Parks & Public Spaces: $4,500,000.00

• Additional Lost Revenue 2020: $1,776,294.00

• Lost Revenue 2021: $9,999,400.00

• Total: $35,561,939

As Jack Reagan from UHY discussed, we are on a tight timeline. The federal government considers the funds allocated not just when the funds are released through the ordinances but when we have contracted out with vendors to spend these funds. We need time for bids and contracts to be finalized. These funds need to be contracted by December 2024 and need to be spent in full by December 2026. Jack Reagan serves as our ARPA Administrator and Compliance Agent and clearly articulated the timeline.  We are working against the clock. I’m asking for a motion for these 6 ordinances to be placed on the August 17 council meeting agenda.

Daniel Knowles has been selected for the position of Director of Licenses and Inspection. I will now read a bio from Dan. 

BIO:

Dan grew up in Drexel Hill and graduated from Upper Darby High School in the honors program.

He will bring his over 40 years of experience in construction to our License and Inspection

Department.

Dan ran his construction business successfully for over 35 years and will use this business

approach to streamline our L&I Department.

Dan is still a member of the Holy Comforter church located on Burmont and Bond Avenues,

Drexel Hill, and serves as an accounting warden and a lay reader minister.

He has also worked for the City of Chester, Sharon Hill, Newtown Square and Commonwealth

Code Enforcement and does plan reviews for Glenolden, Folcroft, Aldan, Ridley Park and

Colwyn.

In addition, he is the president of the Planning Commission for Ridley Park and helped develop

their Comprehensive Plan.

He is a certified Building Code Official, Commercial building inspector, solar inspector, health

inspector, commercial electrical inspector and an electrical plans examiner, and is currently

working on a certification for building plans examiner. Dan will be a welcome addition to my administrative team.  I am asking for a motion from council to okay the appointment of Dan Knowles to Director of Licenses and Inspections.

Thank you. 

Good Evening Everyone,

I’d like to begin with a reminder that National Night Out is coming up on Tuesday August 2nd. This is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. The event will take place at the 69th Street Recreation Area from 6-8pm with free food, activities, and giveaways! Come check out the helicopter landing at 6 along with Upper Darby's K-9 unit, and our bike and car seat safety demonstrations between 7-8. 

Yesterday, we hosted a town hall meeting concerning the ARPA funding which remains unallocated by Council. The atmosphere fostered by our amazing community speakers and our panel of administration leadership, as well as all our resident attendees was one of positivity and inspiration. It was incredible to see such a display of what makes our Upper Darby community the amazing place that it is. And how much it deserves this ARPA money. Council received on Thursday 6 narrowly tailored ordinances for each of the allocations of the funds. 

These include:

Flood Mitigation & Sewer Upgrades: $5,000,000.00

Police & Fire: $5,500,000.00

Upper Darby Community Center: $3,000,000.00

COVID Relief & Negative Economic Impacts: $5,786,245.00

Parks & Public Spaces: $4,500,000.00

Additional Lost Revenue 2020: $1,776,294.00

Lost Revenue 2021: $9,999,400.00

Total: $35,561,939

As Jack Reagan from UHY discussed last night, we are on a tight timeline. The federal government considers the funds allocated not just when the funds are released through the ordinances but when we have contracted out with vendors to spend these funds. We need time for bids and contracts to be finalized. These funds need to be contracted by December 2024 and need to be spent in full by December 2026. Jack Reagan serves as our ARPA Administrator and Compliance Agent and clearly articulated the timeline.  We are working against the clock. I urge Council to immediately put these on the agenda for introduction and advertisement.

July is Parks and Recreation Month. Throughout my administration, we’ve really seen our Parks Division staff come together to pull off some incredibly successful projects. I want to take a moment to thank them and recognize them for all the work that they’ve done. Some of the projects include sprucing up the Sellers Library and Park grounds, working with the Tree Tenders to build the Clyde and Gisela Hunt Tree Nursery in Naylors Run Park, planting and watering over 300 trees and shrubs in Gillespie Park and most recently, clearing the township’s property at the Nickel Plate House along the Darby Creek Trail. All in all, we appreciate all the hard work our various crews do in all sorts of weather conditions.

Thank you. 

Good Evening. 

July is Parks and Recreation month and we have two great upcoming recreation programs. The Upper Darby Youth Police & Fire Academy, which is held from July 11-15th, from 9 am to 12 noon each day, still has open registration. Kids will be instructed by members of the Upper Darby Police and Fire Departments, and Medics.  They will meet the K-9 team, and learn about fire fighting and fire prevention. There is also a Bike with a Cop event on bicycle safety for children being held in Naylors Run Park on July 19th. You can find more information on both events by visiting www.upperdarby.org or checking our Facebook page, Upper Darby Township - Government, or call 610.789.3656.

I’d also like to extend my thanks to the Police, Fire, Public Works, and L&I departments who helped set up (and clean up) an amazing night of fireworks for our community. They’re a great team and we couldn’t have done it without their hard work. 

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Good evening. 

Tomorrow, June 16th the Watkins Senior Center is hosting a table tennis tournament as part of the Delaware County Senior Games. The mission of the games is to engage residents over the age of fifty in two weeks of fun events that promote a healthy, social and active lifestyle.  Our Senior Center staff does an overall great job.

My Recreation Committee with the support of local historians have organized a tour of the Underground Railroad Walking Trail here in Upper Darby in honor of Juneteenth. On Saturday, June 18th from 9am-11am you can join your neighbors for a walk to three Underground Railroad sites and hear from local experts at each site on its importance to the anti-slavery movement in Upper Darby.  This event is free and children are welcome! You can learn more about the event by visiting our website, upperdarby.org 

Upper Darby Township will be hosting a free fireworks display for Independence day on Friday, July 1st at 9:30pm. The event will take place at the Upper Darby High School baseball field. Please come out and enjoy the fireworks!

Community Action Agency of Delaware County has very recently announced a new program called “Beat The Heat” which is part of their Weatherization Works program.  If you are a Delaware County resident, homeowner or renter, and qualify for LIHEAP assistance, you are eligible for a free air conditioning unit.  Please contact Community Action at 610.521.8770 for more information or go to the Community Action website, caadc.org.  

Also, Community Action is partnering with Murphy’s Giving Market to open an Upper Darby office.  Details are being finalized and we will have a ribbon-cutting when the office opens.  Murphy’s Giving Market is a local non-profit which focuses on food insecurity issues and is located at 7408 West Chester Pike.

Work has begun on the renovations to the 2nd Ward Playground.  Renovations include a walking path, new playground equipment, a pavilion, new lighting and cameras.  The basketball courts are still open and the site work is expected to be completed in the next six weeks.

At this point, we had planned on taking a moment for Donna Stilwell, our representative from Brinker Simpson, to provide updates to Council and the public from the Finance Department. Due to the last minute rearrangement of the meeting by Council, this was not able to be presented. A copy of the presentation has been added to the website in the meantime. You can find this by visiting www.upperdarby.org/departments/Finance/SpecialReports

I know that there has been some confusion as to a vote taken by Council at the June 1st Meeting.  A vote which was not on the agenda and which is a violation of the Sunshine Act, a vote which appears to violate the township’s Home Rule Charter.  The Mayor, in conjunction with a majority of Council members in office, can dismiss the CAO (or any Department head).  CAO Rongione has been and continues to be the township CAO.  He has done a fantastic job for the last two and a half years, steering us through the transition and through a global pandemic. He is a dedicated and invaluable team member in my administration. I asked him not to be in person at this meeting, so we can keep the focus on doing good work for the Upper Darby community.  

This concludes my message. Thank you. 

Mayor’s Message 

June 1, 2022

Good Evening. 

I have a few reminders I’d like to share with our community. 

I’d like to thank our three local veteran organizations, the Archer Epler VFW/American Legion Post 979, American Legion Post 214 and the Marine Corps League who all held events on Memorial Day to honor those who gave their lives defending our country.  And thank you to everyone who was able to attend the services.  They are a wonderful tradition in Upper Darby.

Twice a week trash pick up begins next week on Monday, June 6th. For more information about your trash route, you can view our trash and recycling newsletter on our website, www.upperdarby.org 

Yard waste is still being collected curbside on your regular recycling day. Please place yard waste in the biodegradable lawn waste bags or loosely in a trash can. Please do not use plastic bags to recycle yard waste or single-stream recycling.  

Today, June 1st marks the beginning of Pride Month nationally and here in Upper Darby.  Queer people are a vital part of our community and by acknowledging their humanity and visibility, we can lead by example as we work to guarantee equal rights for all people particularly regarding housing, education and employment and, at a basic level, to treat people the way we want to be treated.

Thank you.

Mayor’s Message 

May 25, 2022

Good Evening. 

This past Thursday, we hosted a public town hall where representatives from Marcum presented the findings of their forensic investigation on the management of ARPA money by me and my administration and they also answered questions from the public. After being accused of misspending $6 million dollars of ARPA money in the February 2 meeting, and after a slim majority of Council has withheld and continues to withhold the ARPA funds because of this serious accusation, we engaged Marcum,  a top nationally-ranked Certified Public Accountant firm, to investigate the allegations and to determine how my administration handled the funds. I want the public, council and our employees to be confident that I have nothing to hide.

The top two findings per Marcum are, one, that the Treasurer’s report was incomplete and inaccurate and, two, that the general fund accounts’ daily cash balance never went below $20.88 million dollars.  Marcum’s full report is posted on our township website and the presentation is on the Upper Darby YouTube channel.

The ARPA funds belong to the people of Upper Darby; they are not set by an ordinance like our millage rate for township taxes and like our trash and sewer fees and then collected directly from our property owners.  They are a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to do a lot of good in Upper Darby in a short amount of time. Everybody knows that inflation and supply chain issues have escalated the prices of equipment and projects. There is no missing $6 million dollars and I respectfully ask the council as a whole to release the ARPA funding.  We have a lot of work to do on behalf of the people of Upper Darby, work that we were elected to do.

On Saturday, I attended the Brad Schoener Memorial Run/Walk. After last year’s virtual run, it was great to see so many school running clubs and members of the community coming together in person for this important Upper Darby tradition. Congratulations to all of the school and age group winners!

On Monday we hosted a group of students from Upper Darby High School. They joined us for a tour of the building and heard from our Superintendent Bernhardt,  Chief Sawyer, Administrative Services Director Alberts and myself where they learned about public safety and how the local government functions in Upper Darby. The students asked a lot of great questions and it was a fun event. 

Sunday was St. Bernadette’s Parish 75th Anniversary! The parish was founded in 1947 in Drexel Hill and has been an important part of the community since then. The diverse faith communities present in Upper Darby are one of the many things that makes us “the world in one place,” and so if there are other upcoming special anniversaries, please feel free to reach out to the Township so we can acknowledge the integral role you’ve played in the Upper Darby community. 

COVID transmission is rising again in Delaware County. As a reminder, the testing trailer is still located in Municipal Lot #1 across the street from the Township Building. The site offers free testing on Mondays and Wednesdays 9-5pm, Tuesdays and Thursday 9-6pm, and Fridays 9-3:30pm. You can visit testpa.online to schedule a test. 

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In recognition of this, I have a proclamation in honor of the occasion. 

WHEREAS, The heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was initially honored by the federal government in 1978. In 1992, the recognition of their heritage was expanded to a month-long observance in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have histories and cultures that are thousands of years old; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have enriched our social, intellectual, and artistic life in the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made valuable contributions to all areas of life in Delaware County, including government, business, arts and sciences, medicine, education, law enforcement, and the military; and

WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month helps us to appreciate the diversity of our residents in Upper Darby; and by recognizing their contributions to our community, we acknowledge the importance of inclusion as we strive to create a better future for everyone; and

WHEREAS, while all ethnic groups have made significant contributions to our country, the recent dramatic spike in violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for awareness of the discrimination they are facing on a daily basis.  

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, do hereby proclaim May 2022 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Upper Darby Township and encourage the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance.

Lastly, yesterday our country experienced another horrific mass shooting. Another avoidable tragedy that saw nearly two dozen children and at least one teacher lose their lives too soon. There are simply no words for tragedy of this magnitude. Our hearts ache for all of the victims and their families along with all of the past victims reminds us that these events occur too often in our country. At the local government level, we are limited as to how we can reduce gun violence. To address this critical issue, we have budgeted funds towards gun violence prevention in the current ARPA budget. 

That’s all I have for now.  Thank you and have a good evening.

Mayor’s Message 

May 4, 2022

Good Evening.

Happy Firefighter Appreciation Day, I would like to thank all of our firefighters for their work to keep our community safe. 

The Township is co-hosting an Expungement Clinic and Second Chance Expo along with State Representative Gina Curry. The event will be held at Watkins Senior Center, tomorrow, Thursday, May 5th from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The clinic does require prior registration which can be done by filling out the digital registration form, which can be found on our facebook page, Upper Darby Township - Government. 

This Saturday, May 7th, Upper Darby is partnering with The Red Cross on a Sound the Alarm event which will launch from Cardington-Stonehurst Fire Station 36. Any Upper Darby residents may request a free fire alarm and installation by calling the Upper Darby Fire Department, 610-734-7674, or filling out an alarm request form at the link here: https://www.upperdarby.org/smokealarmrequestform

We have some great news! The township has received a grant from TASA, the Transportation Alternative Set Aside, for $1.3 million dollars for the modernization of Garrett Road from Lansdowne Avenue to Naylors Run Park to make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. In recognition of this, on Saturday, May 14th, Upper Darby is hosting a Mental Health & Wellness Fair at the 69th Street Rec Area from 11am-3pm. I will also be reading a proclamation in honor of this month of awareness for those who are struggling with mental illness:

WHEREAS, People from all backgrounds live with mental illness and other mental health challenges, both nationwide and in Upper Darby; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50% of Americans will experience mental illness in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, Research has shown that 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness in a given year and 1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression; and

WHEREAS, Unresolved mental health issues can manifest in a variety of conditions and behaviors including depression, anxiety, substance abuse and addiction, and

WHEREAS, There is no single cause of mental illness but a number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, like early adverse life experiences, such as trauma at an early age; and

WHEREAS, Mental and physical health are equally important to a person's quality of life and are inherently tied together.

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor, do hereby proclaim May 2022 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Upper Darby Township and urge my fellow residents to recognize and participate in its observance.

Lastly, I would like to wish mothers and guardians a Happy Mothers Day.

Thank you. 

Mayor’s Message 

April 20, 2022

Good Evening.

This Saturday, April 23, I hosting a Pet Expo event from 10am-12pm at Kent Dog Park. Upper Darby Township has provided funding for up to 100 free rabies vaccinations. Residents can call 610-734-7626 to register their pets for the vaccination. Bywood Animal Hospital will be administering shots and there will be vendors as well. The forecast for this weekend looks good so far and I hope to see you at this or other events. 

In celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day there are multiple events this weekend. On Saturday, Pete Leahy from the Marine Corps League is heading a creek clean-up at Naylors Run Park starting at 9 am. At 2pm, also at Naylors Run Park, there will be a dedication of the Native Tree Nursery.  The tree nursery is a collaborative project between the Shade Tree Commission, the UD Tree Tenders and the Parks Division of the township administration.

On Sunday, members of the Shade Tree Commission, the Tree Tenders and the township are getting together again to plant trees along the newly constructed Darby Creek Trail. Planting will begin at 1:30 and participants will meet at Bloomfield and Rosemont Avenues. We could use some extra hands. The link to sign up is on the township website homepage.

There will be an Identity Theft Protection event held at Beverly Hills Middle School on Wednesday, April 27th from 5-7:30pm. Each Upper Darby resident is allowed two boxes or bags of papers to be shredded on site. Acceptable materials include legal documents, bank & credit card statements, check books, as well as tax and medical records. A Drug Take Back Van from the Delaware County DA’s Office will also be on site.

A quick update on some of our above-ground projects: the bids for improvements to the 2nd Ward Playground will be in early next week and the scope of that project includes new playground equipment, a pavilion, a walking path, new lighting and security cameras. And today, we met with NV5, the firm that will design the upgrades to Observatory Field; those include a multi-purpose field, a walking path, new playground equipment, pickleball courts, a skatepark and storm water improvements.  

The 2nd Ward Playground project is funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and the Observatory Field project is funded through a DCNR grant with a match from our capital improvement budget.  CDBG, DCNR grants, and capital improvement funds all belong to the community, they’re all taxpayer-funded monies.  And so is American Rescue Plan money. All this is to say that even though the ARPA funds are being tied up by a slim majority of Council, my administration is still working to get above-ground projects completed and reinvest in our parks and open spaces. 

This evening, we will have a presentation on the township’s state of financial affairs by Donna Stilwell, from Brinker-Simpson, the firm now serving as Interim Finance Department Director, and from Vijay Kapoor, a financial consultant who worked with us last year and presented in executive session.  We plan to do a quarterly financial report going forward.

First, we’ll hear from Donna Stilwell.  

**Donna and Vijay present**

Click here to view Vijay Kapoor's presentation. 

Thank you for your time Donna and Vijay. That concludes my message tonight. 

Thank you. 

Mayor’s Message 

April 6, 2022

Good Evening.

Chris Herr from Maille, LLP is here to present the completed Upper Darby Township 2020 audit. We’re excited to have their findings presented publicly. 

*PAUSE FOR CHRIS*

Our representative, Donna Stilwell, from Brinker-Simpson is here as well to offer a presentation on how their firm is reshaping our Finance Department. Their feedback has been incredibly helpful. 

*PAUSE FOR DONNA* 

Thank you to both of our presenters tonight. Now I will read my further updates. 

Yard waste disposal began this Monday April 4th. Yard Waste is collected on your regular recycling pick-up day. Yard waste is leaves, weeds, shrubbery and tree trimmings and similar material. Grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Materials should be placed in biodegradable paper bags or loosely in trash cans without bags. Our yard waste is processed into compost by a local company. Diverting yard waste out of the regular trash stream will help lower our tipping fee expenses and bring down the cost of removing and processing trash. Your participation is greatly appreciated!  Yard Waste collections will continue weekly through November.

The Recreation Committee is holding park clean-ups several weekends in April. This coming Saturday there will be a clean-up and community meeting at the Observatory at 9am and in Scullion Park at 11am. Next weekend there will be a cleanup at Seller’s Rec Area on April 16th at 10am. Our goal with these is to share exciting updates about our green spaces with the community and hear feedback from our residents. 

Summer Stage tuition fee waiver applications are still open to all Upper Darby kids between the ages of 10 and 18. The Township is committed to help our residents' children go free to this nationally recognized program. Application forms can be found on our website homepage, upperdarby.org under the “latest news” heading. 

Tomorrow I will visit Seller’s Library and present a proclamation in honor of National Library Week which runs from April 3-9 and aims to celebrate our nation’s libraries, library workers and promote library use and support. 

We are in the process of applying for a $1 million Statewide Local Share Account Grant to fund the new Upper Darby Community Center’s sustainable exterior aspects. Constructing a community center that is both beneficial to the community and our local environment was a crucial part of this plan for myself and my administration. We have worked hard to secure grants in order to create the best possible quality center for Upper Darby. I urge Council for the sake of our residents to approve Resolution No.14-22 for this grant funding. 

Thank you. 

Mayor’s Message 

March 16, 2022

Good Evening.

March 25th is Greek independence day. I will be attending an event at Saint Demetrius church on Sunday, March 20th in celebration of the holiday where I will present a proclamation. 

This morning’s groundbreaking ceremony of the new Drexeline Town Center was a great event . Today marked the official start of this mixed-use redevelopment. The renovation of Drexeline Town Center will revitalize this cornerstone of our community. This huge investment by MCB will bring more jobs, more shopping opportunities, more new housing, and more tax revenue to our community. 

I appreciate the dialog and collaboration between my administration and MCB over the past two+ years and am committed to working together to see this project through to completion.  We will continue to be in close communication through each phase of this transformative redevelopment.  We’re grateful to MCB for their massive investment in our community.

The demolition of the former Welcome Center began yesterday.  That is the location of the future Upper Darby Community Center at 7000 Walnut Street. It’s hard to believe that a community the size of Upper Darby with over 85,000 residents does not already have a community center but it’s true.  This is a state-of-the-building which will include classrooms, meeting spaces, a brand new multi-purpose gym, an accessible green roof and allow for programming for residents of all ages. Which is why I am happy that Council unanimously approved the land development for the Community Center last month.

We have hired an American Rescue Plan compliance consultant, Jack Reagan from UHY, who introduced himself at the council meeting two weeks ago.  Funding for the Community Center is a qualified ARPA expense which is why my administration has amended Ordinance 3111 to include funding for the Community Center and for administrative expenses.  The amended ordinance was sent to all members of Council a week ago this past Monday, March 7. 

I would like to cede some time now to Jack Reagan for him to speak. 

*PAUSE*

The allocations in the amended ordinance are as follows:

Flood Mitigation & Sewer Upgrades, $3.5 million

Police & Fire, $3 million

UD Community Center, $2.5 million

COVID Relief & Negative Economic Impacts, $2.5 million

Parks & Public Spaces, $3 million

Administrative Costs, $380,969.50 for a total of $14, 880, 969.50

I strongly urge Council to vote to place Ordinance 3111 on the agenda of the next council meeting to be introduced and advertised.

 Please visit our Facebook page, Upper Darby Township government for frequent updates. 

Now I’m going to ask CAO Rongione to provide some additional updates from the administration. 

*PAUSE*

Thank you Jack and CAO Rongione. That concludes my remarks.

Mayor’s Message 

March 2nd, 2022

Good Evening. I’d like to talk about two new programs we’re starting this year:

Summer Stage scholarships and the Trash Fee Rebate.

The partnership between Upper Darby Township and the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation for Summer Stage is still going strong. Applications are being submitted for scholarships offered through the township which are available to any child that is a resident of Upper Darby. Scholarships are awarded on a first come first serve basis and there are no income or academic requirements; simply a strong desire to be an active participant in this award-winning, nationally-recognized program. You can find application forms by visiting www.upperdarby.org/gov/ls/about.

Trash Fee Rebate is a multi-step process and is open to all eligible residents. Residents must first have paid their 2022 trash fee and be eligible for the PA-1000 (Property Tax Rebate). Those requirements are: Pennsylvanians age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, people with disabilities age 18 and older, all of whom must have income below $35,000. If eligible, residents then should apply for the PA-1000 if they have not done so. More information can be found on upperdarby.org/finance. We will be working closely with state Rep. Curry and state Sen. Kearney to make this process as smooth as possible.

We hired Brinker Simpson to take over as Interim Finance Director and met with them yesterday to facilitate their transition here. Department heads have been asked to compile lists of any projects being conducted with the finance department to ensure clear expectations and open communication in our work with Brinker Simpson.  Last week, we began work with Marcum Associates on the forensic audit.

We’ve made some upgrades to our council room as well. You may have noticed there is now a new A/V system offering better camera and audio capabilities for all those who cannot attend the meeting in person.  Streaming on our YouTube channel is noticeably clearer.

On tonight's agenda is the American Rescue Plan Act budget. The proposed budget is currently in line with the federal government’s guidelines for funding usage and addresses many quality-of- life issues for Upper Darby residents and businesses. This proposal offers support to non-profits dealing with the growing mental health and homelessness crisis, vaccine incentives for employees, and massive repairs and upgrades to stormwater and sewer infrastructure Also, it allocates funding throughout all our departments for essential workers bonuses, open space purchases, and small business grants. This funding is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reinvest in Upper Darby, so our residents and businesses can flourish in a cleaner, safer community.  

This is basically the same budget that was presented at the ARPA Town Hall on January 13 (which is available on our YouTube channel) and was on the February 2 council committee agenda for a vote to advertise. What is different about this ordinance is that the amendments include the $6 million in lost revenue that council released at the emergency meeting on February 7 as well as the cost for the ARPA compliance firm, UHY Meridian, which my administration hired last week. 

I’m very thankful that Jack Reagan from UHY Meridian is here tonight. Myself and my administration are very excited for this new partnership and receiving further guidance on how to best spend the ARPA money in order to better our community. We have no doubt UHY will be a great help to the reinvestment and revitalization of Upper Darby. 

Thank you. 

Mayor’s Message

February 16th, 2022  

Good evening. 

My administration remains dedicated to upholding the principles of transparency with the public and Council.  As promised, we have contracted the services of both an independent, third party forensic accountant through Marcum LLP, a top national CPA firm specializing in tax, audit & advisory services and ARPA Administrator Services from UHY/Meridian Consulting, another top national CPA firm with extensive experience in Rescue Plan administration, to help oversee the spending of ARPA funds awarded to Upper Darby in order to demonstrate to our community that we have nothing to hide from them and that the Rescue Plan money allocated for Upper Darby will be very carefully stewarded and invested in our community going forward. I would like to allow CAO Rongione to give the details on these developments…

We’re excited to launch a new partnership to keep Summer Stage supported and local. Upper Darby Township is offering full tuition to the Summer Stage program for up to 400 students between the ages of 10 to 18 who are residents of Upper Darby Township (regardless of what school the student attends). 

Construction on the One Center is still underway in the Township building. It is located on the ground level in the old library and is ADA accessible. The project is anticipated to be completed and serving our community this spring for residents to easily pay taxes, get permits, or ask questions all in one place. 

The abatement phase at the location of the UD Community Center has started and here is a quick update on the Drexeline development: MCB is in the process of recording the land development project and getting their bonds together, as they begin the abatement and remediation phase of their Drexeline property.

COVID-19 vaccination clinics are still being held at the Watkins Senior Center each Tuesday through March 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and each Friday through April 1, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are encouraged and can be made by visiting delcopa.gov/watkins or by phone through the Delaware County Wellness Line at (484) 276-2100. 

There will be a clean-up at Sellers Hall on Sunday, February 27th, at 10 am.  We’re hoping for good weather, so we don’t have to reschedule it again.

The Township is working with Habitat for Humanity to organize a tree planting event as part of our Earth Day-Arbor Day weekend, April 23rd & 24th. Trees will be planted along the streets, as well as in Chapman park. This event will help in our continuing efforts to revitalize Upper Darby by greening our streets and increasing the Township’s tree coverage. 

Finally, Upper Darby Township has been awarded nearly $500,000 in grant funding through the Multimodal Transportation Fund towards construction on the Cardington-Newtown trail. We are very excited to use this money to continue to reinvest in our outdoor public spaces. 

Thank you and good evening. 

Mayor’s Message

February 7th, 2022

Good Evening. 

The purpose of tonight’s meeting is to set aside any doubts the public and council may have concerning the appropriation of the American Rescue Plan funds and to ensure that township employees continue to be paid and township services continue to be provided. That is why I want to start out this evening with two important facts: One, in every Councilors’ folder is a letter from PLGIT (Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust) certifying that we have $20.8 million dollars, the complete amount of ARPA funding, in a single, segregated bank account, and two, because we take the concerns of the public and Council seriously, we are engaging an independent, third-party forensic accountant to examine the township’s financials over the last few months, and, in fact, the last few years. 

It is essential for the credibility of this investigation that it be conducted by an independent, 3rd-party firm. I would like to reiterate that my administration has nothing to hide from the public or Council and we look forward to an independent review of the financial situation which we inherited as well as the situation over the last two years.

We hope the letter certifying the location of the ARPA funds and the forensic review of our books will help alleviate concerns, but the township remains critically low on operating funds without Council approval of the necessary $6 million allocated for “lost revenue” coverage. “Lost revenue” is a federal calculation intended to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March of 2020, on municipal governments which is why the federal government gave the ARPA funds directly to all municipalities throughout the country. It is meant to cover revenue losses such as permit and parking fees, mercantile and business taxes, among other sources. To be clear, the current situation of operating funds is not new or uncommon for Upper Darby. Using ARPA funds to cover this regular cash flow need rather than pursuing a short term financing loan called a TRAN - Tax Revenue Anticipation Note - will save the taxpayers significant money in associated fees and interest costs that come with every loan. 

We never believed we would be at this point in the process during the multitude of conversations, both public and private, that happened with Council members over the last 5 months. Multiple times, we have negotiated with Council members about the ARPA funding, only to have been met with demands for more documentation or, at the last two Council meetings, with surprise documents. At the January 19th meeting, Council Vice President Laura Wentz produced a wildly amended ARPA ordinance in the middle of the vote to advertise the original ARPA ordinance, Ordinance 3111, already before Council.  It was only after I broke the tie that the original ARPA ordinance was advertised and put on the agenda for the February 2 Council meeting.  At that meeting, Councilor Wentz distributed a Treasurer’s report moments before the start of the meeting.  That incomplete and inaccurate report was used by a coalition of council to vote to table the ARPA ordinance. Councilors Siddique, Billups, Hayman, Blackwell and Tunis voted to authorize the release of the ARPA funds and keep employees paid and services provided. 

Myself and members of Council were elected by the people of Upper Darby to serve the people of Upper Darby. Residents, businesses and our employees should not be used as pawns in a political chess game. There’s plenty of time to score political points against me. Again, tonight I am asking Council to approve the $6 million in ARPA “lost revenue” funds and do what’s right for the people and keep the township running smoothly until our regular tax revenues arrive in March. 

Mayor’s Message
February 2nd, 2022  

Good evening.  Here’s a few updates for our Upper Darby community:

As part of a new partnership between the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation and Upper Darby Township, scholarships to the Upper Darby Summer Stage program will be granted by the township to residents between the ages of 10 and 18 for up to 500 Children. Harry Dietzler and I are finalizing the application forms for Summer Stage 2022 scholarships and those forms will be posted to the township site as well as the official Summer Stage site, summerstage.udfoundation.org. 

The walk-up COVID-19 testing site opened last week in Municipal Lot #1, right across the street from here. Appointments are encouraged but not mandatory and are available between 9am and 5pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as Tuesday and Thursday until 6:30pm. They can be scheduled by visiting testpa.online. The site is part of our continuous efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also highlights our ongoing commitment to equity and access by creating a convenient walk-up option for Upper Darby residents.. 

Tonight, the architecture firm JMT will give a presentation on the UD Community Center as part of a land development resolution that is on tonight’s agenda. As plans for the center begin to move forward, I would like to emphasize how much of an impact this space would have for Upper Darby residents. Our kids need a safe place to play and learn after school and we need real programming for residents of all ages. This will be UD’s first full-fledged community center and it represents real reinvestment. It will send the signal that Upper Darby is a forward-looking destination community for families and businesses alike.

On tonight's agenda is the amended American Rescue Plan budget. The proposed budget is currently in line with the federal government’s guidelines for funding usage and addresses many quality-of- life issues of Upper Darby residents. This proposal offers support to non-profits dealing with the growing mental health and homelessness crisis, vaccine incentives for employees, massive repairs and upgrades to stormwater and sewer infrastructure, and millions of dollars to replace lost revenue as a result of the pandemic. Also, it allocates funding throughout all our departments for essential workers bonuses, open space purchases, and small business grants. This funding is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reinvest in Upper Darby, so our residents and businesses can flourish in a cleaner, safer community.  This is the same ARPA budget as was presented at the public meeting on January 

Yesterday, February 1st, began Black History Month. I would like to read this proclamation in honor of this: 

WHEREAS, During Black History Month, we celebrate the many achievements and contributions made by Black Americans to our economic, cultural, spiritual and political development; and 

WHEREAS, We must recognize and pay tribute to the generations of individuals who struggled with adversity, risked their lives for justice, fought a fight that at times seemed impossible to win, and continue to fight for equality and the American Dream; and

WHEREAS, observing Black History Month provides opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of African American history and acknowledge the centuries of struggles for equality and freedom; and  

WHEREAS ,Black Americans are engaged throughout our society as our friends and neighbors, scholars, teachers, business people, community leaders, and contributors to our Upper Darby quality of life; and 

WHEREAS, Upper Darby strives to close the equity and outcome gaps for Black American residents through policies and practices that reflect the experiences of Black American residents, ensure greater access and opportunity and honor history, heritage, and contributions; and 

WHEREAS, we are immensely proud of that history and our diversity as well as thankful foAs pr the countless contributions of Black Americans in Upper Darby Township and throughout this nation; this month, and throughout the year, we urge our residents to celebrate that heritage and continue to fight for equality and opportunity for all. 

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, do hereby proclaim the  month of February of 2022, as

Black History Month 

in Upper Darby and urge our community to recognize the vast history and culture of Black Americans. 

____________________

Barbarann Keffer, Mayor

Upper Darby Township

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Thank you and have a good evening.  

Mayor’s Message
January 19th, 2022  

Good evening. 

This past Sunday, I had the honor of meeting with Danial Moore, the pilot who managed a miraculous landing this week, before he was discharged from the hospital. Members of our police and fire departments and council were there to send him, his friends and family off.  I would like to thank Danial again now for his heroic actions navigating the crash last Tuesday and keeping our community safe. I would also like to thank all the first responders, police, and the passersby on the ground who immediately helped assist at the scene of the crash.  And to the police, fire and public works departments for quickly containing the area of the crash for public safety and the good of the investigation.  Myself, and the rest of Upper Darby, and the country, wish him a speedy recovery.  

Thank you to the community for turning out last Thursday to our town hall concerning the American Rescue Plan funds. There was great participant engagement and we appreciate all the community input that was received. The town hall can be viewed on our youtube page for anyone who could not attend. 

The cleanup originally scheduled on Martin Luther King Day at the Seller’s House had to be postponed due to the weather. The cleanup has been rescheduled now for Sunday, February 27th at 10am. 

I would like to take the time to honor Bill Gaul who is retiring after 15 years in service to Upper Darby Township. During that time he worked tirelessly with the Red Cross as the Emergency Management Coordinator in addition to his full time Purchasing position. We are also so grateful for all that he’s contributed to the entire community including all his time dedicated to serving on the school board. We wish Bill the best and also wish him a very happy birthday today. 

As a reminder, there will be a community vaccine clinic held tomorrow, January 20th from 2pm to 6pm in the Multicultural Community Family Center. The clinic is located at 7016 Terminal Square, Suite 3A. You can register by phone by calling (484) 461-8660 or online at www.mcfsorg.com. Free Pfizer vaccines will be available for those who attend. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to protect both yourself and your loved ones. All children aged 5 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated, and booster shots are available for everyone aged 18 years and older who have been fully vaccinated. 

Thank you and have a good evening.  

Mayor’s Message
December 15, 2021   

Good evening. 

I want to start off by saying a very sincere ‘Thank you’ to all of the Councilmembers, Department Heads, Community Organizations, and residents who participated in our various community meetings, toy drives, clean-up events, and much more. Special thanks to Superintendent Bernhardt, Chief Sawyer, Councilors Blackwell, Siddique, Tunis Jr., and to the 69th St. Wildcats, and again, everyone who made these events possible and successful. The holidays are always a busy and stressful time and the more we can come together and help each other the stronger we will all be as a community. 

This past week we also received the final Strategic Management Report regarding the Township’s financial status and future that was started under the previous administration and funded by the State Department of Community and Economic Development. This important report has been discussed previously and the final has been distributed to Council for their review. This report is intended to be the first step in a process where-in the DCED will help provide and find funding for future investments in Upper Darby. However, the report also contains some sobering information and some serious recommendations. It discusses the fact that our fund balance has been rapidly decreasing over the past 5 or so budget cycles and it outlines how our expenses are rapidly outpacing our revenues largely due to our contractually mandated personnel costs and our largest in the State $300 million+ post employment benefits liability. If we are to successfully navigate these challenges and to receive the funding and help we need from the State we must act on at least some of their recommendations. 

That is why tonight we are holding a public hearing on Ordinance 3105, which will generate much needed revenue through a modification of the already existing realty transfer tax. The proposed new levy will be 1.5% and the revenue will be split evenly between the Upper Darby School District and the Township. Previously, the Township did not share any of the revenue from this tax and if the proposed ordinance had been in place over the past ten years the Township would have collected over $16 million. Needless to say, those funds would have gone a long way toward improving the financial condition of the Township and lives of our Upper Darby residents. 

Another important piece of legislation being discussed this evening is the Responsible Contractor Ordinance. This ordinance will ensure that any publicly funded project in our Township will have only the best trained, most qualified contractors providing the best value and service for the tax dollars being invested here. As you may recall, last year my administration proposed an ambitious capital improvement plan for the Township and this ordinance will go a long way toward making sure that only the highest quality work is done for our residents. I support both of these ordinances and I urge Council to join me in supporting them for the betterment of our community. 

Speaking of bettering our community, I also continue to support the School Districts plans to improve and modernize their facilities and I would like to thank the team from the Beverly Hills Middle School land development project for joining us tonight to give a presentation. Our partnership with the School Board and Administration continues to be strong and I want to applaud and thank them for continuing to make important investments in our community and our children’s future.   

I am asking all residents to remember that the current version of the trash and recycling schedule includes the month of January 2022. We will be mailing the 2022 trash and recycling schedule to Upper Darby residents next month and it will continue to include more and better information for all residents on a wide variety of topics and Township services. 

Looking forward, On Saturday, December 18, the 69th Street Wildcats organization is collecting canned food and unopened toys from 10 am to noon at the 69th Street Recreation Area, and the Zakat Foundation of America will be giving away winter items at the 69th Street Terminal, starting at 3 pm.

There are three COVID-19 vaccine clinics happening in Upper Darby this week: the first is tomorrow from 4 to 7 pm at the 69th Street Terminal. Then there are two on Friday, December 17: one at the Upper Darby Islamic Center from 2 to 5 pm, and the other at the Watkins Senior Center from 2 to 7 pm. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to protect yourself and those around you. All children age 5 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated, and booster shots are available for everyone age 18 years and older who has been fully vaccinated. To find a vaccine location near you, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax.  

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
December 8, 2021  

Good evening. 

Earlier tonight, we held a ribbon cutting ceremony at municipal parking lot #1 to mark its completion, as well as our annual holiday tree lighting at the municipal building. Thank you to everyone who came out for this celebration of the holiday season. If you have the chance to see the Christmas tree on Garrett Road, you’ll notice that it is planted, signifying our commitment to sustainability.

Tonight, we are introducing an ordinance to establish a Trash Fee Senior Rebate Program in Upper Darby. Senior citizens who live on fixed incomes are among our most vulnerable populations, and this ordinance is intended to reduce the burden of waste collection costs on our community’s seniors.  

I am asking Council for the second year in a row to approve a balanced budget with no property tax increase for our residents. This budget continues to address the more than $6 million structural deficits we have inherited, and I thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to make sure we are able to avoid any adverse impact on our residents. 

This has been a difficult few years for our country, not just because of the pandemic but also due to rising violence in communities across the county. Sadly our community is not immune and our hearts go out to all the victims of violence in Upper Darby. On a positive note, I am pleased to announce that we have received a $308,122 grant from the state to increase community policing services throughout Upper Darby. This includes group activities, referrals to resources for families, and life skills classes. 

This Saturday, Councilwoman Danyelle Blackwell will be hosting a clean-up event at Parkview Playground on Saturday, December 11, starting at 10 a.m. I will be there, as will State Representative-Elect Gina Curry, and we hope residents will join us as well. 

As the Delta and Omicron variants of the COVID-19 virus continue to spread, getting vaccinated is the key to protecting yourself and the people around you. All children age 5 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated, and booster shots are available for everyone age 18 years and older who has been fully vaccinated. To find a free vaccine location, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info. 

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
December 1, 2021  

Good evening, I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. 

I am pleased to announce that Upper Darby has received a $499,320 grant from the state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund to assist with the Cardington-Newtown Trail project. This trail is a multi-use recreational path that connects Marshall Road and Pembroke Avenue. It includes a spur at Ruskin Lane that connects to Long Lane. 

Next Wednesday, December 8, we will hold a ribbon cutting at 5 p.m. at municipal parking lot #1, across the street from this building, to celebrate its completion. Thank you to everyone who has worked hard over the past several months on this project, which is one of many reinvestments my administration is making in Upper Darby. We also appreciate the cooperation and patience of the residents and businesses in the area, and everyone is welcome to attend the event.  

With the rise of new COVID-19 variants, getting vaccinated is crucially important to protect yourself and those around you. All children age 5 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated, and booster shots are available for everyone age 18 years and older who have been fully vaccinated. To find a free vaccine location, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info. 

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
November 17, 2021 

Good evening everyone,

Tonight, we are continuing our discussion of Upper Darby’s 2022 budget, and I would like to thank our department heads, council, and our treasurer for their time and input as well as the public’s comments. We have put a great deal of time and careful planning into this budget, and it is proof positive of our commitment to reinvestment, revitalization, and reform in Upper Darby. 

Congratulations are in order for the Upper Darby High School Band. which placed first in the state and 6th nationally in recent competitions.

As a reminder, yard waste collection in Upper Darby continues this week. Curbside leaf pick-up has already started and will occur alongside the street sweeping schedule. We will be doing a bonus week of yard waste collection the week after Thanksgiving, November 29th through December 3rd. We encourage residents to bag their leaves as yard waste in brown paper bags since not all the leaves have fallen yet from trees. Make sure to put out your yard waste at your curb line with your recycling. 

Tragically, we lost one of our residents last week in a house fire. Our hearts go out to the family during this difficult time. As we head into the holiday season, it’s important to remember fire safety and community risk reduction are critical priorities. I was honored to canvass the neighborhood together with Chief Sawyer and a group of our firefighters passing out free smoke alarms. If you are in need of a fire alarm, please contact the fire department for one at 610-734-7673 or through request@upperdarby.org.

As we enter the holiday season, getting vaccinated against Covid-19 remains a critically important way to protect yourself and those around you. Everyone age 5 years and older is now eligible to be vaccinated. To find a free vaccine location, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info. 

This week, members of our Public Works Department will be picking up about 60 trees which will be planted by staff and UD Tree Tenders.  I am deeply grateful for the work our staff has done throughout the year in conjunction with the Tree Tenders and the many volunteers to plant, mulch and maintain trees throughout the township especially at Gillespie Park and the Sellers Library area.

This week, work has begun on the Darby Creek Trail, starting at Rosemont Avenue and extending into Gillespie Park.

Last but not least, I would like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. 

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
November 10, 2021 

Good evening everyone,

It is my pleasure to congratulate everyone who was re-elected to Council last week, and we look forward to welcoming and working with newly elected Council Members Brian Andruszko, Andrew Hayman, and Meghan Wagner. And while we will recognize them more formally at a later date, I would like to thank Don Bonnett, Bob Gwin, and Tom Wagner for their years of dedicated service to the Council and our community. 

Tonight, we are discussing the 2022 budget for Upper Darby. For the second year in a row, we are proud to present a balanced budget with no increase in taxes. 

At the last Council meeting, CAO Vincent Rongione and Deputy CAO Alison Dobbins presented the preliminary 2022 budget. Right before this meeting, we held the first of two public budget hearings, which can be viewed on our YouTube channel.  

The second public budget hearing will be at 6 pm next Wednesday, November 17, here at the Municipal Building, 100 Garrett Road. We value and want to hear residents’ opinions regarding this budget, which reflects our commitment to reinvestment, revitalization, and reform in Upper Darby. 

I have two proclamations to present tonight; the first is in honor of Native American Heritage Month, which began on November 1st:

WHEREAS, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every year to recognize the importance of Native American cultures, contributions, history, traditions, and art; and

WHEREAS, this tradition was established in 1990, when former U.S. President George H.W. Bush declared the month of November as “National American Indian Heritage Month” now more commonly known as Native American Heritage Month; and 

WHEREAS, during Native American Heritage Month, we honor the Native American veterans and service members who have courageously served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces; and 

WHEREAS, the history of Upper Darby has been significantly influenced by Native Americans, especially the Lenni-Lenape tribe, whose people cared for the lands surrounding the Delaware River, including this area, for more than 10,000 years; and 

WHEREAS, in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we encourage everyone to recognize the accomplishments and contributions that Native Americans have made to our society, and we are grateful to the local organizations who work with and in support of the Native American community.

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, along with Township Council, do hereby proclaim the month of November 2021, as Native American Heritage Month in Upper Darby and encourage the entire community to participate in its observance.

The second proclamation this evening is in recognition of Veterans Day, which will be observed tomorrow:

WHEREAS, on November 11 of each year, we come together as a community and as a nation to observe Veterans Day and to pay tribute to the service of the brave individuals who have defended our country in times of conflict and peace;

WHEREAS, the theme for Veterans Day 2021 is “Honoring All Who Served.” All veterans make a sacrifice to serve their country, whether physically, emotionally, or by being away from their loved ones and missing important life moments; and

WHEREAS, 2021 also marks the centennial commemoration of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Located at Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb was initially dedicated by the Army on Armistice Day, November 11, 1921, with the burial of an unknown service member from World War I. Over the past century, additional unknown individuals have been buried at the Tomb, and the site has become a people’s memorial that inspires reflection on veterans’ service, valor, and sacrifice; and   

WHEREAS, we are proud to recognize and honor all past and present Upper Darby residents who are veterans, and we are grateful for their selfless service to our community and our country. We also appreciate all of the veterans’ organizations in Upper Darby, including the American Legion Post 214, the Archer Epler VFW Post 979, and the Marine Corps League 884 Upper Darby Detachment.

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby, along with Township Council, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2021, as Veterans Day in Upper Darby and encourage the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance.

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
October 20, 2021

Good evening everyone,

First, a big thank you to the volunteers and our Parks Maintenance Division who came out last Friday and Saturday to plant over 300 native trees and bushes at Gillespie Park as part of the TreeVitalize Stream restoration project. Volunteers included Tree Tenders, members of the Environmental Advisory Committee, the Shade Tree Commission, and the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative, as well as neighbors. The weather was beautiful and I encourage everyone to stop by and see the progress we have been making over the last year and a half.

Tonight I am asking Council to approve two resolutions. The first is a resolution to authorize the Township to prepare and submit a grant application to the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) in the amount of $1,000,000 to be used for the redevelopment of the Township-owned property at 7000 Walnut Street. This funding will allow for the construction of a third floor of the new building, which will provide additional programming for the residents in the community. This programming will include, but is not limited to, health and wellness services, community meeting spaces, bicycle programs, and after school learning and related activities. 

The second resolution is to approve the Township’s submission of an application for a Multimodal Transportation Fund grant in the amount of $950,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which will be used for the Garret Road Modernization Project. Garrett Road is a major thoroughfare in Upper Darby that connects individuals to 69th Street Transportation Center, our municipal building, and important trolley lines. The Township would also greatly benefit from pedestrian safety improvements on Garrett Road, such as improved pedestrian signage and crosswalks. 

CAO Vincent Rongione and Deputy CAO Alison Dobbins will also be presenting the preliminary 2022 budget tonight. This presentation will focus on the priorities we have established in order to continue the reinvestment, revitalization, and reform of Upper Darby Township. This year’s budget continues to address the more than $6 million structural deficits we inherited and worked hard to balance last year with no increase in taxes or fees. Once again, we do not anticipate the need to increase taxes in order to deliver a balanced budget for 2022. 

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide more transparency to tax payers in Upper Darby, we are building on our already strong working relationship with the School District to reinforce our shared commitment to Upper Darby’s future. We remain steadfast in our support of their capital facilities improvement program, which will enhance our children’s education and benefit our entire community for decades to come.

We currently have vacancies on the following boards: the Upper Darby Historic Commission, the Upper Darby Library Board of Trustees, and the Darby Creek Joint Authority. If you are a UD resident who is interested in serving on any of these entities, please send an email with a cover letter and a copy of your resume to mayor@upperdarby.org. 

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
October 6, 2021

Good evening everyone,

This past Saturday, we held the 4th annual Upper Darby International Festival at the Five Points Intersection at 100 Garrett Road, right outside this building. I am pleased that we were able to come together as a community for this year’s Festival, which featured eight captivating performances, more than 50 vendors, and a Kids Zone sponsored by the Community YMCA of Eastern Delaware County. The 2021 International Festival drew in an estimated 3,000 people, and we hope to welcome even more next year. We are grateful to our partner, Friends of the Tower Theater District, and generous lead sponsors, Aqua and Xfinity, for their support. We also distributed hundreds of “World in One Place” masks. We will continue to distribute them at future community events. 

This upcoming Saturday, October 9th, is our next Identity Theft Protection Event at Upper Darby High School, 601 N. Lansdowne Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. We will be accepting paper items for shredding, with a limit of two boxes per vehicle. We will also accept electronic waste, such as old laptops, cell phones, and small electronics. Please note that televisions will not be accepted at this event. The Delaware County District Attorney’s drug take-back van will also be onsite to collect unused prescription drugs.

I have two proclamations to present tonight; The first is in honor of Fire Prevention Week, which began on Sunday, October 3rd and continues until Saturday, October 9th:

WHEREAS, fire is a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, and homes are the locations where people are at greatest risk of fire; and

WHEREAS, smoke alarms detect smoke and carbon monoxide before people can, alerting you to danger in the event of fire. Smoke alarms that work properly cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half; and

WHEREAS, the 2021 Fire Prevention Week theme, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety,” effectively serves to remind us it is important to learn the different sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms; and 

WHEREAS, Upper Darby Township is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those who are living in and visiting our community. Residents should be sure that everyone in the home understands the sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and knows how to respond to them; and

WHEREAS, first responders in Upper Darby and Delaware County are dedicated to reducing the occurrence of home fires and home fire injuries through prevention and protection education; and

WHEREAS, Upper Darby residents who are responsive to public education measures are better able to take personal steps to increase their safety from fire, especially in their homes. 

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, do hereby proclaim October 3 through October 9, 2021 as Fire Prevention Week in Upper Darby, and I encourage the entire community to to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety” for Fire Prevention Week 2021 and to support the many public safety activities and efforts of Upper Darby Township fire and emergency services.

The second proclamation this evening is in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed during the month of October:

WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pervasive issue across Upper Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the United States, and the world, with implications for personal and community health; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence does not discriminate and affects all communities regardless of age, race, disability, gender identity, or socioeconomic status; and

WHEREAS, considering medical expenses, lost productivity, legal costs, and property loss and damage, domestic violence costs victims nearly $82,000 over their lifetime and collectively costs the United States $3.6 trillion; and

WHEREAS, research shows that by creating communities where people are connected, supportive, and care for one another can reduce incidents of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, in Upper Darby, individuals and organizations play a part in supporting people impacted by domestic violence, providing services including therapeutic, legal, educational, housing, advocacy, and medical services. The Upper Darby Police Department is committed to shaping their practices to further support victims of domestic abuse and to limit its effect on our community. 

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, do hereby proclaim October 2021 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I urge all residents to become involved in efforts to prevent and respond to domestic violence and to recognize the impact of domestic violence in our community.

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
September 22, 2021

Good evening everyone,

Tonight I will ask Council for their support of two departmental director appointments: Timothy Bernhardt as Police Superintendent and Joe Martin as Public Works Director.  Superintendent Bernhardt can be sworn in tonight and Director Martin is taking a professional development course as we speak and I can swear him in tomorrow.

Tonight Council will also vote on an ordinance to establish a Planning Commission for Upper Darby. The Planning Commission will ensure community input on development projects much earlier in the process than previously. Prior to this ordinance, Upper Darby was the largest municipality in Pennsylvania without a Planning Commission and creating one was part of my campaign platform. Meetings are open to the public and the members are residents of our township. 

The Upper Darby International Festival is Saturday, October 2nd, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Five Points Intersection at 100 Garrett Road, right outside the Municipal Building. We are grateful to our generous sponsors who are making this year’s Festival a reality, and we will be featuring a variety of great food, music and cultural performances, and more at this free and family-friendly event. We are looking for a few more volunteers for the Festival; if you are available to help, please email festival@upperdarby.org or call 610-734-7712. Also, you can follow the Festival’s Facebook page for additional updates, including the announcement of this year’s performer line-up. 

Fire Prevention Week is October 3 through October 9, 2021. This year’s theme is "Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety." Upper Darby Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer and his Department are planning a Township Wide Fire Drill on the afternoon of Monday, October 4th. This will entail a mock fire drill at a house in Upper Darby, where the occupants will use their escape plan to exit the house, and the Fire Department's response to the drill. A community fire prevention event is also scheduled between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, October 1st at Observatory Field, located at St. Laurence and West Chester Pike. Free food and other refreshments will be available. 

We will be holding our next Identity Theft Protection Event for Upper Darby residents at Upper Darby High School on Saturday, October 9th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. We will be accepting paper items for shredding, with a limit of two boxes per vehicle, as well as electronic waste, such as old laptops, cell phones, and small electronics. We are not able to take televisions. This event will also feature a drug take-back van in partnership with the Delaware County District Attorney's Office.  

Lastly, I would like to read a proclamation in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month 2021, which began last Wednesday. 

WHEREAS, Between September 15 and October 15 each year, Hispanic Heritage Month is observed by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America; and

WHEREAS, This tradition started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988; and 

WHEREAS, Hispanic Heritage Month begins in the middle of September instead of at the start of the month because September 15th coincides with national independence days in several Latin countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica celebrate their independence day on September 15th, followed by Mexico on the 16th, Chile on the 18th, and Belize on the 21st; and 

WHEREAS, America has always drawn its strength from the contributions of a diverse people. People of Hispanic backgrounds are advancing our economy, improving our communities, and bettering our country. During Hispanic Heritage Month, let us renew our commitment to ensuring ours remains a society where the talents and potential of all its members can be fully realized; and to honoring the achievements of Hispanic Americans in Upper Darby and across the United States.  

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby, along with Township Council, do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2021, as Hispanic Heritage Month in Upper Darby and encourage the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance.

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
September 1, 2021

Good evening everyone, I have a couple of updates…

The remnants of Hurricane Ida have moved into Delaware County this afternoon, calling for severe thunderstorms, a high wind advisory, isolated tornadoes, and concerns for power outages and flash flooding in our area. Out of an abundance of caution, today I issued a declaration of disaster emergency due to Hurricane Ida. The full declaration is available on our website, www.upperdarby.org, and our social media channels. Please stay off the roads if you are able and do not drive or walk through flood waters. 

Twice a week trash pick up ends on this Friday, September 3rd. Please note that Monday, September 6th is a Township Holiday. Our offices will be closed and there will be no trash or recycling collection that day. This information is also available online at www.upperdarby.org/trash, or you can call the Mayor’s Request Line at 610-734-7625. 

There is currently one opening on the Upper Darby Historic Commission, as well as a few on the Library Board. If you are interested in serving on one of these entities, please send an email with a cover letter and a copy of your resume to mayor@upperdarby.org. 

We are seeking sponsors, vendors, and performers for the 2021 Upper Darby International Festival on Saturday, October 2nd, from 1 to 5 pm. Please email festival@upperdarby.org for more information, and be sure to follow the Festival’s Facebook page for future updates. 

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our area, getting vaccinated is of critical importance. We must remain cautious and vigilant as we navigate the virus. To find a vaccine location, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info. 

On Saturday, September 18 we will be hosting a pop-up skate park from 11 am to 2 pm at Observatory Playground on West Chester Pike.  This event is a partnership between Upper Darby and the Delco Skate Coalition.  Many thanks to the Recreation Committee for their work on this project.

Lastly, I would like to read a proclamation in honor of the 20th Anniversary of September 11th, 2001:

WHEREAS, twenty years ago this month, on the morning of September 11, nearly three thousand men, women, and children’s lives were lost in a series of attacks intended to terrorize the United States; and

WHEREAS, we can never undo the pain and injustice borne on American soil that day, nor will we ever forget those who perished; and

WHEREAS, many Upper Darby residents felt the pain of this tragedy personally as we endured the loss of loved ones or friends; and 

WHEREAS, we came together as both a community and a country in the days, months, and years that followed, lifting each other up as we began to heal; and

WHEREAS, in remembering and honoring the lives that were lost, we reaffirm our connection to one another. On September 11, 2001, no matter where we came from, who we prayed to, or who we were, we were united as one American nation. May the same be said of us now and always.

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, along with Township Council, do hereby proclaim Saturday, September 11, 2021 as a Day of Service and Remembrance in Upper Darby, and I encourage all residents to honor the memory of our fellow Americans who were lost on that fateful day 20 years ago.

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
August 18, 2021

Good evening everyone, I have a couple of updates…

This evening, I am asking Council to support two resolutions regarding the recreational plans for Upper Darby. Thanks to the Delaware County Council for offering the opportunity to preserve green space in our community through the Open Space and Recreation Municipal Grant Program. Our goal is to apply for a grant to create a Master Plan for all township parks and public spaces as well as to acquire a grant to help fund the completion of the Darby Creek Trail.

I am happy to report that we are moving forward with plans for the new Upper Darby Community Center. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon visited the site recently with our CAO to discuss the project, we have officially awarded the bid for the design of the center to JMT (Johnson, Mirmiran and Thompson), and earlier this week we broke ground on another municipal project across the street at parking lot number 1 on Garrett Road in preparation for a redevelopment project there. On a related note, the Upper Darby Welcome Center, which is currently located at 7000 Walnut Street, is moving to the Watkins Senior Center, located at 326 Watkins Avenue in Upper Darby, on Monday, August 30th.  

Starting next week, the Tower Theater will be hosting an event for the first time since early 2020. The virtual Van Gogh Immersive Experience is set to open on Thursday, August 26th and will run six days a week through February 2022. We are excited to welcome this internationally renowned exhibit to 69th Street. Together, with Live Nation, I invite and encourage everyone who comes to enjoy the exhibit to shop, dine, and explore everything that Upper Darby has to offer.

At this time, we are seeking sponsors, vendors, and performers for the 2021 Upper Darby International Festival, which will take place on Saturday, October 2nd. Please email festival@upperdarby.org for more information, and be sure to follow the Festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UDIntlFestival for future updates. 

Currently, there is one opening on the Upper Darby Historic Commission, as well as a couple on the Library Board. Please send an email with a cover letter and a copy of your resume to mayor@upperdarby.org if you are interested in serving on one of these entities. 

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise locally, getting vaccinated remains vitally important. Here are the statistics we have received from Delaware County regarding the percentage of Upper Darby residents who have been vaccinated. As of August 13th, 2021: residents in the 19026 zip code have a 70.2% vaccination rate, and residents in the 19082 zip code have a 60.5% vaccination rate. We also have three other zip codes in Upper Darby, so this list is not complete.

We are headed in the right direction, but we must keep moving forward in the fight against this virus. To find a vaccine location, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info. 

Lastly, I would like to read a proclamation in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, which is Tuesday, August 31st, 2021.  

WHEREAS, we recognize the purpose of International Overdose Awareness Day as a way to remember our loved ones lost to overdoses and ending the stigma of drug-related deaths; and

WHEREAS, the Upper Darby community affirms and acknowledges the harm and hardship caused by drug overdoses; and

WHEREAS, we resolve to work harder to reduce the number of overdoses in our community. Drug overdoses claimed the lives of hundreds of residents of Delaware County, Pennsylvania in 2020, with countless additional lives forever changed; and

WHEREAS, we affirm that the people who are affected by the disease of addiction and drug overdoses are our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, and our friends and fellow residents, and that they are deserving of our love, compassion, and support.

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby, do hereby proclaim Tuesday, August 31, 2021 as International Overdose Awareness Day in Upper Darby and encourage the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance. 

Thank you and have a good evening. 

Mayor’s Message
August 4, 2021

Good evening everyone, I have a couple of updates…

Last night’s National Night Out was a great event. I am deeply grateful to the Upper Darby Police and Fire Departments for all of their hard work in making the event a success, and thanks to Alison Dobbins. We are glad that Jenn Hennelly from the Delaware County Victim Assistance Center was able to join us. We also thank Leandro’s Pizza for their generous pizza donation, as well as Philly Pretzel Factory, Bernie’s Pretzels, and Rosati Water Ice for providing other refreshments. Thanks to everyone who came out, especially the JeffSTAT helicopter team from Jefferson Hospital.

Last week, we received notice of a $50,000 grant award from the Keystone Communities Program for facade improvements to businesses in the Terminal Square area. The next steps towards implementation include applications which will be available soon, and we budgeted  matching for this grant through the CDBG program.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Delaware County, getting vaccinated is critically important. It’s not too late to protect yourself and those around you, and it is not too late to get your second dose if you have missed it. As you can see, we’ve re-instated the mask-wearing policy in the building. 

This Friday evening, there will be a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Garrettford-Drexel Hill Fire Company, 323 Edmonds Avenue, from 5 pm to 9 pm. First or second doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available, so this is a great opportunity for anyone age 12 or older to get vaccinated. No appointment or health insurance is needed.

There are also two vaccination clinics happening in Upper Darby this upcoming Sunday, August 8th. The first location is the mosque, Masjid Al-Madinah, at 69th and Walnut, from 10 am to 12 pm. The second location is Tienda Don Pedro, at 53 Garrett Road, from 12 pm to 2 pm. Both locations are offering the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. To find a vaccine location near you, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info.  

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
July 21, 2021

Good evening everyone, I have a couple of updates…

On Saturday, I was honored to attend the graduation ceremony for five probationary firefighters from the Upper Darby Fire Department, who have completed the first-ever Joint Training Academy held by the Wilmington Fire Department. Congratulations to CDS and the UDFD on their newest members. I also joined members of the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation and Upper Darby School District on Saturday evening for the official announcement that Upper Darby Summer Stage has received four new donations totaling $500,000, including major gifts from Upper Darby's own Tina Fey and Monica Horan Rosenthal. The Township and the School District have supported UD Summer Stage for 46 magical years, and we are looking forward to the next 46 and beyond. 

The COVID-19 strains that are now dominant in the United States are highly contagious and pose a significant health risk to people who are not yet vaccinated. It is in the best interest of everyone age 12 and older to get vaccinated as soon as possible. To find a location near you, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax.   

Be sure to follow Upper Darby Government on social media so you don’t miss them! You can find us on Facebook and LinkedIn at “upperdarby” and on Instagram and Twitter at “upperdarbypa”.    

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
July 7, 2021

Good evening, I have a couple of updates…

I hope everyone enjoyed the Independence Day holiday weekend, including the fireworks display at Upper Darby High School on Friday night. This display was professionally coordinated, and the two large “fireballs” explosions that appeared at the end of the display were intentionally planned and were set off under strict supervision. Thanks to the team at Celebration Fireworks for doing an excellent job and for ensuring that everything went smoothly and according to plan and to our guest DJ who did a fantastic job.  

While the overall number of positive COVID-19 cases in our area is continuing to decline, the number of unvaccinated people who have been contracting the Delta variant of the virus is rising across the country. It is in everyone’s best interest to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible if you have not yet done so. To find a vaccination site near you, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax.   

A reminder about weekly yard waste collection in Upper Darby: Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings and similar material. Please note that grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Please do not use plastic bags to recycle yard waste or single-stream recycling; instead, place your yard waste in biodegradable paper bags, which are available at local hardware stores, or place the yard waste loosely in trash cans without bags. Yard waste is collected on your regular recycling pick-up day, not on trash pick-up days. 

The goats from Amazing Grazing are slated to return to Gillespie Park on Saturday, July 17th, to remove the invasive growth from the park’s landscape. Be sure to follow Upper Darby Government on social media so you don’t miss them! You can find us on Facebook and LinkedIn at “upperdarby” and on Instagram and Twitter at “upperdarbypa”.    

Upper Darby Summer Stage began their season today with “The Wizard of Oz.” I am pleased that we are able to offer live and in-person performances this year, and I am grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to make this possible. If you would like to purchase tickets or see what other productions Summer Stage has coming up, please visit www.udpac.org. 

Next Friday, July 16th, is Park and Recreation Professionals Day. Tonight, I am pleased to issue a proclamation in honor of all the professionals, especially in Upper Darby, Delaware County, and Pennsylvania, who help make our parks and recreation activities possible. 

WHEREAS, parks and recreation professionals promote physical, emotional, and mental health and wellness through both organized and self-directed fitness, play, and activities; and

WHEREAS, parks and recreation professionals support the economic vitality of communities by providing frontline jobs and promotion of community revitalization; and

WHEREAS, parks and recreation professionals foster social cohesiveness and communities by celebrating diversity, providing spaces to gather together peacefully, modeling compassion, promoting social equity, connecting social networks, and ensuring all people have access to its benefits; and

WHEREAS, parks and recreation professionals support human development and endless learning opportunities that foster social, intellectual, and emotional growth in people of all ages and abilities; and

WHEREAS, parks and recreation professionals strengthen community identity by providing facilities and services that reflect and celebrate community character, heritage, culture, history, aesthetics, and landscape; and

WHEREAS, parks and recreation professionals help sustain and steward our natural resources by protecting habitats and open space, connecting people to nature, and promoting the ecological function of park areas; and

WHEREAS, Upper Darby supports the skilled work of parks and recreation professionals, especially those who serve in our Township and throughout Delaware County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to strengthen community cohesion and resilience, to connect people with nature and each other, and to provide opportunities for healthful living and environmental sustainability; and 

WHEREAS, Upper Darby values the essential services that park and recreation professionals and volunteers perform to provide recreational and development enrichment for our children, youth, adults, and seniors, and to ensure that our parks and recreational facilities are clean, safe, and ready to use. We are also grateful for our partnership with the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County, which allowed us to offer recreational activities for children this summer. 

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, do hereby proclaim July 16, 2021 as Parks and Recreation Professionals Day in Upper Darby and encourage the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance.

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
June 23, 2021

Good evening everyone. A couple of updates…

Superintendent Tim Bernhardt and I swore in 10 new officers of the Upper Darby Police Department yesterday.  Combined with the first wave of new officers sworn in earlier this year, these officers represent the most qualified and most diverse group in Upper Darby history.  We welcome all of them to our Upper Darby team.

All of these officers will be valuable additions to our renowned Police Department, and they are setting a great example for others who aspire to public service. Many of them already have deep roots in Upper Darby, with five officers who are graduates of Upper Darby High School and one who is a graduate of Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School.  

In other good news, the Fire Investigator Division of the Upper Darby Fire Department has been awarded a FM Global Grant in the amount of $3,544 to purchase fire prevention equipment, including a new desktop computer and digital cameras. Congratulations to Chief Derrick Sawyer and his team on their continued efforts in fire risk reduction. 

This past Saturday, we celebrated Juneteenth at Upper Darby High School with a youth football camp hosted by Philadelphia Eagles’ safety Rodney McLeod and his wife Erika, as well as the inaugural Juneteenth Observance and Community Fair. The Fair included free health care screenings from Crozer Health, COVID-19 vaccines courtesy of Delaware County, and a variety of presentations and performances by local artists that celebrated the significance of Juneteenth as the end of slavery in the United States. 

This upcoming weekend, there are several events happening in Upper Darby in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month; please visit www.ud-pride.com for the schedule and other details. On Friday, July 2nd, we are pleased to be hosting a fireworks display at the Upper Darby High School baseball field. The fireworks will begin at 9:30 pm, and residents are encouraged to watch them from the high school parking lots. The rain date for this event is Friday, July 9th.

Here is a friendly reminder about the weekly yard waste collection: Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings (4 inches or less in diameter and less than 3 feet long), and similar material. Please note that grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Please do not use plastic bags to recycle yard waste or single-stream recycling; instead, place your yard waste in biodegradable paper bags, which are available at local hardware stores, or place the yard waste loosely in trash cans without bags. Lastly, please note that yard waste is collected only on your regular recycling pick-up day, not on trash pick-up days. 

Coming into your mailboxes soon is a township newsletter which provides the trash and recycling schedule for the rest of the year as well as other important information on township programs and events.  Please note that Monday, July 5 is a township holiday and no trash or recycling will be collected on Monday, July 5.

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
June 2, 2021

Good evening everyone,

A couple of updates…

A friendly reminder about weekly yard waste collection: Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings (4 inches or less in diameter and less than 3 feet long), and similar material. Please note that grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Please do not use plastic bags to recycle yard waste or single-stream recycling; instead, place it in biodegradable paper bags, which are available at local hardware stores, Burhill on Bermont Road and the TruValue on Marshall Road or, place the yard waste loosely in trash cans without bags.

This upcoming Monday, June 7, our sanitation crews will begin collecting trash twice a  week. Trash in areas 1 and 2 will be collected on Tuesdays and Fridays. Trash in areas 3, 4, 5, and 6 will be collected on Mondays and Thursdays. Additional details about the revised schedule, including recycling pick up information, can be found on the Township website at www.upperdarby.org/trash. Residents are also welcome to call the Mayor’s Request Line at 610-734-7625 with any questions. 

We are also hiring seasonal employees to supplement our regular sanitation crews. If you and/or anyone you know is looking for a summer job making as much as $15 per hour with the opportunity to earn a full time job in the future please have them apply ASAP through our website upperdarby.org.  On the home page, scroll down and look for “Employment Opportunities”. Seasonal jobs and other jobs are listed there. 

Registration for the Township’s Youth and Tot Lot programs is ongoing until Friday, June 11. The cost is still only $20 per child. We are grateful to the Lansdowne YMCA for stepping in to ensure that these programs are able to happen this summer. The Y is also still hiring program staff members; applications are available online at www.cyedc.org/employment, or you can call 610-557-9622, extension #1, to request a paper copy. Special consideration will be given to individuals who have worked for the Township summer recreation program in previous years if they would like to apply again this year.   

This Saturday, Habitat for Humanity is hosting a Rock the Block event in Upper Darby. The targeted areas are the 200 block of Chapman Avenue and the municipal parking lot on the 700 block of Long Lane. I am so grateful that Habitat has chosen Upper Darby as a focus municipality. This is our inaugural Habitat Rock the Block event, and we are looking for community members to participate as volunteers. To sign up, please visit www.habitatmontdelco.org/rock-the-block or call 610-278-7710. As a member of the Upper Darby team, we ask you to arrive at the Municipal Lot at the intersection of Long Lane and Clinton Road in Upper Darby, no later than 8:15 AM on this Saturday. Once you get there, members of the Habitat staff will check you in and will gather together for opening remarks.

Last but certainly not least, it is my honor to issue a proclamation this evening in recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month.

WHEREAS, Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. It was borne out of the gay rights movement that started in the 1940’s and reached a pivotal moment at the Stonewall Inn in June of 1969, when a group of individuals who were being mistreated because of their gender and sexual identification stood up for what they believed in; and 

WHEREAS, Pride Month is a time to reflect on the trials that the LGBTQ+ community has endured and to rejoice in the triumphs of the individuals who have bravely fought, and continue to fight, for full equality; and

WHEREAS, Despite all of the progress that has been made in recent years regarding LGBTQ+ rights, we acknowledge there are many states in which LGBTQ+ individuals still lack protections for fundamental rights and dignity in hospitals, schools, the workplace, public accommodations, and other spaces. We are committed to standing in solidarity with LGBTQ+ Americans in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice; and 

WHEREAS, LGBTQ+ individuals, especially children and adolescents, often face bullying and harassment in educational settings and are at a disproportionate risk of self-harm and death by suicide. It is imperative that families, school systems, mental health care providers, and the community at large work together to end the social stigma and bullying that can traumatize children and adolescents who identify as LGBTQ+; and 

WHEREAS, Upper Darby Township has a diverse community that includes a proud contingent of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, which is fostered in part by organizations such as Upper Darby Pride and UDTJ, among others. 

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2021 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month in Upper Darby Township and encourage my fellow residents to recognize and participate in its observance.

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
May 26, 2021

Good evening everyone,

A couple of updates…

I would like to thank Chief Derrick Sawyer and all of the members of Upper Darby Fire Department who assisted with the two clean-up events that happened on May 22nd and 23rd, at the 2nd Ward Playground and the Swedish Cabin, respectively. 

On a related note, there will be a presentation tonight by the state Department of Community and Economic Development on their fire department management study.  My administration applied for and was awarded this opportunity in early 2020, and I would like to thank the career and volunteer firefighters who worked with the DCED over the last year to make the study as thorough as possible.  This study will be available on the township website after the meeting tonight. 

A little more than a week away,Habitat for Humanity is sponsoring a Rock the Block event in Upper Darby.  The targeted areas are the 200 block of Chapman Avenue and the municipal parking lot on the 700 block of Long Lane.  I am so grateful that Habitat has chosen Upper Darby as a focus municipality.  I would like Habitat to be a consistent partner here.  Habitat does not build new housing.  This is our inaugural Habitat Rock the Block event and there is an opportunity for members of our community to participate this year.  Tomorrow, we will send a link for volunteer spots for June 5.  I do encourage our residents to like and/or follow the township Facebook page.

Delaware County Park Police Superintendent Scott Mahoney passed away last week, and he was laid to rest today. Not only was he a decorated member of our law enforcement community, he was also a volunteer firefighter with the Upper Darby Fire Department and a neighbor. Scott’s dedication, professionalism, and kind nature will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and we send our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and colleagues.  

May 8th through 15th was Police Appreciation Week, and I would like to take a moment to formally acknowledge Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt and the entire department for everything they do to keep our community safe. Their jobs can be difficult even in the best of times, and they conduct themselves with honor and commitment in their efforts to protect the Upper Darby community. 

The number of new COVID-19 cases across Delaware County continues to decline and it is important to remain vigilant and protect yourself and your loved ones. Please continue to wear masks as appropriate and mandated by law. If you have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax to register for an appointment. If you need to schedule an appointment and are having any difficulty doing so, please email mayor@upperdarby.org or call 610-734-7625.  

Lastly, a reminder that Monday, May 31, is Memorial Day. The Township offices will be closed, and trash and recycling will not be collected that day. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. 

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
May 5, 2021

Good evening everyone,

A couple of updates...

This Saturday, Upper Darby residents are invited to bring confidential shredding materials and E-waste, such as unwanted laptops, cell phones, and other personal devices, to the Identity Theft Protection Event at Upper Darby High School. It will start at 9 am and go until 12 pm or the trucks are full. Per COVID-19 safety protocols, please keep a distance of 6 feet from others and wear a mask at all times. There is a limit of two boxes of shredding materials per vehicle, and please note that we are not able to accept televisions at this event.  

Following up on my previous comments about the Zoning Hearing Board and the proposed development of the Thompson Tract, I have seen the full presentation including the gift of over 3 acres to the township as real open space (and not undeveloped private land) and while we would like to see new housing inventory and environmentally conscience development, my Administration does not support this project at this time. That being said, the ZHB is a quasi-judicial, independent body comprised of Upper Darby residents that hears each application (and anyone is able to submit an application to the Zoning Hearing Board) and makes decisions based on the merits of each application. As Mayor, I do not dictate how the ZHB votes. The ZHB exists to provide checks and balances so that all applicants are assured a fair process.  One of the many pluses of looking at and thinking about this project resulted in my submission to PennDOT to do a safety study focused on the stretch of Providence Road that encompasses the Thompson Tract and the Penn Pines and Hilldale neighborhoods.  I look forward to hearing PennDOT’s findings and recommendations.

My office has been contacted by a non-profit organization called Forum Philly with a request to support the Delaware County Juneteenth Observance and Community Fair that is being planned for Saturday, June 19, at Upper Darby High School. We are pleased to support this event, which is intended to celebrate African American culture and history and which is permitted through the school district, and we encourage Upper Darby residents and organizations to do so as well. Please direct any questions about this event to Reverend Doctor Malcolm Byrd via email at forumphilly@gmail.com. 

It is my honor to issue two proclamations this evening; the first is in recognition of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which is May 2 through May 8.

WHEREAS, because good mental health is a vital component in a child’s overall development and well-being, Children’s Mental Health Week provides the opportunity to focus on this important matter, while celebrating the accomplishments of children and families affected by mental health concerns; and

WHEREAS, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 children between ages 2 and 8 is diagnosed with a mental health condition; and

WHEREAS, research has shown that the early identification and appropriate treatment of mental health disorders among children and adolescents provide them with better opportunities to lead full and productive lives; and

WHEREAS, children and adolescents with mental health challenges and their families benefit from access to timely services and support systems that are family-driven, youth-guided and culturally appropriate; they also benefit from the integration of behavioral health in primary care, education, and child welfare; and

WHEREAS, it is important that children and adolescents, along with their families and communities, learn about warning signs of mental health disorders and where to obtain necessary assistance and treatment; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that schools, health care providers, families, and the community at large work together to erase the stigma that may accompany mental health challenges in children and adolescents;

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor, do hereby proclaim May 2 – 8, 2021 as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Upper Darby Township and encourage my fellow residents to recognize and participate in its observance.

The second proclamation is in recognition of May 2021 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

WHEREAS, The heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was initially honored by the federal government in 1978. In 1992, the recognition of their heritage was expanded to a month-long observance in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have histories and cultures that are thousands of years old; and

WHEREAS, the month of May was chosen to commemorate the first recorded immigration of people from Japan to the United States in May 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, by a majority of Chinese immigrant workers who laid the tracks; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have enriched our social, intellectual, and artistic life in the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made valuable contributions to all areas of life in Delaware County, including government, business, arts and sciences, medicine, education, law enforcement, and the military; and

WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month helps us to appreciate the diversity of our residents in Upper Darby; and by recognizing their contributions to our community, we acknowledge the importance of inclusion as we strive to create a better future for everyone; and

WHEREAS, while all ethnic groups have made significant contributions to our country, the recent dramatic spike in violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for awareness of the discrimination they are facing on a daily basis.  

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby Township, do hereby proclaim May 2021 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Upper Darby Township, and I urge the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance.

Yesterday, Governor Tom Wolf announced that current COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective Memorial Day, May 31. Once Pennsylvania reaches a 70% vaccination rate among adults, the mask mandate will be lifted as well. If you have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax to register for an appointment. It is vitally important that everyone gets vaccinated as soon as possible so that we can get back so we can get back to life without masks. If you need to schedule an appointment and are having any difficulty doing so, please email mayor@upperdarby.org or call 610-734-7625. We are all in this together, and we are here to help.   

Speaking of help, it is my pleasure to thank everyone associated with the Upper Darby Summer Stage program who has worked so hard to make it possible to offer opportunities for children to attend this summer.   

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
April 21, 2021

Good evening everyone,

Yesterday’s conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd is a tremendous relief for many people, and my administration acknowledges that there is still much work to be done to address the issues of systemic racism and bias that plague our society. Justice is a process and not a single moment or outcome, and we must continue the hard work of correcting these inequities for years to come. However, let there be no doubt that this verdict is a watershed moment and a clear affirmation that George Floyd’s life mattered.

We also recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication of our public safety personnel here in Upper Darby leading up to the verdict announcement. Enduring change and real equality are our goals, and it is more important now than ever that we come together as residents of Upper Darby to look out for and protect each other. 

Communication is the foundation creating an engaged community and I think it's fair to say that these have been some tough times for all of us. On top of the complications and adjustments of our COVID-life, we are all still grappling with the struggles of daily life as well as the larger social problems that things such as the pandemic and the Chauvin verdict shine a spotlight on. 

In times like these or in any times at all, there is no harm in being vulnerable and expressing how you are feeling, especially in the trying times that we are living through today. If you feel like you need a different outlet or perspective, please contact the Delaware County Telehealth Helpline at 855-464-9342. The helpline is dedicated to providing emotional support to anyone in Delaware County, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The line is staffed by Certified Peer Specialists and Mental Health Professionals. All calls are confidential and can be made anonymously.

Switching gears…

On a positive note, directly related to Upper Darby, I am very happy to announce that we have received a $425,000 commitment from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to do work to enhance the area around Market and Powell to create greater walkability and an improved streetscape. I want to thank Senator Kearney for all of his support for this application and for our community. 

The Upper Darby Environmental Advisory Committee and the Friends of Upper Darby Trails will hold a Learn and Hike event this Saturday, April 24, in honor of Earth Day. There will be three separate hikes throughout the day: one along the Recreation Area Trail beginning at 9 a.m, one at the Underground Railroad Trail Spur beginning at 1 p.m., and one at Naylors Run Park Trail beginning at 6 p.m. More details can be found on the Environmental Advisory’s Facebook page.

On Friday, April 30, we are partnering with the Upper Darby Shade Tree Commission, the Upper Darby Township Library staff, the Tree Tenders of Upper Darby and the 4th District Community Group for this year's Arbor Day Celebration. We will be planting several new trees in the recently cleared space on the grounds between Sellers Library and Sellers Park, starting at 10:30 a.m. The Tree Tenders of Upper Darby and the Upper Darby 4th District Community Group will also be on hand with free yard and house plants, and free plant kits for children.

As a reminder, our new weekly yard waste collection service is now ongoing until Friday, November 19. Yard waste will be collected weekly on residents’ regularly scheduled recycling pick up day. Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings, and similar material. Please do not use plastic bags to collect your yard waste. Instead, place it in biodegradable paper bags which are available at local hardware stores, or place the yard waste loosely in trash cans without bags.

I would like to say a few things about the ZHB application for the proposed development of the Thompson Tract.  First, the Thompson Tract is not “open space”, it is privately-owned land that is currently zoned for development.  Except for a single home on the property, it is private undeveloped land.  I hear the concerns of neighboring residents - I had the same concerns almost 12 years ago when the township attempted to rezone the Thompson Tract and the Mozino Tract, across from the Drexeline Shopping Center, for high-density housing. It’s important to remember that the Thompson Tract is private land and that anybody is allowed to submit an application to the ZHB. To be even more clear, the only reason that a zoning application is necessary in this case, or any case, is because my administration denied the initial plan application. 

The ZHB is a quasi-judicial, independent body and it is the job of the ZHB to hear each and every application and make decisions based on its merits.  As Mayor, I don’t tell the ZHB how to vote.  The ZHB is there to provide checks and balances so that all applicants are assured a fair and balanced process. 

It’s great to see this high level of participation from Upper Darby residents and to get their input on applications such as this one.  That’s what local government is about and that’s why the ZHB, and all of our other boards and commissions, like the Civil Service Commission and the Historic Commission, are so important in guiding us to the future.

I am happy to report that the number of COVID-19 vaccines available in Delaware County has been steadily increasing. If you have not yet received the vaccine, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax to register for an appointment. Unfortunately, there has also been an increase in the number of positive cases in our area over the past few weeks. It is vitally important that everyone gets vaccinated as soon as possible, and please continue to wear masks in public and practice social distancing.  For my part, myself and my younger daughter will be getting our first vaccines on Monday and my husband and older daughter will be getting their second doses within the next two weeks.  If you want to schedule an appointment and are having difficulty please contact my office at mayor@upperdarby.org or call 610.734.7625.  If you are helping someone get an appointment, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.  We’re here to help.

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
April 7, 2021

Good evening everyone,

I have a couple of updates to share: 

Last week, I was pleased to swear in nine new officers for the Upper Darby Police Department: Elijah Brown, Joseph Girardi, Kevin Joby, Nicholas Moriconi, Daniel Mullarkey III, Maura O’Connell, Inderbir Randhawa, Matthew Terry, and Adam Wheatley. These officers come from the most qualified and diverse class in Township history, and they will be a great addition to the Department.  I’m delighted and honored to welcome them into our Upper Darby team.  And I would also like to acknowledge the Civil Service Commission which played an important, and behind the scenes part, into making this a reality.

We are currently working on several grants for Upper Darby, including a Keystone Facade Grant. We are applying for funding from DCED that we would offer to small businesses for street-facing exterior improvements, such as painting, repointing, facade repair or restoration, and signage. This grant is for $50,000, with an equal match from the Township. Due to limited funding, we would focus this program on the unit block of Garrett Road, work on the kinks, learn the system and expand the program to our other neighborhood business districts. I have personally visited many of the businesses in the area, and there is a lot of interest in and support for this initiative. 

We are also working on a community project funding request to Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon's Office for the new Upper Darby Community Center.

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Upper Darby High School and Beverly Hills Middle School as part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to support states, schools, students, parents, and educators as they navigate the return to in-person learning.  We talked about how the township and the school district have forged a strong working relationship over the past year and a few months to advance the district’s capital plans for improvements including the Aronimink Elementary expansion as well as understanding and streamlining our shared services.

We had some more good news this week: after fielding questions from S&P concerning some of the audit findings as well as revenue forecasts in the COVID ERA, I am pleased to announce that the end-effect is that S&P has granted us an A+ stable rating.  It was an elongated process and credit goes to CAO Vincent Rongione and Finance Director Gary Meron for their diligent work on this.

The Darby Creek Valley Association’s annual clean-up will take place this Saturday, April 10, from 9 am to 12 pm. There are eleven sites that need help in our Township, please visit dcva.org/watershed-cleanups to register for a specific site. I will be a site captain, and it’s a great way to get involved. 

The Upper Darby Environmental Advisory Committee and the Friends of Upper Darby Trails will hold a Learn and Hike event on Saturday, April 24, in honor of Earth Day. There will be three separate hikes throughout the day: one along the Recreation Area Trail beginning at 9 a.m, one at the Underground Railroad Trail Spur beginning at 1 p.m., and one at Naylor’s Run Park Trail beginning at 6 p.m.  More details can be found on the Environmental Advisory’s Facebook page.

Our new weekly yard waste collection service started this week and will continue until Friday, November 19. Yard Waste will be collected weekly on residents’ regularly scheduled recycling pick up day. Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings, and similar material. Please note that grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Please do not use plastic bags to collect your yard waste. Instead, place it in biodegradable paper bags which are available at local hardware stores, including Burhill on Burmont Road and the TruValue on Marshall Road, as well as Home Depot and Lowes, or place the yard waste loosely in trash cans without bags.

Finally, Upper Darby was selected as one of twenty municipalities in Pennsylvania to participate in the Department of Environmental Protections’ 2021 Local Climate Action Program which matches local governments with college students to develop greenhouse gas inventories and climate action plans. I am pleased to introduce Melissa Morales and Janniry (Juh-nair-e) Belen from Moravian College who have been working with us this semester.

(They Present)

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
March 17, 2021

Good evening everyone,

A couple of updates: 

On Sunday, Delaware County held a mass vaccine clinic at Upper Darby High School, where 1,300 first doses of the COVID vaccine were administered. Thanks to Delaware County Emergency Services 911 for their hard work and Upper Darby School District for hosting. I would also like to thank Delaware County Council for choosing Upper Darby as the location for the clinic. I know that many are frustrated by the lack of vaccine availability and the difficulty of getting appointments. I understand and share your frustration, so I especially want to thank Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Senator Tim Kearney, and the County for their advocacy efforts to increase the number of vaccines distributed in Delaware County.

We encourage anyone who is currently eligible for the vaccine and has not yet received it to reach out to the county for assistance in getting an appointment. For all of the latest information regarding the vaccine process, please visit Delaware County’s website: delcopa.gov/covid or contact the Delaware County COVID-19 Call Center at 484-276-2100. 

This Saturday, March 20, we will hold an in-person meeting at 10:30 a.m. regarding the plans for the new Upper Darby Community Center. It will be held outdoors at 7000 Walnut Street, the future site of the Center. This will be another chance for the public to review the initial design and provide input on this important project. If you are unable to join us on Saturday but have suggestions or comments about this project, you are welcome to email them to mayor@upperdarby.org.  

On Wednesday, March 24, I am hosting a virtual panel discussion in honor of Women's History Month at 7 p.m. The theme is “Mentors & Models”, and we have gathered a group of women from the Upper Darby community to discuss the impact that mentors and role models have made on their lives, both personally and professionally. The featured panelists are Representative Margo Davidson, NBC10/Telemundo 62 reporter Stephania Jimenez, and Upper Darby residents Hibah Ali, Pam Burton, and RaMonda Crosby. Please register for this event at upperdarby.org or call 610-734-7625 to register by phone. Questions for the panelists can be sent to mayor@upperdarby.org. 

On Saturday, March 27, there will be a clean-up from 9-11 am at Parkview Playground, which is located down the hill from Observatory Hill. Thank you to Councilwoman Danyelle Blackwell for hosting this event.

The Darby Creek Valley Association’s annual clean-up will take place on Saturday, April 10 from 9 am to 12 pm. There are several sites that need help in our township, please visit dcva.org/watershed-cleanups to register for a specific site. The DCVA is also looking for people to serve as site captains; please contact suedcva@gmail.com if you are interested.

Lastly, a new service, weekly yard waste collection, will begin in Upper Darby starting on Monday, April 5 and continuing until Friday, November 19. It will be collected weekly on residents’ regularly scheduled recycling pick up day. Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings (4 inches or less in diameter and less than 3 feet long), and similar material. Please note that grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Please do not use plastic bags to recycle yard waste; instead, place it in biodegradable paper bags which are available at local hardware stores, Burhill on Bermont Road and the TruValue on Marshall Road or, place the yard waste loosely in trash cans without bags.

Thank you and have a great evening.

Mayor’s Message
March 3, 2021

Good evening everyone,

A couple of updates:  

On Monday, Governor Tom Wolf announced changes to COVID-19 mitigation restrictions that are now in effect statewide, including the elimination of out-of-state travel restrictions. While the number of COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania is currently on the decline, it is critically important that everyone continues to wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice social distancing. This virus remains a serious threat and our vigilance against it cannot be relaxed.  

Regarding the COVID-19 vaccine shortage in Upper Darby and Delaware County, local, county and state officials have been advocating since early on in the rollout to increase the number of vaccines that are sent to Delaware County each week by the federal distribution system. We understand that many residents are frustrated by this situation, and we appreciate your continued patience as the county works to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible. For all of the latest information regarding the vaccine process, please visit Delaware County’s website: delcopa.gov/covid or contact the Delaware County COVID-19 Call Center at 484-276-2100. 

I am pleased to announce that on Wednesday, March 10th at 7pm we will hold a Virtual Public Presentation of the plans for the new Upper Darby Community Center. This will be a chance for the public to review the initial design and provide input on this important project. Please register for this Zoom meeting at www.upperdarby.org or call 610-734-7625 to register by phone. I encourage residents to participate and assist in making this a true community center.

On Thursday, March 11, I will be participating in an event with Habitat for Humanity called Women Build. A group of volunteers will be doing a landscaping project at the home of an Upper Darby veteran. Thanks to the non-profit organization Heroic Gardens for their help in this endeavor. 

We’re excited to announce that a new service, weekly yard waste collection, will begin in Upper Darby starting on Monday, April 5 and continuing until Friday, November 19. It will be collected weekly on your regularly scheduled recycling pick up day. Yard waste is defined as leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings (4 inches or less in diameter and less than 3 feet long), and similar material. Please note that grass clippings are NOT considered yard waste. Please do not use plastic bags to recycle yard waste; instead, place it in biodegradable paper bags or loose in trash cans without bags.

The Darby Creek Valley Association’s annual clean-up will take place on Saturday, April 10 from 9 am to 12 pm. There are several sites that need help in our township, please visit dcva.org/watershed-cleanups to register for a specific site. The DCVA is also looking for people to serve as site captains; please contact suedcva@gmail.com if you are interested. 

March 2021 is Women’s History Month, and I have issued a proclamation in recognition of this important event. (reads proclamation) 

Thank you and have a great evening.

Mayor’s Message
February 17, 2021

Good evening everybody,

I have a couple of updates:  

My administration continues to aggressively pursue grants that will increase reinvestment in our community.  We recently applied for two multi-modal grants, one for the Bishop Avenue/Secane Train Station and one for Market Street at Powell Lane. We are working on an application for grant funding for upgrades to Observatory Park and Chapman Park.  

Tonight Council will vote on two important projects: the Drexeline development and the expanded parking lot at the Secane train station. We are glad to see redevelopment in our township and I support both these projects.

COVID-19 statistics are starting to improve in Delaware County, but we encourage everyone to remain vigilant by continuing to wear masks, washing your hands, and social distancing as much as possible. Now is not the time to let your guard down. Please contact the Delaware County Covid-19 Call Center at 484-276-2100 if you have any questions. The Call Center can also help you navigate which eligibility group you may be in for the COVID-19 vaccine, and how to register to receive the vaccine when the time comes.

We are preparing for another snow and ice storm that is due to start overnight tonight and will continue through tomorrow into Friday. Our crews have been out all day brining and preparing the roads. They will be salting and plowing as needed and as snow accumulates. As always, please take your time and be extra cautious if you have to travel while it is snowing or sleeting. Non-essential travel is discouraged during these times and we appreciate your cooperation in helping to keep snow emergency routes clear. 

As a proud Cardinal O’Hara graduate and a Catholic myself, I know that Good Friday is a solemn Christian holy day and is important to many people. I hear the concerns that have been raised regarding the change on the Township trash and recycling calendar. The change on this calendar was implemented in order to be more inclusive and respectful of Upper Darby’s diverse community. We fully support the observation of Good Friday by everyone who chooses to do so.       

Thank you and have a great evening. 

Mayor’s Message
February 3, 2021

Good evening everybody,

A couple of updates:  

I would like to thank everyone who worked on the snow removal and trash and recycling crews for doing a great job over the past few days. Your efforts during the snowstorm are deeply appreciated.

I am pleased to announce that our partnership with the Share Food Program to distribute food boxes to our community will continue every Wednesday and Saturday, 11:30am, at the Upper Darby Township Municipal Building until further notice. We thank the Share Food Program and our staff and volunteers who have been part of our efforts to help Upper Darby residents in need. 

Upper Darby residents should have received a trash and recycling newsletter this past week, detailing our recycling program and outlining the Township trash and recycling holidays. We have received a lot of feedback from the community about the change from the traditional printed 12-month trash and recycling calendar to the newsletter format. We chose the new format in order to keep printing costs down and reduce the amount of paper waste. For anyone who may be interested, a printable monthly calendar is available online at www.upperdarby.org/trash.    

February 2021 is Black History Month, and I have issued a proclamation in recognition of this important event. (reads proclamation) 

I am also happy to share with you that we have created a walking tour that features seven spots of interest along the Underground Railroad in Upper Darby. The map for this self-guided tour is available on our website and social media. We are proud of our rich history and our local connection to the Underground Railroad, and I would like to thank the Historic Commission for their hard work and continued dedication to developing a more extensive trail to help the community learn more about this subject. 

Thank you and have a great evening.