Mayor's Message 10/20/2021

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.