Meetings of the Board of Commissioners will be televised beginning in September.  The Board agreed to purchase and install equipment to televise its meetings.  The meetings will be rebroadcast on Channel 42.

Aggressively Move Forward on Sewer Upgrades-The Commissioners adopted a plan to accelerate sewer replacement and relining work and cut about one year from the prior plan in January.

Aggressively Move Forward with Flood Control Projects-Reviewed, in May, a design prepared by the DEP Waterways Division to completed the Glenside Flood Control Project in a way that is unimpeded by SPS.  The plan should be presented to the public in June or July.   Short term flood reduction measures were adopted by the Board of Commissioners in February.

Engage Army Corps of Engineers-The Board of Commissioners approved  a +$800,000 study of flooding conditions in Cheltenham to be conducted by the Army Corp of Engineers of which we pay our share that is +$300,00.  The study with recommendations should be completed in about a year and a half.

Reduce Real Estate Tax Gap- An ordinance to attract new housing/new taxpayers on sites of 5 acres or more was approved by the Board of Commissioners in February.

Reevaluate Recycling and Trash Collections- The Commissioners approved automated collection of recycling in May.  The program is scheduled to begin in April 2013.

Free Old York Road and Church from Public Works Facility

Adopt Anti Discrimination Ordinance-Adopted 15 February.

Adopt Equal Opportunity in Contracting Policy-Adopted 21 March.

Adopt Sustainability Goals-Draft sustainability goals were adopted by the Sustainability Committee in January 2012 and then by the Public Works Committee of the Board of Commissioners in February 2012.

Adopt Sustainability Budget

Increase Physical Activity of Residents-Cheltenham advertised the mid April walk and run to support the Glenside 4th of July parade and the Run for Jake. I am distributing t-shirts that say “Walk Within A Mile” to encourage residents to walk to destinations within a mile (20 minutes) of their home.

Cheltenham Township is committed to fixing our sewer system and addressing the flooding.  We are in year two of a mult-year $10 million effort to replace and reline sewers.  We engaged the Army Corp of Engineers to do a comprehensive study of flooding so that we can get long term  solutions.  The School District is building schools to replace those that are beyond repair in order to improve the quality of education.  Our health care costs are rising too.  At the same time, the Township and School District had zero real estate tax increases in 2011 and project the same for 2012.

On the other hand, our community and way of life is being undermined by state and proposed Republican federal cuts to infrastructure,education and health care.  Grants for sewer system and flooding repairs have been dramatically cut.  Support for public education has been reduced and proposed Republican federal cuts would take about $186 million a year from Pennsylvania for special education, elementary and secondary education.  The chances for our children would be further limited by cuts to work study college opportunities at the rate of about 9,000 at year.  Residents in neighboring Philadelphia would be disproportionately hit with big cuts in pre-school Head Start and federal Pell grants to college students all the while the importance and cost of attending college go up.  Republicans in Harrisburg and Washington seek to end the health care cost control measures that Congress adopted in 2010.

While local leadership makes every effort to improve our community, we can’t do it alone.  We need your help to get state and federal leaders to support us.  Contact Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey and let them know that we can’t do it alone.

Aggressively Move Forward on Sewer Upgrades-The Commissioners adopted a plan to accelerate sewer replacement and relining work and cut about one year from the prior plan in January.

Aggressively Move Forward with Flood Control Projects-A meeting with DEP Waterways Division was held to get the Glenside Flood Control Project under construction in February.  New flood control designs that are unimpeded by SPS will be completed by DEP in April for review by Cheltenham.  Short term flood reduction measures were adopted by the Board of Commissioners in February.

Engage Army Corps of Engineers-The Board of Commissioners approved  a +$800,000 study of flooding conditions in Cheltenham to be conducted by the Army Corp of Engineers of which we pay our share that is +$300,00.  The study with recommendations should be completed in about a year and a half.

Reduce Real Estate Tax Gap- An ordinance to attract new housing/new taxpayers on sites of 5 acres or more was approved by the Board of Commissioners in February.

Reevaluate Recycling and Trash Collections-I attend several meetings with residents to discuss automated recycling collections.

Free Old York Road and Church from Public Works Facility

Adopt Anti Discrimination Ordinance-Adopted 15 February.

Adopt Equal Opportunity in Contracting Policy-Adopted 21 March.

Adopt Sustainability Goals-Draft sustainability goals were adopted by the Sustainability Committee in January 2012 and then by the Public Works Committee of the Board of Commissioners in February 2012.

Adopt Sustainability Budget

Increase Physical Activity of Residents-Cheltenham advertised the mid April walk and run to support the Glenside 4th of July parade and the Run for Jake.