Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Month – September 2010

Notes from Tredyffrin’s Supervisors Meeting & TESD Finance Committee Meeting

September 14, 2010
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Last night was the Board of Supervisors meeting and unfortunately I was unable to attend due to regularly scheduled DuPortail House Board meeting. Although the supervisors meeting was short, there was a notable issue from resident John Petersen under the resident comment section. Petersen asked for relief from the township on stormwater damage to his property and cited neighbor’s property where stormwater damaged was repaired by the township. It is my understanding that the township manager claimed that the damage to the neighboring properties is different, and as a result, the township is not responsible for Petersen’s driveway stormwater damage. What recourse does Petersen and other homeowners with similar stormwater damage have with the township to receive repairs? I’m not sure what the difference was between the two properties, but if there was stormwater repair to a resident’s property, does that now open the floodgates for other residents to ask (and receive) the same type of consideration from the township? Perhaps John can explain the difference between his damage and his neighbors stormwater damage. I know that we support fair and equal treatment for all citizens.

Follow-up: I spoke with John Petersen and he will not be commenting on his stormwater damage.

There was a TESD Finance Committee meeting and my friend Ray Clarke has provided some very interesting notes from the meeting. It seems that EIT has reared its ugly head again and will be discussed at an informational session in October. I about choked when I read Ray’s notes concerning the possibility of an 8% property tax increase! Folks, we may have squeaked by last year but between the township and the school district, the picture is not looking good for 2011. I fear that the budgets in 2010 were band-aid solutions and just put off the inevitable.

I’ll be interested in your comments, both on stormwater damage to private property and also on the Ray Clark’s remarks about from the Finance Committee meeting.

Ray Clark’s TESD Finance Committee Meeting Notes . . .

1. The current year P&L
– Already $1 million in the hole because although transfer taxes are budgeted on a 7 year rolling average, there is no mechanism to bring that amount into the P&L from the General Fund or any Transfer Tax Fund, so the P&L has to reflect the actual expected amounts. Budget $2.7 million; expected actual $1.7 million (last year $1.8 million)
– Revenues are also under pressure from a high number of residential and commercial property appeals, with an average 20% reduction in value (see EIT discussion later!)
– Offsetting the revenue declines and ~$0.3 million of unbudgeted teacher movement across the salary matrix (is this a surprise?) are about $0.7 million of PSERS expense deferral (thank you Harrisburg), and about $1 million of savings from a reduction of 15 teaching positions as part of last year’s strategies.
– Also on the downside, $0.3 million of the expense savings are being rethought – money to come from the Contingency, unused in previous years

2. Un-expensed unused vacation/sick time liabilities
– The liability (General Fund designation) for vested employee services nearly doubled last year, to $6.2 million (fully one fifth of the General Fund balance!). As far as I can see, the $2.8 million increase was never expensed, just a below the line item. The increase came from a review of the liability; it’s not clear that there is any process for annually reviewing and updating the liability in a way that flows through the operating budget. Maybe others can help me on this.

3. Anne Crowley stands up for due process
– There was a proposal to pay $300K for a new scheduling/report card/transcript/etc. system from the same vendor who has been severely limiting support of the current system. The reason being, the great support provided by the vendor – until they don’t, apparently. And annual maintenance is over 50% of the capital cost. Of course we all know how important is is for these reports to be right (but the system doesn’t protect against the bad data that has been known to show up!), and the vendor is reputable, but at least let’s make this private equity-owned vendor just a little concerned about losing cash flow! Mrs Crowley lead the charge on this and hopefully there will be a good market justification and maybe some cost savings before this gets passed through the Board Consent Agenda.

4. Addressing next year’s $7 million gap – the EIT option
– Administration’s estimate for the Act 1 cap next year is 1.4% – worth only $1.25 million. So, we’d be looking at one or a combination of:
a) Asking voters in May 2011 to approve “exceptions” and increase property taxes by 8% (or more to offset declining assessments)
b) Cutting expenses (Superintendent Waters claims they are “to the bone” already)
c) Asking voters in May 2011 to approve an EIT
– The general attitude of our elected officials at the meeting seemed to be a regret that the cap and voter-unapproved property tax increase could not be higher
– Mrs Fadem noted that five** School Board members’ terms are expiring in 2011 and she considered that asking for an EIT would complicate any re-election bids. (**Bookstaber, Bruce, Cruickshank, Mahoney, Motel)
– Although it’s known that November 16th is the deadline to notify the Townships of the intent to put an EIT to voter referendum, very little other information is available. What is the aggregate income of the District residents? How much revenue could be raised at what rate? What rights do the Townships have to appropriate any of the proceeds? How much is already being paid by TESD residents that would stay within the District? What percentage of residents already pay an EIT? How would an EIT or property tax increase differentially affect senior citizens and other voter blocs? How much would the tax cost to administer? What is the likely year-to-year variability in income? Is there a limit to the rate that the District can impose? Can TESD reclaim the tax paid to Philadelphia? Etc.
– The officials seemed ready to declare the result of the referendum without answers to these questions – today’s outcome would be no different to the voter response to the (totally different) question four years ago. However, cooler heads prevailed, and an information session/workshop is to be scheduled for mid-October. An important occasion, I’d think.

5. CHS parking slots sold out at $100
 – up from $10. But there are major issues with increasing student admission to Teamer Field from $3 to $5.

Interesting Religious Relationship in Tredyffrin . . . Islamic Mosque, Jewish Synagogue & Baptist Church are Neighbors

September 10, 2010
11 Comments

My husband and I were in Istanbul last year on vacation and visited several beautiful mosques, including the Blue Mosque. The city was fascinating and by complete coincidence we arrived in the midst of Ramadan, Islam’s most religious holiday season. Seeking cultural diversion, this trip will remain a highlight in our vacation memories, in no small part by the generosity and kindness of the Turkish people.

So it was with great interest that I read the following AP story — I actually read it in an Irish newspaper this morning. On the eve of the ninth anniversary of September 11th, I think it is a good time to take pause and to be mindful of the reasons this country was founded . . . including religious freedom. Tomorrow should be a time of remembrance . . . of the day, and the many lives that were lost. How appropriate that this story would be read around the world today.

New mosque opens peacefully in US suburb – next door to synagogue, near Baptist church

Written by Kathy Matheson, The Associated Press
Friday, September 10 2010, 6:02 AM

BERWYN, Pa. – A new mosque recently opened in this well-to-do suburb of Philadelphia, but not many people noticed. That was fine with leaders of the Islamic Society of Greater Valley Forge. Amid a tense national climate for U.S. Muslims, they did not seek publicity for the happy occasion, only continued peace with their neighbors: a Jewish synagogue next door and Baptist church across the street.

The Muslims’ good relations with other faiths and the town at large offers a stark contrast to American communities torn by anti-Islamic acts, including arson at the site of a planned mosque in Tennessee and a threatened Qur’an burning in Florida.In New York, debate rages over a planned Islamic centre and mosque near ground zero. And everywhere tensions are heightened because Friday’s joyous Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr falls a day before the somber ninth anniversary of Sept. 11.

But in Tredyffrin Township, about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, community members say a tradition of religious tolerance, combined with an educated population and small-town friendliness, have yielded years of harmonious coexistence.”We have much more in common than not in common,” mosque president Mohammad Aziz said. “We are blessed with very good neighbors.”

Township officials conceded some trepidation among residents when the Islamic Society sought construction permits in 2008. The growing Sunni group planned to build on land behind the small house it had used as a mosque since 1994. Most concerns were standard zoning issues like parking, traffic and stormwater runoff. But the concept of a mosque was jarring to some, despite Muslims having long worshipped at the site, said Judy DiFilippo, a township supervisor for 20 years until her retirement in January. “It was something brand new to the community. Even though they were using an existing building, it wasn’t an obvious mosque,” DiFilippo said.

The plans were approved; construction and fundraising began in earnest, capped by the mosque opening on June 5. DiFilippo said there have been no problems, which she attributed to an “underlying theme of tolerance that just comes with this community.”

Yossi Kaplan, a Lubavitch rabbi at Chabad Jewish Center next door, said he was approached by people seeking his opposition to the project — but waved them off. The two faiths were enjoying solid relations, to the point where they shared parking lots and Muslims helped with tasks that Jews cannot perform on the Sabbath.

The rabbi expected nothing less from his neighbors, regardless of religion. This is America, Kaplan said, and this is how it’s supposed to be.”We’re just good friends. We’re really good neighbors,” he said. “There’s never been any issues.”

The United States has seen a 58 per cent increase in the number of mosques over the past decade, from 1,200 to roughly 1,900, according to Ihsan Bagby, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky and a researcher on American mosques. Yet many U.S. mosques are repurposed existing buildings, retrofitted to accommodate ritual washing areas and separate entrances for men and women. Sometimes they require odd configurations for prayer so worshippers can face Mecca.

Thus the new $1.5 million mosque in Tredyffrin is truly an American Dream for Aziz. Since joining the congregation in 1998, he said, it has more than doubled in size as technology professionals arrived in the area from India and Pakistan. The mosque has a prayer hall, library, multipurpose room, bathrooms with washing areas, WiFi and — most important — more space for the 60 or so families who worship there.

Except for dome-shaped accents around the vertical windows, it looks more like a community centre than a house of worship. There are no minarets and no dome — cost-conscious omissions that Aziz said should help it blend in and attract younger generations. “American mosques should take their own form … (and) be appealing and open to people, not just Muslims,” said Aziz, 57. “It is built for my children and my children’s children.”

Last week, the Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations sponsored an event for community members to tour the mosque, learn about the faith, observe evening prayers and share dinner. “If you get to know your neighbours, you are less inclined to be fearful of them,” CAIR-PA Executive Director Moein Khawaja said.

About 50 people came, including the Rev. John Loring, pastor of the Baptist Church in the Great Valley, just across the street. The congregation was founded in 1711 by Welsh immigrants seeking freedom to worship in Pennsylvania, then a colony that emphasized its welcome to settlers of all faiths.

“Respect for all religions is an important part of who we are,” Loring said. Sally Bovais, 68, of Phoenixville, came with about 10 members of her nearby Presbyterian Church. She said such events were important “to put a face to Muslim people.” “The stereotype is really very dangerous,” Bovais said. “They espouse love and peace, and raise families and are involved in their faith. That’s part of the thread of our nation.

Labor Day . . . Enjoy and Remember Why We Celebrate

September 6, 2010
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The first Monday in September, Labor Day, has come to mean the ending of summer . . . the close of the swimming pool . . . a day off from work and a great excuse to have that last big backyard barbecue. But do you know the origin of Labor Day and why we celebrate it?

A brief history of the holiday; Labor Day originated in 1882 as a result of the labor movement and was to recognize the working person with a special day in their honor. There seems some disagreement as to who began the holiday. Some historians credit Peter McGuire, who was the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiner and cofounder of the American Federal of Labor as the man who first advocated for the holiday.

But others have suggested that it was a Matthew Maguire who served as the secretary of the New York’s Central Labor Union as the originator of Labor Day. Regardless, ultimately the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and official celebration on September 5, 1882 in New York City.

Why choose the first Monday in September for the holiday? It was decided that this date would be halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The idea became popular with labor unions and local governments around the county and gradually came to adopt Labor Day as an official holiday before it developed into a national holiday.

President Grover Cleveland signed the law that that recognized Labor Day as a national holiday for the working man. As an aside, Cleveland was not a labor union supporter but hoped that the legislation would help him with political damage that he had suffered earlier that same year. During that time, Cleveland has used federal troops to thwart an American Railway Union strike in Chicago, and as a result, 34 railroad workers were killed. Originally, the holiday was celebrated by union workers with large public demonstrations, in the form of rallies and parades. However, as industrial centered developed the large parades became impractical giving way to family and neighborhood backyard celebrations.

As you enjoy your day off from work and your backyard barbecue, remember all the working people who contribute to the standard of living that as Americans we all enjoy.

TESD School Board Member Kevin Mahoney Says District Budget Could be 15% Over Budget in 2 Years if Pension Contribution Rates Don’t Change

September 1, 2010
42 Comments

Interesting article in Daily Local newspaper by Dan Kristie (see below). TESD School Board Member Kevin Mahoney says the school budget could be 15% over budget in 2 years if the pension contributions rates don’t change. According to Mahoney, the only way to deal with the increasing pensions costs is to pass a large real estate tax increase! Comments . . .

Retirement System’s Cost to Rise Dramatically Soon

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer

This is a dramatic increase, considering the district’s 2010-11 budget was $203 million and 60 to 70 percent of the district’s expenses are dedicated to salaries and benefits — a percentage that, because of contractual obligations, is difficult to reduce or change.

Schools across the state are facing similar increases in their retirement system contributions, and their budgets are similarly constrained.

School officials in Chester County expect the state Legislature will — somehow — adjust the retirement system so the increases will be less dramatic. But even if reforms are implemented, the retirement system remains dramatically underfunded. Local officials doubt any state-level solution to the PSERS crisis will save their own school districts from all the retirement system-related pain.

Officials are reluctant to speculate about what will be on the chopping block once the increased retirement system contributions come into effect. The consensus, however, is that if the increases are anywhere near as large as projected, educational programs will be affected.

Kevin Mahoney, the chairman of the Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board finance committee, said that if required PSERS contribution rates do not change, his school district in two years will be 15 percent over budget.

This will be the case, Mahoney said, even if Tredyffrin/Easttown sees no other cost increases except for a small increase in the cost of benefits. Mahoney added that the district is required by law to pass a balanced budget.

“You can only do that by increasing class size or eliminating curriculum choice,” Mahoney said. The other way for districts like Tredyffrin/Easttown to deal with the increased PSERS rates would be to pass a large real estate tax increase.

Act 1 is the state law that limits how much school districts can raise property taxes. Act 1, however, allows districts to exceed the limit in order to cover mandated pension contributions. Act 1 also allows districts to hold referendums if they seek to raise taxes beyond the limit.

Local school officials said Act 1 taxpayer referendums are extremely unlikely to pass in Chester County, given the economic climate and the mood of the electorate here. And, officials said, school districts would be unlikely to try to use Act 1 exemptions to pass the PSERS increase off to taxpayers.

“[The West Chester Area School] board has made it pretty clear we’re not taking exceptions,” said Jim Davison, the chairman of that school board’s finance committee. He added that the electorate in West Chester Area would never go for a referendum.

“I have no confidence in a referendum passing in this district,” Davison said. Davison, like Mahoney, said he believes his district’s educational programs could be in jeopardy if the state doesn’t reform the retirement system. He said, however, that West Chester Area will try to make other types of cuts — to facilities budgets and energy use, for example — and hope for the best from the state-level retirement system reform effort.

“But I don’t know if we can make enough of those types of cuts so we don’t impact the classroom,” Davison said. “That’s the million-dollar question. We may end up impacting the classroom — increasing class size, getting rid of programs.”

Bill Fagan, the chairman of the Downingtown Area School District finance committee, used the metaphor of a series of concentric circles to describe how the retirement system crisis might affect his district. “When you look at the concentric circle with the children in the middle, the farther out you get from that circle, those are the types of programs … more likely to be cut,” Fagan said.

Fagan said he was unwilling to speculate about precisely what type of programs would fall on the outer circles. But, he said, he hoped Downingtown Area could deal with the PSERS crisis without negatively impacting the classroom.

The state legislature in July voted to reduce the 2010-11 retirement system employer contribution rate from 8.22 percent to 5.64 percent, meaning school districts will be required to contribute less than expected this year to the fund.

Local officials said that, in the absence of other action, this only delays the retirement system crisis. “The state has been unwilling to change the benefit program,” Mahoney said. “We keep seeing this ski slope curve in front of us, and whenever we get close to it the state has changed the discount rate, which just makes the curb steeper but farther away.”

Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust Needs Your Help to Make the Rebuilding of the Jones Log Barn a Reality . . . Please Show Your Support for Historic Preservation

September 1, 2010
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As president of the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, I am very grateful for Blair’s article in this week’s Main Line Suburban newspaper (below).

The Trust must raise the remaining $200K by the end of the year for this project. As a registered 501c3, all contributions to the Trust are tax-deductible as the law permits. I have always said that historic preservation is the last item on to a budget (whether federal, state, county, local) and it unfortunately in many cases, it becomes the first line listing that gets cut in a budget. Faced with the severity of these economic times, it is not exactly the best time to be Capital Campaign fundraising . . . but if we don’t raise the money, the historic Jones Log Barn will not be a reality.

If everyone who is reading this could go to the website, www.tredyffrinhistory.org and make a commitment of $25, $50, $100 (or more if you are able) to the Capital Campaign . . . purchase tickets to the House Tour . . . or buy coffee with our joint effort with Golden Valley Farms, you can help make this 9-year old project a reality for the community! Please help the me by supporting historic preservation.

Jones Log Barn project needs $200K more to become reality

Published: Wednesday, September 01, 2010

By Blair Meadowcroft

The Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, established in 2001 to locally teach the importance of historic preservation, continues to work on its original project: preserving and reconstructing the historic Jones Log Barn. Now in its final phase, the project has two obstacles, funding and time.

“In order to make the reconstruction of the Jones Log Barn a reality, the Trust must raise the remaining $200,000 of the total project cost, which is approximately $450,000, before the end of 2010,” said Trust president Pattye Benson. “Along with raising the funding, the Trust is faced with a serious time crunch. The logs being stored at Valley Forge National Historical Park must be removed by Feb. 1, 2011. The clock is ticking and we really need the help and financial support of the community to complete the barn-reconstruction project.”

According to Benson, although nearly half the barn will include the original logs, the township requires the Trust to build the barn as if it were new, including following all of today’s building and stormwater requirements. So far engineering and architectural fees are about $80,000 of the project costs.

The barn, built during the American Revolution, is being preserved due to its historical and architectural importance. The Jones Log Barn project is a testament to the importance of historic preservation in Tredyffrin Township, according to Benson.

“The barn was at one time the site of British Gen. William Howe’s headquarters in 1777 and it is from this farm that he launched the attack on Paoli, which became known as the famous Paoli Massacre,” said Benson. “Also as General Washington and his troops wintered in Valley Forge in the brutal winter of 1777 into 1778, this farm was occupied by Gen. Charles Scott of the Continental Army.”

Along with its historical importance, the barn is thought to have been the oldest intact log barn in the region before 2001, when it was dismantled to save it from demolition.

“This type of barn was once the predominant kind of agricultural structure in Tredyffrin and its neighboring townships,” said Benson. “Constructed within 10 years of the death of Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, the 200-plus-year-old Jones Log Barn paints a picture of early Welsh-American architecture.”

Years ago, after members of Tredyffrin Township’s Historic & Architectural Review Board (HARB) proved to the Board of Supervisors that the Jones Log Barn was worth saving, the township agreed to extend a loan of $25,000 in order to dismantle the barn, which has since been repaid. Around this time, the Trust was started and many of its founding members were also members of the HARB.

Since dismantling the barn, which also involved storing pieces of it at both Valley Forge National Historical Park and at the township’s compost site off Cassatt Road, plans were made to rebuild it on the foundation of the Federal Barn on the DuPortail property in Chesterbrook.

“This is another historic barn located next to the home of Revolutionary War Gen. Louis Lebeque DuPortail,” said Benson. “The Trust members thought it was appropriate that the Jones Log Barn be built on the existing foundation where it would be in a more historic setting.”

Now the project is in Phase II; Phase I worked on the foundation and stormwater control.

The Trust is in a capital campaign to raise the remaining funds needed to rebuild the barn, the theme of which is “Saving Our Barn, Building Our History.” As a part of the campaign, many upcoming fundraisers and activities are planned including a fall and spring Lecture Series held at DuPortail House and an annual Historic House Tour.

“This year’s house tour will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22, and will mark the sixth year of the tour,” said Benson. “The event will include tours of eight houses; three are located in Easttown Township and five are in Tredyffrin Township.”

Another annual fundraiser, In the Mood, is planned for Friday, Oct. 22, in the historic stone barn at King’s Grant Farm in Malvern, and will feature a ’50s theme this year.

Once funding is in place, the plan for the reconstructed barn is to use it as a Living History Museum to provide an opportunity to highlight the historical and educational features of the area.

“The barn will complement the work of the Trust to preserve, protect and promote our historic community to residents and visitors of the area,” said Benson. “It will provide a great resource to an area steeped in our nation’s history. The Jones Log Barn will be more than just a renovated barn; it will be a testament to the foresight of a community that treasures its past just as certainly as it ensures its future.”

The Jones Log Barn was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and certified as a Chester County Historical Resource in 2004. Also the DuPortail House and the Federal Barn are both listed on the Register.

“Once rebuilt, the Jones Log Barn will join the Federal Barn and DuPortail House in Chesterbrook as a focal history point in the community,” said Benson. “This place is destined to become a true center for history for generations to come.”

Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mainlinemedianews.com.

tredyffrinhistory wrote on Sep 1, 2010 6:03 AM:

” Blair —
On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your well-written and well-timed article on the Trust. Just to clarify, the 6th Annual Historic House Tour is on Saturday, September 25, 1-5 PM. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.tredyffrinhistory.org

Pattye Benson “

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