Tredyffrin Township Archives - Page 63 of 67

Tredyffrin Township

Last night was the first Board of Supervisors Meeting for 2010. Most of the meeting was about the necessary housekeeping for our local government . . . swearing-in of new supervisors (Kichline, Donohue, Richter) and also the election of the chair and vice chair of the Board. Supervisor Lamina will serve as Chair and Supervisor Olson as Vice Chair of the Board. It was curious to see how the seat assignments of the members of the Board — aside from the chair and vice chair, I wonder how the seating on the board is decided. Can we read anything in to the placement from left to right as follows: Donohue, DiBuonaventuro, Kampf, Lamina, Olson, Richter, Kichline.

The organizational meeting included the resolution to name the emergency services; adoption of the meeting schedule for the various township boards and approval of the consultants and law firms. I wonder if the township reviews the contracts with the various consultants/firms yearly as part of the budget review process. I wonder if these firms just become ‘grandfathered in’ and are status quo year after year. Do you suppose their fees are discussed and whether they are negotiable? Due to the economy, many firms are having to adjust their fee schedules to remain competitive — should there be an expectation on the part of the township to ask for this kind of consideration of the companies doing business with the township. Just a question.

Following the organizational meeting, there was a brief regular meeting. In fact, Chair Lamina asked if any Board member or audience members had any new business. The question was asked so quickly that at least one person I know missed the question and missed the opportunity to give her prepared written remarks. The pace was such last night if you blinked, you missed an opportunity to make comment or ask questions. Supervisors neither offered an update on the contributions to-date nor did residents ask for a status report on the Fire Department contribution; guess it’s a good thing that we have this blog — otherwise, we would not know have a clue on the subject.

A Public Hearing on the Patriots Path Plan followed the Board of Supervisors meeting. The consultants gave a slide presentation of the draft plan. Audience members spoke passionately both in favor of the plan and also some of the residents likewise related their concerns about the project, particularly about the width of the path, privacy, elimination of wildlife and trees and plants. Residents in the Great Valley are in the process of putting together a survey and asked that the supervisors not vote last night. The Board agreed to delay a decision to allow for further review and discussion; the plan will be revisited at the February Board meeting.

I have lived in the Great Valley for 25 years and I have never been to the Warner Spur/Cedar Hollow area to see the old railroad trail, location of the proposed Patriots Path. I suggested to several Great Valley Association Board members that I think it would be a good idea for a field trip for supervisors and interested residents to visit the site. I understand that this is private property owned by the Township so I would suggest perhaps a Sunday afternoon date that everyone could meet at a specific location and review some of the proposed path area. It’s hard for some of us to visualize the path without having seen the area. Perhaps the Sidewalks, Trails & Path Committee and also members of the Open Land Conservancy could be available to show the residents around. Just an idea . . .

Understanding the Tredyffrin Easttown School District Budget Process

January 5, 2010

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I attended last night’s Board of Supervisor Meeting and the Public Hearing for the Patriots Path Plan — more about that later today. However, as a result I was unable to attend the TESD’s Finance Committee meeting held at the same time. Local Malvern resident Ray Clarke attended the Finance Committee meeting and provided his notes and personal observations from last nights meeting. I appreciate Ray’s attendance at the Finance Committee and his remarks are provided following this posting.

I admit to not fully understanding the school district’s budget process and unfortunately, the information available on the TESD website is limited. With a potential of a 7.2% tax increase, I think that we need to all do our homework and get involved in this process. I have been doing a bit of research about the actual school district budget process. I thought that the following questions and answers would benefit us to better understand the Tredyffrin Easttown School District school board budget. I was able to find this information on PA state websites; if any of the details are incorrect, I would appreciate clarification.

Q. Is there a difference between the preliminary and final budget?
A . The preliminary and final budgets are distinct documents since the passage of Act 1 of 2006. The preliminary budget is the document that is adopted in January and the final budget is adopted not later than June 30th . Both Budgets may reflect the same amounts but the provisions of Act 1 of 2006 require the district to adopt either a preliminary budget or a resolution which binds the district to a tax increase of no more than the index.

Q. What is the proposed budget?
A . The proposed budget applies to both the preliminary and final budgets. The proposed budget is the budget that is put on public display prior to the board taking action on either the preliminary or final budget.

Q. What happens if the district does not adopt its budget by June 30th?
A . The budget is the district’s authority to incur expenditures. If the district does not adopt its budget on time then it may not make any expenditure for the new school year until a budget is passed. The district may however, continue to issue payment for items that were part of the prior year expenditures.

Q. The district is considering action on the proposed final budget but it does not contain a major expenditure item. Is the district permitted to increase its budget after it introduces the proposed final budget?
A . Yes. The district may increase the amount of spending during the public review and comment period. The limitation of the increase is to the index plus any approved exceptions.

Q. The district is considering action on the proposed final budget but it does not contain a major expenditure item. Is the district permitted to increase its budget beyond the adopted preliminary budget?
A . Yes. The district may increase the amount of spending during the public review and comment period for the final budget. However, the limitation of the increase is to the index plus any approved exceptions.

Q. May the real property tax mill rate be increased after the proposed preliminary budget is introduced?
A . Yes. The increase is subject to the index plus any exceptions that the district may qualify for, or proposed referendum question.

Q. May we introduce any of the budgets more than 30 days before adoption?
A . Yes. Act 1 of 2006 establishes a minimum time requirement. The district may introduce the preliminary and final budgets earlier if they choose.

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The Following notes are from 4 January 2010 TESD Finance Committee Meeting as provided by Malvern resident Ray Clarke

The Finance Committee took the next step in the process to get state approval for a potential tax increase in excess of the Act 1 index, requesting approval for exceptions that – if implemented – would lead to a property tax increase of 6.63% – 1.16 mills – half the township total millage! Without the increase, the deficit would be $9.2 million. Even with the increase there would be a $3.9 million deficit.

There was no change in the administration cost reduction proposals presented at the last Committee meeting, which would reduce costs by $2.35 million, leaving the deficit still at $1.5 million.

The Committee asked the Administration to come to the next Finance Committee on February 8th with a list of potential expenditure cuts that would erase the entire $9.2 million deficit, thus setting up the discussion in the other TESD Committees and the community to find a tradeoff between tax increases and program cuts.

Any tax increase for 2010/11 would have to be funded from property owners. If the School district wanted to implement an EIT for 2011/12 it would have to give notice to the Township by November 2010 and would share the revenues with the Township.

The discussion suggested some emerging Board strategies:

Expect the state to come up with some kind of fix to the $7 million increase in pension contributions that contribute to the growth in deficit from the baseline $9.2 million in 2010/11 (above) to $25 million in 2012/13 (and beyond). (Note: $11.5 million of the $29 million General Fund Balance is designated for PSERS Rate Stabilization.)
There are no overarching principles (tax increase caps, expense reduction goals) for dealing with the remaining $7-8 million a year increase in the deficit, beyond the general commitment to maintaining the quality of the district’s education program.
One target is for significant reduction is benefits costs in employee contracts beyond 2011/12. (One commentator thought current benefits might be subject to Obamacare’s excise tax on rich programs!). In the meantime, the Board would consider dipping into reserves to fund short term increases that are contracted.
The idea of fees received a lot of traction. For example $5-10 per day parking fee for CHS students.

Other new ideas (with no $ assigned) included:

Outsourcing maintenance and janitorial and special education (to the IU)
Reducing legal costs (how?)
Eliminating non-contract employee salary increases (4.5% in the preliminary budget)
Considering more actively the Teacher Early Retirement proposal (perhaps applicable to 6-7 staff with the right combination of age and longevity, worth $30-50,000 per retiree -but the net impact of course loaded with assumptions)

The critical point was made that while small savings are indeed important and must be pursued, the district’s expenses are driven by compensation. Since the rate is contracted, that can only be impacted by FTE reduction. It is indeed possible that some reductions can be implemented with no reduction to quality (eg FLES, the Middle School curriculum changes already proposed, perhaps a 7 period day at CHS and the outsourcing programs), but we may be past much of the “low hanging fruit”, and reduced FTE will translate to a reduction in many prized programs.

So back to the ultimate question: what programs/class sizes does the community want and how are we prepared to pay for them? There is an opportunity to get engaged as this process unfolds, and indeed to vote!

Note that, although our property tax millage may be low compared to some adjacent jurisdictions, the amount we pay is a combination of the rate and the assessed value, so just looking at the rate alone does not tell the whole story. Our neighbors also differ greatly in residential/commercial mix.

All in a Name . . . Patriots Path Plan

January 4, 2010

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Following tonight’s Board of Supervisor Meeting will be a Public Hearing for the Patriots Path. The Patriot Path Plan is a proposed trail network which will connect historic American Revolutionary War sites within East Whiteland, Malvern Borough and Tredyffrin Township via the Chester Valley trail system. The path would connect East Whiteland’s Battle of the Clouds Park, Malvern Borough’s Paoli Memorial Grounds and adjacent Paoli Battlefield, which was the site of the infamous Paoli Massacre, and Valley Forge National Historical Park.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the Tredyffrin Township Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan (PROS) in 2005. The PROS plan was included in the township’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan. The primary benefit of incorporating the Patriots Path Plan in the Comprehensive Plan is for help with future funding opportunities. As part of the multi-municipal effort, the Patriots Path funding opportunities could be increased. That said, tonight’s discussion does not imply a commitment to build the trail, nor impose any timeline on further action.

The purpose of the public hearing will be to consider the adoption of the Patriots Path Plan as part of the Tredyffrin’s Comprehensive Plan. There are two segments of the Patriots Path that are located within Tredyffrin Township:

Valley Forge Segment: 1.8 mi. connection from the Chester County Trail to Valley Forge National Historic Park through Tredyffrin Township
Cedar Hollow Segment: 1.8 connection from Chester County Trail to Cedar Hollow Preserve and Cool Valley preserve via the Warner Spur Trail and then extending an additional mile to East Whiteland to connect to the Valley Creek Segment.

There is concern among some of my Great Valley neighbors over the proposed Patriots Path and the proximity of the path to their properties. Tonight’s discussion should be useful for members of the community who are ‘for and against’ the proposed path. Sometimes misunderstanding of the facts can be at the root of the problem; tonight’s information session should help both sides with any misinformation.

For many of us, we will recall the years that some Radnor Township residents spent in argument over the 2.2 mi P&W Radnor Trail. There were resident that lived next to the abandoned railroad tracks that were very much opposed to it and the trail debate lasted decades (lawsuits, gag orders, etc) and became a major political issue. The Radnor Trail finally became a reality and many of the resident’s earlier fears have not materialized. In fact, I’m thinking that many of the neighbors probably use the Radnor Trail themselves and the trail certainly stands as a success story and attribute to the Radnor community.

The success of Radnor Trail aside, we need to look at the Patriots Path Plan and make sure that concerns/questions of Great Valley residents can be answered by the township staff and the Supervisors. Good open discussion is always helpful — here’s hoping that tonight’s public hearing will provide that kind of forum.

I thought it might be useful to give some links to those of you who like to read further about the proposed Patriots Path Plan. Tim Lander, member of the Open Land Conservancy and also on the Sidewalks, Trails and Path Committee offered helpful information, including articles concerning the Radnor Trail and providing a vintage photo (below) of the trestle bridge over Valley Creek. I encourage people to attend the Public Hearing tonight and if interested, review the following documents:

Draft Patriots Path Plan (caution, large file and will take a few minutes to download)
Main Line Suburban newspaper article, Tredyffrin Supervisors Will Consider Patriots Path
Main Line Suburban, sideshow concerning Radnor Trail

: The former trestle bridge across Valley Creek in the Great Valley, with nothing but farmland in sight (foreground is now the Open Land Conservancy’s Cool Valley Preserve);

Board of Supervisor Meeting & Public Hearing on the Patriot's Path Tonight

January 4, 2010

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Tonight is the first Board of Supervisors Meeting for 2010, 7:30 PM, Keene Hall, Township Building. Here is the agenda for tonight’s meeting. Following the Board of Supervisor Meeting, there will be a Public Hearing for the Patriot’s Path. Later today I will be posting some background information on the Patriot’s Path.

Supervisor Olson Provides Updates on Fire Company's Holiday Drive

January 4, 2010

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I am excited to report that Supervisor Olson contacted me in regards to my questions surrounding the Fire Company’s Holiday Drive, the timeline for collection, contributions collected to date, responsibility for follow-up, etc. Yes, on the eve of the first 2010 Board of Supervisor meeting, Supervisor Olson called to give me an update. As you recall, Supervisors Olson, Lamina and Kampf organized the Holiday Drive, which culminated in the $23,200 cardboard check that was presented to Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor Fire Companies at the last Board of Supervisor Meeting on December 21. Supervisor Olson was able to offer the following information in regards to the Holiday Drive.

There is now a paper trail in place to track the pledges and donations, which will allow easier follow-up.
All fire company Holiday Drive pledge money to be contributed by March 31, 2010.
All checks for the Holiday Drive are to be made payable to ‘Berwyn Fire Company’. Berwyn Fire Company will make the appropriate disbursements to Radnor and Paoli Fire Company.
Supervisors Olson and Lamina met with Berwyn Fire Company president Rip Tilden in the last couple of days; checks totally $8,950 were given to the fire company.
According to Supervisor Olson, there is not concern regarding the duplication of fundraising efforts to local businesses. It was my understanding that the Berwyn Fire Company is willing to review the contribution checks and make the decisions necessary so that each fire company receives contributions from businesses in their particular jurisdictions.
Supervisor Olson is unclear as to the exact meaning of Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee (TTRC) Chair CT Alexander’s ‘matching fund’ statement that accompanied his announced contribution of $5K from TTRC. Supervisor Olson indicated that the TTRC money was going directly to the Berwyn Fire Company and was not included in the $8,950 checks already distributed. He was uncertain of the exact contributions to date by TTRC but thought it was about $2K (Apparently, TTRC’s contributions are going directly to Berwyn Fire Company). Supervisor stated that he was not a TTRC committee person and therefore was not certain about the details. He suggested I contact Mr. Alexander directly for follow-up on that issue. (If Mr. Alexander or members of TTRC are reading this blog, any update you can provide related to the $5K fire company contribution would be helpful).
Supervisors Olson, Lamina and Kampf will take care of all necessary follow-up required for the Holiday Drive.
I inquired whether the full list of Holiday Drive donors would be public. Supervisor Olson’s reply was appropriate; he said that the judgment to release the donor list would need to come from the fire companies.
Supervisor Olson mentioned the idea of creating a Fire Company board, suggesting representation on the board from local businesses. There are required capital expense items upcoming for the Berwyn Fire Company, and help with funding is needed.
It is not the intention of Supervisor Olson to make the Holiday Drive an annual event.

Supervisor Olson was completely forthcoming in his responses. Although I am grateful for his candor, I did suggest that it would be helpful if he would make this information public at tonight’s Board of Supervisor Meeting. Open and transparent government leaves the public asking fewer questions and I challenge the Board of Supervisors to think about this as a resolution for the New Year.

Based on the fundraising talents of Supervisors Olson, Lamina and Kampf, . . . I am making a personal appeal. If they can raise in excess of $20K for the fire companies in a matter of days, I am asking them to help me and the Board of Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust with our Build the Barn Capital Campaign. Historic preservation needs their help in Tredyffrin; I am asking them to join us to raise the necessary funds for our rebuilding effort. Locally, we have recently witnessed the tear down of La Ronda in Lower Merion and Radnor’s Eastern College tear down of a historic log cabin. Let’s show our neighbors that Tredyffrin Township cares about their historic resources . . . and I’m asking the Board of Supervisors to help.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Tolls Go Up Today

January 3, 2010

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W.E. Rauth is the first to enter Valley Forge toll both of the PA Turnpike. Any idea what year this was?

For those of you who travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Authority, be prepared to to lay out extra cash starting today, Sunday, January 3. The Turnpike Commission is raising the tolls by 3% (rounding up to the nearest nickel) which follows a 25% increase last year. The most common cash rate is 95 cents but instead of going up to 98 cents (3%) it will be rounded up to $1.00. With the passage of Act 44, the yearly increase is to go to PennDOT for non-turnpike and bridge projects. It is anticipated that there will be 3% increase annually to meet the terms of Act 44.

Fire Company Budget Cuts . . . Supervisors's Holiday Drive. . . What's the Status?

January 2, 2010

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There has been much discussion and debate since the last Board of Supervisor meeting on December 21 and the presentation of the $23,200 contribution check to the Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor Fire Companies. I have been very surprised by the outpouring of dialogue from the community in regards to the fundraising efforts of township Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson and then the follow-up letter in the local paper penned by Supervisors Lamina and Olson.

The first Supervisor Meeting of 2010 is in a couple of days, this Monday, January 4. I would suggest that prior to that meeting that you take the opportunity to read through Berwyn, Paoli & Radnor Fire Departments . . . Where’s the Money? (Or, . . . How Do You Cash a Cardboard Check?) posting and its 19 comments and also the Supervisor Lamina’s Explanation of the Fire Company Contribution posting which contains Supervisors Lamina and Olson Letter to the Editor and 7 comments. Question – Is it OK to Fund Township Budget With Political Party Contribution? posting along with the 24 comments.

Do you think that the public can expect an update from the Board of Supervisors about the fire company contributions?
Do you think that the Firefighter Holiday Drive’s list of contributors should be made public?
Other than Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson, can we expect a public statement from the other 4 supervisors concerning this matter?
Three new members of the Board of Supervisors will be sworn in on Monday; will we know their opinion on this rather unconventional approach to ‘making up’ the fire department’s contribution reduction?

Personally, I would like resolution on the open questions concerning the contribution and the process to ensure that the fire companies actually receive the money. Again for record, there has been no response from Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson to my emails on the subject of the fire company’s contributions. Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson’s lack of response aside, the 3 newly elected supervisors used better communication with the public as part of their campaign platform. After their swearing-in on Monday night, I will look forward to an open dialogue with these elected officials. (Supervisor DiBuonaventuro continues to be responsive to all my questions and concerns!)

I do have a suggestion for the fire companies which could be helpful to the residents. I would ask that when they give their regular financial and service updates at the Board of Supervisors meetings that the fire departments include a status on the ‘Holiday Drive’ contributions.

In review of the many thoughtful comments from residents on the subject of the fundraising efforts of Supervisors Kampf, Lamina and Olson, I thought it would be useful to provide a sampling of the comments that I have received:

From Doug of Berwyn,

Just to be clear, I think we’re all still waiting to hear what the process will be for collection of this money. Just the basics: Who?, What?, Where?, When? How? would be helpful whether it’s 2009 or 2010.

I understand answering these questions on the 21st would have limited the Shock Doctrine effect, but at some point answers would be good.

From CJ of the Main Line,

The real issue and the only one that should be focused on is that there was cuts to the fire company by the township. This should be the focus.

The supervisors decided to cut the fire company money. I refuse to believe that the ‘donation’ was a solution. Since when does private contribution override appropriate utilization of tax dollars for the benefit of the community as a whole?

From Kate,

Last evening did not address the long term needs of the fire company and did nothing but provide a nice little show for those who wanted it and for those few, naive residents who still feel that private donations are the optimal way to fund a basic township necessity. Furthermore, listen to some of the businesses that donated in this “rescue effort.” Did anyone notice how most of them were NOT Tredyffrin businesses? So now Radnor and Easttown businesses as well as EASTTOWN TOWNSHIP are subsidizing Tredyffrin’s inability to fund a vital service. This township should be embarrassed, I know I am as a resident.

From Samuel in Berwyn,

Bottom line the township got credit for ’saving’ the fire companies and restoring their funding. Will they make good on that promise? If they want to maintain that credit then they can cut checks with the Tredyffrin logo on them to Paoli, Berwyn, and Radnor for the 5% that was cut. If they don’t do this, their claim of restoring their funds is falsehood.

From Michael of Strafford,

How do you feel about our elected officials in Tredyffrin going into Easttown and Radnor Townships to solicit funds without advising their elected officials or Township Managers in those towns of their actions? Did they get permits or permission to solicit? Better yet, were the fire companies asked for guidance on how they should go about soliciting funds on their behalf?

Was a surprise cardboard check presentation the appropriate way to deal with this? Why is this getting pushed off on neighboring municipalities?

From Roger of Berwyn,

Where’s the list of donors? Also, how many of the businesses who contributed do business within Tredyffrin? Question: If a business which does business in Tredyffrin and possibly has a contract with the Township or requires permits, etc. on a regular basis is asked by SITTING SUPERVISORS for donations to the fire company, isn’t this really a forced “fee” or “tax” on these businesses? But we can’t raise taxes, right? It’s the responsibility of the residents and the fire companies to have pasta dinners and turkey raffles. I just hope when my house is on fire the firefighters aren’t serving pancakes to make a couple bucks.

Let’s get this information out in the open, or should our local government continue its attempt to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. I’m still wondering how that huge check is going to fit in the deposit drawer at the bank.

We are Standing With the Volunteer Firefighters, Can We Show Support for the Mt. Pleasant Community?

January 1, 2010

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In much the same way that many of our community members have supported our volunteer firefighters in recent weeks, there is another township issue that needs our attention and focus — Mt. Pleasant. For those that do not know, Mt. Pleasant is located in the Panhandle section, off of Upper Gulph Road, in the shadows of the St. Davids Golf Club. Back on November 19, I wrote of the many issues plaguing Mt. Pleasant and their residents, student housing and rental issues, excessive late night noise, drinking, etc.

There seemed to be movement from the township in helping this neighborhood and I was pleased to report that there had been a meeting between residents and Supervisors DiFilippo and DiBuonaventuro. It was agreed that the situation required further discussion and a town hall meeting was scheduled by the Mt. Pleasant Action Group for Saturday, December 19 at the First Baptist Church in Wayne. The meeting was to include Tredyffrin Township representatives including members of the Board of Supervisors, Police, and Zoning Enforcement. However, if you recall our December blizzard hit that weekend and the meeting was cancelled.

Fast forward and we need to get back on track to help this community. Beyond the student housing issues, there has also been subdivision and special exception requests to the Planning Commission for Mt. Pleasant. A subdivision request for an Upper Gulph Rd. property was denied by the Planning Commission in November, suggesting that the Planning Commissioners are now understanding some of the ongoing problems with residential properties converting to student housing. The Planning Commissioners recent ruling to deny the Upper Gulph Road subdivision application was applauded by the residents.

However, there now appears to be a serious environmental situation in the Black Bottom area of Mt. Pleasant. I wrote that Mazie Hall’s house was part of this redevelopment area; apparently scheduled for 9 new homes built by F & H Mainline (This project requires the teardown of houses, including Mazie Hall’s home). As part of the preparation of the site, I have just learned bulldozers arrived on Sunday, December 29 for immediate stabilization of steep slopes that have been wrongfully cleared of vegetation. The developers were told to leave specimen trees in the clearing of the property, however that was ignored and the trees were removed. In their places, trenches were dug to help correct the situation!

Christine Johnson, Mt. Pleasant resident and community activist extraordinaire has been leading this battle (along with other neighborhood issues) for the community. Christine graphically details the environmental situation on her Mt. Pleasant Action Group website and includes photos of the razing of Mazie Hall’s home and the problems now being created by the developers. Christine has been in contact with township engineer Steve Burgo and he agrees that the developer’s on site tree service did go beyond the limit of disturbance, is in violation and will be cited. In regards to the latest development problem, Christine writes, “Is it worth destroying the environment as well as people’s spirits?” Wow . . . can we please help this community?

Township supervisors are you listening? Christine and her neighbors are struggling, they can not fight the battle on all fronts.

Can we re-schedule that cancelled Mt. Pleasant Town Hall meeting as soon as possible? This community needs the attention of the township. Can we show these residents that we care about them and want to help . . . ?

On December 29, Christine wrote the following entry on her website:

Main Entry: gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkâ-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 1964

gentrification: the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents

or a more appropriate definition:

“gentrification: the process by which higher income households displace lower income residents of a neighborhood, changing the essential character and flavor of that neighborhood”

“Gentrification isn’t just obnoxious yuppies bouncing from cocktail lounges to sushi bars. It also involves the systematic removal of working-class people from their homes.”

The issue of gentrification has historically included a strong racial component—lower income African-American residents are replaced by higher income white residents.

Residential segregation occurs with the tacit support of public and private sector institutions and traditions. As a result, an influx of higher income households inevitably will put pressure primarily on historically minority communities.

Successful Earnings of AmerisourceBergen, Chesterbrook-based Drug Distributor Announced

January 1, 2010

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You often hear about the salaries of corporate executives, especially this time of the year as end-of-the-year bonuses are given. So it was interesting to read an Associated Press article about the compensation package paid to the top executive of one of our Tredyffrin-based companies. Drug distributor AmerisourceBergen Corp. is headquartered in Chesterbrook and David Yost has been its CEO since 2001 and its president since 2007. Yost’s total compensation package for 2009 rose 3% to $5.5 million. Included in the package, his salary rose by 4% to $1.2 million, and his performance-based cash bonus grew 11% to $3 million. However the value of his stock options dropped 16% to $1.1 million. AmerisourceBergen’s operating profit grew 7% due to lower expenses and better profit margins. Total revenue increased by 2% TO $71.76 billion. Yes, that is billion not million.

It’s great to know that we have such a successful company in our community. The Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust is kicking-off our Build the Barn Capital Campaign for the Jones Log Barn rebuilding project. I’m thinking that as a Chesterbrook-based corporation, that maybe Mr. Yost and his AmerisourceBergen company might like to make a splash in their own backyard and help us with our barn rebuilding project at Historic DuPortail. Can’t think of a better way for this local company to show their community-spirit than through a donation to support historic preservation.