Ridley approves $10M bond for projects and refinancing

RIDLEY TOWNSHIP » Commissioners approved an ordinance authorizing $10 million in general obligation notes to finance a variety of capital projects and to refinance some outstanding debt at a more favorable interest rate.

The interest rate of 2.46 percent was secured through the Delaware Valley Regional Finance Authority. The loan is repayable over a maximum of 15 years. The move was approved by commissioners at their recent meeting.

Township Manager Ed Pisani said projects include replacement of the Kedron Avenue bridge near Academy Avenue, the Bullens Lane bridge at the Interstate 95 overpass and the South Swarthmore Avenue bridge near the Nassau Swim Club. Pisani said expenditures for the bridge work will be reimbursed by PennDOT when the projects are completed.

Both sanitary and storm sewers in certain areas of the township are also scheduled for upgrading.

Capital projects also include renovations to the administration building and the police department, which will get underway when the new library addition is completed. Pisani said the current administration office will move to the upper library space, freeing up space to expand the police department.

Code enforcement will also move to larger quarters. Garling Hall on the lower level, where the commissioners meetings take place and magisterial district court hearings are held, will also be renovated.

In another matter, the commissioners passed a resolution honoring the township library on its 60th anniversary. Founded in 1957 by the Women’s Club of Ridley Township, the library was originally housed in a room at the Woodlyn Elementary School. In 1962, when the present administration building was built, the library moved to a small room in that building. Six years later ground was broken for a new library addition in the rear of the administration building, with more room set aside on the lower level of the building for the children’s library. A new township library is now under construction along the Morton Avenue side of the municipal complex.

The resolution commended library Director Donna Murray and the library staff.

The commissioners also passed a resolution proclaiming Nov. 25 as Small Business Saturday, urging residents of the community and throughout the county to support small businesses and merchants.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whalen and Delaware County Councilman David White, both former township commissioners, were honored with resolutions commending them for their efforts in combating the heroin and opioid epidemic in the county. Whalen won a seat on the county’s Common Pleas Court on Tuesday but White lost his bid for re-election.