Supervisors re-elect Mike Gallagher board chairman
Advance Correspondent
NEWTOWN TOWNpefm - At its ganK T reorganization meetingI the Newtown Board of pupervisors re-elected Mike dallagher as board chairman and Matt Benchener as vice-chairmanK
The vote was P-NI with supervisor mhilip Calabro dissenting and oob Ciervo absentK MeanwhileI pupervisor oyan dallagher was re-elected 4-M as board secretary and assistant treasurerK
“, ZDnW WR WhDnN WhHsH JHnWOHPHn IRr WhHLr FRnfiGHnFH DnG WhH support f’ve gotten throughout the yearI” dallagher saidK
ee also noted that his biggest goals of OMNO have been addressedI demolishing what he termed the “eyesores in NewtownK”
They included the abandoned Acme supermarket site on pycamore ptreetI which will now become the high-end retailL condominium mromenade; the dilapidated homes on aurham ooad which were torn down for The Birches assisted-living facilityI and the razing of an old building used as a haunted house in front of the Newtown pwim ClubK
“f’m very proud of this board that they went out and did the extra effort KKK to get these three eyesores removed from NewtownI” he assertedK
dallagher also advised the board that it needs to “stay on top” of these and other projects as they come up during the yearK
“f think that we have to rededicate ourselves to the umbrella that we call economic developmentI” he maintainedK
According to the chairmanI the Newtown CorporationI an economic development organization whose goal is to foster a stronger area business environmentI is currently in the process RI rHGHfinLnJ LWsHOI DIWHr sHvHrDO yHDrs RI GHFrHDsHG DFWLvLWy.
dallagher explained that the group is in the process of relaunching itself within the next few monthsI and the township is in discussions with Newtown Borough about what the role the nRn-SrRfiW ZLOO hDvH Ln HFRnRPLF GHvHORSPHnW.
“Not only with the Newtown Corporation but with xthe Board RI 6uSHrvLsRrs] WhHrH’s JRLnJ WR EH D FhDOOHnJH RI WryLnJ WR fiOO the vacancies that we see in Newtown business propertiesI” he statedK “f think that we need to do a better job of promoting ourselvesK”
fn other action Monday nightI the supervisors in a P-N voteI with Calabro dissentingI approved the reappointments of geffrey darton as township solicitorI as well as his ianghorneEDsHG ODZ firP, BHJOHy CDrOLn & 0DnGLR.
,n DGGLWLRn, GLOPRrH & $ssRFLDWHs, C.6 (nJLnHHrs DnG BRuFhHr & -DPHs ZHrH DOsR rHDSSRLnWHG WR hDnGOH WhH WRZnshLS’s HnJLnHHrLnJ, LnsSHFWLRn DnG WrDIfiF-sWuGy GuWLHs.
As with most municipal reorganization meetingsI the supervisors passed a number of perfunctory resolutionsI ranging from adopting fee schedules and setting the dates of supervisors’ meetingsI to providing funding for the Newtown Ambulance Corporation and in what banks to keep township fundsK
The supervisors also approved a number of reappointments and appointments to township boardsI commission and committeesI such as the mlanning CommissionI woning eearing Board and marks and oecreation BoardK
Chairman dallagher noted that there are a number of vacanFLHs WhDW sWLOO nHHG WR EH fiOOHG, LnFOuGLnJ fivH Rn WhH 1HZWRZn 7rDIfiF CRPPLWWHH, WZR sHDWs Rn WhH -RLnW 7rDIfiF CRPPLWWHH Ewith Newtown BoroughF and three on the cinancial mlanning CommitteeK
“Any person interested in serving is encouraged to applyI” he saidK
The supervisors are scheduled to meet again ganK VI when the board will consider approving a one-year services agreement with the volunteer Newtown cire Association ENcAF for OMNPK
iast monthI the board approved a A4TINUS reimbursement to the NcA after several supervisors had questioned whether it should be withheld pending the signing of a formal agreementK
fn OMNNI the supervisors hired the Matrix Consulting droupI which had made a number of recommendationsI including creDWLnJ D firH FhLHI’s SRsLWLRn WR RvHrsHH 1HZWRZn BRrRuJh’s vROunteer association as well as the paid staff of the township’s Emergency pervices aepartmentK
iast guneI the supervisors had appointed dlenn AK corsyth to WhH nHZOy-FrHDWHG SRsLWLRn RI WRZnshLS firH FhLHI, ZhR ZLOO DOsR supervise the NcAK
7hH FRnsuOWDnW’s rHSRrW hDG FRnFOuGHG WhDW WZR firH FRPSDnLHs unGHr sHSDrDWH FRPPDnGs nHHGHG WR EH unLfiHG IRr HIficiency and public safetyK The township department provides ZHHNGDy firH FRvHrDJH GurLnJ WhH GDy, ZhLOH WhH vROunWHHr Dssociation provides weekend and evening coverage for both municipalitiesK