Authority, committee, commission appointments set for 2020

POTTSTOWN >> The voters had their say in November, ousting two incumbents and placing two new members on the borough council.

This month the new council had its say, re-appointing incumbents to the Pottstown Borough Authority, Pottstown Zoning Hearing Board, and the Blighted Property Review Committee.

Michael Benner was reappointed to another fiveyear term on the authority by unanimous vote.

Mark Patrizi was re-appointed to a three-year term on the zoning hearing board by unanimous vote.

And, also by unanimous vote, borough council re-appointed four incumbents — Ryan Procsal, Brian Hydier, Kevin Brown and John Nugent — to oneyear terms on the Blighted Property Review Committee

Deb Penrod, who has served previously and is the current chairman of the Pottstown Land Bank, was also appointed to fill a fifth vacant seat.

There was almost a change when Council

President Dan Weand accidentally proposed the wrong council member to the Keystone Employment and Economic Plan, a joint committee with West Pottsgrove Township overseeing development along Keystone Boulevard.

Weand proposed, and council unanimously voted, to appoint Vice President Don Lebedynsky to the board, which also requires one staff member (Borough Manager Justin Keller) and one member of the planning commission (Brian Hydier).

“Oops,” Weand said simply.

Once the mistake was revealed, council had to vote again to put Procsal on that committee, known as KEEP.

Weand also appointed council members to various committees, sub-committees and ad hoc committees, saying “I didn’t make many changes.”

Next month, council will make necessary appointments to the planning commission.

There is one potential change coming to two of Pottstown’s boards however.

Council also voted unanimously Monday to direct staff to explore the idea of joint meetings of the planning commission and historic architecture review board.

HARB’s primary responsibility is maintaining guidelines for the many structures that are part of the National Register of Historic Places. In addition some items in the Historic District require a standard HARB Application, according to the borough website.

HARB issues or denies “certificates of appropriateness” for the historic properties that fall under its jurisdiction, actions which must be confirmed, or can be reversed, by borough council.

During the Jan. 8 work session, Borough Manager Justin Keller explained that having the meeting on the same night could simplify things for those looking to redevelop properties in town.

He said staff will also look at the possibility of having joint membership on both boards, providing the HARB membership requirements of one architect, one licensed real estate broker and one building inspector, and two property owners in the borough’s two historic districts, are maintained.

There is currently one vacancy on the seven-member board.