Council to vote on PDIDA renewal
POTTSTOWN >> Borough council will vote Tuesday on whether to renew the ordinance authorizing the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority, or let it, and the organization, expire.
Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. explained that PDIDA was founded in 1987 after narrowly being approved by the property owners in the business district along High Street from York to Evans streets.
The activities of the authority are funded by an “assessment” levied on those properties which cannot be increased without another vote.
The assessment raises about $38,000 each year, which is spent on her salary, marketing of events and clearing streets and sidewalks in the business district clean and clear of snow.
The events themselves — like the holiday offerings and decorations downtown — are often funded through sponsorships, according to PDIDA Executive Director Sheila
Dugan.
For example, this year’s Hometown Holidays celebration is being supported by doughnut purchases at Ice House at King and Manatawny streets. Chocolate cake doughnuts with chocolate icing are $12 a Baker’s Dozen and proceeds will go to the Downtown Hometown Holidays. Place orders at www.downtownpottstown.org today and pick up on Nov. 24, which is the date of this year’s downtown holiday event.
Santa will arrive at 12 p.m. at High and Charlotte streets. For more details, visit the PDIDA website.
PDIDA is also involved in such downtown events as this year’s Fete En Blanc, local lunches downtown, downtown ambassadors and downtown trick-ortreating.
Garner explained that council can extend the ordinance authorizing PDIDA for any period of time.
The last time it was extended was in 2014 and in recent years, the standard extension has been four years.
The vote comes as PDIDA is in talks for more cooperation and shared services with the borough’s more broadly based economic development agency, Pottstown Area Industrial Development, or PAID, according to Borough Manager Justin Keller.
PDIDA board member Bill Robertson told council a new strategic plan for PDIDA is currently being drawn up.
The PDIDA board currently has two vacancies and three people — Steve Everett, Jennifer Keller Ryan and Chanel Erasmus — have applied to fill the seats. The seats will be filled at the Tuesday meeting, presuming council authorizes another lease on life for PDIDA.