The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Council passes local hiring resolution
NORRISTOWN » Municipal council passed a bevy of resolutions at this week’s work session. Chief among them was a measure designed to spur developers and others doing business in town to hire locally.
Before voting on the measure, Council held a public hearing to discuss the resolution, which amends the language in the “goals, objectives and strategies” portion of the municipality’s comprehensive plan to encourage local hiring in an effort to help foster “economic development and revitalization.”
“The members of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Norristown recognize that providing a local link for development is catalytic,” the amendment reads.
“People are more likely to take part in and remain committed to development efforts to which they have a direct connection.
“Local hiring is a critical component of successful community development because it creates concrete mechanisms for ensuring that investment of public funds in economic development efforts will directly benefit the residents of the municipality.”
The resolution was also approved by the Montgomery County Planning Commission.
“This has been something that Council has been trying to get accomplished for some time,” commented Councilwoman Valerie Scott Cooper. “It is our goal as Council to help Norristown in every way possible and this is one way to help, not just retain the people here and give them a good quality of life, but to also hopefully attract more people to Norristown.”
“I too, support this wholeheartedly,” added Councilwoman Olivia Brady. “I think it’s very important towards our future to make sure we have good jobs for everybody. I also want to add that I hope this isn’t the end of it. I hope that we also work on the opportunity for education within our municipality and look toward people making open suggestions as to what kinds of skills are most needed in the workplace and ensure, as much as we can, that the educational bodies associated with us can provide that skill training so that our population is one that developers and contractors are going to be willing to come to and hire.”
Councilman Hakim Jones, who also supported the resolution which passed unanimously, took time during the public hearing to applaud the businesses which have already been in Norristown, “some for decades,” and have always taken the initiative to hire locally.
Council also passed a resolution authorizing the creation of the Norristown Student Leadership Academy.
The program, a youth version of the popular Norristown Citizens’ Leadership Academy, is designed to get young people civically involved and educate them about local government by providing opportunities to research important issues facing the municipality and come up with ideas for solutions.
Norristown Area High School juniors and seniors who live in the municipality are eligible and must submit an application highlighting their interest in the program.
After appointment by Council, the participants would also attend several Council sessions, a planning/zoning committee meeting and work with Keep Norristown Beautiful.
Another resolution, authorizing the submission of a $500,000 Keystone Communities Grant application and to procure its matching funds, was also unanimously approved by Council.
Director of Planning and Municipal Development Jayne Musonye explained that the grant was being sought to extend streetscape renovations east on East Main Street to Arch Street. Musonye suggested that economic development funds set aside for a now-defunct project in the Community Development Block Grant program in 2016 and 2017, be used to complete the matching funds required by the Keystone grant to complete the $750,000 streetscape project.
Musonye also presented a recommendation to Council to award a $295,000 EPA Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment Grant to Landan Engineering Services, LLC. Musonye touted Landan’s successful use of prior EPA grant dollars to perform brownfields assessments of potentially hazardous and petroleum sites in Norristown and their established rapport with local business owners and the larger redevelopment community. The resolution passed unanimously.
Additionally, council passed a resolution granting approval for MEH investments to relocate Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Primary Care Norristown, from its current location at 1340 DeKalb, across the street to 1437 DeKalb St. Development at the new location will include an expansion of the first floor by about 3,000 square feet. The practice, which now receives about 6,500 visits per year, will also add an additional doctor, nurses and support staff projected to produce 3,000 additional annual visits.