Council takes no action on its pay or term limits

Resident asked to be quiet under threat of removal

NORRISTOWN >> A bit of a fuss occurred at the Norristown Council meeting Tuesday when President Sonya Sanders wielded the gavel, then dispatched a police captain to silence a resident.

Mary Ellen DiGregorio said that she had questions about an item on the agenda regarding council term limits and compensation and plans to borrow nearly $1 million to upgrade the street lights but did not have enough information to ask questions. She wondered if she would be able to speak again later in the meeting.

“If I would have that right since this is a workshop and not a formal council meeting that I can ask questions regarding the discussion, this is not planning I hope, this is not a decision making night, this is just a discussion, right? I have the right to ask questions as a taxpayer, as my right as a resident,” said DiGregorio.

Sanders referred the question to solicitor Patrick Hitchens. Hitchens said council would discuss advertising for the street light ordinance to be adopted on Nov. 6.

“On that my question would be -- have we exhausted all areas of finding grant money to do this type of lighting that I’ve seen other communities do through grants?” DiGregorio asked. “And that’s my main concern because I really think that we’ve been borrowing like crazy and we’re only going to end up in the same situation I’ve seen before where we lose employees…and we find out there was shenanigans going on and we’re in the toilet and …we’re not in fiscal shape to be borrowing money again.”

Hitchens said that she had made her point without additional information. “Getting back to term limits,” DiGregorio said. Hitchens cut in, saying, “You’ll see there is no action.”

“How do you know what my question was because nobody has discussed what their plans are?” she asked.

“This is our meeting, not yours. You want to call the police? Come and get me.”

“You’re asking questions right now,” Hitchens said.

DiGregorio went back to her seat then said, “I think we’re all here for the same thing, guys. We’re not playing games. I’m not playing games.”

Sanders banged the gavel and told DiGregorio, who ran for a seat on council in 2013 as a Libertarian, if she called out again she would be removed from the meeting.

“This is our meeting, not yours,” said DiGregorio, adding that she would not stay silent. “You want to call the police? Come and get me.”

Police Captain Richard Clowser walked over and spoke softly to her and she said, “It’s my right as a taxpayer to be here,” and joked whether or not he could lift her.

Council took no action on the compensation and term limit item, which Sanders said was prompted by bills pending in the state Legislature. Council members currently make $4,000 and the council president earns $6,000. They are limited to two- and four-year terms.

Under the home rule charter, the voters would decide whether to change the compensation or term limits. A petition could be used to put those questions on the ballot or council could vote to add those items to the ballot, he said.

Council also voted to advertise an ordinance to permit it to borrow up to $950,000 to upgrade the high-pressure sodium street lights to LED lights. Finance Director Norman Butts explained that there was no grant available for this but the municipality is taking advantage of a low interest loan through the Delaware Valley Regional Finance Authority and will be able to repay it over 11 years through money from the state liquid fuels grants. The new lights will be more efficient and use less electricity, saving the borough money and maintenance costs will also be reduced, he said.