Henning selected for council
New councilman also served a stint in 2009
LANSDALE » A familiar face has rejoined Lansdale Borough Council.
Bill Henning was chosen by borough council on Wednesday night to fill a vacant seat from Ward 1, and said he hopes his experience from nearly a decade ago will help him hit the ground running.
“I think it was definitely a point in my direction, for filling in for a short term now. I know it wasn’t a lot of experience, but I kind of know what I’m getting into, and I feel right off the bat that I’d be able to contribute to council,” Henning said.
Borough council has been down to eight members since the resignation of former member
Jason Van Dame in April to take a position with the borough’s code enforcement department. Council accepted resumes and letters of interest for the past month, and on Wednesday night council President Denton Burnell announced a total of seven residents had applied: Henning, Danielle Piccolini, David Duffy, Lauren Farmer, Philip Mander, Thomas York and William “B.J.” Breish.
Four of the seven made their case to council, including Henning, who said his earlier stint on council from May to December 2009 should be considered, in addition to his lifelong residency, running the family business of Henning’s Trains, and his efforts to create new events like the Lansdale Cruise Night, and lead key local projects like preserving the historic borough hall and freight station.
“My interest in Lansdale is something that is not just talk, or keyboard bravery. I have repeatedly, through my actions, shown my desire to do what I can for the betterment of Lansdale, simply as an active resident,” he said.
“Whether it’s saving our history, like this historic building we’re in right now, or playing a large part in saving that freight house across the street for our community to use, or being part of several community events that bring joy and pride to Lansdale,” he said.
Henning’s Trains takes parts in every local borough event, and Henning himself is vice president of local event nonprofit Discover Lansdale, which organizes
those events and, he said, helps create a sense of community he hopes to keep growing.
“If you have pride in Lansdale, you shop local, eat local, spend local, which supports local business, which then brings in more quality business, which creates even more pride in Lansdale,” he said.
“I want residents, when asked where they live, to raise their chin, put on a grin, and proudly say ‘I live in Lansdale,’ and with this seat on council, I would continue with this motion,” he said.
Three other candidates spoke to council, including Piccolini, who said she had her husband moved to West Mt. Vernon St. from New Jersey two years ago and have fallen hard for their new home.
“I too, in the last few years, have grown to love this place, and truly feel it is my home, and the place we want to plant our roots,” she said.
“Speaking with a majority of you on borough council, learning more about
this opportunity, about your love and passion for Lansdale, I hope to be a part of its future, on council or otherwise,” she said.
Farmer said she and her husband were welcomed to Lansdale when they moved to York Avenue roughly eight years ago, and said she was “amazingly surprised to find such a vibrant community here.”
“It’s particularly a place where young couples can put down roots and raise a family, and I look forward to, hopefully, working with the rest of council to keep Lansdale going, on that trajectory, going forward,” she said.
Breish said he “intentionally decided to freestyle” instead of read a prepared speech, and thanked each council member for their interest during in-person interviews before the vote.
“Tonight, I don’t really want to talk about me. The reason I’m here is to support Lansdale,and to listen to Lansdale, and what’s going on. Whether it ends up being on that side of the table, or this side, I appreciate the opportunity to do that,” he said.
“I appreciate the opportunity to do that, I think I have the ability to do that, through my leadership, and I look forward to working with you in either capacity,” Breish said.
After those four candidates spoke, Burnell held
the floor open for further comments from others, then asked the eight current council members for nominations. Council member Mary Fuller nominated Henning, member Carrie Hawkins Charlton nominated Breish, councilman Tom Work nominated York, and councilman Steve Malagari nominated Farmer.
“If there are no further nominations, we will vote on those in the order in which they were received, and we’ll do that by roll call, is our tradition. First up, I believe, is Mr. Henning,” Burnell said.
Henning then received ‘yes’ votes from Fuller, Malagari, Burnell and Charlton, with councilmen Rich DiGregorio, Jack Hansen, Work and Leon Angelichio all voting against. As the result of the tie vote, Mayor Garry Herbert — attending the meeting via teleconference from France — was asked to break the tie.
“Mr. Herbert, do you have a vote to break this tie for Mr. Henning?” Burnell asked.
“I do. I vote yes,” Herbert replied.
Herbert said afterward he voted for Henning because he “is someone who sees what Lansdale can become, and possesses the passion to take us there.”
“Bill brings a plethora of experience, having served on council in the past and has been a key contributor
to Discover Lansdale and the community development projects they have championed. Additionally, Bill has the vision to lead our community forward as we explore new ways to ensure that Lansdale is a borough that is focused on the future. I am excited to welcome Bill back to council and I look forward to his continued contribution to our community,” Herbert said.
Angelichio then read a formal resolution naming Henning to the vacant position, and all eight council members voted in favor, with several thanking all of the candidates and asking them to stay involved.
“I spoke with every one of you, and I was impressed by every one of you. We couldn’t make a wrong decision tonight,” said Hansen.
“I hope all the rest of you will stay involved, because Lansdale is a growing community, that needs all the help it can get, and all the ideas we can get from its residents,” he said.
Burnell said it was the first time since he has been on council that so many residents applied to fill a vacancy, and said each would be welcome to serve on any other volunteer boards or bodies, or with local volunteer events.
“It’s hard to find people to do what we do, and it’s also hard to get people to be involved in other capacities, involved with our various other organizations, committees, commissions,” he said.
“If you have the wherewithal to do that, please do that. I can’t stress that enough: we really need good, smart, dedicated people, like all of you, to do that,” Burnell said.
Lansdale Borough Council next meets at 9 p.m. on July 3, with various council committees starting at 7 p.m., all at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine St. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.Lansdale. org or follow @LansdalePA on Twitter.