Monday, September 30, 2013

Morrisville Community Creates Town Watch

Morrisville community creates town watch

Posted: Monday, September 30, 2013 9:00 pm | Updated: 10:36 pm, Mon Sep 30, 2013.

By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer

Morrisville residents are focusing on keeping their children and community safe by starting a town watch because some believe the borough’s police department isn’t hacking it.The first meeting is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Italian American Club, 150 Harrison Ave.Resident Peter Eisengrein, who is among a group of about six people heading the town watch, said his purpose for joining the cause is the “general discontent” with the borough police’s poor handling of crimes, such as car break-ins.
The last straw for the father of three was when in recent weeks the police and Mayor Rita Ledger delayed telling the community about alleged abduction attempts.
Kelly Yura, a lifelong resident of the 2-square-mile borough, said the community needs answers.
“As a town, we were outraged when the police waited days to tell us about the attempted abduction,” she said. “We need the cops to report crime; we need to know what is going on in our little town. There are a lot of good people in Morrisville who want to keep (our) little town safe. I love Morrisville. I want good things to happen here.”
Police Officer Erica McIntyre will be the department’s liaison for the town watch group.
The 8,700 Morrisville residents may have reason to fear that their police department is ill-performing. Frederick DeVesa, the department’s former interim police director, wrote in a 12-page report that the police force “will sooner or later face some type of tragedy or catastrophe” unless drastic administrative, policy, security and staffing changes are made soon.
The police department lacks professionalism, firearms are poorly administered, officers are left without supervision, crime evidence isn’t promptly documented or handled, and the police building is poorly secured, according to his report.
DeVesa’s critique was based on observations and interviews he encountered during his two weeks on the job in August before his abrupt resignation due to lack of cooperation from officials including the mayor. Ledger, who is not seeking re-election this fall, is suing the borough and seeking monetary compensation, claiming the borough hasn’t allowed her to conduct her mayoral duties.
Because of the lawsuit, the borough administration or council has not meddled in police issues, according to officials.
In his two-page resignation letter dated Aug. 15, DeVesa wrote: “I am very disappointed that I cannot effectively serve in the capacity that we envisioned, but I did make it clear at the outset, that I could not continue if circumstances threatened to undermine my credibility and reputation. Accepting responsibility for a mission that I cannot control and successfully complete is not something that I can undertake.”
DeVesa was to head the small police force until a new chief was hired. Since January, Lt. Thomas Herron has been the officer in charge after the December departure of former police Chief Jack Jones, who was hired earlier this year to do security work at Morrisville School District. Jones' pay is being covered by the federal program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
When DeVesa first entered Jones’ office, he said he discovered “a complete mess.”
“There were two handguns and ammunition on a closet shelf, some evidence envelopes scattered about the office, and a wallet containing $655 in cash in a desk drawer,” the report shows.
In his report, DeVesa also made suggestions to improve the department. One was to hire more patrol officers. Since his departure, the council voted to hire three police officers. Nothing else has been done from DeVesa's suggestions. Herron said last week he hadn't read the report.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Morrisville Police Report Predicts 'Catastrophe' if Changes Aren't Made

Morrisville police report predicts 'catastrophe' if changes aren't made

Related Documents

Posted: Sunday, September 29, 2013 4:15 pm | Updated: 7:15 pm, Sun Sep 29, 2013.

By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer

The Morrisville Police Department “will sooner or later face some type of tragedy or catastrophe” unless drastic changes are made soon, according to a 12-page report submitted to the borough.The critique, prepared by Frederick DeVesa, who served as the borough’s interim police director for two weeks before his abrupt resignation due to lack of cooperation, called for major administrative, policy, security and staffing changes.“Sadly, the department has been neglected for years and is dysfunctional in many respects,” reads the report dated Aug. 25, which the newspaper acquired through a Right-To-Know request. “It lacks the necessary leadership, supervision, discipline, personnel and resources to effectively carry out its mission in a community which is experiencing a growing crime problem. Frankly, it’s surprising that it has managed to function as well as it has.”
According to the report, the police department lacks professionalism, firearms are poorly administered, officers are left without supervision, crime evidence isn’t promptly documented or handled, and the police building is poorly secured.
DeVesa warned Morrisville that failing to improve the police department may worsen matters even further and may ultimately threaten the viability of the force and lead to its dissolution.
Because police officers are suing each other and the borough, Morrisville’s insurance provider encouraged the government to hire an outside firm to conduct an investigation of the department, said council President Nancy Sherlock.
Neither she nor any other borough officials would talk about the lawsuits, and the newspaper was unsuccessful in finding any court documents related to the borough police department.
Only a few people have seen the report completed by Cornerstone Consulting Services, an investigative company that took about a year to conclude its findings. None of the council members have seen it, Sherlock said. Neither has the mayor. The Cornerstone report was sent to the borough solicitor, the Bucks County district attorney, the state attorney general and the borough's insurance company, she said.
DeVesa said in his findings that he hasn't reviewed the 3,200-page report either. His analysis of the force was based on his own observation and some interviews.
DeVesa has more than three decades of public service, from working as a Newark police officer and detective to serving as assistant attorney general in New Jersey. He served on the New Jersey Superior Court, retiring as the presiding judge in charge of criminal courts in Middlesex County.
The police department had been running without a lead administrator since former chief Jack Jones’ contract ended in December. Since January, Lt. Thomas Herron has been running what DeVesa's report calls an ill-equipped and understaffed department.
Herron said on Friday that he hasn’t seen either the Cornerstone or DeVesa reports. The newspaper was unsuccessful in contacting Mayor Rita Ledger for comment.
Problematic department
In his report, DeVesa states that the most critical problem facing the department is lack of supervision over six full-time and four part-time officers.
“This problem permeates nearly all aspects of police operations and has resulted in a department that lacks sufficient accountability,” he wrote in the report.
The department lacks even the basics, he noted.
Police officers don’t wear or display required name plates or badge numbers, and there’s even a lack of clarity to the proper uniform attire. “These appearance items may seem insignificant but they reflect on the public perception of the professionalism and accountability of the department,” reads the report.
Making matters worse, the police department poorly handles evidence and firearms, DeVesa wrote.
When DeVesa first entered Jones’ office, he said he discovered "a complete mess.”
“There were two handguns and ammunition on a closet shelf, some evidence envelops scattered about the office, and a wallet containing $655 in cash in a desk drawer,” the report shows.
The department firearms, ammunition and some other firearms that have come into the department’s possession were stored in a locked closet. However, no supervisor approval is needed to access it and all officers have keys to it, wrote DeVesa. In addition, several handguns found in the closet were unaccounted for, he said.
Furthermore, DeVesa continued, the department stores an assault rifle, shotgun and ammunition in a locked cabinet in the trunk of each patrol car. The weapons are “continuously left in the patrol cars so that any officer using any of the cars will have access to the weapons. Since the weapons are not removed and reassigned during each shift turnover, there are some issues that need to be addressed.”
In addition, the former police director noted that there are no surveillance cameras or other security measures in place in the police building or parking lot, where all vehicles are stored.
Crime evidence is suffering
The evidence room is in “a state of disarray and may contain firearms and other property that is not properly tagged and inventoried,” reads the report.
Additionally, department rules and policies, which were last issued in 1991, are outdated. Making matters worse, during a recent redistribution of department policies and regulations, some officers said they had never seen the document.
“Two officers refused to sign the acknowledgement form,” DeVesa said. “It is apparent that Morrisville officers have been functioning without adequate rules to govern their behavior for some time and those rules that do exist are not often known or followed.”
The report also criticizes the appointment of Herron as officer-in-charge of the force without his duties and powers ever specified or “officially delineated and he does not file any regular reports summarizing his activities.”
The report notes that Herron is present at the police station only about 25 percent of the time because he’s driving evidence to the county crime lab in Warminster without leaving a supervisor in charge.
The report also takes issue with police officers not complying with rules when voiding citations or parking tickets. “Under the circumstances a citation can be simply voided or discarded without necessary documentation and approval.”
In regards to the police building, the report noted many deficiencies.
Police officers don’t have a suitable place to interrogate suspects or take statements. There are no desks or drawers that can be locked. “There (is) no active alarm system protecting the evidence and firearms storage rooms or the perimeter of the department,” reads the report. “There are unprotected ground level exterior windows that can be broken to gain access and a rear wooden door separating police headquarters from the municipal building hallway is cracked and compromised.”
Given what he calls the growing crime problem in the neighborhood around the police station, DeVesa highly encourages repairs and security measures.
The report also criticizes the force's seven vehicles, terming them in fair to poor condition.
The computer network in the vehicles is also in question, although it’s believed that technicians would respond to repairs at no cost. However, the report indicates that Herron has "inadvertently caused problems by ‘tinkering’ with the system” rather than calling in technicians.
The temporary plan
In his report, DeVesa made some suggestions to improve the department, including:

Hire a full-time police chief and take steps to get the department on track before he or she arrives.
Require police personnel to follow the department's Police Guide document until an updated document is provided.
Require Herron to leave a supervisor in charge when he’s gone.
Conduct an internal investigation based on the Cornerstone report, and have it reviewed by the district attorney and attorney general.
Appoint Officer John Aspromonti, who is well-trained and an experienced firearms range master and armorer, to develop policies and procedures for the storage, maintenance, training and use of firearms.
Purchase new equipment -- from computers to more fuel-efficient cars.
Immediately designate an officer -- preferably Officer Mike Pitcher -- as the department investigator so that there is a responsible point person inside the force to coordinate what needs to be done.

In nominating Pitcher, DeVesa noted, “He is already assigned to the county Narcotics Task Force and has the most investigative experience in the department. He is well regarded in law enforcement circles and apparently has managed to avoid becoming involved in the factionalism that currently divides some of the other officers.”
Town versus police department
Years of political division within the borough council, administration and the police department have worsened the functionality of the police force, DeVesa wrote.
“Sadly, after much evaluation and reflection, I concluded that the political and personal divisions within the borough and the department would make it impossible for an interim police director to gain the necessary authority, information, cooperation and support to advance (the suggested) goals,” he noted. “I feared that any efforts by me as an interim police director might only complicate and exacerbate the current situation.”
In his two-page resignation letter, DeVesa criticized the mayor.
He said he tried to arrange a meeting with Mayor Rita Ledger and borough Manager Tom Bates to “resolve at least some of the issues relating to my proposed authority and duties, but (Ledger) stated that she was unwilling to "negotiate" or delegate her proper authority and role.
Steps taken
Morrisville is seeking a new police chief. Of 20 applicants, six will be interviewed by the administration and CityBurbs Group, a consulting firm run by Lower Makefield police Chief Ken Coluzzi hired to lead the search. The top three candidates will be interviewed by the council.
Since DeVesa’s departure, the council has hired three full-time officers. But little else has been reported to be changing within the department, even after DeVesa made suggestions to get the department back on track while a new chief is hired.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

State's New School Performance Website Delayed

State's new school performance website delayed

Posted: Thursday, September 26, 2013 6:15 pm | Updated: 7:04 pm, Thu Sep 26, 2013.

By Natasha Lindstrom Staff Writer,

HARRISBURG -- At the request of school superintendents, the state Department of Education has delayed the launch of a website that will reveal new school performance scores until Oct. 4, education spokesman Tim Eller confirmed Thursday.The Pennsylvania School Performance Profile, initially scheduled to go live on Monday, is a new online report card that will include a variety of data on public schools, including standardized test scores, student demographics and school graduation rates. The profile will assign schools a score based on a 100-point scale measuring performance, academic growth and success in closing achievement gaps.State education officials tout the new accountability tool as a way to jump-start dialogue about school quality and identify areas for improvement. Some local officials have cited concerns the public will brand schools as successes or failures too quickly based on scores that heavily rely on standardized test results.
The state granted local school districts access to their profiles on Wednesday.
"Some superintendents had asked for a delay in the public roll-out so they have time to get accustomed to and make sure that their data is correct," Eller said. "So we've allowed them a few additional days to do that."
Once they saw their profiles, some districts raised concerns with the data about to be released on the Keystone Exams, the new test for 11th-graders unveiled last year. Starting with the Class of 2017, students will have to pass the Keystone Exams in order to graduate.
In some cases, the profiles reportedly underrepresented the number of students who took the tests last year. That's because some students didn't fill in the bubble to identify whether they were taking the exam for end-of-course assessment or federal accountability purposes, Eller said. School officials are working on providing that information so the exams get counted.
The department has given school districts until the end of business Monday to decide if they want Keystone exam data excluded from the website until the corrections can be made.
The reporting issues will not affect the release of results from the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, the test taken by third- through eighth-graders.
The website, paperformance.org, is set to go live mid- to late-morning on Oct. 4.

Potluck #90

Voter Registration Deadline - Monday, October 7

This happens to be from the Bucks County Democratic Committee, but whether you're a D or an R or an Independent, Libertarian, Communist, Green, The Rent's Too Damn High, or other, please register to vote if you aren't already. Then come out and vote on
Tuesday, November 5.

-- OCTOBER 7, 2013 --

LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE

FOR THE 2013 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Please be advised that the last day to register to vote is Monday, October 7th, for the Municipal Election. The Bucks County Board of Elections/Voter Registration will be closing at normal time, 5:00 p.m. for the Courthouse and 4:30 p.m. for the Government Services Centers.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Bucks County Democratic Committee office either by phone (215-348-2140

) or via email: mary@bucksdemhq.com

or you can contact the Board of Elections/Voter Registration directly::

Deena K. Dean | Director
County of Bucks | Board of Elections / Voter Registration
55 East Court Street | Doylestown, PA 18901
P. (215) 348.6154 | F. (215) 348.6387

Morrisville Residents to Organize Groups to Keep Watch over Borough Neighborhoods

Morrisville residents to organize groups to keep watch over borough neighborhoods

Published: Thursday, September 26, 2013

By D.E. Schlatter
21st Century Media News Service

MORRISVILLE BOROUGH — The perceived lack of visible police manpower and reportedly two recent child abduction attempts has prompted residents to organize a borough-wide town watch program.

At the Sept. 16 borough council meeting, West Hendrickson Avenue resident Peter Eisengrein announced that plans are progressing to institute a neighborhood watch program to work closely with police.

“It’s for the safety of our children especially in light of the police manpower,” he said.

According to Eisengrein, a “kick-off meeting” is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Italian-American Club, 150 Harrison Ave. He encouraged residents to attend so that a program can get started. Several Morrisville police officers are scheduled to speak at the event.

Eisengrein also asked that a councilmember be appointed as a liaison with the group, once it is established.

More information is available on Facebook at: “Morrisville PA Town Watch.”

Several other residents of the more than 30 people who attended the meeting also called on council to increase the police presence in the borough.

“We have people coming over here, and it’s not only the people from Trenton ... we have enough idiots in this town,” lamented Scott Robinson of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Another resident, a mother of four, criticized the lack of police around schools, especially with the reports of attempted child abductions in Morrisville.

“We have someone who appears to be a very serious predator,” she exclaimed. “I used to walk constantly with my children, now I don’t feel safe. I moved here to the suburbs to feel safe.”

Last month, council approved the hiring of three full-time police officers to fill vacancies created by retirements and sick leave. Full-time officer Wayne Apice officially retired Sept. 10.

Currently, Morrisville, which has a population of roughly 8,700, has eight full-time and four part-time officers. However, manpower levels have recently dropped and several part-times have resigned.

To facilitate the hiring, borough council agreed to use the Bucks County Consortium, a non-profit group which helps screen police applicants for municipalities, and administers written and physical testing of the candidates.

The names of qualified individuals will then be given to the borough’s Civil Service Commission so the candidates can be interviewed. The commission will then make its hiring recommendations to borough council, which has the final say.

“Everyone will soon feel the presence of a full police force in Morrisville,” said Mayor Rita Ledger who had been pushing council to hire more officers.

Meanwhile, Borough Manager Tom Bates said that the process to hire a new police chief is also progressing, and that more than 20 individuals have already applied by the Aug. 30 deadline.

Morrisville has hired the search-firm CityBurbs Group, which is run by Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Ken Coluzzi, to help vet candidates for the position, which reportedly pays between $85,000 to $90,000, depending on experience.

According to Bates, CityBurbs will narrow the list of applicants to six candidates, with borough council eventually interviewing the top three jobseekers.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Education Advocates Demand Equitable School Funding Formula

Education advocates demand equitable school funding formula

Posted: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 5:45 am | Updated: 7:03 am, Tue Sep 24, 2013.

By Natasha Lindstrom Staff Writer

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania schools may have gotten a bump in state funding in 2013-14, but education advocates say school districts are still reeling from deep cuts in previous years.“Some school districts have closed libraries, some school districts have changed their transportation pattern, they’ve cut athletics,” said Mark Miller, vice president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and Centennial School District board member. “The sizes of classes are going up, extracurricular activities are going down.”Miller joined several dozen advocates who rallied Monday in the state Capitol in hopes of convincing lawmakers to prioritize revamping the state’s education funding system. The speakers, including parents, advocacy organization leaders and a couple lawmakers, urged the General Assembly to develop a fair standard formula for funding Pennsylvania’s schools.
State Rep. James Roebuck, D-188, argued the state has fallen short of its constitutional obligation to fund public schools equitably and adequately.
“Poor schools are disproportionately taking the hit in these budgets that we pass, and a recent education secretary sat in my office and told me that funding is irrelevant to educational outcomes; it is all about parenting,” said state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, triggering loud boos from the group of advocates.
“Now parenting is important, but that is a very convenient way to absolve yourself of the responsibility for making sure that we have good public schools,” Leach said.
In 2008-09, the state implemented a school funding formula, with funds disbursed based on school-level data such as student enrollment, poverty levels, English language learner populations and local tax contributions.
Pennsylvania abandoned that formula under Gov. Tom Corbett.
The 2013-14 state budget signed by Corbett increased K-12 education funding by $122.5 million, or 2.3 percent.
But the increase didn’t make up for the roughly $1 billion in funding cuts imposed on school districts over the past few years. The advocates didn’t identify sources from which the state could pull additional revenue for schools, insisting it’s the General Assembly’s job to find it.
Schools have taken a variety of measures to absorb the cuts, including wage freezes, layoffs, bigger class sizes, reducing benefits and outsourcing services. Some have also managed to operate leaner, and reinstate employee benefits and refill positions.
Palisades librarians and music, art and Spanish teachers rotate elementary schools. Central Bucks has outsourced more than three dozen bus routes to an outside contractor. In Quakertown, student athletes must now pay-to-play.
“My daughter just went into a middle school that had to eliminate all of its after-school programs. They cut their home-ec class and their shop class. They are sitting in large classes,” said Susan Spicka, a Shippensburg parent who co-founded Education Matters in Cumberland Valley. “She is really, truly not receiving the educational opportunities that the students before her received.”
Maura Buri, an Upper Merion school board member with three children in school, said her district has scaled back resources and aides devoted to English language learners, with some students now getting that extra help once a week instead of daily. Class sizes have increased, from 22 to 23 students, up to 26 to 28 students, she said.
“People think we have a lot of money and we don’t,” said Buri, also a board member of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. “Our special-needs kids are not getting the services that they need. They’re required by law, and it makes us cut other programs just so we can meet the requirements.”
Some cash-strapped schools are struggling to prepare for more rigorous standards and related assessments under the newly approved Pennsylvania Core Standards, based on the national Common Core framework. Some areas, like career technical education, have been flat-funded for several years, Miller said.
“You cannot teach tomorrow’s skills with yesterday’s tools,” Miller said. “We need to have more money, and more sources of income, in order to put America’s children into the workforce when they graduate from school.”
The pro-formula advocates also accused lawmakers of cherry-picking school districts that benefited from an extra set of funds this year folded into the state budget. After closed-door negotiations, legislative leaders divided a pot of $30 million among 21 districts. Lancaster Superintendent Pedro Rivera didn’t know his district was getting a $2.4-million infusion until he read it in the news, the Lancaster Online reported. Midland Borough in Beaver County received $250,000, while 479 districts were left out. None of those funds went to school districts in Bucks, Montgomery, Cumberland or Fayette counties.
The advocates at Monday’s rally, organized by Education Voters of Pennsylvania, Education Matters in the Cumberland Valley and Keystone State Education Coalition, say they’ve collected nearly 1,300 signatures from 219 districts in 51 counties in support of a fair education funding formula.
Pennsylvania is one of three states without a standard school funding formula, the Education Law Center noted in a February 2013 report. The same report found that Pennsylvania contributes about 36 percent of the share of school district funding, below the national average of 44 percent.
“Forty-six states spend a greater part of their budget on public education than Pennsylvania does,” said Miller, who also co-chairs the Keystone State Education Coalition. “Forty-seven states have a funding formula. Why not Pennsylvania?”

Friday, September 20, 2013

Turn Out the Lights - Take 2

Bucks Local News version of the story.

Morrisville street-light project on hold, borough council fails to override mayor’s veto

Published: Thursday, September 19, 2013

By D.E. Schlatter
21st Century Media News Service

MORRISVILLE BOROUGH - In an expected political, showdown borough council failed to garner the needed votes to override Mayor Rita Ledger’s veto of a funding ordinance so that a $1.25-million street-light project can move forward.

At the Sept. 16 meeting, the council vote was 5-3, one short of the six needed for an override. Council President Nancy Sherlock, Victor Cicero, Fred Kerner, David Rivella and Jeffrey Johnson supported the override motion, while council members Debbie Smith, Todd Sanford and Eileen Dreisbach continued to oppose the project, voting to sustain the veto.

With the override failure, the already-signed 17-year contract with Johnson Controls, Inc. is now on hold and so is the move to replace more than 600 streetlights with energy-saving state-of-the-art LED lamps.

In July, council had accepted a 2.99-percent loan from TD Bank to pay for the Johnson Controls’ upgrade.

“We’ll try next month and maybe we’ll get a different opinion,” said Sherlock, explaining that council will again attempt to override the mayoral veto at subsequent council meetings.

According to Sherlock, borough council will also ask the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which oversees certain municipal contracts, to determine whether the mayor’s veto can withstand legal scrutiny.

If the veto wasn’t valid in the first place, the council president said that the project will then move forward. Morrisville has until January to initiate the contract with Johnson Controls without penalty.

At issue is whether Mayor Ledger can technically veto the ordinance, or whether her authority does not extend to financial matters, such as the measure which was passed in a 5-3 council vote Aug. 23 to officially finance the streetlight replacement and energy upgrade project.

Even though the contract with Johnson Controls had been approved by borough council earlier this year, no motion had been made on how to pay for it. Under state law, an ordinance was required in order to technically fund the project so that it could get underway.

In addition, there is a question whether Ledger penned the veto within the 10-day deadline, as required by the borough code.

Borough solicitor James Downey noted that the mayor might have waited 11 days to formally override the previously-approved funding ordinance.

“I don’t know when the mayor got it by mail, I don’t know all of the facts” Downey said of the uncertainty of the time frame and his decision not to issue a legal opinion on the validity of the mayoral veto.

“To say that this gets confusing would be a grand understatement,” he declared.

As a result, council decided to vote for an override even though the veto might have been invalid in the first place.

All along, Mayor Ledger had backed the three council members opposing the project, also questioning how the energy upgrade would be funded and whether the contract best protected the borough.

Before the override vote was taken, Ledger spent nearly a half-hour reading her single-spaced, eight-page veto letter on why she opposed the Johnson Control project.

According to the mayor, the contract did not fully disclose all the costs related to the project.

In her litany of objections, she alleged that the pact did not comply with state-mandated guidelines pertaining to municipal energy-saving projects.

Ledger also claimed that the borough would still be required to pay Johnson Controls even if the anticipated energy-savings were not fully realized every year.

The mayor listed the actions which she said would be required to satisfy her concerns, including “disclosing all the costs related to this project.”

“It is my hope that the borough council will consider the objections that I have raised and take the recommend actions to remedy them,” she read.

Council President Sherlock responded to the mayor’s treatise, saying that that “it sounded very good on paper, but none of this has been brought up before, except at the eleventh hour.”

Meanwhile, Councilwoman Dreisbach, who voted to uphold the veto, also objected to the contract, claiming that she had never seen the Johnson Controls paperwork before being asked to approve it.

“I need to see in writing what I’m voting for,” she complained, “Obviously there are problems here.”

However, Borough Manager Tom Bates said that it’s too late to modify the already-approved contract.

“By the way it wasn’t an energy-savings project,” Bates explained, stressing the distinction, “It was capital-improvement project.”

“We’re going to help the people of Morrisville,” he added.

Under the project, every streetlight in Morrisville would be replaced with the same type of LED lamps and wattage, something which Sherlock has said “will make the town very attractive and uniform.”

Currently, the borough spends about $120,000 a year for electricity to keep the streetlights on, a cost is expected to be reduced to around $70,000 annually with high-energy efficient lighting which is guaranteed to last 30 years.

Besides the electric costs, Morrisville pays around $25,000 each year to maintain the streetlights and replace the existing bulbs.

In addition to the streetlights, the company would replace windows and insulation in the 64-year-old borough hall, as well as new heating and air conditioning installed. Electronic sensors would also be placed in the municipal building, as well as the library and public works garage, which would also see improvements.

Several of the more than 30 residents who attended the two-and-a-half-hour council meeting also supported the street-light project, including Patricia Schell of Grandview Avenue. “It’s good for us as a whole,” she said during the public comment period. “This is something we need.”

But borough council might not have to repeatedly attempt to override Mayor Ledger’s veto. Dreisbach is not running for re-election and a candidate more favorable to the Johnson Controls contract might be elected in November, thus adding the sixth vote needed for an override.

In addition, Councilman Rivella is running for mayor to replace Ledger who is also not seeking re-election. If he wins, council could then appoint a replacement to Rivella’s unexpired council seat, which could also guarantee a vote to overturn the veto.

In other news, borough council issued a proclamation honoring the Morrisville Little League 10-11 year-old All-Stars for winning the 2013 Pennsylvania state tile for that age group.

Council President Sherlock handed out certificates of appreciation to the 12 players, as well as the team manager and three coaches, all of whom attended the meeting with friends and family.

“We’re proud of the group going all the way to the state championship,” she stated. “This is a recognition to the coaches, team and the borough of Morrisville.”

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Oct. 21.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Morrisville Mayor, Police to Discuss Faster Crime Alerts

Morrisville mayor, police to discuss faster crime alerts

Posted: Thursday, September 19, 2013 1:15 pm | Updated: 9:54 pm, Thu Sep 19, 2013.

By Jo Ciavaglia and Gema Marie Duarte Staff writer

Morrisville’s mayor plans to meet with police to work out a strategy for publicizing future public safety incidents following criticism this week over the handling of a second alleged child abduction attempt last Friday.Mayor Rita Ledger, who oversees the borough’s police department, was told on Friday about the alleged child luring incident, but she did not share the information until Monday, when she confirmed the incident for the Bucks County Courier Times.Police Lt. Tom Herron, whom Ledger says she’ll meet with on Friday, has not released any information about the incident, and has declined comment on it.
On Wednesday, Ledger acknowledged she could have notified other council members, but she didn’t because she didn’t have much information as the incident remains under investigation. Police have told Ledger they won’t release more information until the investigation is complete.
Ledger also says that she will meet with council President Nancy Sherlock to put a plan in place for notifying council about relevant police matters in a timely fashion.
In a statement released Wednesday, councilwoman Sherlock said the lack of information about the two alleged abduction attempts have left the community to speculate. She confirmed that council has not received any information about the recent possible abduction reports.
“Council members are very concerned about the welfare of our most vulnerable residents, the children. At this time, we would ask all parents to be particularly vigilant about watching their children,” she said in the statement.
Sherlock also encouraged community members to contact local government officials and police for updates.
“I don’t like the idea they’re closed-mouthed,” she added. “Silence always makes people think things.”
Friday’s alleged abduction attempt reportedly involved two men in a white work van who approached a boy around 6 p.m. in the 300 block of North Melvin Avenue. The boy ran away and no other details have been officially released.
Morrisville police experienced backlash last month after police waited five days before reporting an alleged child abduction attempt.
In the Aug. 19 incident, an 8-year-old girl escaped a kidnapping attempt in her West Bridge Street backyard. The girl and her brother told police the alleged abductor approached the yard in a newer model light-colored sedan.
The man got out of the car, walked over to the girl and grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand and started dragging her to his car. The girl bit the man on the hand, broke free and ran home with her brother.
Police said that nearby surveillance cameras showed the car was apparently casing the area before the kidnapping attempt.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Dereliction of Duty

Morrisville’s mess

Dereliction of duty

Posted: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 12:30 pm | Updated: 12:44 pm, Wed Sep 18, 2013.

A police department’s responsibility to its community doesn’t start with putting cops on the streets or responding to calls quickly. It begins with preventive measures. This includes keeping citizens informed.The Morrisville Police Department failed in this basic duty when it didn’t report and then refused to confirm — when questioned — that a second child abduction attempt had occurred in the borough in recent weeks.Borough Mayor Rita Ledger, who oversees the police department, confirmed Monday that an attempted abduction took place Friday. The temporary head of the chiefless department refused to talk to the newspaper when a reporter called with questions about the incident earlier that day. The reporter then contacted Mayor Ledger.
According to a witness, a boy was approached by two men in a white work van; he ran away. The failed abduction follows a similar incident last month when an 8-year-old girl escaped a kidnap attempt in her own back yard. The would-be abductor had covered the girl’s mouth and was dragging her toward his car when the girl bit his hand, wrangled free and ran off.
Information about that frightening incident was not released by police until five days later. Finally made aware of both near-abductions, citizens attending this week’s borough council meeting clamored for more police on the streets.
That’s not a bad idea. Problem is, police ranks have been thinned by retirements and resignations, so beefing up street presence isn’t a simple matter in the short term until replacements are hired. What’s simple — and effective — is keeping the public informed. Citizens can be the eyes and ears of police — if they’ve been alerted to danger.
It’s unconscionable that borough residents went about their business completely unaware of an attempted child abduction for five days in the case of last month’s incident and for three days in the case of last week’s. Such an incredible lack of judgment — a dereliction of duty in our view — speaks to the chaotic state of the borough police department. The place is a zoo.
Cops are fighting amongst themselves leading to lawsuits and a request from the borough’s insurance company for an investigation. An interim chief with a background as a judge and prosecutor quit after two weeks on the job, citing a lack of cooperation from police personnel. He filed a report with borough officials before departing. Following the lead of their secretive police department, officials did not volunteer the document. The newspaper has filed a Freedom of Information request to obtain it.
It shouldn’t have to come to that. Citizens have a right to know what’s going on with the police department they pay to protect them. Reportedly, the departing chief in his report said Morrisville’s mess of a police department is a “tragedy or catastrophe” waiting to happen.
There now have been two near-misses. We fear — and so should bumbling borough officials — that it’s just a matter of time before tragedy indeed strikes.