First Suburbs: "Pursuing an agenda of change"

From the Norristown Times Herald

Pursuing an agenda of change
MELISSA BROOKS, Times Herald Staff 09/29/2008

A common interest in revitalizing Philadelphia's oldest suburbs brought hundreds of people to St. Patrick's R.C. Church in Norristown on Sunday in an event that ended with Gov. Ed Rendell leading attendees in a rendition of the Philadelphia Eagles' fight song.

More than 500 community leaders representing more than 100 organizations from established suburbs of four Southeastern Pennsylvania counties attempted to shift the focus "from Wall Street to Main Street" as the Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project, a nonpartisan, regional coalition of community leaders, unveiled its regional agenda and asked elected officials to join their cause.

Through out the past 18 months community leaders committed to reviving the older suburbs of Montgomery, Chester, Bucks and Delaware counties met in working groups to study and identify issues that most affect the health and prosperity of their communities.

"We are united in this place pursuing an agenda of change," Father William Murphy, pastor of St. Patrick's Church said at the start of the program.

A First Suburbs Project founding member and Yeadon Borough Councilwoman Jacquelynn Puriefoy-Brinkley explained "first suburbs" is a term used to describe communities like Norristown, Ambler, Upper Darby and Lansdowne, older towns that are now "victims of suburban sprawl."

"They're viable, pedestrian friendly communities with parks, trees, churches and synagogues and public transit access," she said, "with problems bigger than we can solve on our own."

A couple of gatherings between community leaders in the past year - a December 2007 summit at Bryn Mawr College and a May 2008 issues convention at Bishop McDevitt High School in Glenside - helped the coalition identify common challenges their towns face: Struggling school districts, diminishing economic development and declining infrastructure.

The DeKalb Street church was packed as First Suburbs Project representatives unveiled their "agenda for change" centered on three policy areas aimed at revitalizing the region, issues that Norristown Councilman Bill Caldwell said are vital to the economic redevelopment of many towns. "We speak with one voice," he said.

Norristown Municipal Administrator David Forrest addressed Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III regarding housing issues.

Hoeffel and other elected officials were asked to seek housing policies and funding streams that help promote greater socioeconomic balance and diversity throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.

First Suburbs also called on Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to create a comprehensive regional housing plan in the next year. Hoeffel committed to the coalition's housing requests and said DVRPC "has not focused on housing, and it is time for us to do so."

John McKelligot, former President of William Penn School District, said schools in first suburbs are inadequately funded, despite the fact that such communities "shoulder the highest tax burden."

He asked state Rep. Nicholas A. Micozzie, R-163rd Dist., and state Rep. Josh Shapiro, D- 153rd Dist., to back a state formula for financing public education that guarantees every school district has adequate resources to provide quality education to students, without overtaxing local residents "to provide what is ultimately a statewide responsibility."

Introducing the third action issue, Jenkintown Borough Councilman Michael Golden said first suburbs can no longer afford to carry the burden of managing water flowing downstream from newer communities into their towns' older systems.

He asked elected officials promote reinvesting in the region's deteriorating storm water and sanitary sewer systems before committing to new investments.

After the issues were revealed, Puriefoy-Brinkley said the First Suburbs Project seeks to "build powerful alliances with state and national government.

"This year is different," she said. "We will not be taken for granted. Because this year we're organized."

Rendell congratulated coalition members for their civic involvement and told them not to become discouraged if initially their goals are not realized. "Civic action is a marathon, not a sprint," he said.

He encouraged First Suburbs volunteers to contact their legislators daily and agreed to set up a meeting between the coalition's leadership and the National Governor's Association. "Your cause is right and just," he said.

There were a few elected officials who called the coalition's agenda items "too general," among them, Rep. Greg S. Vitali, D-166th Dist. and Sen. Anthony H. Williams.

"What are we saying yes to?" Williams asked. "For us to say yes to spending money is, frankly, bogus. We need to talk about how we're spending money."
Puriefoy-Brinkley said the First Suburbs Project's purpose is to make education finance, housing and infrastructure issues a priority now and in coming years. "We depend on the people we elect to serve us to fight on our behalf," she said.

The 600 people who filled the church, according to Puriefoy-Brinkley, represented thousands of active citizens across the region. "When we send you to represent us, we want you to be willing to listen to us. That's what we're asking for; that's what we're insisting upon." The crowd stood and applauded.

Lansdowne Borough Mayor Jayne Young also drew applause when she said, "This is a crisis of Main Street America, not Wall Street.

"Established communities must be supported," Young continued. "They are our most economically and racially diverse neighborhoods.

"A comprehensive regional approach makes the best use of tax dollars, reduces disparities, promotes diversity and ensures good schools. It's about fairness for Main Street, because we are just as valuable as Wall Street."

"The schools need to be renewed to attract new residents."

From the Norristown Times Herald. I wonder if anyone from the Morrisville Borough Council or the Morrisville School Board would attend or host a similar conference right here at home.

Event to address suburban issues
CARL ROTENBERG, Times Herald Staff, 09/27/2008

NORRISTOWN - The problems of ever-increasing school budgets, crumbling water and sewer infrastructure and blighted housing in the Philadelphia suburbs will be addressed Sunday afternoon in a unique "First Suburbs" public forum at St. Patrick's R.C. Church.

The 4 to 6 p.m. public program will feature Gov. Ed Rendell with 600 elected and appointed officials from Montgomery, Chester, Bucks and Delaware counties. It is free and open to the public, but requires pre-registration.

A coalition of clergy and public officials organized the agenda to address problems specific to the first-ring suburbs adjacent to Philadelphia.

John McKelligott, the former school board president of William Penn School District in eastern Delaware County, will talk about reducing unfunded state and federal mandates for local school districts while increasing the funding base for schools.

"This is about fighting blight and preventing blight in the older suburbs. One prime issue are the financially burdensome school districts that cost more than the residents can pay," McKelligott said. "The schools need to be renewed to attract new residents."

McKelligott praised Rendell's education budget for making the school funding system "reasonable and equitable."

"We need to proceed with this school financing going forward," he said. "We need to diminish the excessive property tax burden on older communities."

McKelligott argued that because school taxes are a big chunk of the total tax burden it inhibits township government from creating innovative programs.

"The First Suburbs program will present our needs and our petitions to significant state legislators and public officials," McKelligott said.

Several area state representatives are slated to attend the forum.

State Rep. Jay Moyer, R-70th Dist., said he was in agreement with the First Suburbs agenda and will attend.

"I'm in synch with what they want to do. The revitalization of Norristown is one of my top priority items," Moyer said.

"On the school finance reform, I was proud to vote for the additional $1.5 million for the Norristown Area School District," Moyer said. "We changed the formula around and the governor agreed."

Moyer will support a $100 million earmark from the federal government for water and sewer repairs in Pennsylvania.

"I've been working with (Sen.) Arlen Specter's office on this," Moyer said.
David Forrest, the Norristown Municipal Administrator, is looking forward to the forum.

"The aim of the project is to bring all the community leaders together to identify the challenges we all have in common and ask our legislative leaders to support us in addressing those challenges," Forrest said.

"We've gotten over 400 people who have pre-registered," Forrest said. "We're expecting at least 200 on Sunday who have not registered yet."

Father William Murphy of St. Patrick's Church, said the church hierarchy had decided to host the event "because it will bring together people of different faiths and anyone interested in the welfare of Norristown."

Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III, state Rep. Lawrence Curry, D-154th Dist., and eight state senators and representatives from neighboring districts will attend the forum.

The William Penn Foundation and several charitable organizations are sponsoring the forum.

"After this convention we'll come away with a work plan to put this into action," said Alison Murawski, the communications manager of Good Schools Pennsylvania. "We will see more gatherings of this organization and discussions on how we will roll out this agenda."