Narblog

Narberth Thunderstorms

The intensity of Sunday's thunderstorm seems to have caught Narberth residents by surprise.  As the torrents came down from the sky, most people ran inside for cover.  A few people downtown quickly ran outside to put up their convertible tops.

The intensity of the deluge quickly overwhelmed our sewer system and the streets within the town's floodplain began to submerge.  Narberth Police were extremely quick to respond by blocking off roads and diverting traffic.  In addition, members of the Fire Dept got into their gear and waited for potential emergency calls.

Residents walking our normally sunny streets were left to improvise or simply accept becoming totally drenched. 

As the storm moved on, the flood waters resided quickly and, though the rest of the day remained wet and overcast, there was no major damage.  During sunset, there was even a silver lining.  A weak rainbow was spotted in the east as the sun peeked in and out of the clouds.

We've lucked out this summer.  The rain has been steady and thunderstorms have either missed us or been very light.  This was probably the noisiest storm we've had in a long time.

A Narberth Pop Quiz

On Monday, August 4th, the Borough Planning Commission will meet at Borough Hall to discuss an ordinance aimed at limiting “formula” stores in the downtown area.

Some will say it limits property owner rights. Some will say it helps maintain a unique downtown area.  What do you think? 

Fill out this quick and informal survey. Don't forget to also post any comments below.

Stay informed.  Let the Planning Commission and Borough Council know your thoughts, concerns and questions before this deal is signed and sealed.

Ad Hoc Council Committee Advises Retaining our Police Force

Reported from the Philadelphia Bulletin, here are a few snippets:

A subcommittee of the Narberth Borough Council last night recommended retaining the municipality's police force instead of ceding policing responsibilities to Lower Merion Township.

All members of the council had initially expressed interest in allowing Lower Merion to take over policing, except for Mr. Wegbreit. Mayor Tom Grady (D) had also opposed the merger proposal and said he would veto it if it passed, but it heretofore seemed that supporters of the plan had a veto-proof majority on the council.

Yesterday's decision brings to end worries on the part of Narberth Borough Police about continuing contract negotiations with the borough at the same time departmental elimination was being discussed. Many residents deemed it unethical to discuss both matters concurrently.

LM School Redistricting - Community Meetings

Lower Merion will be redistricting over the next few years in an attempt to even out enrollment numbers between various schools.  Currently, elementary school age residents of Narberth are split between different schools.

If you care about where your children will attend public school, you should attend one of these community meetings:

Thursday, May 29, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM -- Lower Merion   Academy Building
      Sunday, June 8, 2 PM - 4 PM  -- Welsh Valley   Middle School (cafeteria)
      Monday, June 9, 7 PM - 9 PM -- Lower Merion   High School (cafeteria)
      Tuesday, June 10, 7 PM – 9 PM -- Harriton High School  (cafeteria)

News Coverage of Council Meeting

The Main Line Times also covered this past week's Borough Council Meeting.  The article is here. 

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin also covered the meeting.  The articles are here and here.

Summary of Tonight's Council Meeting

The May meeting of the Narberth Borough Council met with a standing room only crowd of citizens in attendance.  The pledge of allegiance was followed by discussion of routine business which led into the public comment period. 

Attendance was just shy of 200 people and about 40 people addressed the council.  Local99.TV, the local community access channel, was in attendance videotaping the proceeding.  If you'd like to see the meeting firsthand, I'd recommend tuning to Comcast Channel 99 where it will be available.  The channel is not yet available on Verizon FioS service.  With your financial support, it may be possible for Narberth community events to be available as streaming video on your computer.

Here are some citizen quotes from the evening:

• "We should have a town referendum before implementing this policy."  [followed by a standing ovation]
• "We have expertise in our town to reduce operational expenses.  Come to us 'citizens', not Lower Merion."
• "Don't ever give up our independence."
• "I think Lower Merion has been trying to get Narberth since 1960."
• "Historically, the borough has had a rather fat budget and we have all enjoyed the programs and services provided."
• If the Merriam estate is developed, "We will have need for more police, not less."
• "Don't hire any consultants.  They are a waste of money.  They will tell you what you want to hear and merely shift the blame."
• "I have opposition to prolonging this whole process."

The overwhelming majority of residents in attendance were against disbanding the police department.  Most felt that even investigating the issue should be dropped.   Many felt it was unethical to discuss the concept at the same  time the police contract was being negotiated.  This feeling was echoed by Councilman Wegbreit during his remarks.

Narberth currently has a 1.4/1000 officer to citizen ratio.  The national average is 2.9/1000 and 1.7/1000 is considered optimal by criminologists.

Borough Council has assigned an ad hoc committee to deal with this police issue.  At this point, Narberth has forwarded financial information regarding the police department to Lower Merion for their evaluation.  Additional information may or may not be available by June's meeting.

Attend Tonight's Borough Council Meeting

The Narberth Borough Council meets tonight at 8pm in the common room on the 2nd Floor of Borough Hall.  All citizens are invited to attend.  Come and listen.  Come and speak your mind.

Divisiveness and Name Calling

Rosemary McDonough writes an excellent column this week about the state of things in Narberth.  She rightly points out that we received an 11% tax increase this year with no explanation at all.  This inexplicable increase was also discussed in a January Narblog post.

Ms. McDonough writes, "We should encourage efforts to save money and demand full transparency."  We don't need to demand transparency.  We already have it.  From the Narberth Borough website:

Q:           Is the budget open to public inspection? Where would I go to see it?
A:           Yes, the budget is available for public inspection. It is kept on file in the Borough Office.

If you're unhappy with the 11% tax increase, why not head down to the Borough Office and take a look at the budget? Compare it with previous years.  All of the information is available.  No Narberth resident lives beyond walking distance to the office.

That said, has your Narblog editor ventured down and done his homework?  Nope. 

Why not?  Because, like all of us, we have busy lives and other commitments.  Though we all feel that 'something should be done', none of us take the initiative. 

This leads right into another of Ms. McDonough's excellent points:

In the last few weeks, I've been disappointed by the vitriol that some members of our community have spewed at Council members. The attacks against Borough Council have often been ad hominem, inflammatory, and suggestive of sinister motives. Let's remember that Borough Council members are our neighbors and friends, and that they work for countless hours without pay while the rest of us are home stretched out on the couch. These [are] tireless volunteers...

The way to mitigate tax increases, keep our police department, or solve any other concern is getting involved: constructively.  This town is not so large that you cannot directly participate in the solution.  As a citizen, you do not need to be asked or be given permission.

None of us have time to 'do it all'.  But, if each of us gets a little more active, our community will be stronger for it.

There Is More To Narberth

Narberth is more than the police department controversy.  With the spring thaw behind us, we have lots of exciting events in an incredibly vibrant community.  Narberthians love Narberth.  We don't live here by accident.  We all chose this town.

Last weekend was NarbEarth Day which was a great success with very nice weather.  This morning was the Narberth Run (and Walk).  The temperature was a little cooler but, in my opinion, it was perfect running weather.  The Narblog would love to cover all these events, post pictures, and discuss.   Unfortunately your editor has a day job and a life with little kids in tow.  The beauty of blogging is that everyone can participate. 

Currently, this blog receives about 300 views per day.  That's not too shabby for town with 4200 souls.  If you are having an event and would like to promote it, please send in your information.  If your event just passed and you want to post a few photos or a summary of the success you've had, let us know!

If you have an opinion on an unaddressed issue, guest posters are welcome.  Just email me using the link at right. 

Citizens Group Organizes

A few Narberthians have organized a group, 4 Narberth.  The group is in favor of retaining our local police department and rejecting Lower Merion's proposal.  Their website is www.4narberth.com

From the website:

"We are fortunate to live in a very safe community, and it is clear to this group of concerned citizens that our very visible, active and knowledgeable police force has a direct and meaningful impact on this. A local Narberth Police Force is essential if we want to maintain small town values, safety and the character we have come to appreciate in our home town."

Also, a correction from a previous post.  Narblog had incorrectly calculated the 'potential cost savings'.  If Lower Merion delivers on the cost savings it has estimated, each household would save around $300 per year or, about 8% of their local tax burden. 

Since the majority of our police costs are labor and benefits (which are on par with Lower Merion's), it remains to be seen where Lower Merion can cut costs so significantly as to discount our police budget by 50% or more.