The Caln Police Department will not fill two positions in 2011, meaning its 20-person staff will be reduced by 10 percent as of July.
According to Police Chief Brian Byerly, the Caln Police Department responded to 17,965 events in 2010. With that number of calls for service, a formula used by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to recommend staffing levels shows that the Caln Police Department should have about 25 patrol officers.

The formula is based on the fact that it takes 2,920 hours to continuously staff one eight-hour post, but it takes more than one officer to fill a post. It also accounts for the number of calls for service in a given area.

According to one study by the Center for Governmental Research, based in New York, in most police departments that work an eight-hour schedule, it takes between 1.7 and 1.9 – effectively, two – full-time patrol officers to fill one post after sick, comp, vacation, personal, training and court time. The study, done for Westhampton Beach in August 2005, is available at www.cgr.org.

Figuring out the number of posts to cover is based on calls received. With an average response time range of about 30 to 50 minutes per call for service, according to the center’s study, Caln’s 17,965 calls add up to about 12,000 patrol hours.

The association recommends multiplying that time by three. This “buffer time” accounts for time spent on preventive patrol, directed patrol, inspection, report writing, vehicle servicing, agency meetings, and other time demands.

That 36,000 hours of patrol time divided by 2,920 hours to continuously staff one post equals about 12.3 posts. Because it takes two officers to fill a post, that means about 25 patrol officers.

What do you think about Caln's police staffing? 

The city's budget was balanced; now it's not, as council members feel certain revenue expectations were too generous. Tonight, council members Karl Marking, Ingrid Jones, Karen Jorgenson, and Joseph Hamrick are meeting with staff to attempt to balance the budget again. Join a live chat or view the replay, below.

There was quite a discussion at the hearing regarding closing Caln, centering on issues of safety; cost effectiveness; home values in Caln; the value of the elementary school to the Caln community beyond its use as a school; and whether or not the move is a “done deal.”

Do you feel I've left any out? Did the hearing change your opinion? What do you think will happen next, and what should happen?

Also, what did you think about this discussion:

Resident Jim Caldwell:  

"I had hoped tonight this would be a real hearing in the sense of the word. I had hoped that you would be open for listening to more ideas that you could put into the pot. ...I'm not very encouraged. You tweaked the presentation but...(this won't work and) Ron Miller's won't work... All things may be lawful, but not all things are helpful. I guess I don't get that sense (that anyone is listening)."

Board member Tonya Thames Taylor:

"Initially I said I was going to come in and listen. But when you basically are attacking someone's character, I have a problem with that. ... One person got up and said they didn't think they were getting a fair hearing. Just because someone may not agree with you, does not mean they're not listening. To indict someone's character and accuse them of not listening is unethical and cowardly."

Chat comment from reader "In d ville", copied and pasted as written:

"Tonya Thames Taylor's comment about concerned citizens being unethical and cowardly was uncalled for. Those folks have a right to be heard. The way of Cville politicians in the past has been to talk down concerned citizens. Times are changing. There are many new folks moving to Cville that aren't intimidated by this kind of bluster. The folks in Caln may not get what they want, but at least they've made a stand. It's a start."

What do you think is the real issue here - both in this discussion, and in the hearing overall? What do you think is the driving concern?


Click here for the document to which board member Robert Knecht was referring at the end of the meeting: Responses to Alternative to Closing Caln...

Click here for agenda and copy of PowerPoint slides

Click here for "Playground Exhibit: Scott Elementary School"

Link to CoverItLive chat: http://bit.ly/cgIO75

Tonight at 6 p.m., I'll be hosting a live chat at the CASD hearing about moving Caln.

What do you think about the move?

According to Interim City Manager Ted Reed, tonight's special meeting is mostly a formality.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently instituted a new stipulation that will require the city maintain the storm drainage once construction is completed on the Pulver Marriott Hotel, Reed said. Council has to approve a Highway Occupancy Permit by resolution in order for developer Don Pulver to go forward.

Pulver is responsible for the construction of the drainage in the first place, Reed said, and has further agreed to give the city $10,000 towards its maintenance.

That should last "a long long time," according to Reed, unless something goes wrong, as routine maintenance only involves mowing and making sure the pipes are clear.

Council feels like an explanation from its attorneys regarding the wastewater increase is in order, and they plan to meet Tuesday night to get one. Council members anticipate taking another vote at the meeting.

No one in Coatesville likes the increase, and almost no one thinks it's fair. But after talking to a number of attorneys, it does seem to be legal - meaning that if the case were argued all the way up to the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, Pennsylvania American seems likely to be awarded at least $6 million in a rate increase.

And if the case is decided by the commission rather than settled, attorneys say, benefits negotiated by attorneys - most notably a phased-in increase and a pretty significant difference in savings for low-income customers - wouldn't be available.

At least a few council members said they are still upset with the attorneys for failing to explain the legal situation better, which might have affected their votes.

What do you think? A legal fight to the end might have a worse result, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or even over $1 million. It's possible that a protest vote, without further opposition, would still give Coatesville the benefits of the negotiation - but it's also possible that especially as the largest consumer, Coatesville's "no" vote would throw a wrench in the commission's acceptance of the settlement.

Should council accept the settlement in order to get the negotiated benefits? Should they continue the expensive legal fight? Or should they make the gamble of a protest vote?

Coatesville resident Kathryn L. Mannion is far from home. The 24-year-old Marine is a Lance Cpl. currently serving with the female engagement team with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment in Afghanistan.

The Daily Local will have the chance to speak with Lance Cpl. Mannion in the near future. Do you have any questions for her? What would you like to know about a member of your community who is serving overseas?

At a special meeting last week, city administration asked City Council to consider a 2010 budget revision due to additional unforeseen expenditures which were apparently not included in the original budget, officials said.

City administration proposed a revised budget of about $10.7 million to City Council. The 2010 budget was originally approved at $9.9 million.

Council Vice President Karl Marking said council originally believed that the revisions would reduce the budget.

“It turns out we inherited a lot of surprises from the former administration,” Marking said. “Because of the prior administration’s inability to communicate the reality of the financial situation … we have inherited many problems and a budget increase that is unavoidable.”

Council is expected to address the budget revisions at the June 14 meeting.

To read a full copy of Interim City Manager Ted Reed's budget revision memo to City Council, visit the below link:

http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/DLN/citybudgetreportJune.pdf

City Council approved a company’s offer to perform an energy audit on City Hall’s existing utility bills which will determine whether the city has been overbilled for services in the past.

The audit “will take a look at utilities we’ve been paying and see whether we’ve been overcharged,” said Interim City Manager Ted Reed. “If we have been overcharged, we will find out what the charges should have been and what reduction in rates the city will get.”

UtiliTech, Inc.'s audit, which will take about six to eight weeks, will be free of cost to the city. To perform the audit, the company will collect one year of electric bills and three months of gas and water bills from the city, according to Rowan.

Do you think the energy audit is a good idea?

City Council Vice President Karl Marking learned that there were more than 40 vacant seats on the city’s various authorities, boards, commissions and committees.

Marking said he spent about 120 hours reviewing meeting minutes back to 2004 with the help of Ruthann Mowday, an administrative assistant for the city. Ultimately, Marking said the vacancies were a result of bad record keeping.

The goal now is to get dedicated residents involved in these authorities, boards, commissions and committees.

“There is a huge apathy problem in the city and part of that is because people feel the elected officials aren’t fulfilling their duties,” Marking said. “It’s easy to turn people away from positions in government when they feel the government is broken.”

What do you think about the vacancies?

To view City Council's memo, the requirements to serve on the board and the application, visit the below links.

http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/DLN/MemoaboutCvillevacancies.pdf

http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/DLN/RequirementstoserveCvilleboardcommission.pdf

http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/DLN/ApplicationtoserveonCvilleboardcommission.pdf

City Council voted against a change order for different street lights in the Riverwalk project and tabled another decision about the project’s contract during a meeting Monday night.

Council voted against a proposal from the contractor to change the light fixtures for the Riverwalk project, which will be a 10-foot-wide walking path with benches and landscaping along the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek.

Following this decision, council discussed the project’s overall contract. Reed said that the delay with the light fixtures and another change order that was approved in April put the contractor behind.

Council decided to delay any decisions on the contract until its June 14 meeting. Council wants clarification about whether the extension from the county would mean that the contractor would get a full year to complete his work.

“If the contractor needs more time, he needs to a have a good reason,” said Councilman Joseph Hamrick.

What are your thoughts on these changes to the project? Do you think the project will ever get completed?

Gov. Ed Rendell spoke to Coatesville Area School District officials and students on Thursday morning about the importance of education funding and ways he believes the state can generate revenue.

Rendell said he is proposing a $354 million increase in basic education spending in the 2010-11 state budget, which would raise the basic education fund to about $5.8 million.

Rendell outlined four ways the state could generate revenue that would help fund the increase in basic education funding.
1. A Marcellus Shale severance tax would bring in about $160 million a year.
2. A smokeless tobacco tax would bring in about $45 million in revenue.
3. An elimination of the vendor sales tax discount would bring in about $70 million.
4. An elimination of the so-called “Delaware Loophole” would save the state about $60 million.

Overall, Rendell is currently proposing a $29 billion 2010-11 state budget.

What do you think of Rendell's plans to generate revenue for the proposed increase in basic education funding?