Longtime supervisor Michael Elling retires from Kennett BOS
By Rick Marts, Staff Writer, The Times
Kennett Township Board of Supervisors chair Michael Elling is retiring after serving 18 years as a supervisor. Monday evening was his final public meeting as a member of the board.
KENNETT — Township Manager Lisa Moore opened Monday evening’s public meeting by saying, “The final 2014 operating budget for the township has only a few changes from the budget we presented last month.”
The changes were mostly in how the numbers were presented and not in their values, Moore said, noting details such as where contributions to local fire companies are listed.
“The contributions we make as a township to the operations of the fire companies that serve us are now shown in our Capital Budget instead of our Operating Budget,” she said.
The 2014 budgeted total of donations to fire companies comes to $780,000. The breakdown is $130,000 to Kennett Fire Company and $650,000 to Longwood Fire Company.
A few questions about the 2014 budget were raised by residents. John Haedrich, a member of the Kennett Township Planning Committee, said, “I notice an amount of $865,222 under open space purchases. Does the size of this amount mean that we have ‘targets of opportunity’ in mind for the coming year?”
Moore replied positively, saying that she expects the township will use the funds for specific easements over the next year.
In new business, State Police Lt. Richard D’Ambrosio of the Avondale Barracks provided a status report on criminal activities in Kennett Township that his officers dealt with during the last three months. State police supplement the police protection provided by Chief Albert McCarthy and his new deputy when they are not on duty. In all, Lt. D’Ambrosio itemized about 200 actions from home burglaries to false alarms to traffic incidents.
Supervisors Chairman Michael Elling asked Lt. D’Ambrosio whether he had comparative data from the same period of time last year—in other words, is crime growing or declining? D’Ambrosio said that the data show that there has been little if any change from year to year.
In other news, Haedrich, representing the Planning Commission, told the Board of Supervisors that after nearly a decade of discussions, planning, and negotiations, actual construction work on the Rt. 52 Bikeway will begin in March, 2014. A completion date, however, is not firm at this time.
“Most of the work involves shoulder widening, all of which will all be federally funded in the amount of $834,000,” he said.
Haedrich suggested that the township’s Communications Committee handle the necessary outreach to the community about this project.
Before the meeting closed, Supervisor Scudder Stevens took the opportunity to laud the work and long tenure of Supervisor Michael Elling during his 18 years (three terms) on the township Board of Supervisors. Although Elling will chair the working session on January 6, 2014, Monday night’s meeting was his last public meeting.
“Serving on the Board of Supervisors has been quite an experience,” Elling said in response. “I believe I am leaving the township in good shape from an infrastructure and funding perspective.”
Moore, speaking after the meeting, also offered praise of Elling, suggesting that land conservancy will be one of his legacies.
Well before being elected supervisor, Elling served on the Planning Commission for 15 years where he created Pennsylvania’s first municipal land trust in 1995.
Over the years, nearly 400 Kennett Township acres have been conserved. During that time, Elling has continued to be active in protecting the township from urban sprawl by supporting the open space and recreation tax and other ordinances related to preserving open space.
