September, 2021

Welcome to the Lansdowne Borough eNews! Bringing timely and relevant Lansdowne Borough news to your inbox every month.

A Letter from Benjamin Hover, Council President

Dear Lansdowne Neighbors, 

As the waning days of summer blend into the cool days of autumn, Lansdowne Borough Council wishes an easy beginning of the school year to all of the residents and hopes that as the flowers bloom and leaves change that you enjoy the autumnal bliss of the year.

In September, Borough Council was forced to call a special meeting on Tuesday, September 7th after the previous meeting for September 1st was cancelled because of the Tornado Warning and remnants of Tropical Storm Ida swept the region. Unless there is an emergency, Council does meet every First and Third Wednesday of the month and we encourage all residents to participate. Lansdowne Borough Council is open and transparent to the public and is now in person and via Zoom.

If you happen to miss a meeting or would like to know what’s happening in Lansdowne, please check the Borough website here where you can find recordings of all Council meetings.

READ MORE HERE.

A Letter from Mayor Tony

Dear Lansdowne Neighbors,

What an up and down year it has been.  First it seems that we finally have gotten through the pandemic then the delta variant comes up.  Unfortunately we just have to be patient and vigilant by wearing a mask, limiting our exposure to big crowds and the most important thing is to get vaccinated.  We have gone through this together so far and we can get to the end together.  I’m sure we will.  In some ways we are getting back to normal and some of Lansdowne’s familiar events are back.

Our Annual Kids Halloween Party will be held on Saturday October 30th 12:00 to 2:00 rain or shine at the Landing in conjunction with the Farmers Market. This event is for all children ages 1 - 12. Children must be accommodated by an adult.  We are recommending masks be worn and we will practice social distancing.  We plan to give out trick or treat bags with goodies.  We are also bringing back the pumpkin patch.  A small pumpkin will be given to all trick or treaters.  Although there will be no costume judging I hope everyone will dress up to celebrate Halloween and give the kids something to enjoy.

READ MORE HERE.

Borough Council Meeting Notes:

September, 2021

• Authorize payment of bills for the period.
• Adopt Ordinance 2021-03 regarding electronic ticketing service.
• Adopt Resolution 2021-24 regarding Delco Greenways grant application for Darby Creek ped bridge
• Hire Michael Oulouhojian as a full-time police officer.
• Execute a Declaration of Public Trust, Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (Reservoir Park)
• Appoint Jim Klingler to the ZHB for a term expiring October 15th 2021.  
• Authorize the LAB to hold a Free Fair on 9-19-2021 from 10am to 2pm.
• Send support letter for Habitat for Humanity grant application DCED for Dudley Ave. development.
• Purchase purple lights for up to $150.
• Purchase Halloween decoration material for up to $900.
• Direct the solicitor to draft a statement to the ZHB in support of group homes.
• Enter agreement with PES for evaluation of heat generation options in Borough Hall.
• Permit Lansdowne Votes to set a banner on Borough Green from 10/4 to 11/4.
• Permit LEDC to place a big chair on the west lawn of the Lansdowne Library from 9/1 through 9/1
• Enter agreement with the Lansdowne Folk Club.
• Issue a Letter of support for DVCA’s application for a Delaware County Greenways Planning Grant
• Lend 80 chairs to the Ladies Auxiliary.

• An agreement with Dandelions Digital
• An ordinance pertaining to wireless facilities in the Borough
• A request for a grant support letter for the LEDC
• A resolution recognizing Delaware County Arts Week
• A grant support letter for a bicycle trail between East Lansdowne and Upper Darby

• Authorize payment of bills for the period.
• Adopt Ordinance 2021-04 to restrict parking & auto travel direction to enable bike lanes
• Advertise Ordinance 2021-05 regulating telecommunication antennas
• Advertise Ordinance 2021-0x to set a tapping fee schedule for sanitary sewer connections
• Adopt Resolution 2021-26 in recognition of Delaware County Arts week
• Enter agreement with Dandelions Digital for communication services
• Issue a letter of support for East Lansdowne Borough’s Delco Greenways Grant application.

September 11th Ceremony

POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony

Council Meeting Recognitions

Lansdowne’s Streets: Just For Cars, or Can They Be For Everyone?

Lansdowne is one of the nicer places for walking and bicycling.  We offer a “Tree City” landscape; our neighborhoods feature hundreds of attractive houses and gardens; and a walker or bicyclist going any distance is likely to encounter an interesting park, waterway, historic building, useful business or, with any luck, a friendly neighbor.

But not everyone appreciates the benefits of walking and bike riding in Lansdowne, and many residents rely overwhelmingly on their automobiles.  There are reasons for this.  Often, automotive uses dominate our streets, so that streets don’t feel safe for biking, crossing streets is hard, and sidewalks don’t feel like a good place to walk.  Over and over, suburbanization has reinforced the idea that suburbs are for cars. The result is lack of access, and public spaces that fail to draw people together to take advantage of amenities like parks and local businesses.

To remedy this, Lansdowne and hundreds of municipalities, counties and states across the US are turning to a “Complete Streets” philosophy governing road projects and other development. Complete Streets is a transportation policy requiring streets to be planned and maintained to enable safe access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of whether they are walking, cycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, or delivering goods.

Read more here.

Big Day Coming up for Climate and the Environment

October 6 is National Energy Efficiency Day!  

Coming right between Labor Day and Halloween, you may have overlooked this important occasion (which has been observed for the past 15 years).  But -- think again.  The cleanest, cheapest energy is the energy you never use in the first place.

Reducing energy use creates big savings -- for our planet, our climate and our health.  Using less energy will clean up our air, help combat climate change and its pervasive threat to our future and, as an added bonus, it will also lower your energy bills. Learn more here.

From the Lansdowne Public Library

Fire Prevention Week October 3-9

At-Home Tips for Keeping Your Pets Busy and Engaged

One key to a happy and healthy pet is regular enrichment, keeping their environments safe and exciting and allowing them to engage in their innate behaviors such as sniffing or chewing in dogs. For many pet parents right now, extended and prolonged time at home may be making it difficult to stay engaged and busy, and boredom can lead to destructive and undesirable behavior patterns for some pets. While families are busy working and learning from home, it's important for dogs and cats to do the same! These enrichment ideas from the ASPCA are great ways to keep your furry friends happy, healthy and on best buddy behavior while in quarantine.

Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation 

Public Borough Meetings:

Please look for meeting announcements as we begin to schedule live meetings. The website calendar has the most up to date information on meetings and will provide virtual attendance directions for those meetings that are still taking place virtually.

Lansdowne Borough Information