Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
To Subscribe Call 610.869.5553
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 154, No. 5
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
$1.00
Four employees terminated as part of township’s realignment By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Four long time staff members of Kennett Township were recently dismissed from their duties as part of an effort to realign the structure and priorities of the township’s management. On Jan. 24, the township terminated receptionist and permit coordinator Cathy Rowe; assistant to the treasurer and right-to-know officer Megan Cadreau; and
Michael O’Brien, assistant to the township manager. A fourth employee, Sara Meadows, who had served as the township’s historian and records keeper, was also terminated because her position was not funded in the 2020 budget. The decision to terminate the four employees was made by Township Manager Eden Ratliff in consultation with the township’s Board of Supervisors and Finance/ Human Resources Director
Amy Heinrich. Rowe, Cadreau and O’Brien were all offered severance packages at the time of their termination. Ratliff has not heard yet whether any of the three have accepted those packages, which include a continued salary for a period of time and a longer continuation of the township’s health care benefits. The transition was part of an effort to shift the township’s priorities and
departments towards planning and governance, and to create a stricter and more robust form of financial management and controls. “The township conducted a thorough review to determine the best path forward to restore trust and confidence in all parts of township operations and services,” Ratliff said. “There was a lot of push and pull to make sure that we were making the right decision for the township in the long-
term, and ultimately it was a team decision, and we’re all on the same page.” Ratliff said that although the salaries for the three employees was higher than the position responsibilities demanded, they were not a factor that led to the dismissal of Rowe, O’Brien and Cadreau. Ratliff found that their annual salaries far exceeded those of comparable positions held at other municipalities in Continued on Page 3A
Sewer Authority Buzz Tyson honored for 25 director offers years as the executive director update to Oxford of the Lighthouse Youth Center INSIDE Borough Council about loan responsibility By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
2020 Health & Medical Guide
YoungMoms: Continuing to provide direction, inspiration...3B
Oxford Area Sewer Authority director David Busch had some good news and some bad news to deliver to Borough Council on Monday night. The good news,” said Busch, “is the Sewer Authority signed an agreement to sell a 33-acre parcel on Reedville Road and we also have a lot of interest on our property at 14 S. 3rd St. where the Authority is currently located.” However, the bad news is that that the Borough of Oxford, East Nottingham,
West Nottingham and Lower Oxford Townships were recently told they are left owing $1.2 million that resulted from two missed payments on a USDA loan that the Sewer Authority took out. According to a Guarantee Agreement signed by the four municipalities, the municipalities will need to pay a proportionate payment in April of this year. Since the majority of rate payers are in the borough, the borough will be paying the largest portion of that amount—44 percent. Busch said, “The problem is that all four municipalities Continued on Page 2A
Buzz Tyson has often spoken about how the community has blessed the Lighthouse Youth Center with tremendous support in its effort to provide positive programs and activities for youngsters in Oxford. The Lighthouse Youth Center itself has often been described as a blessing to the young people in the Oxford community. But last Thursday, as Tyson reached the 25th anniversary as the executive director of the Lighthouse, it was he who was being called a blessing. “We’re so thankful that Buzz is part of our team,” said Barry Hostetter, a longtime member of the Photo by Steven Hoffman Lighthouse’s board of State Rep. John Lawrence (right) presented Buzz Tyson directors. “It’s amazing (middle) with a proclamation honoring him for 25 years how many kids he has at the Lighthouse. Kathy Book (left) is the president of Continued on Page 2A
the Lighthouse Youth Center’s executive board.
‘I love where East Marlborough has a new township manager Oxford is headed’ Phil Harris, the new mayor of Oxford Borough, is enthusiastic about the town’s present—and even more optimistic about its future By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
New exhibitions link women’s suffrage and civil rights movements...1B
Photo by Monica Fragale
Neil Lovekin has been named the new township manager in East Marlborough Township.
By Monica Fragale Contributing Writer
INDEX
The East Marlborough Township Board of Opinion.......................7A Supervisors appointed Neil Obituaries...........2B&7B Lovekin as the new township manager on Monday Classifieds............4B-5B night. He begins that position on Feb. 10. “I look forward to being here,” Lovekin, a Willistown resident, said at the township © 2007 The Chester County Press meeting. After former township manager Laurie Prysock left in December, the supervisors spent the next two months looking for a replacement.
Hannah Christopher worked as the interim manager – a role that supervisors praised her for at Monday’s meeting. “We selected Neil after a pretty exhaustive search,” supervisors’ Chairman Robert McKinstry said. There were 55 applicants that were then whittled down to six, and then to three, before Lovekin was selected. Lovekin previously worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Community Development and the Chester County Department of Emergency Services. He has worked for
CABINET FACTORY
3460 Naamans Rd, Wilmington, DE 19810
the last six years as the assistant borough manager and zoning officer for Malvern Borough. His last day there is Feb. 7. He plans to have an open-door policy in East Marlborough. Christopher will remain the township treasurer and also serve as the assistant township manager. The supervisors proposed a resolution thanking her for her service as the interim manager. “Hannah’s done a great job,” said East Marlborough Police Chief Robert Clarke.
In the weeks since Phil Harris joined the short list of men and women who have served as mayor of Oxford Borough, he has been busy meeting with residents and business owners and the leaders of a variety of organizations in the Oxford community. His goal has been to talk to as many people as possible because it is these residents, business owners, and community leaders who are laying the groundwork for the borough’s future. Harris was appointed to serve as mayor by Borough Council on Dec. 16, and he was officially sworn in eight days later. “Being appointed as Mayor is truly an honor,” Harris said.
He jumped into the new role with fervor, doing ride-alongs with police officers, meeting with officials from organizations like the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lighthouse Youth Center, the Oxford Senior Center, Oxford Mainstreet, Inc., and the Oxford Arts Alliance. The Harris family attended an MLK Day community celebration at the Shiloh Presbyterian Church. Harris also met with numerous business owners, some of whom he already knew through his work with a local distribution company. What has surprised him most is that there are so many people doing good things in Oxford, and yet that stands in opposition to so many of the comments on Continued on Page 4A
CELEBRATING PLATO’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY
$500 OFF $1,000 OFF $7500 CABINET PURCHASE
OR
$10,000 CABINET PURCHASE
Visit store for details
302-543-5550