Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 154, No. 25
INSIDE
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
$1.00
Chester County to ‘go green’ on June 26 The county’s arrival in the green phase comes on the heels of a CDC report that ranked Pennsylvania as one of only three states to report a 42-day steady decline in COVID-19 rates By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
That giant jangly sound heard throughout Chester County is the echo of thousands of keys that are about to cautiously but thankfully reopen businesses and facilities, following Voices, messages soar the recent announcement during Juneteenth by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf that the councelebration...1B ty will move to the green phase of reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning on June 26. Chester County is among the last wave of counties given the go-ahead to move to the state’s green phase this Friday, joining Berks, Bucks, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Susquehanna. The only county in Pennsylvania Kennett Library ready to that is not slated to move to green by June 26 is serve...4A Lebanon County, which has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Under the state’s green phase, Chester County will be asked to abide by the following guidelines:
Work and Congregate Settings Restrictions • Continued telework is strongly encouraged • Businesses with in-person operations must follow updated business and building safety requirements • All businesses that were operating at 50 percent occupancy in the yellow phase may increase to 75 percent occupancy • Child care services may open, providing they comply with guidelines • Congregate care restrictions will remain in place • Prison and hospital restrictions will continue to be determined by individual facilities • Schools will be subject to CDC and commonwealth guidance Social Restrictions • Large gatherings of more than 250 will be prohibited • Masks are required when entering a business • Restaurants and bars will reopen at 50 percent occupancy • Personal care services – such as hair salons and barbershops – will reopen at 50 percent occupancy and
by appointment only • Indoor recreation, health and wellness facilities and personal care services -- such as gyms and spas – will reopen at 50 percent occupancy with appointments strongly encouraged • All entertainment venues – such as casinos, theaters,
and shopping malls – will reopen at 50 percent occupancy • Construction activity may return to full capacity with continued implementation of protocols ‘A welcome relief’ Area economic directors
said that the move from the yellow phase to the green phase, while not intended to completely return the business climate to prepandemic scenarios, is nonetheless a much needed stimulant guaranteed to kick start local economies Continued on Page 3A
Lift ev’ry voice and sing
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Isabella Hanson, a 14-year-old sophomore at Kennett High School, organized and moderated “Juneteenth: Network to Freedom,” which was held at the historic Fussell House on June 19 before 100 community members and dignitaries. For the complete story and additional photos, see Page 1B.
Avon Grove School Board approves final budget for 2020-2021 Dangerous Dog moves forward...5B
Bill
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
The Avon Grove School Board has finalized a $99.3 million spending plan for the 2020-2021 school year. The budget was approved by a 6-3 vote with school board president Bill Wood, Opinion.......................7A board vice president Jeffrey Obituaries...........2B & 3B Billig, Herman Engel, Classifieds..........6B & 7B Dorothy Linn, Tracy Lisi, and Bonnie Wolff all voting in favor of the budget and board members Rick
To Subscribe Call 610.869.5553
INDEX
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Dumont, John Auerbach, and Lynn Weber voting against it. Dan Carsley, the school district’s chief financial officer, said that the millage rate to support the budget will increase from 31.61 mills to 32.71 mills, a hike of 3.48 percent—close to the Act 1 Index limit for Avon Grove for the 20202021 fiscal year. For 2020-2021, the school district’s expenditures total $99,331,571. The district
is placing $1,960,000 in budgetary reserve. This financial move offers some protection against declining revenues—something that is out of the school district’s control—as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and all its various effects. Avon Grove had been on track for a maximum allowable tax increase from the start of this year’s budgeting process as the school district prepares for the construc-
tion of a new high school and invests in initiatives that are aimed at boosting academic achievement. At the school board’s meeting on June 4, as district officials discussed the spending plan, Dumont read from a prepared statement urging the board to reconsider a budget that includes a large tax increase. Dumont said that school district officials had ample time to rework the budget and cut expenditures
in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “Only time will tell how deeply Avon Grove is affected by this,” Dumont said. Auerbach and Weber also said that they opposed the budget. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese has consistently said during the budgeting process that the school district must phase in the funding for the new high school in a responsible Continued on Page 3A
Kennett Square Borough No plans to sell Oxford Area launches initial plan Sewer Authority to support the business community By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer At the June 15 Kennett Square Borough Council meeting, Mayor Matt Fetick shared his recommendations on some small steps the borough can take to support the business community as shops and restaurants reopen. Kennett Square Borough Council agreed with the recommendation to close the 100 block of East State Street to traffic on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Friday starting at 5 p.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday. Closing the 100 block of East State Street will allow restaurants and retailers to expand their physical operations out onto the sidewalks and streets. This will allow for increased social distancing and safe practices and provide an opportunity for businesses to expand their allowable capacity and support more customers. Thursday, June 18 was the first day that State Street
was closed. All the businesses will be required to comply with the Pennsylvania state guidelines on reopening and Chester County Health Department safety requirements, borough officials said. Fetick said that this initial plan will be evaluated for its effectiveness with the potential to expand the closures and parking restrictions into additional blocks of the business district. Fetick added that Historic Kennett Square has been actively seeking the input of businesses on how the borough can most effectively support them during this difficult time as shops and restaurants reopen following the economic shutdown that was prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Fetick also provided emergency relief allowing businesses to operate within their property boundaries, utilizing their parking lots and available space to conduct business
outside. Additional relief was also granted for temporary signage. The borough is also supporting two financial initiatives to help the local businesses. One is a small business loan program through the Borough’s Revolving Loan Fund. This loan is up to $10,000 and allows for businesses to access a low-cost loan to support their business operations. The loan is being administered by True Access Capital and all businesses are encouraged to apply. The Borough has made available up to $500,000 for this loan program. The other initiative is a grant program which is available to businesses within the borough to support their ongoing operations. Grant applications are available through Historic Kennett Square and are available in both English and Spanish. Fetick said that the borough will continue to look Continued on Page 2A
Oxford Area Sewer Authority (OASA) director David Busch has confirmed that there are no longer plans to sell the Oxford Sewer Authority to a private entity. Just months ago, Busch stood before Oxford Borough Council and told the council members that the Borough of Oxford, and the townships of East Nottingham, West Nottingham and Lower Oxford, owed a combined $1.2 million to the USDA, the result of two missed debt-service payments in 2015. Since then, OASA has announced that it has sold the property on Reedville Road for approximately $270,000. The proceeds from that sale went immediately to the USDA to pay a portion of the outstanding debt. The Sewer Authority also has an agreement of sale on their property at 14 S. Third Street and when that sale is final in
August OASA will pay off the remainder of the $1.2 million. The agreement of sale on the 14 S. Third Street property is with La Comunidad Hispana (LCH), which plans to relocate their health center from 303 N. Third Street to the center of town. LCH does have a conditional use hearing scheduled for June 22 and, if approved, Oxford will have available and affordable health care in the center of the town. The agreement of sale closing was pushed back to August due to the conditional-use hearing and the COVID-19 pandemic. Busch disclosed that they had two offers for the OASA building and chose LCH. OASA will still owe money to the four municipalities when they close on the building in August. Busch explained, “We will refund the municipalities for the portion they paid as an obligation under the guarantee agreement.” That payment will be paid back over a number of years. Continued on Page 2A