[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6122628,"mediaKeyId","2694493-0acef664218d6962d83de28b64768c21","parentId",2694493,"title","Clifton Heights council adopts tiered permit-fee cap, encumbers ARPA grants and approves energy and PennDOT agreements","audioSeconds",119,"startMs",2332000,"endMs",2451000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694493-0acef664218d6962d83de28b64768c21&start=2332&end=2451","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694493-0acef664218d6962d83de28b64768c21/thumbnail_2332000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6122628/Clifton-Heights/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Clifton-Heights-council-adopts-tiered-permit-fee-cap-encumbers-ARPA-grants-and-approves-energy-and-PennDOT-agreements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122628-e4aa2fb9196c4404705b7a9493f66313/orig.mp4?Expires=1773608572&Signature=D7zxWuTsU1Mcr4ER6mD6HQGyu5f7JnR3DgXxBFaB4aTkOUgLD2CddgyBR3lXDAFhWMTDwC-zJ4lilzk2vnCLwa5O0ff4pNQ~ehqzc3DYMPnwszTtNwsOEeYVxySPqJNO9n7FWpRSDrch1xo6grhPA3QLFOK-cdi~XzkbrgqHRVPqedAtNYeszt2nnak~4514sYAK7KCa9AtcbatL43ghtWfROn7rRBqQTqbvRTzPt-zSVJO3jgEpgVlATS~8qLt832BUt-Ze5E1sLy7s1N2UA1DkIoFxce3qWVcIeKBRfdr3YxYIrMcfV-04PKr1NZcnEq1m-Tz-Ooh3mUfURE1cyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Borough of Clifton Heights, PA","date","2025-03-19T11:46:25Z","article","The Clifton Heights Borough Council voted unanimously at its meeting to adopt a resolution that amends administrative and regulatory permit fees and caps fees for very large building projects, approved the encumbrance of $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a second round of nonprofit grants, and approved contracts for energy supply and a PennDOT multimodal transportation grant reimbursement.

The council approved Resolution 2025-5 (as referenced during the meeting) to tier building-permit fees so that permit revenue remains proportionate to municipal review and inspection costs for very large projects. Borough staff described the change as necessary because the community is facing an unusually large school construction project that, under the borough's prior formula, would have produced an excessive permit fee. The staff presentation outlined the tiered schedule the council adopted: a 4% base percentage on smaller projects (up to $5 million), 3% on values between $5 million and $40 million, 1% on $40 million to $75 million, and a quarter-percent (0.25%) above $75 million up to a $100 million cap. Council members said the tiers align the borough's fees with comparable municipalities and prevent an outsized one-time permit charge on major public projects.

Council also approved a motion to encumber — rather than merely allocate — $100,000 of previously earmarked ARPA funds for a second round of grants to qualifying borough nonprofit organizations. The borough manager explained the program will require organizations to submit bylaws and profit-and-loss statements (historical and recent) for verification, and a fiscal firm will review applications and calculate awards. Applications are to open the Friday after the meeting with a target return date around May 1; staff said the allocation process will allow for organizations that need additional time to meet internal bylaw notice requirements.

Separately the council approved entering an energy supply agreement with the company named in the meeting (referred to as Smartis/Smart Energy in the record) after staff said a 48-month supplier proposal showed roughly $4,400 in estimated savings over the contract period compared with current costs. The council also approved a multimodal transportation fund grant reimbursement agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, for highway and bridge projects the borough listed as eligible under the grant program.

All motions described above passed by unanimous roll call votes. Councilors also voted to accept routine reports from the borough's financial adviser, police chief, fire chief, engineer, solicitor, and community development/code enforcement staff.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution amending administrative/regulatory permit fees (Resolution cited in meeting): Motion made by Mister Cannon; seconded by Mister Gorman; roll-call outcome: unanimous yes (Mister Resnick, Mister Braun, Chair, Miss Barelli, Mister Gorman, Mister Cannon, Mister Swan, Mister Fagioli). Result: approved.

- Encumbrance of ARPA funds (Round 2 grants to nonprofits): Motion (to encumber $100,000) made by Mister Berman/Barnet (as recorded); seconded (recorded); roll-call outcome: unanimous yes (Mister Resnick, Mister Braun, Chair, Miss Barelli, Mister Gorman, Mister Cannon, Mister Swan, Mister Fagioli). Result: approved/encumbered.

- Approval of energy supply/sales agreement (supplier recorded in minutes as \"Smartis/Smart Energy\"): Motion made by Mister Fagioli; seconded by Mister Braun; roll-call outcome: unanimous yes. Result: approved.

- Multimodal Transportation Fund grant reimbursement agreement with PennDOT: Motion made by Mister Gorman; seconded by Mister Cannon; roll-call outcome: unanimous yes. Result: approved.

What the fee change means

Borough staff said the fee schedule maintains a 4% calculation on smaller projects but reduces the percentage on larger valuations so that a very large public-construction project will not be assessed an unreasonably large single permit charge. The manager and staff emphasized permit fees must reasonably relate to municipal costs and cannot function as a general tax or revenue generator for the borough.

ARPA grants: procedural details

Staff said the borough previously received $747,000 in ARPA funds and earlier set aside $100,000 for nonprofit grants; council has now encumbered an additional $100,000 for a second round. Applicants will submit bylaws, proof of eligibility, and profit-and-loss statements from defined years; a fiscal reviewer will verify filings and calculate awards based on documented lost revenue. Staff expects to distribute awards in late spring after verification.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 18, 2025 Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting the council unanimously adopted a tiered schedule to cap building permit fees for very large projects, approved encumbring $100,000 in ARPA funds for nonprofit grants, and voted to enter an energy supply agreement and a multimodal transportation grant reimbursement with PennDOT.","taxTitle","Clifton Heights, Delaware County, Pennsylvania","taxId",72239,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6122632,"Clifton Heights residents press council for overnight residential parking permits, clearer enforcement",910,428000,1338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694493-0acef664218d6962d83de28b64768c21&start=428&end=1338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694493-0acef664218d6962d83de28b64768c21/thumbnail_428000.jpg","/articles/6122632/Clifton-Heights/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Clifton-Heights-residents-press-council-for-overnight-residential-parking-permits-clearer-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122632-9ab45dca303ff31c30af1dfb02a729b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773608572&Signature=dxV-zOMVjNIPUNdVvp81DhapaL-OckqZQkbtaUC~bB1dqJDC1johHnj0JwJI7wHtyxvJjNBCDfUqwmX2d8JaHmTC6R0WLjSiYCI9R6q3yAG4J5jleY4JCUzgORZA9FpUX8SwuBMIspTCSpbViWHFX06qmcFk9EzBJ5c7t9yUl3vJHt6a0IHIzwCKXudIvi0rIH9tS68GgWSROCUOA2sROvIiCKgAL5SqZ5VEG2fyVzZfS3L-Hd12gLHy90l~IbxEVqeyR8lX2HES8hscNBGY-rMRN2RNSGNK0JqR-Bh5YpqmrAU7Ypco5W2bUbzq3DpHmEMdaTj0EiZmzs0r2uCbhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Christie Burns, a Clifton Heights resident, told the borough council during public participation that recent changes to the parking-permit program have left residents without access to overnight street parking and confused about enforcement.

\"I thought you were letting us park there from 9 to 9,\" Burns said, describing notices residents received; she said she and neighbors later learned the posted hours were a pay period that applies to people without permits. Burns asked whether residents could get an overnight residential permit and said nonresidents attending events at nearby businesses and the Legion take neighborhood spaces late into the night.

The issue drew a second public comment from David Volpe of 19 North Springfield Road, who described long-standing neighborhood congestion and said the changes have exacerbated disputes and safety concerns. \"We don't want the moon. We don't want the stars. We just want a little something that we've had before all this happened,\" Volpe said, saying he has lived in the neighborhood 38 years.

Borough staff explained rules and enforcement practices in response. The borough manager said the \"pay period\" language refers to when an unpermitted vehicle would be subject to paid parking and that vehicles are not permitted to remain overnight; staff also acknowledged technical problems with the vendor's whitelist that have affected permit recognition. \"We are working with the vendor to increase the accuracy of the white list,\" the manager said. Council members and staff described the 24-hour restriction as intended to prevent a vehicle from occupying the same spot across multiple 24-hour periods without moving.

Residents pressed several operational details: whether businesses that host late events are permitted to park in neighborhood spaces, how many permits have been issued, whether family members can be granted additional permits, and why some cars remain in lots after ticketing. The manager said roughly \"11, 12\" permits are in the system (as reported during the meeting) and that staff is adjusting the whitelist and vendor processes to reduce erroneous tickets and to make permit records accessible to enforcement officers without requiring residents to present paperwork in person.

Several residents requested a formal overnight residential permit option or a one-side residential parking designation on neighborhood streets. Council members asked residents to return with specific requests about how many permits and which blocks they propose to designate for residential-only parking; staff said they will follow up and that enforcement practices will be refined as vendor data is corrected.

The public comments included reports of parked vehicles with no registration and at least one recent instance of vehicle vandalism in the area; those were raised as local public-safety and quality-of-life concerns rather than items for immediate council action. No formal motion or vote on changing the permit rules occurred during the meeting.

The council did not adopt any new parking regulation at the meeting; staff said they will work with the vendor and follow up with residents about possible permit or block-level approaches and return with specifics for council consideration.","At the borough council meeting, residents raised repeated concerns about a new pay-period and permit system that they say lets nonresidents occupy neighborhood street parking overnight and has produced inconsistent ticketing.","actionData","errors"]

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Clifton Heights council adopts tiered permit-fee cap, encumbers ARPA grants and approves energy and PennDOT agreements

Clifton Heights residents press council for overnight residential parking permits, clearer enforcement