At the April 17, 2025 Narberth Borough Finance & Administration Committee meeting, members voted to approve a set of municipal actions including scheduled bills, a land‑development letter of credit closure, the sale of an obsolete police vehicle, an update to the borough fee schedule and an authorization to negotiate a new energy supply contract.

Votes at a glance

- Scheduled bills: Committee recommended approval of scheduled bills for General, Sewer, Solid Waste, Capital, Highway and Green Fund accounts totaling $645,087.35; motion approved by voice vote (tally not recorded in the transcript).

- 650 Montgomery Ave (land development) — closure of letter of credit: Committee recommended closing the original letter of credit that expires April 27 and accepting a cash escrow of $3,250 to cover remaining punch‑list items; motion approved by voice vote. Staff said most items are minor grading, site stabilization and landscaping and that the cash escrow will remain until final items are completed and accepted by the borough’s inspector.

- Resolution 2025‑09 (sale of police vehicle): The committee recommended the borough sell an out‑of‑service Crown Victoria stripped of police electronics; motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded and passed by voice vote.

- Resolution 2025‑12 (fee schedule update): The committee recommended adoption of a fee schedule update that incorporates a previously adopted open‑space fee in lieu (set by council in 2023 but not placed into the formal fee schedule) and adjusts contractor registration practice to match operations. Key items discussed:
- Contractor registration: the fee schedule will retain $100 for commercial contractor registration and add a new $25 annual registration for residential contractors (the borough had been collecting $10 or $0 in some residential cases). The existing $10 business privilege tax (BPT) collection remains in place and is a separate, annual pass‑through to the tax collection vendor.
- Facility rentals and cancellation policy: staff proposed a formalized cancellation/invoice approach to capture staff time when groups reserve the borough hall or multipurpose room and fail to show; the committee discussed options including invoicing after no‑shows, deposits or holding credit card information for potential charges.
The committee approved the fee schedule changes by voice vote.

- ISG/IGS Energy contract renewal: The committee authorized borough staff to negotiate and execute an energy supply contract with flexibility on term and timing so the borough can lock in favorable rates from the current supplier while the aggregated community choice aggregation (CCA) petition is still under review by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Staff noted the incumbent (identified in the packet as IGS/ISG) urged locking in rates now because market pricing was favorable; members discussed the possibility of a shorter term to allow transition to a CCA if the PUC process succeeds. The committee authorized the manager to negotiate an appropriate term and price and to execute the agreement when recommended by the supplier; motion approved by voice vote.

Discussion and context

On the 650 Montgomery Ave item, staff said a borough‑contracted inspector (Pinone/Pinonni referenced in the record) performed a final inspection and issued a punch list; several neighbors had asked for an escrow to ensure landscaping and site stabilization. Staff recommended closing the letter of credit that is expiring and accepting a $3,250 cash escrow to complete the remaining items. The committee approved that recommendation.

On the ISG/IGS item, staff explained a pending CCA petition before the PUC creates uncertainty about whether the borough will need a supplier contract beyond the current calendar year. Staff relayed the supplier’s view that current wholesale prices are favorable and that locking rates now could be advantageous; the supplier representative had previously briefed council at a workshop. Staff explained termination of an executed supplier contract could require liquidating positions; depending on market moves that liquidation might create either no cost to the borough or a settlement liability if prices fall further.

Other items

The committee received a treasurer’s report noting first‑quarter tax, sewer and solid‑waste revenues largely posted after the month closed and that the borough’s public works department had purchased some supplies early to hedge potential tariff‑driven price increases.

Next steps

Approved items will be forwarded to full council as recommended actions where required (resolutions and contract authorizations). Staff will execute the ISG/IGS contract under the delegated authority the committee recommended and will return to council if substantive termination or buy‑out terms require additional approval.