Lansdale committees report budget, EV vehicle leases, sewer contracts and traffic changes

Lansdale Borough Council committees on June 4 reported a stronger-than-expected midyear financial position, recommended a five‑year vehicle lease package that includes electric pickups, forwarded two sanitary sewer rehabilitation contract awards and advanced traffic‑calming and accessibility projects across the borough.

The council heard committee updates spanning finance, electric operations, public works/wastewater, parks and recreation, code and planning, economic development and public safety. Committees approved or recommended several spending and procurement actions that the full council is expected to consider at upcoming business meetings.

Why it matters: The committee reports include multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar contracts for sewer work, a $276,000 five‑year vehicle lease plan that adds electric trucks to borough fleet, and a $250,000 grant to pave and improve park trails. Those items have direct budgetary implications for borough reserves and affect residents’ daily life through traffic changes, utility billing adjustments and park accessibility improvements.

The meeting opened with a motion to approve the check warrant (payment authorization document); the motion passed on a voice vote. Committees then moved through standing business and project updates.

Votes at a glance - Check warrant: Motion to approve the check warrant as posted (mover not specified in the transcript). Outcome: approved (voice vote). - East Main Street Streetscape: Public Works committee approved moving forward with final payment in the amount of $163,184.13 to close the contract; outcome: approved by committee and recommended to council. - West Third Street sanitary sewer rehabilitation: Public Works/Wastewater committee recommended awarding the contract to TD Construction Company for $552,772.25 (base bid + alternate 1); outcome: recommended to council for award. - Edgemont Avenue sanitary sewer rehabilitation: Public Works/Wastewater committee recommended awarding the contract to Dolly Construction for $359,359; outcome: recommended to council for award. - Vehicle leasing: Finance/Administration committee approved moving forward with a five‑year lease plan for four vehicles (two Ford Lightning pickup EVs for electric/wastewater, two Chevy Tahoes for police); five‑year payments total $276,000 with buyout options at $1 per vehicle at lease end; outcome: approved by committee and to be forwarded for council action.

Finance and staffing Committee reports showed the borough’s cash position stronger than the same point last year. The general fund was reported as having roughly $7.1 million available (committee comment), and total cash across borough accounts was reported at about $20.3 million compared with roughly $20.0 million at the same time last year. A financial consultant recommended opening the budget for midyear review; council members said staff will begin an internal review and consider adjustments.

The borough reported a verbal agreement with a candidate for finance director; final hiring paperwork was described as pending with the expectation the individual could be seated at the next business meeting.

Fleet and electric operations Finance and electric reports described a five‑year vehicle lease arrangement that covers four vehicles with total lease payments of $276,000. The planned fleet additions include two Ford Lightning electric pickup trucks for the electric and wastewater departments and two Chevy Tahoes for police use. Committees said the lease allows borough ownership at the end of five years for $1 per vehicle.

Electric operations staff (identified in committee remarks as Joe and Grace) said billing formulas and account corrections have been completed and that the department will begin returning roughly 3,000 residential electric service deposits as credits to customer accounts. No exact start date for individual refunds was given; staff said they expect a phased rollout beginning next month with the goal of completing returns by year end but cautioned the work will be done account‑by‑account and will take months.

Electric capital work noted in committee reports includes a planned installation of about 2,500 new meters starting in January to achieve full meter replacement (estimated three to four months to complete) and progress on the Ninth Street substation (reported at roughly 70% complete and expected online in about six weeks).

Wastewater and Public Works contracts Public Works reported approval to release final payment on the East Main Street Streetscape contract ($163,184.13) after punch‑list completion and a two‑year maintenance warranty. Separately, wastewater committee business included recommendations to award two sanitary‑sewer rehabilitation contracts: - West Third Street sanitary sewer rehab: recommendation to award to TD Construction Company for $552,772.25 (base bid + alternate #1). - Edgemont Avenue sanitary sewer rehab: recommendation to award to Dolly Construction for $359,359. Committee members said the bids were held until funding availability was confirmed; presenters reported sufficient cash and anticipated grant reimbursements.

Parks, recreation and accessibility projects Parks and Rec reported the borough was awarded a $250,000 Monco 2040 implementation grant to prepare bid specifications to pave trails at Memorial, York/Susquehanna and Wissahickon parks; the borough’s match for that grant was reported as 10 percent. Other projects in the parks portfolio include West Fifth Street playground rehabilitation (pre‑bid meeting held; bids due June 11, with contract award tentatively scheduled for the June 18 business meeting) and continued White’s Road pool renovations and a prefabricated restroom building being delivered on-site. Parks staff noted accessibility issues on existing trails and said the grant is intended to improve safe access for mobility‑impaired users.

Code, planning and development The planning commission discussed a sketch plan for 817 West Main Street proposing 14 residential units with a first‑floor commercial space; public commenters at that planning meeting raised concerns about stormwater, parking and intersection visibility. Code committee members also reported they are looking at a sample lead‑poisoning ordinance shared by Norristown and plan a presentation to full council so the borough and public can be educated before next steps. The committee said a foreclosure‑register ordinance draft has been placed on the borough shared drive for council review; the vacancy ordinance has been separated from the foreclosure draft and is no longer active.

Economic development The economic development committee approved a façade grant request for Well Crafted Brewing Company (two committee members abstained from that vote). Committees discussed a Discover Lansdale mailer pilot intended to boost attendance at downtown events (the organization is funding an initial mailing to about 2,500 nearby homes and may request borough assistance later). The committee also reported ongoing work to define criteria and hire a Main Street/ downtown manager.

Public safety and traffic changes The public safety committee advanced several steps from the borough‑wide traffic study. The committee recommended painting curb setback markings at five intersection locations (Columbia & S. Richardson, Columbia & S. Talmadge/Talmadson, Durstein & S. Richardson, Perkiomen & S. Talmadge/Talmadson, and E. Third & N. Chestnut) as an immediate, low‑cost first phase of work.

The committee also recommended restricting right turns from North Wales Road onto Sycamore and Lombardi on weekdays between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to reduce cut‑through traffic; the agenda language mistakenly listed a left‑turn restriction, which the committee clarified should be “no right turns.” Committee members said there will be a 30‑day warning period with posted signage and enforcement to educate drivers before citations are issued, and the borough will use flashing advance message signage on North Wales Road to notify motorists.

Committee members noted the borough will continue to rely on existing ordinances and co‑responder resources rather than adopting a new anti‑camping ordinance; the proposed anti‑camping ordinance on the agenda was pulled and is not moving forward at this time.

Other items and community events Public Works noted a recent 811 underground‑utility training session for staff. Fire and emergency services reported an elevated number of alarms year‑to‑date and said the borough will receive 83 smoke detectors through a Channel 6 “Operation Save a Life” program; residents in need were instructed to contact the fire marshal’s office.

Committee announcements included cancellations of July committee meetings due to expected lack of quorum and a list of summer events (First Friday, Lansdale Day, Discover Lansdale events, concerts at Weitz Road Park, and White’s Road Park cleanup on June 28).

What’s next: Several committee recommendations—most notably the sanitary sewer contract awards, the East Main final payment and the vehicle lease—were forwarded for action at upcoming business meetings. Committees asked council members to review shared‑drive materials on the foreclosure register ordinance and to await staff scheduling for a lead‑poisoning presentation to full council.

Ending: Council committees said staff will follow up with formal agenda items and supporting materials for the next business meeting; no new ordinances were enacted at the June 4 work session.