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Chester council authorizes EPA grant application for lead remediation and hires third-party plan-review vendor
Summary
Council authorized staff to apply for up to $350,000 in EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities funding for lead remediation and approved an agreement with Roselli and Associates to provide plan review and inspection services under a revenue split.
Chester City Council authorized two administrative actions Wednesday: a grant application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for lead remediation and an agreement with an outside vendor to process plan reviews and inspections.
EPA grant application
Council authorized the mayor and two city officials to execute documents to submit a grant application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities program for an amount not to exceed $350,000. City staff said the funds would be used to improve child health outcomes by remediating lead hazards in homes and distributing air purifiers to families with children who have asthma.
Dr. Kristen Motley of the city health bureau was credited by council as a driving force behind the proposal; council voiced support and approved the resolution by roll call.
Third-party plan review and inspection vendor
Council also authorized an agreement with Roselli and Associates, 405 Graves Avenue, Glenolden, PA, to provide plan review and inspection services for the Bureau of Licensing and Inspections on an as-needed basis. The contract as described in the resolution allocates 60% of retained permit fees to the vendor and 40% to the city. Council members and staff characterized the arrangement as a temporary measure to address a backlog in permit reviews and inspections while the city trains and certifies internal staff.
Council discussion and intent
Council asked why the city would retain only 40% of the permit fees. Staff replied that the vendor would perform most of the technical work and that 40% was intended to cover city administrative and overhead costs. A city official described the approach as a temporary fix to reduce delays at the licensing window and said funds have been identified to train internal staff in 2025 so inspections and reviews can be performed in-house in the future.
Votes and next steps
Both resolutions were approved on voice votes/roll calls recorded by the clerk. Staff said they intend to monitor turnaround times, pursue staff certification and report back on the program's temporary status.
Ending
Council framed the two measures as administrative steps to address public-health risks from lead exposure and to reduce permit-processing delays while strengthening internal capacity.
