Chester council reappoints deputy mayor and city clerk, approves police hires, accreditation consultant, cleanup contract and several grants

The City of Chester Council on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, approved a series of organizational and deliberative resolutions that set committee assignments for the year, reappointed Portia West as deputy mayor and Candice Newsome as city clerk, and authorized several operational contracts and grants, including police appointments and a consultant to pursue law-enforcement accreditation.

The package of formal actions adopted during the organizational and deliberative sessions included the establishment of five standing council committees and the reappointments and contract awards that city leaders said are intended to support public safety, cleanup of persistent illegal-dumping sites and economic-development work tied to a regional sportsplex project.

Why this matters: several of the items—police accreditation work, an ARPA-funded cleanup contract and an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant—carry multiyear work plans or require additional city resources to realize anticipated benefits, city officials said during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution (committee appointments): Council adopted a standing-committee structure for 2025, assigning members and chairs to Public Safety; Budget and Finance; Public Works; Recreation; and Housing and Community Development. The council recorded unanimous support during roll call (Gibson Williams, Green, West, Davis, Mayor Ruth). Outcome: approved.

- Reappointment (deputy mayor): Council reappointed Portia West as deputy mayor to preside when the mayor is absent and to sign acts of the council in the mayor’s temporary absence. Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call recorded).

- Reappointment (city clerk): Council reappointed Candice Newsome as city clerk and Joan Neal as assistant city clerk. Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call recorded).

- Resolution 4 (appointments): Authorized the appointment of two individuals as patrol officers for the City of Chester. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 5 (appointment): Authorized the appointment of Alicia Stewart Martin to the Chester Housing Authority Board (term to expire Dec. 31, 2028). Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 6 (union memorandum of understanding): Authorized memorandum of understanding language to provide a 3% wage increase for represented employees in 2025 while keeping all other contract terms in effect for the listed unions (Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 19; IAFF Local 1400; Teamsters Local 107). Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 7 (contract award — police accreditation consultant): Authorized award of a law-enforcement accreditation consultant contract to Aspirin Consulting Group, not to exceed $62,500. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 8 (contract award — Chester Clean Ways, ARPA): Authorized award of the Chester Clean Ways ARPA project to Rattle Maintenance in the amount of $76,834 for targeted cleanup work. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 9 (grant acceptance — EDA): Authorized acceptance of a United States Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration "Recompete Strategy Development" grant; council discussion identified the award as $400,000 and noted additional EDA-required attachments would be added to the council package. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 10 (cooperation agreement — sportsplex / RACP): Authorized entering into a cooperation agreement with Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC and Union Sport Lehi LLC as required by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) for the Philadelphia Union Sport Plex project. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 11 (railroad compliance agreement): Authorized entering into a railroad certification/compliance agreement with Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) for repair of the tracks crossing Highland Avenue as part of the Highland Trail connection between Route 291 and the waterfront trail. Outcome: approved.

Discussion highlights and details

Police accreditation (Resolution 7): Council members and the police chief discussed the decision to hire a consultant to help the Chester Police Department pursue accreditation. Police Chief (unnamed in the transcript) said the consultant will produce a road map for policy, procedure and facility improvements and estimated the accreditation effort could take about three years. The consultant contract is a start-up engagement; the consultant’s fee to begin the work is not to exceed $62,500. The chief said one major expected benefit is lower insurance costs, and the city may become more competitive for certain grants that favor accredited departments. The chief cautioned the accreditation process will require additional investment by the city for facility and operational changes (for example, evidence-room upgrades). Quote: Police Chief: "The timeline to get this police [department] accredited is 3 years of what we're looking for. It's not gonna be easy." (attributed in-transcript to the police chief).

Clean-up contract (Resolution 8 / Chester Clean Ways): Council discussed awarding the ARPA-funded Chester Clean Ways contract to Rattle Maintenance for $76,834. City staff said the work targets known dumping corridors, including a noted stretch of Route 291 and areas in the central business district. The contract is a two-year engagement through the end of 2026 and will supply labor hours in targeted locations under the direction of the public works department. Staff and council members noted that cleanup alone does not prevent repeat dumping; cameras and multi-pronged enforcement were discussed as needed but are not included in this contract. Staff said targeted, consistent cleanups can reduce future littering, but longer-term efforts will require additional approaches.

EDA "Recompete" grant (Resolution 9): Council was told the city already has a commitment letter for the EDA Recompete Strategy Development grant. City staff identified the award as $400,000 and said the resolution is to accept the award subject to EDA-specified terms and attachments; staff said EDA supplied an additional attachment the previous Friday that will be added to the council package. Council members asked whether the workforce and job-creation elements would benefit Chester residents; staff responded the program is for the city of Chester and associated workforce development activities.

RACP cooperation agreement (Resolution 10) and trail crossing (Resolution 11): Council briefly discussed the cooperation agreement required by RACP for the Philadelphia Union Sport Plex and clarified that work on the Highland Avenue pedestrian crossing is intended to improve safety across Conrail tracks where the trail connects to the East Coast Greenway waterfront segment. Officials noted rail work requires coordination with Conrail and that the agreement covers necessary railroad-related work for the Highland Trail connection.

Organizational items: committee structure and reappointments

As part of the organizational meeting, council established five standing committees and assigned chairs and members. The mayor described the committee structure as a first pass that can be adjusted throughout the year and said chairs will primarily schedule and report committee business; he emphasized that chair votes carry no extra voting power beyond other members. Portia West was reappointed deputy mayor; Mayor Ruth praised West's service and said, "I consider you the mother of the group." Candice Newsome was reappointed city clerk, with Joan Neal designated assistant city clerk.

Other business — code enforcement follow-up (Jake's Tree Service): A city director provided an update on an ongoing noise and dust ordinance enforcement matter involving Jake's Tree Service. City staff said a violation letter was issued Dec. 18, and on Dec. 31 staff and code officers met on site with the operator. The city asked the operator to move a mulching bin roughly 100 feet from its previous location to address dust-control requirements and agreed the operator will place the mulcher inside the collection/bin system to mitigate noise. Staff said they will recheck compliance within two weeks and produce a written solution if issues persist; the operator may appear at an upcoming council meeting.

What the council did not decide: While the council approved acceptance of the EDA award and authorized the consultant and cleanup contracts, council members and staff acknowledged that several items—such as the full accreditation work plan and long-term strategies to stop repeat dumping (for example, cameras or enforcement changes)—will require additional work, funding and interagency coordination before the city realizes the expected benefits.

Speakers (selected, first reference includes role)

- Mayor Ruth, Mayor (City of Chester) — government - Portia West, Councilwoman; reappointed deputy mayor — government - Tamika Gibson Williams, Councilwoman — government - Fred Green, Councilman — government - Stephon Roots, Councilman — government - Shaiquan Davis, Councilman — government - Candice Newsome, City Clerk — government - Joan Neal, Assistant City Clerk — government - City Solicitor (unnamed), Solicitor — government - Police Chief (unnamed), Chief — government - Director Fritz, Director (city department) — government

Authorities referenced

- resolution: "Establish standing committees of council for the calendar year 2025" — referenced_by: ["committee-2025"] - resolution: "Reappoint Portia West as deputy mayor" — referenced_by: ["deputy-mayor-2025"] - resolution: "Reappoint Candice Newsome as city clerk; reappoint Joan Neal as assistant city clerk" — referenced_by: ["clerk-2025"] - resolution R4: "Authorize appointment of two individuals as patrol officers" — referenced_by: ["R4-patrol-appointments"] - resolution R5: "Authorize appointment of Alicia Stewart Martin to Chester Housing Authority Board (term to 12/31/2028)" — referenced_by: ["R5-housing-authority"] - resolution R6: "Authorize memorandum of understanding for unions setting a 3% wage increase for 2025" — referenced_by: ["R6-union-mou"] - resolution R7: "Authorize award of law enforcement accreditation consultant project to Aspirin Consulting Group, amount not to exceed $62,500" — referenced_by: ["R7-accreditation"] - resolution R8: "Authorize award of Chester Clean Ways ARPA project to Rattle Maintenance, $76,834" — referenced_by: ["R8-cleanways"] - resolution R9: "Authorize acceptance of U.S. Department of Commerce EDA Recompete Strategy Development grant" — referenced_by: ["R9-eda-recompete"] - resolution R10: "Authorize entering into cooperation agreement with Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC and Union Sport Lehi LLC as required by RACP for the Philadelphia Union Sport Plex" — referenced_by: ["R10-sportsplex"] - resolution R11: "Authorize railroad certification compliance agreement with Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) for Highland Avenue track repairs" — referenced_by: ["R11-rail-crossing"]

Actions (structured)

[ {"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"committee-2025"},"motion":"Establish standing committees of council for the calendar year 2025 with assigned chairs and members","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true,"notes":"Roll-call recorded; unanimous"},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Committee structure to be reviewed as needed in 2025."},

{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"deputy-mayor-2025"},"motion":"Reappoint Portia West as deputy mayor to serve as presiding officer during temporary absence of the mayor and to sign acts when the mayor is unavailable","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true,"notes":"Roll-call recorded; unanimous"},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Deputy mayor role includes ceremonial representation and presiding duties."},

{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"clerk-2025"},"motion":"Reappoint Candice Newsome as city clerk and Joan Neal as assistant city clerk","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Salaries per annual appropriation ordinance."},

{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R4-patrol-appointments","case_number":"R4"},"motion":"Authorize the appointment of two individuals as patrol officers for the City of Chester","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Names of appointees not specified in the transcript."},

{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R5-housing-authority","case_number":"R5"},"motion":"Authorize appointment of Alicia Stewart Martin to Chester Housing Authority Board (term to Dec. 31, 2028)","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Term end date specified in motion."},

{"kind":"resolution","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R6-union-mou","case_number":"R6"},"motion":"Authorize memorandum of understanding to set a 3% wage increase for 2025 for represented unions with all other contract terms unchanged","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Unions listed in resolution: FOP Lodge 19; IAFF Local 1400; Teamsters Local 107."},

{"kind":"contract_award","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R7-accreditation","contract_number":"R7"},"motion":"Authorize award of law enforcement accreditation consultant project to Aspirin Consulting Group, amount not to exceed $62,500","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Consultant to produce accreditation road map; full accreditation expected to require additional city investment over multiple years."},

{"kind":"contract_award","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R8-cleanways","contract_number":"R8"},"motion":"Authorize award of Chester Clean Ways ARPA project to Rattle Maintenance in the amount of $76,834","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Two-year contract through end of 2026 to service targeted dumping and litter corridors; cameras/enforcement not included in this contract."},

{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R9-eda-recompete","case_number":"R9"},"motion":"Authorize acceptance of U.S. Department of Commerce EDA Recompete Strategy Development grant (staff identified award as $400,000) and adhere to EDA-required terms and attachments","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"EDA provided an additional attachment to be included in the council package; staff said city has a commitment letter."},

{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R10-sportsplex","case_number":"R10"},"motion":"Authorize entering into a cooperation agreement with Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC and Union Sport Lehi LLC as required by RACP for the Philadelphia Union Sport Plex project","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Council discussed RACP administrative arrangements; a $4,000,000 figure was referenced in discussion but was later characterized as associated with RACP project funding rather than the EDA grant."},

{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"R11-rail-crossing","case_number":"R11"},"motion":"Authorize entering into a railroad certification compliance agreement with Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) for repair of the tracks crossing Highland Avenue as part of the Highland Trail connection between Route 291 and the waterfront trail","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Work is intended to improve pedestrian safety at the railroad crossing as part of the East Coast Greenway connection."} ]

Discussion vs. decision (summary)

- Discussion points: Accreditation requirements and timeline (police chief); cleanup contract scope and sustainability (staff and council); EDA terms and conditional attachments (staff); coordination with Conrail for Highland Avenue pedestrian improvements (staff/solicitor). - Directions: Staff to include the additional EDA attachment in the council package and to provide a project description before Wednesday; public works will direct the Clean Ways contractor to target specified corridors; code-enforcement and public-safety staff will recheck compliance at Jake's site in two weeks. - Formal decisions: Council approved all listed resolutions and reappointments as recorded.

Clarifying details (extracted)

- police_accreditation_fee: {"detail":"Consultant engagement not to exceed $62,500","source_speaker":"Police Chief"} - cleanways_award: {"detail":"Rattle Maintenance awarded $76,834 for a two-year ARPA-funded cleanup contract (through end of 2026)","source_speaker":"City staff"} - eda_grant_amount: {"detail":"City staff identified the EDA Recompete Strategy Development award as $400,000","source_speaker":"City staff"} - accreditation_timeline: {"detail":"Estimated 3 years to complete accreditation process","source_speaker":"Police Chief"} - mulching_bin_requirement: {"detail":"Move mulching bin roughly 100+ feet back for dust control per DEP guidance","source_speaker":"Director/Staff"} - union_wage_increase: {"detail":"3% across-the-board wage increase for 2025 for listed unions","source_speaker":"Solicitor/Staff"}

Proper names (extracted)

[ {"name":"City of Chester","type":"agency"},{"name":"Portia West","type":"person"},{"name":"Tamika Gibson Williams","type":"person"},{"name":"Fred Green","type":"person"},{"name":"Stephon Roots","type":"person"},{"name":"Shaiquan Davis","type":"person"},{"name":"Candice Newsome","type":"person"},{"name":"Joan Neal","type":"person"},{"name":"Alicia Stewart Martin","type":"person"},{"name":"Aspirin Consulting Group","type":"organization"},{"name":"Rattle Maintenance","type":"business"},{"name":"United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration","type":"agency"},{"name":"Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC","type":"business"},{"name":"Union Sport Lehi LLC","type":"business"},{"name":"Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail)","type":"organization"},{"name":"East Coast Greenway","type":"other"},{"name":"Jake's Tree Service","type":"business"}]