Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Delaware County, Pennsylvania public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
14 issues in environment
$120 Million Open Space Bond Referendum
Voters could decide in November whether the county borrows up to $120 million to protect drinking water, rivers, wetlands, parks, and natural areas from development. Council debates the actual vote Wednesday — the resolution just puts the question on the ballot.
Stormwater management and Chester Creek Trail
DVRPC is set to allocate $9.75 million to build the next 1.3 miles of the Chester Creek Trail with no county match. Separately, a $300,000 DCNR grant will fund an ADA-accessible loop trail, parking and bathrooms at Delco Woods (former Don Guanella School).
Solar Arrays at Three County Buildings
The county wants solar panels on three county sites to grab the federal 30% clean-energy tax credit before it expires at the end of 2027 — good for sustainability and for dodging volatile energy bills.
Mosquito Forest Development in Upper Darby
A resident urged the county to fund preservation of a 15-acre forested Upper Darby parcel slated for 4,143 housing units that would remove roughly 2,000 trees, saying a revived Greenways program could change the township's calculus.
Flood gauges for stormwater and emergency warning
Fifty new stream gauges will give emergency services real-time data on rising water and help validate the county's stormwater plan models — a big deal for flood-prone neighborhoods.
Delaware County Greenways Finance Feasibility Study
Council celebrated two new trail openings in Upper Darby and Chester, part of a Greenways program that has invested $20 million countywide and leveraged $40 million more.
Countywide composting and recycling expansion funded by $4.99M EPA grant
A state recycling grant covers half of the recycling coordinator's costs, with money passed through to the Solid Waste Authority. The coordinator helps every municipality in the county with recycling reports and grants — and future composting education.
Greenlawn Cemetery preservation
Col. Jenkins is asking students to 'adopt a veteran' at facilities like Fair Acres, and volunteers to restore Greenlawn Cemetery, where Black Civil War veterans' headstones sank beneath the soil after a century of neglect.
Farm conservation funding
A rare farm-conservation grant for Delco: $35,172 helps the Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead build a stream crossing so its livestock stay out of Ridley Creek.
Monroe Energy Chelsea Tank Farm fuel leak
A resident called for a state of emergency or health department inspections of homes near an alleged benzene spill that has reportedly leaked since December.
Ten-year solid waste plan advisory committee
The county's new state-required ten-year trash plan needs advisory committee members; Upper Darby's interim public works director fills the first-class township slot.
George W. Hill underground fuel tank removal
The state DEP has been ordering the county to remove an aging underground fuel tank at the jail for years. After emergency repairs and engineering work, the project finally moves forward with a new above-ground tank — expected done before year's end.
Sustainability Office progress and climate initiatives
The county's three-person sustainability office highlighted the Zero Waste Plan, tree canopy study, solar evaluation of county buildings before federal tax incentives expire, an Earth Day event April 18, and a free March 13 conference at Swarthmore.
Glen Providence Park Erosion Investigation
Upstream development and a partial dam breach have badly eroded Broomall's Run next to the park pond in Media — the county is spending up to $99,992 on a study to find real solutions, with grant money likely available for the fix.