Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Delaware County, Pennsylvania public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
13 issues with low priority
Senior Evacuation Planning
A self-described baby boomer asked what evacuation plans and routes exist for seniors and vulnerable residents in a disaster. The question ties into the county's Emergency Preparedness Month messaging.
Fair Acres Geriatric Center kitchen renovation
Chair Womack recapped the unveiling of a renovated kitchen at Fair Acres, the county's geriatric center, bringing expanded menu options and a refreshed dining space for residents.
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.
Transportation and services for child welfare youth
Three contracts totaling under $120,000 give foster and at-risk youth rides to school, psychiatric evaluations, phone check-ins during treatment transitions, and help locating runaways.
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.
Clayton Park / Featherbed Property Development
A resident questioned whether the county is still bound by a 2014 plan to build a golf driving range at Clayton Park, now that a cricket field with artificial turf is being discussed instead. Council said planning documents are aspirational, not binding.
Fair Acres facility maintenance contracts
Council locked in multi-year contracts for Microsoft licensing, generator maintenance, and fire alarm service at the Fair Acres Geriatric Center — routine but expensive upkeep for the county's nursing home, priced off state contracts.
Law library print subscription costs
Nearly $322,000 over three years for print legal materials averages about $82 per patron. Council wants usage data before the 2028 electronic renewal to decide how much print to keep.
Recognition of social workers
March is National Social Work Month, and the county spotlighted social workers in Children & Youth, aging services, the jail, public defender's office, and more.
County audit engagement and IT renewals
The council was scheduled to hire Baker Tilly US, LLP for two years of financial audits at $665,000 and renew software/cloud storage contracts — routine but real money that shapes county financial oversight and cybersecurity.
Fair Acres water intrusion and plaza repair
A December storm flooded the Building 8 kitchen renovation when decades-old plaza sealant failed; the county took the cheapest emergency fix and will plan a full plaza deck replacement in the 2027 capital budget.
Health department jurisdiction fallout on mosquito control
The state's mosquito control grant to the county has dropped about $50,000 over two years because 13 municipalities sued to leave the county health department's jurisdiction — the state now sprays those towns itself, and the county hopes to rejoin those conversations.
DELCORA board appointments
Council appointed Robert Boland and reappointed Ieasa Nichols to the water quality authority board; the Boland appointment passed 4-1 with Councilwoman Schaefer dissenting.