RUTLEDGE BOROUGH MEETING MINUTES
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call Jody Roberts, Sue Hunt, Heidi Sentivan, Ken Torres-Zickler, Andrea Juarez, Sean Sheehan, Vaughn Johnson, Mayor Gamal Sherif – Excused, Solicitor Carl Ewald – Meghan Burnes, Borough Secretary Janet Diiorio.
Approval of Agenda
Approve Agenda: Sue motion to approve, Sean second. All in favor.
Public Comment:
Stacy Rollins – 17 President Ave. New neighbor just stopping in to say hello and introduce herself.
Jesse Chladil — 135 Rutledge Ave. Record of 17 trees coming up! 12 trees for Triangle Park and 5 for residents. We need help planting trees! Any volunteers can show up 9 AM on November 15th at Triangle Park. Aim to finish by 1PM. Finalize form for tree donations to the park; 10 of 12 trees have interested sponsors! Volunteers asked to bring shovels and a tarp.
trees have interested sponsors! Volunteers asked to bring shovels and a tarp.
Tax Collector’s Report:
Tax Collectors report read aloud. Real Estate uncollected: $2,668.45, Trash uncollected: $1,524.54, Sewer uncollected: $3,020.10
Mayor’s Report:
Darby Creek Watershed Resilience, Conservation and Management Plan : Materials to be shared with council, Mayor unable to attend and present today.
Approval of Minutes:
Action: Approve Meeting Minutes for 2025.09.15
Amend/correct name of Mart to Marty. Motion to Approve by Sue, seconded by Heidi. Andrea and Vaugh abstain, the rest in favor.
Activities:
Information Share:
Our Porch Recap: Overall well attended later in the day, but event may have started too early in the day. Food truck came through and was great support. Community Gallery still ongoing.
Game Night 10/15: 6:30PM on Wednesday October 15th
Next Activities meeting: 10/22 – focus will be Happy Hour is October 24th.
Parks & Property:
Information Share: Gather Space Update & Schedule
Review of schedule with new final completion date of 11/21/2025.
Specific consideration for Tree planting on 11/15 as asphalt must be in place ahead of the planting.
Shade Structure footings resulting in change order due to unclear requirements from shade structure supplier. Catania Engineers finalized new footing size and count, resulting in additional work for MOR construction.
Stormwater Project Update
Stormwater project funding timelines have changed; all projects must be closed out prior to September 2026, not the expected December of 2026. This will affect timelines for the project.
Action: Vote to approve Payment #1 from MOR $144,900.14
Motion to approve by Sean, second by Andrea. All in favor.
Action: Vote to approve change order for the shade structure footings in the amount of $43,000
Motion to approve by Heidi, second by Sue. All in favor.
Personnel:
None.
Public Safety:
None.
Sewer:
Discussion: Budgeting for sewer cleaning for 2026 and beyond. Sewer relining began in 2018 through 2020; Catania recommends sewers be cleaned every 5-7 years. At 14K feet of sewer with a median estimate of $2.50/foot, it is estimated about $35,000. Potentially, a multi-year contract will need to be bid or
Action: Vote to ratify the payment of $86.03 in back interest for 1323 Morton Ave
Motion to approve Sean, second by Sue. All in favor.
Streets:
Discussion: Vision Zero Delco Municipal Resolution
Resolution read aloud. Considerations made in drafting on how Vision Zero Delco focused on multi-municipality, adding details pointing to the comp plan, etc.
Action: Vote to Approve Municipal Resolution for Vision Zero Delco – Tabled for final edits.
Building:
Information Share: Roof insurance/bid update
Currently, working on bid process. Roof Insurance requested we have a baseline section—replace with no improves—added to the bid sheet. Once bids are available, insurance will need to review to adjust their payment allocation.
Information Share: Zoning Hearing Board for 226 President set for Tuesday, October 28th at 7:30 pm, Zone Hearing Board will focus on requested setback for a front porch
Advertisements will need to go out for this; will run in Swarthmorean for 2 weeks and send letters to residents on 200 block of Rutledge Ave.
Communications:
None.
Finance:
Action Item: Approve Bills and Distributions 2025.09.14-2025.10.04
Motion to Approve by Sue, seconded by Andrea. All in favor.
Discussion: Electronic Payments for Activities Donations
Venmo requires a cellular phone, continuing to look into alternatives.
Discussion: 2026 Budget and Borough Stewardship
Council Member Heidi Sentivan shares thoughts regarding stewardship, fairness, negative rhetoric, focus on Rutledge’s community and safety of our borough.
Council Members Juarez and Sheehan share their confidence and thanks to Heidi Sentivan for her work and stewardship; noting that projects like the Triangle Park improvements, Codification Project, Advanced Life Services (ALS) contracts would not have been possible without her financial planning granting the community the flexibility.
Ordinance:
Information share: Intergovernmental Cooperation Ordinance for Swarthmore Police
Sean will work with solicitor to draw up an ordinance with Swarthmore for code book
Trash & Recycling:
Information Sharing:
Trash Limitations – Schedule
Sanitation will be redistributing the Schedule and ensuring language is clear.
Awaiting info on fees for additional hauling services for residents who would like to dispose of more than the volume permitted in their toter.
2026 DCSWA rate increase: 4-5%
Yard Waste observation
Awaiting info on tonnage to date
Reminder: no plastic bags.
eWaste – October 11th from 9AM-12PM
∙ Electronics recycling, scrap metal, white goods. No TVs or Monitors. Hard drives destroyed for a fee.
Borough Commissions:
Shade Tree
Planning Commission
Opportunity for a joint council/PC working session to discuss tracking against Comp Plan
Public Comment:
Andrew Marques Sylvan Ave – Historic Committee meeting; Wednesday October 8th at 6:30PM. Will be planning the final cadence for meetings, setting leaders for initiatives, and budget planning.
Old Business/New Business:
Old Business: Thank you to all who supported Delco Arts week, and to those who submitted for the Community Gallery
New Business: PennDot submitted plans to mark the length of Morton Ave from Swarthmore to Mitchell as “no pedestrian crossing”, with associated signage. The assessment incorrectly stated that cars on this corridor do not anticipate pedestrians, are not designated safe routes to school, etc. We are scheduling a call regarding this.
Adjournment-
Motion to adjourn at 9:05PM by Heidi, seconded by Sue.