RUTLEDGE BOROUGH MEETING MINUTES
September 2, 2025
7:30 PM Council Session
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call Jody Roberts, Sue Hunt, Heidi Sentivan, Ken Torres-Zickler-Excused, Andrea Juarez, Sean Sheehan, Vaughn Johnson, Mayor Gamal Sherif, Solicitor Carl Ewald (via phone), Borough Secretary Janet Diiorio-Excused.
Approval of Agenda
Approve Agenda: Add info sharing for park to agenda
Motion to approve agenda by Sue, Second Heidi. All in favor.
Public Comment:
- Andrew Marques, 124 Sylvan Avenue – Really enjoying participating in the Park Clean Up this past weekend & share that the first meeting for the Historic Committee is this Thursday, 9/4 in lower Borough Hall
- Lindsay Micklin, Community outreach for RGC – thanks to all for support at Night at the Triangle. RGC will be back at Swarthmore Market on September 13th for any want to learn more.
Tax Collector’s Report:
- Report for 2025.9.02 – No changes with five bills remaining unpaid. Amounts read aloud.
Mayor’s Report:
- Borough Internships & Community service
- A big thank you to Sid and Bill for setting up Night at the Triangle; it was great to connect with the community in this setting and see people turn out.
- Pop Up Clean Up, led by neighbor Michelle Senior, with 12 people showing up. 25 bags of yard waste & 1 bag of refuse. Request to Sanitation and Borough Manager to coordinate the pick up of the yard waste
- Internships – it’s great to see youth each year be interested in Rutledge Borough and local government. It would be great to see a formalized program put together to identify these roles and goals for each year.
- Would fit well with requests received earlier for local students seeking community service hours. If we post to the school (particularly middle school and high school students needing community service hours) there is opportunity to get kids for specific events.
- Framework for Junior council exists from the PA Association of Boroughs and can be reviewed further.
- Vision Zero Delco – updates
- Traffic on Unity 400 block and Rutledge 200 block as of 2021 details shared with average of 266 and 105 daily, respectively. Streets confirms that we would need both of these streets reassessed after the 400 block of Waverly signage is complete.
- Provided additional resources around the Vision Zero Delco and draft municipal resolution.
Approval of Minutes:
Action: Approve Meeting Minutes for 2025.08.18
Corrected spelling of Joe Kadlec
Motion to approve Sue, Heidi second. Vaughn abstains, rest in favor.
Activities:
- Information Share:
- Night at the Triangle – well attended, Thank you to SPD for their donations in support of RGC and GirlScout troop.
- Yard Sale – Saturday 9-6-25, no rain date. Weather looks good.
- Activities meeting – Next September 24th and will be focused on Our Porch
- Future events
- Delco Arts Week – Plan Overview and Questions for the Council
- Hoping to hold the event from 11-6PM, with 11-12 being focused on kids and 12-5 will be local bands. 4-6PM would be happy hour in lower borough hall. Art would be up in lower borough hall for the duration of the day and remain through the week
- Questions around potential of food truck: official borough request could formalize it.
- Council President Roberts shares his thanks with VP Sue Hunt for following up with Delco Arts Week from last year as there is lots of opportunity in Rutledge as we have many artists and it’s a great local initiative.
- Grow and Glow Happy Hour
- Published for 10/24 at 4PM and combines happy hour and the pumpkin decorating contest.
- Board Game Nights will be Sept 17, Oct 15, Nov 19. None in December.
Parks & Property:
Info Sharing: a schedule has been provided by the contractor, with several approvals for next week. Many components ordered. Current schedule is through November 10th. It is not approved by Parks & Property as we are waiting for change order costs. RSTC tree planting will be 11/15 and we need the work done ahead of this.
Personnel: none
Public Safety: none
Sewer: none
Streets: none
Building:
- Vote to approve Building Request Form – eWaste event on October 11
- Sean motion to approve, Heidi second. All in favor.
- Vote to approve to advertise bidding out roof repair work for Borough Hall
- Sean motion to approve, Andrea Second. All in favor.
Communications:
- Middle of October (submit by Friday 10/17), ahead of Halloween
- December (submit by 12/19), ahead of Luminaries & for 2026 Schedule
- Vote to Approve increased cost of USPS EDDM, now $146 per distribution
- Andrea motion to approve, Vaugh second. All in favor.
Finance:
- Action Item: Approve Bills and Distributions 2025.08.17-2025.08.29
- Heidi motion to approve, Sean second. All in favor.
- Request for budget schedule to be presented at next Council Session.
Ordinance: none
Trash & Recycling:
- Discussion: Door Hanger Draft
- Vote to Approve VistaPrint order for 50 copies of the Door hanger for a cost not to exceed $125
- Recommendation to increase to 100.
- Motion to approve purchase of 100 door hangers not to exceed $125 by Andrea, Heidi seconds. All in favor.
- Information Sharing:
- Yard Waste
- Textile Bin an option after the yard sale
- Local events: eWaste at Rose Tree Park 9/23; HHW Upper Chichester 10/11; eWaste at Rutledge Borough Hall Oct 11th
Borough Commissions:
- Shade Tree
- Planning Commission
Public Comment: none
Old Business/New Business:
Old: Rutledge Welcome Brochure – Updates and typos discussed; edited live. Print 20-25 to start.
New: Heidi requested that Council/Planning Commission review the Zoning Requirements regarding Front Yard setback: our zoning currently requires houses to be set back 25’ from the front property line. Most of the deeds dictate that the property line is 50’ from the center line of the street, in effect making the setback 75’ from the center line of the road. Most of the old homes sit at the front property line. A recent project that wants to add a front porch at the front of the house has raised this issue.
New: Clean Up was fantastic, but request for transition of park maintenance / general upkeep of tot lot to be re-added to personnel schedule so that the park areas are properly maintained on a regular basis.
Old: Waverly Signage – Ordered, thanks to tax collector, and expected in 1.5-2 weeks. Streets will reach out to RGC President to coordinate the painting event with RGC.
Adjournment-
Motion to adjourn 8:39PM Heidi, Sue second.