NORRISTOWN >> Civic participation, police promotions and the swearing in of new officers were the highlights of Wednesday night’s meeting of Municipal Council.
The meeting began with a recognition of Norristonians who participated in the most recent Citizens’ Leadership Academy.
Council President Sonya Sanders said the participants in the CLA are “a great group of individuals who are very creative,” and said Council would take some of their proposals into consideration.
The CLA, which Sanders described as “a great way to learn how the local government works,” has had 70 participants to date, 15 of whom were on hand to receive certificates for completion of the immersive civics education program.
Several of Norristown’s finest were also honored Wednesday as they were promoted within the police department. Sergeant Kenneth Lawless was promoted to Lieutenant. Corporal Daniel DeOrzio was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. And officer Edward Rambo was promoted to Corporal.
All three were sworn in by District Judge Francis Lawrence with family members looking on with pride.
Lawrence’s duties continued following the promotion as three new officers — Donovan Sobetsky, Danielle Politsky and Sean Gallagher — were also sworn in.
In other business, council voted to authorize the acquisition of 340 Harding Boulevard — the Greater Norristown Police Athletic League building — for a purchase price not to exceed $225,000, plus the payment of the seller’s legal costs associated with the transfer.
An ordinance allowing for the purchase was approved at council’s Oct. 3 meeting.
As with the vote for the ordinance, Councilman Hakim Jones was the only ‘no’ vote.
Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones said he does not anticipate that the costs the municipality would incur for GNPAL’s lawyer’s fees and other professionals involved in the real estate transaction would be any more than $15,000 to $20,000.
The administrator said the property was assessed at more than $800,000, and the GNPAL Executive Board board approached the municipality first, in January, because they wanted to make sure the building was acquired at a price that would not tax the citizens of Norristown.
He also informed council that the building had been inspected by the municipalities engineering firm and had undergone an initial hazard assessment which “came back clean” with “slightly less than $10,000 worth of abatement work that would ultimately have to be done,” in addition to the eventual replacement of the facility’s roof.
Council’s statement on the acquisition of 340 Harding Boulevard can be found on the municipality’s website.
Council also approved Economic Initiative Grant Applications for Timshel Coffee, a soon-to-open establishment at 104 E Main Street, for $35,000, and Five Saints Distilling — for the addition of a restaurant and event space — in the amount of $50,000.
In the public safety portion of the meeting council approved an ordinance to re-designate the 1200 Block of Green Street from a two-way street to a one-way street and prohibit parking on Green Street from Fornance Street to East Wood Street in an attempt to alleviate parking issues and traffic congestion.
The police department also asked for, and was granted, permission to dispose of adult and juvenile disposition files from 1997.
