[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5996938,"mediaKeyId","5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3","parentId",5854282,"title","After truck crash, borough clarifies vendor-payment and reimbursement process for Marshall Square Park repairs","audioSeconds",204,"startMs",2195000,"endMs",2399000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3&start=2195&end=2399","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3/thumbnail_2195000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5996938/West-Chester/Chester-County/Pennsylvania/After-truck-crash-borough-clarifies-vendor-payment-and-reimbursement-process-for-Marshall-Square-Park-repairs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5996938-e517cdf5c98e6a450e04c64df76e2226/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201966&Signature=iQ5ZbusQ3ezRAIyd6JLOcY9hypiG1gO8JVWHlct9Yj9olBXaKUdmP~gOZPaiZActnOYYT788-TWSjLePZ3fEd4Bnn5a7uTCrXGG5u6lekivM0eDkpkwOc7XighwWogNHqpQzIxHL4LM9NQ9A9i7tqsVVNnqQSrRm~HHqPOLPFMEDZT1wcWgTAHNvPZNwTO2r0hn8oIoJrjdyc42E4LfX03RAYBMjc62Z4xE5OGXJgTvSrv2xOeR0iYFE19QfIbcroivT8XPVTl1IfMmwawmb41jhBDRnPaJXRQl5QpMXS5-4ZO9hep57WfbdVwfCCyGoz~mHUJpvwz2d2WBL6xhoHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Borough of West Chester, PA","date","2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Finance Committee discussed a March incident in which a fuel truck crashed through fencing into Marshall Square Park and damaged landscaping. The conversation clarified the borough's expectations for vendor payments and reimbursements when repairs affect borough-owned property.

Why it matters: the event raised questions about who may order and pay for repairs on borough property, how claims are processed and how the borough should work with volunteer \"friends\" groups to avoid unauthorized procurement.

Committee members reviewed a timeline prepared by staff: the accident occurred in March, notification and communication with the Friends of Marshall Square Park took place in subsequent months, a purchase order was issued in August and staff later pursued an insurance claim against the truck driver's carrier. The borough ultimately received payment from the responsible party's insurer and the photos and claims indicated the insurance check covered repair costs.

A staff member summarized: \"When we're talking about borough-owned property regardless of whether it's a park with an active friends group or any piece of borough property, it's the borough's responsibility, the borough's decision to order work be done.\" The staff member said borough approval should govern all work on borough property so volunteer groups do not place orders that bypass purchasing policies.

Friends of Marshall Square Park reimbursed or temporarily paid for some repair work early in the process; staff said the parties were eventually \"made whole\" after the insurance settlement. One resident speaker, Patrick McCoy of 131 East Marshall, told the committee the friends group had previously paid for the fence and landscaping and that likely informed their decision to arrange repairs quickly.

Committee members directed staff to improve communication so volunteer groups understand the borough process and avoid unauthorized purchases. Staff said they will proactively tell friends groups the proper steps and contacts to use when damage occurs on borough property. The meeting record reflected that the borough pursued the insurance claim and that the claim payment covered the costs incurred.

No new reimbursement motion was recorded at this meeting; staff said a revised purchase order to reimburse the friends group had been brought before council the prior month.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance & Revenue - September 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members reviewed the timeline and communications after a March truck crash damaged Marshall Square Park, concluding the borough\u0000reimbursed Friends of Marshall Square Park and that borough-owned property repairs must be borough-approved going forward.","taxTitle","West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania","taxId",71483,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5996943,"Stream protection fund budgets major Taylor Run restoration; DEP permit and grants fund work",268,1481000,1749000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3&start=1481&end=1749","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3/thumbnail_1481000.jpg","/articles/5996943/West-Chester/Chester-County/Pennsylvania/Stream-protection-fund-budgets-major-Taylor-Run-restoration-DEP-permit-and-grants-fund-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5996943-ae01295b9533c354278f02b313bfe856/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201966&Signature=kuzu9QWKL2G6jCo~ye2gEJKLFwNz118uw620mkvOw-ZZw8Yuy21mKccpvDPVsZcCyio7vS71pjMZLRs7l5XrJteFOhAjH7mg20I2ZHwRTl0oBbk6~Qn7fnT3EcRB~rpe7ruDx9S~Zq6dMTbRCZGLEBn03b7ZY2eAXhk9isUKEHQYtztZ6Y57cU4rmd-~vPTFrNoB6h5Y9oT~spRP6zFM8acmFfhkHAG6f131CuZuFkcVFmcvWGunSXCo9jP88csHXOciA6zknWxlmqIAjxtircH4l0WjdZLA63yp5jyL4e9QStjZidhy~FFnS2f6SXTy8oWn65195Ig5MSJYL~5c6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The borough provided a briefing to the Finance Committee on Sept. 10 on the stream protection fund and a major Taylor Run restoration scheduled for next year.

Why it matters: the stream protection fee program dedicates the majority of its revenue to capital projects and maintenance; the Taylor Run work is a grant-funded restoration that the borough expects to begin in coming weeks pending final contract execution and contractor mobilization.

A staff member presenting the stream protection budget said the fund converts an impervious-cover fee into administration, legal fees and capital spending, and that roughly $0.84 of every dollar collected is directed to capital projects, maintenance and debt service for built projects. The program's revenues have been steady at roughly $1.2 million annually in recent years, the presenter said.

The presenter described an upcoming project on Taylor Run behind the new medical office building on Hanham Avenue: sediment removal, invasive species removal and replanting to daylight a portion of the stream. Design and engineering costs to date total about $41,000; the low contract award was $249,028 and the budget includes $250,000 in grant revenue to cover that work. The presenter said bids varied widely, with the highest bid reaching about $1.6 million, but two consistent low bids led staff to proceed. Staff said the contract documents are in execution, which typically takes about two weeks for signatures and bonds.

The presenter also noted ongoing maintenance work planned through the borough's contract with a BMP maintenance provider, and about $250,000 of maintenance work will be bid in the coming weeks. The budget includes a placeholder for legal fees tied to a pending Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that could affect the legal status of stormwater fee programs; staff said they did not include revenue from potentially taxable properties as a conservative measure in case the court rules against the borough.

The project is grant-funded in part; staff said they will notify nearby property owners and begin a public information process in advance of construction. \"If we can get it planted before the ground freezes, that would make me very happy,\" the presenter said. No formal council action was taken at the Finance Committee meeting; the presentation summarized the 2026 stream protection budget and upcoming capital work.","The borough's stream protection budget for 2026 holds steady and will fund a grant-backed Taylor Run restoration project that is expected to start after contract execution and neighbor outreach.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5996948,"Finance staff recommends $101,000 accounting-system investment in 2026 preliminary budget",255,755000,1010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3&start=755&end=1010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3/thumbnail_755000.jpg","/articles/5996948/West-Chester/Chester-County/Pennsylvania/Finance-staff-recommends-101000-accounting-system-investment-in-2026-preliminary-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5996948-79b27807745110cc1645828fb6781fbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201966&Signature=QlG-sQEfTImOziNRCQGL9UZZqEpUleLM6UAzSgCwdvsyHq9ZT17gACJ1eq1UdsWNsL8hzuR1dOR6gtyZzg06HF1k4PZA21t99FlrXKiO69IgrN573qz43fJsXAhm3IkAmzKuOqGORw-A10bPqzjZl1A9xVSyIR4mHaINWnuRbSglkSPwLfKhe4aQbb0oT9B5o9U1ZHCuBYhp1EROcjSh8C5jlW4SiuvJ2V4QjLzYXaDFZjgfKvyO60O-t1V-CcLz5071jaaeJgE3TnkqNKtmxOgQIyavlRjWeifpVA3WHnndzy0B2iy3ni4ITlULGK3JBRmfiAiL4xwgMv4mj5SmgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Finance staff presented a preliminary 2026 budget that includes a $101,000 one-time implementation fee for a new accounting system to replace the borough's current 22-year-old MIP fund accounting software.

Why it matters: staff argued the upgrade would cut manual work, reduce errors and consolidate multiple payment processors and software platforms into a single system, improving reporting timeliness and transparency.

Barb, the finance director, described limitations of the current system: it requires manual exports to Excel, offers no purchase-order integration, does not attach invoice back-up and provides department heads reports that are often 30 days out of date. \"The accounting system does not integrate with SmartGov, Clover, MyRec, United Public Safety, Flash, Paylocity, Heartland, or Muni Billing,\" she said. \"So all the entries we're doing manually. We're doing manual cash receipts, the journal entries...it equates to there's no real time reporting.\"

Staff said an RFP generated responses from five vendors; implementation-only quotes ranged from roughly $100,000 to $287,000. The $101,000 figure in the 2026 request reflects the implementation cost the staff recommends, while annual subscription costs were estimated at about $32,000. Staff said those ongoing subscription costs could be absorbed by retiring existing subscriptions (Clover, Abila, Muni/uni-billing), yielding estimated net annual savings of roughly $30,000\t6$35,000.

Committee members asked about upgrades, vendor longevity, timeline and staff workload. Barb said the existing vendor chain has changed ownership several times and upgrades required adding modules at extra cost. She recommended beginning the implementation in January with a 6\t68 month timeline, noting staff and consultants would need to run both systems in parallel during the migration. \"I am prepared that there is going to be work done on our end,\" she said, adding training and staff data preparation will be required.

Staff also outlined related 2026 budget assumptions: no headcount increases (headcount remains at eight for the department), conservative revenue assumptions, and a 8.5% increase projected for health insurance premiums.

No final appropriation or formal council vote on the system purchase occurred at this meeting; staff asked that the investment be included in the 2026 budget packet for council consideration.","Finance staff proposed a $101,000 capital investment to replace a 22-year-old accounting system, citing poor integration and manual processes; staff said the implementation would run 6\t68 months and annual subscription costs would be offset by retiring multiple existing systems.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5996953,"Finance Committee hears August cash position, anticipates several 2025 revenue shortfalls",351,30000,381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3&start=30&end=381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854282-58c68d50f597a7696be2220c0ed331b3/thumbnail_30000.jpg","/articles/5996953/West-Chester/Chester-County/Pennsylvania/Finance-Committee-hears-August-cash-position-anticipates-several-2025-revenue-shortfalls","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5996953-c2493cf082b368460ab40ab8ccea25ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201966&Signature=EECTrAhflyPZhnDljx9mfapnpsSBSmL6vxkxh7FVO5yVxTdnRInxZbcGi2VqK~2yInRidNmJWUAubBCiAB6UUV2eepi9Y0tkSOBOAGnhGdpBXLhgGnQATxIJwYFnOBken91mrB1DdbkLg6CLhjk0lh1d~hbsVxG8R7vA-hdnKuFnJ7LkInoDsjxan~niKJwKg4mQoxXPB8rqaCAnDSK5P0erky2NeQstuqRyAWyb6NMzAV9qwIpJkWhmDxXpbzqTCozEgIkNVqQ4GMPryBoru9Ffn2Z6N4OxV78RdHD5fj-Fh0Mz7Ehqemi9kIDZRlGadfZaimUWppRGXvKs~tJgcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The borough\u0000finance director told the Finance Committee on Sept. 10 that the borough began August with $28,912,362 in cash, received $2,861,516 in receipts and spent $2,196,921, leaving an ending cash balance of about $29,000,005.76. Barb, the director, delivered the monthly financial report.

Why it matters: the report identified several revenue items likely to miss 2025 budget targets, and a small but concerning cash position in the liquid fuels fund that could constrain winter operations.

Barb said the due-to/due-from balances as of Aug. 31 were elevated, driven mainly by capital expenses that currently lack cash and are temporarily fronted from the general fund. \"The capital budget for 2025, the revenues are dependent mainly on grants, and we don't get the grant reimbursements until we've paid the invoice,\" she said, adding that grant reimbursements typically arrive 60 to 90 days after submission. She said she expects most interfund transfers to be settled by year end.

On revenues, Barb reported that prior-year real estate taxes and interest income were outperforming budget, but she listed several shortfalls projected for 2025. The borough may not receive the remaining $55,000 of a PHMIC refund and may need to consult Benecon to confirm. District court fines are projected to fall short by about $100,000, building permit revenue is projected to miss its $600,000 target by roughly $285,000, and parking garage revenues are likely to fall about $300,000 short. Barb said the building permit shortfall stems in part from a major land-development project not moving forward as assumed when the budget was adopted.

The director described planned offsets: using fund balance to cover the district court shortfall, reducing consultant spending to cover permit revenue gaps and adjustments already made in the 2026 budget for parking assumptions. On expenses, legal and employment-related fees are running above budget, and Barb cautioned legal costs will likely continue to rise through year end.

Barb also warned about the liquid fuels fund: as of Aug. 31 it held about $256,000 in cash, with a remaining $55,000 obligation on a paving project and an expected roughly $100,000 for winter salt purchases. \"So that only leaves us around $150,000 through April,\" she said, urging coordination with public works to manage cash flow.

Committee members asked for follow-up on specific items. One member asked why district court revenue estimates had been overstated; Barb said the distribution varies by court and that staff will review the estimates. Committee members and staff noted alternative budget adjustments and said they will revisit some lines in October or November if revenue shortfalls persist.

The committee took no ordinance-level action on these items at the meeting; the report was informational and staff were asked to return with further details if needed.

Less critical details: the director noted the borough submitted the reimbursement claim for a $200,000 litter truck and that updates on Hoops Park and VPP projects were pending and would be provided next month.","The borough\u0000finance director told the Finance Committee on Sept. 10 that the borough closed August with roughly $29 million in cash but flagged several revenue line-item shortfalls for 2025 and a cash concern in the liquid fuels fund.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

After truck crash, borough clarifies vendor-payment and reimbursement process for Marshall Square Park repairs

Stream protection fund budgets major Taylor Run restoration; DEP permit and grants fund work

Finance staff recommends $101,000 accounting-system investment in 2026 preliminary budget

Finance Committee hears August cash position, anticipates several 2025 revenue shortfalls