Haverford Township
4th Ward Commissioner
Dan Siegel
  
 
Issue No. 02 -- February 1, 2009
Email: [email protected]
Constituent Phone: (610) 446-1117
 
 
  
 
4th Ward News & Information

Greetings!

Dan Siegel's Photo
Thanks to everyone who has responded to my inaugural e-mail and print newsletters. I appreciate all of the comments, suggestions and (yes, even the ) criticism received. It is important to hear what all of our neighbors are thinking to help make Haverford Township an even better place to live and work.
 
So what have I learned after being your Commissioner for two months? I understand how much you care about the Township, how much you want to know what is happening, and how many of you care enough to get involved . I have also discovered that the Commissioners - including me - need to do even more to keep everyone informed. As a result, I continue to add content to the 4th Ward website, www.4haverford.com, and appreciate all of the compliments and suggestions you have made. 
 
I am also continuing to compile an e-mail list so that most of my communications can be electronic (rather than more expensive and less-environmentally-friendly postal mail).  In addition, there are two e-mail lists to which you may subscribe, one for breaking news and the other for newsletters such as this.
 
Most importantly, please feel free to offer your opinions, to ask questions, and to keep me informed about anything happening in the Township. I welcome the opportunity to meet with community groups and look forward to meeting all of the residents of the 4th Ward.
 
Dan Siegel 
Snow & Ice:
Tips & Courtesies
 
When winter weather strikes, please be considerate of your friends and neighbors, and help make it easier for the Public Works crews to do their jobs. During snowy and icy weather, please remember to:
  • Remove vehicles from the street (Street parking impedes the Public Works crews, and delays plowing and salting)
  • Clear all sidewalks of snow and ice within 24 hours after the snow stops falling -- this applies to both residential and commercial properties
  • Help your elderly or handicapped neighbors clear their walks and driveways
Candidly, although I was pleased by how many residents cleared their walks following the recent snow and slush storm, it was disappointing to see how many businesses and homes left their walks untouched, making it difficult for students to walk home from school, for neighbors to walk their dogs, and for mail carriers and others to do their jobs. So please clear your sidewalks as soon as possible.
Clarification

In my recent print Newsletter, I invited residents to take a survey about "whether residents would prefer to reduce trash pickups to once a week, or eliminate curbside leaf collection as a way of keeping taxes lower." What was not clear was the fact that the Commissioners have not made any decisions to reduce the level of services.

Rather, the survey, available at http://www.4haverford.com/survey_form.html
is the result of increased costs facing the Township. I fully agree that it would be best if taxes did not increase and services do not decrease. However, this year, Delaware County began for the first time to charge Haverford Township and other municipalities for dumping trash in the County landfill - in the past, the County did not charge for this. As a result, Haverford Township estimates that (while the County says it has not raised taxes) we will incur between $600,000.00 and $700,000.00 in new County-assessed fees. Unlike the County, we have no one to "pass on" these charges to.
 
Because of these added fees, combined with the state of the economy and other cost increases (such as wages, pension benefits, insurance, etc.), the Township has been forced to increase taxes (albeit nominally) and raise the trash collection fee. It is also likely that the County will soon charge us for bulk trash items as well. Consequently, we are exploring ways to save money, including reducing the trash pickups from twice to once (as is done in Lower Merion and Radnor) or changing from curbside leaf pickup to having residents bag their own leaves. That is why I am conducting this survey.
 
To read more about the 2009 Township budget, click here to visit the 2009 Budget page at the 4th Ward website. A copy of the budget is also available at the Township website.
Contact Me!
 
I welcome the opportunity to meet all of the residents and plan to regularly knock on doors and to attend community events. Please feel free to give me a call (610-446-1117) or send me an email (
[email protected]) and let me know how we can work together for Haverford Township.
 
Sincerely,
 
Dan Siegel

Daniel Siegel
Haverford Township
4th Ward Commissioner
In This Newsletter
Snow & Ice
Clarification
4th Ward Website
Let's Meet
Contact Dan Siegel
Quick Links
 

Visit the New Website for 4th Ward Residents

Whenever you have a question about the Township, please visit the Haverford Township 4th Ward Constituent Service Center at www.4haverford.com. This website is designed to provide news and information to all 4th Ward residents. At the website, you can learn about the new recycling program, get up-to-date information about the Haverford State Hospital property, or read about the 2009 Township budget.
 
 
The site also features copies of meeting agendas, police/crime reports, and a lot of information. Initial response to the website has been tremendously positive.
The site also has links to other websites of interest to residents, including the Township website at www.haverfordtownship.com. In addition, numerous documents are loaded onto the site for easy access by 4th Ward residents.
  
Comments Welcome 
 
Comments about the site are welcome. Just send an email to [email protected]
The website also contains a list of community groups. If your group isn't listed or if you want to update your group or organization's information, just send an email to [email protected]
.
 
Let's Get Together!

I welcome the opportunity to meet with community and other groups. Please give me a call at (610) 446-1117 or send an email to [email protected] to set up a time to get together.

How to Contact  4th Ward Commissioner Dan Siegel
By Email: [email protected]
 
By Mail:
1705 Marilyn Drive
Havertown, PA 19083
 
By Phone:
(610) 446-1117
(Constituent Phone Line)
(610) 446-3457 (Office)