Office Of The Mayor
Thomas M. McMahon


Mayor’s Report To City Council
April 11th, 2005

McMahon Plan for Reading

This administration will continue to address issues coming to the forefront of my attention in terms of the four major tenets of the McMahon Plan. The major elements of the plan are:

1. Crime and Public Safety issues
2. Economic Development
3. Building neighborhoods
4. City Finances

Crime and Public Safety

I met with the mayors around the Commonwealth to discuss legislative initiative for the coming year. We spoke to the Governor about his concern for the increase in gun violence in cities, especially York and Philadelphia. As a result of our discussion and recommendations, Chief Broad has been appointed to a Governors task force to address the issue of gun violence.

The draft report on EMS service is now being reviewed by the staffs of the fire department, St Joseph Medical Center, and the Reading Hospital and Medical Center.

The County Commissioners and our staff met with officials from Lower Alsace and Alsace to discuss options for Skyline Drive. The townships, with the support of the commissioners, will submit application to use the liquid fuel funds for the repairs. More bids will be solicited for the project, but it was agreed not to close the portion of the drive immediately, pending further discussions.

I attended DARE graduations at: 13th and Attended DARE graduations at: 13th and Union; Millmont School; 13th and Green; and Lauers Park over the past few weeks.

Economic Development

We held a press conference with CNA to announce the addition of the quick claims processing center in Reading, with the addition of more than 160 new jobs to the downtown. I want to thank all the groups who helped make this happen, especially the Governors Action Team, Greater Berks Development Fund and the Berks Economic Partnership.

Six buildings of the Reading Outlet Center have been sold and the new owners will be reestablishing outlet stores in that area. We are still looking at the reuse of the larger buildings.

We met with the Parking Authority regarding additions to the 4th and Cherry Garage – originally one level, but the contract has been changed to do two levels of parking – adding additional spaces to the garage. We believe the garage will be done in time for the opening of the Sovereign Operations Center in the fall.

We had a very successful Jazz Fest for the 15th consecutive year. Thanks to all who helped, especially the major sponsors - the Berks Arts Council, First Energy, Reading Eagle Company; Sovereign Bank. This annual festival draws more than 45,000 people to the area, and the economic impact is well over $5 million.

Neighborhoods

The Housing Alliance of Pa was here to make a presentation about what they can do to help us with legislative support on new laws for taking property, preventing slum and blight. The housing task force continues to be active in working with all housing groups, including the Real Estate Investors, to identify and recognize responsible landlords, and to weed out the irresponsible ones. Last week on the Mayors Report on the MAC channel (99); we showed highlights of some very derelict properties, and identified the owners in public of the properties. The program will be shown again on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 4:00 p.m.

The Angelica Environmental Committee continues to meet monthly at the Fire Training Center. I met with six graders from Governor Mifflin who have adopted the Lake as a project and are working on study guides, and have come up with some very creative ideas on how to present the new center, and use it for educational purposes. Alvernia, RACC and Albright are actively involved under the leadership of Dr. David Osgood. We will be enlisting students from the Reading School District to assist in the effort.

We attended the roll out of the plans for the new youth baseball stadium at Lauers Park Elementary School Thanks to Chuck Domino, Craig Stein, Lee Olsen and an anonymous donor who asked that the stadium be named after Gordon Hoodak, one of the finest principals we have in the county.

The Administration have been working with a group interested in putting a bubble or all weather structure over the Schlegel Park pool for the purposes of water polo and year round use. It will be privately funded if the numbers can be worked out, with the city continuing to operate the pool.

Operations

I met with municipal officials and members of the Reading Area Water Authority at the Kutztown Borough Hall in a meeting about the Maiden Creek watershed to discuss the importance of clean water downstream and to assure them of our interest in cooperating with them on the expansion of service from our water system.

We have met with the Reading Area Transportation Study to ask that the Penn St bridge be put on the PennDOT bridge list, and also that the project be on the four year TIP and 12 year improvement plan. We are pushing for accelerated approval for the refurbishment of the bridge as it is the cornerstone of the new “Corridor” concept linking Reading, West Reading, and Wyomissing.

There have been several meetings on Antietam Dam with the staffs of the PA DEP, County Commissioners, and members of the public. It is time we move on this issue and put it behind us. There will be a public meeting hold jointly by the County and the City of Reading to discuss these issues on Wednesday. April 20, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. at the FireTraining Center in Reading. The public is invited to attend.