Norristown labor union members object to apartment tax abatement plan

NORRISTOWN >> Council voted Wednesday to ask Montgomery County officials to support a 10-year tax abatement for a proposed $25 million apartment building.

The council action also sought a collaborative meeting to enjoin the developer, Westrum Development Co., to employ local workers and members of a Norristown laborers’ union. Council and the Norristown Area school board have already approved the LERTA tax abatement. Montgomery County `is the third, and last, taxing authority to act on the tax abatement.

Daniel Woodall Jr., the business manager for Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 135, said the 10-year tax abatement for the proposed apartment building at 900 Sandy St. should be overturned. The union represents 800 workers including 200 Norristown residents, he said.

“Mr. (John) Westrum does not work very well with our laborers’ union,” said Woodall. “I would like council to reconsider the tax abatement and rescind it.”

Bernard Griggs, a representative of the building trades council, said, “Westrum has no intention of working with local labor. We ask that you reconsider the tax abatement.”

Tyrone Baker, an IBEW union member, said, “If he is granted 10-year use of a tax abatement. He is not even a resident of Norristown. I pray you reconsider that vote.”

Resident Jacqueline Jones said, “I think if I have to pay taxes everybody else should pay taxes.”

Council member Marlon Millner said, “I would like us to send a letter to the board of commissioners supporting this project and asking them to broker a meeting with the construction trades over the tax abatement issue.”

Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones said the tax abatement was not on the current tax on the undeveloped land. The tax abatement on the new $25 million apartment building would begin after one year and amount to a 100 percent abatement in the first year, diminishing over 10 years, to a 10 percent abatement.

Jones said the abatement would total $2.1 million for Norristown, the Norristown Area School District and Montgomery County.

Council member Linda Christian said, “I have concerns. I support the LERTA abatement program. We should ask the county to tell the developers to work with Local 135. If we acted on the letter of support, is that really stating our desire that the bodies work together? It is worthwhile to make that statement.”

Millner said the request for Montgomery County to take up the concerns about local hiring would enlist a stronger entity to ensure local workers are hired.

“The commissioners have a stronger power,’ Millner said. “They could compel the parties to come to agreement.”

Council President William Caldwell said council could defer action on reopening the LERTA tax abatement approval.

“I don’t think we have a lot of time,” Caldwell said. “The commissioners’ next meeting where they could act will be in about two weeks. Our next meeting is one day before their meeting.”

Woodall replied, “When you have support from the community, you can affect change. That happened with the construction at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. We would like the job to be 100 percent union. I implore you to take this seriously. I would appreciate your support.”

Woodall said Westrum had already gone to a general contractor and that contractor planned to hire nonunion subcontractors for the mechanical and electrical work.

“This is something that has to change in Norristown,” Woodall said.

Council member Gary Simpson said, “When you have private individuals spending money we don’t have any say in that. As we continue to have these discussions we should understand that.”

Council member Derrick Perry said, “We are fighting a perception of Norristown. We could be chasing away $30 or $40 million of development money.”

Simpson said the recommendation was that the county should support the project and also hold a meeting to figure out how to employ union members on the project.

“We need to work together and not strong-arm,” Simpson said. “That’s what I want to see. Can we agree to have this meeting?”

Solicitor Sean Kilkenny suggested Norristown officials convene a meeting of all the interested parties to discuss the local participation of workers on the project.

At the beginning of the meeting Wednesday, two Norristown firefighters received advanced certifications in emergency from a Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) official.

Tom Piatek, the training coordinator for Montgomery County Public Safety, said the two firefighters will soon be taking a third set of professional courses in emergency management.

Piatek, Norristown Fire Chief Tom O’Donnell and Caldwell gave the certifications to Norristown Fire Department Capt. Ryan Colelli and Assistant Fire Chief David Keeley. The career development program is based on an all-hazards approach to emergency management.

The two men completed a series of 10 separate sessions including both FEMA online and PEMA-approved classroom courses. The men had already served one year of service at the first level of certification.

The courses covered radiological emergency management, hazardous materials, decision making and problem solving, effective communications, developing and managing volunteers, anticipating hazardous weather and community risk, continuity of operations, National Incident Management Systems/Public Information Officer Awareness, Incident Command System (ICS)/Emergency Operations Center Interface workshop and Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents.

Colleli, 30, has been a Norristown volunteer firefighter for 14 years. Keeley, 38, has been a Norristown volunteer firefighter for 22 years.

In other business Wednesday, council members discussed a proposed ordinance to respond to House Bill 80, the Lost or Stolen Firearms Law. The ordinance would reverse an earlier Norristown ordinance that required residents to report a lost or stolen firearm to police within 48 hours.

Kilkenny said the Pennsylvania General Assembly had given legal standing to the National Rifle Association (NRA), and other organizations, to sue municipalities that have adopted ordinances compelling residents to report stolen guns.

“Our ordinance requires residents who lose a firearm to report the loss or theft to police within 48 hours,” Kilkenny said. “House Bill 80 said that the municipality would have to pay the legal costs of the NRA, if it sued the municipality over this ordinance.

“The lawsuit by Cease Fire PA is being pursued. State Sen. Daylin Leach is active in the lawsuit. One of the other municipalities that I represent wants to join the lawsuit.”

Another lawyer said that a lawsuit from the municipalities would have less chance of success.

Council approved advertising for a public hearing on the ordinance.

AJM Electric of Chester was awarded a contract for the Main and Marshall streets lighting project. The contract was for a price not to exceed $98,804. Bids were opened on Sept. 24, said Planning Director Jayne Musonye.

“The project will increase the illumination of the lights. They are very dim,” Musonye said.

Source: Philly.com