Carolyn Comitta for Mayor of West Chester

Transcript of Mayor Carolyn Comitta

Happy New Year, Borough of West Chester! We can be happy and proud today. West Chester is the envy of towns all across America! We are a county seat; we host one of the nations premier state universities; our school district is tops and our citizens are caring and capable. Our diverse communities are closely interconnected. Our challenges affect us all. And our successes benefit us all.As your Mayor, I will focus on three key initiatives to support my campaign pledge of a West Chester that is “Safe, clean and green”:

My first priority will be safety and economics:

The goal is to keep West Chester a safe place. People love to live, work, learn and visit West Chester because they feel comfortable and safe.

The Mayor’s primary role is to oversee the administration of the West Chester Police Department. The mission of the West Chester Police Department, a law enforcement agency dedicated to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, is to protect and serve our diverse communities by forging collaborative relationships.

West Chester is extremely fortunate to have one of the most professional, capable and caring police departments in the nation.

The Mayor has a unique opportunity to strengthen and build those collaborative relationships that are key to creating a West Chester that is a great place to live, work, learn and visit.

One of my first initiatives will be to introduce myself in my new role and to listen to members of our diverse communities… our citizens, our University and school district our businesses and non profits, our County and our neighboring municipalities. Listen to better understand the issues of concern and ideas for the future.

“Safety and Economics”… A prosperous community supports a safe community.

It’s a tough economy - even though West Chester has fared much better than many towns, it’s still tough times for locally owned businesses.

**With an eye to prosperity for all in 2010, I am launching the “West Chester 3/50 project”, which will take place in West Chester this year.**

The idea behind the “3/50″ project is to support locally owned businesses: retail, restaurants and services.

Here’s how it works: For example, I choose 3 locally owned West Chester businesses that I would really miss if they were gone. I stop in and say “hello”and pick up a little something - maybe spend $50 or so a month in these 3 shops.

“WC 3/50″ will help our shops and is also a great way to support the health of the entire community. Did you know that for every $100 spent in locally owned stores, $68 returns directly to the community! And most of our businesses give back to the community through donations, in-kind services and volunteer hours that support community programs. After all, West Chester is their home!

Second, I will focus on Transparency:

The goal is that all of West Chester’s people will have all the information they need to make well-informed decisions that will improve our community.

This is the time to have everyone connected: from the President of the United States down, the focus today is on open communication - transparency.

Communication allows transparency … and good government needs transparency!

The only way to not repeat mistakes is to understand them. I would like to see this for West Chester.

**In 2010 I will form a Mayor’s Communications Committee. The committee will review what is working and recommend ways to enhance communication in our community. **

A special focus of the Mayor’s Communications Committee will be to implement the recommendations of the “Communications Task Force” of our Police Department’s Strategic Plan - to implement the plan the people of West Chester created.

**I am very excited to announce that the new West Chester Police Department website is almost ready to go live and will be launched in early 2010. **

**Another exciting project I would like to see for West Chester is the creation of local “Public Educational and Government TV”. PEG TV would be a great tool to involve people.

Maybe we will start small with educational TV first, then build on our successes and add government and public access over time. I hope West Chester will be able to focus on the best practices of PEG TV already in place in other communities and will urge West Chester’s Borough Council and educational leaders to work together to explore the reasibility of PEG access.

My third focus will be on Knowledge and Learning:
The goal is to educate ourselves individually and as a community - to understand the issues and to create effective, sustainable solutions.

I will support ongoing education and training for the officers of the West Chester Police Department, and will continue to participate personally in leadership and best practices programs.

I will work with the Mayor’s Communications Committee to consider such initiatives as an annual town meeting, and forums on timely topics.
Conclusion:

By focusing on safety and economics, transparency and knowledge and learning, our citizens will be empowered to come together and develop effective initiatives that will lead to a West Chester that is safe, clean and green.

Each of us has a responsibility to leave something to posterity - to improve things for our children’s future.

I look forward to working together with all West Chester citizens and neighbors to protect and improve the lives of our residents. And to make West Chester an even better place to live, work, learn, and visit.

I wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
Thank you very much!
(toast)

“Happy New Year to the people of West Chester… who are the reason West Chester has been called ‘one of the world’s most perfect small towns.’”

Community garden proposal takes root
Parking lot was planned at the West Chester site
Wednesday, April 8, 2009

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer The Daily Local News

WEST CHESTER - Neighbors of the West Gay Street area have asked Borough Council for permission to start a community garden on the former West Chester water tower site at Gay and New streets.

Ben Aller, the leader of the garden effort, said that he and his neighbors want to grow organic vegetables, fruits and flowers. While some of the fruits and veggies will be used by and traded among neighbors, he said, others will be donated to the poor.

The park and recreation committee gave the plan a favorable recommendation on Monday night, and Borough Council is likely next week to grant the neighbors permission to run the garden for a three-year trial period.

“I think this would be a wonderful improvement to a blighted property,” Councilwoman Carolyn Comitta said.

Aller said he and his neighbors want to get permission to start gardening in time for the 2009 growing season.

The water tower site was originally supposed to become a surface parking lot, and it still could end up as one. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has given the borough a grant to convert the land into a parking lot, but the grant money hasn’t been spent and borough officials said the site is not likely to become a parking lot within the next three years.

The neighbors, who call themselves the Historic West End Neighborhood Association, are not a legal entity, and the borough therefore cannot sign a contract with them.

The permission borough council is likely to grant the neighbors will be nonbinding.

Aller said the association wants to build 12 raised planters of approximately 3 feet by 10 feet. The association must use raised planters, he said, because the soil on the site is not well suited for agriculture.

Grassy common areas will be maintained between the planters, and smaller planters will be used on concrete footers that once held the water tower’s legs, Aller said.

Aller said the idea for a community garden occurred to him and his neighbors last year, during walks through the West Gay Street area.

“As you walk by things, you tend to look at them and wonder what their potential could be,” Aller said. “The community garden idea seemed like the most usable proposal for our neighborhood.”

To contact staff writer Dan Kristie, send an e-mail to dkristie@dailylocal.com.

URL: http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/04/08/news/srv0000005069738.prt

© 2009 dailylocal.com, a Journal Register Property

News

GOP lacks candidates for West Chester
Mayor Dick Yoder, the borough’s only current elected Republican, is leaving office this year

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 6:08 AM EST

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer

WEST CHESTER - Democrats have a nearly full slate of candidates for borough government this year while Republicans have yet to field a single candidate.

Running for mayor are Democrats Carolyn Comitta and Bill Scott. Scott is a former councilman. Comitta, a councilwoman in the 5th Ward seat, will not run for re-election in order to concentrate on her mayoral bid.

The Democrats have not yet found a candidate to run in Comitta’s place, but they have found a candidate to run for the 7th Ward seat that first-term Democratic Councilman Scott Smith intends to vacate. That candidate is John Manion, a 10-year borough resident who works in health care sales and has three young children.

Manion said he decided to run because he wants to “accentuate the greatness and potentials West Chester holds.”

An environmental consultant, Smith said he is leaving council partly because his life has changed since he took the oath of office in 2006. He noted three years ago he started his own environmental consulting company and a year and a half ago, his first child, Hazel Rose, was born.

“So I’m valuing my time at night more,” Smith said. “I want to be there to have dinner together as a family, tuck my daughter into bed and all that stuff.”

Borough Council meets about four weeknights a month, and meetings tend to run three to four hours, ending between 9 and 10 p.m.

Scott Brion, chairman of the West Chester Area Republicans, attributes the GOP’s lack of candidates to a falling economy and the time commitment expected of council members.

“It’s harder for people to wrap their arms around giving time to a cause when they are not sure of their own future,” Brion said.

The borough’s Republican base has been eroding in recent years, and Democrats are all but guaranteed victory in borough races. All seven sitting council members are Democrats, and Mayor Dick Yoder, who will be termed out at the end of the year, is the borough government’s only elected Republican.

Incumbents Holly Brown, of the 1st Ward, and Chuck Christy, of the 3rd Ward, are running for re-election.

Nathaniel Smith, chairman of the West Chester Democrats, said he is talking to people who have expressed interest in seeking Comitta’s 7th Ward seat but won’t release their names until he’s sure they’re committed to running.

To contact staff writer Dan Kristie, send an e-mail to dkristie@dailylocal.com.

GOP Lacks Candidate

Comitta enters mayoral race

Borough councilwoman says West Chester ‘gets it’

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 11:36 AM EST

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer

WEST CHESTER - Borough Councilwoman Carolyn Comitta said Monday that, if elected mayor, she would help constituents who hold diverse views develop and realize a positive vision of West Chester’s future.

“Here in West Chester, we get it,” she said at an event in Borough hall to formally announce her candidacy. “Citizens are willing to take action to get the future we envision. It’s impossible to stop change. But we can go after change to create the change we want to see.”

She called borough residents “West Chester’s greatest natural resource,” and said that if residents are allowed to shape their own futures, they will feel a sense of investment in and ownership of borough government’s actions. (more…)

After being introduced by State Representative Barbara McIlvaine Smith, the Honorary Chair of the Carolyn Comitta Mayoral Campaign, Carolyn delivered the following speech at her announcement:

After much thoughtful consideration and conversations with many of you here today, I am delighted to announce my candidacy for Mayor of West Chester in 2009!

I am running for Mayor of West Chester because I believe I bring the skills needed for West Chester’s future. I am a strong advocate for our people and for our town. I understand the challenges the Borough’s “Perfect Town” distinction brings and I have the vision to embrace the exciting opportunities this honor provides. I possess the leadership skills to get things done - to bring stakeholders together for a common cause, and to work together to generate solutions for the common good, and I pledge to put the will of the citizens first. (more…)

Lynne Carroll wrote on Dec 8, 2008 7:50 AM:

May 7, 2007

Michael P. Rellahan
News Editor
Daily Local News

Whoever first said that it is easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar would more than likely enjoy meeting West Chester Borough Councilwoman Carolyn Comitta.

Comitta, in her first term on council, was instrumental in helping to end a years-long battle with a group of landlords in the borough over how much would be charged for the borough’s annual rental property inspections.And she did it all with chocolates and cookies.

(more…)

Dear WCU Student Voters:

Yes you can!! Yes you did!!  You turned out in record numbers at the polls in both Wayne and Lawrence Halls on election day.  You overwhelmed our polls and our hearts with your presence and your spirit.  You waited in lines that topped 3 hours from 7am to 9:30pm.  You raised the voter turnout from the usual  500 to almost 1400 in these campus polling places.  (We are working on improving the system for next time, so we promise you will not have to wait in such lines again!  We want you back every election day!)

(more…)

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer, Daily Local News

WEST CHESTER — Former Councilman Bill Scott, a Democrat, announced last week he intends to run for mayor in 2009.

But Scott will face competition in the primary election. First-term Councilwoman Carolyn Comitta, also a Democrat, said she plans to run.

(more…)