We would like to change the way that Parkside Borough is governed. We plan to communicate better with the community, establish committees that meet quarterly to oversee important areas of the government, hire a full time professional borough manager and conduct Borough business in a manner that is accountable, accessible and transparent.

Committee Structure

We would like the Borough to establish standing committees that would meet at least quarterly. Most of the committees will include borough residents so that the number of participants in local government is increased. “The logic of this is that many hands make light work”, and that it opens up our government to greater participation and therefore reflects the needs of the community better.

Business Committee

A Parkside Business Organization should be established. It would be a Borough Council committee chaired by a member of council and made up of business owners that would meet at least quarterly. Its mission would be to promote the businesses of the Borough of Parkside and improve the Edgemont Avenue corridor.

Community Relations and Recreation Committee

We believe the borough government should establish a community relations and recreation committee. The committee would be responsible for communicating with the community about the affairs of Borough government and planning community activities. It will be chaired by a council member and will be made up of member s of the community.

Waste Management Committee

We intend to establish a permanent waste management committee that would meet at least quarterly, made up of elected officials, the code enforcement officer, members of the community and business leaders. The committee would have three roles. The first is to educate the residents on the best methods for disposing of every possible type of waste a household may create and to identify innovative and appropriate methods on how households can reduce the trash they consume. The second is to determine how to build a financially sustainable waste management and recycling program. All possible solutions will be researched including single stream curbside recycling, community or backyard composting, recycle bank, pay as you throw, purchasing trash collection equipment and employing staff to collect the trash, applying pressure on retailers to reduce the amount of packaging in products and any other solution any member of the community may propose. The third task of this committee would be to develop comprehensive strategies to eliminate street liter and illegal dumping.

Public Safety Committee

Coming Soon

Communication with Borough Residents

We intend to greatly improve the communication from the Borough to the residents at the monthly council meetings, via the internet and a periodic newsletter.

Council Meetings

During Council meetings we will speak directly to the residents of the Borough. We will provide background on the issues being discussed. All proposed laws and ordinances will be read aloud. We will consider allowing public comment after each council member’s report instead of only at the beginning and end of the council meetings. All documents available to council members, including a monthly budget update and the bills that need to be paid for the month will be made available to all members of the community on line and at the council meeting.

On-Line

We intend to re-design the borough website as a complete resource for all borough information and events. This could be done with several volunteers within the community, and information will be updated in a timely manner. We also intend to create and utilize an email list to notify residents on a regular basis when new information is posted to the website. We will send a Borough Newsletter electronically on a periodic basis. We propose to utilize the borough website to link all Parkside businesses (for the purposes of promoting business within the borough) from an easily identified page, along with all community events and information.
Newsletter

We want to revitalize the borough newsletter. It will be distributed electronically and be available at community drop boxes on both the east (Municipal building) and west (Firehouse) sides of Parkside.
As Elected Officials we pledge to be Accountable, Accessible and Transparent to the Parkside community.

Accountability

Accountability means being responsible and liable to the public. We intend to hold ourselves accountable by keeping the public informed of all aspects borough business, including improved notification of borough meetings and events, regular newsletters via email, newsletter drop boxes at the Borough Hall and the Fire Company, an enhanced website and the establishment of a Community Relations and Recreation Committee, who will be tasked with informing the community of Borough Government activities. We will explore the feasibility of broadcasting council meetings via a cable channel and/or podcasting.

Accessibility

Accessibility means providing easy access to government services and including the community in the work of government. This includes a digital government that provides as many services, forms, and information, as possible available online. Improved customer service skills by Borough employees, Expanding borough office hours to include Saturdays staffed by council members on a rotating basis. Involving the public in borough business through the formation of committees such as Business Committee, Community Relations and Recreation Committee, Waste Management Committee, Public Safety Committee

Transparency

Transparency is a means of public officials holding themselves accountable to prevent bad decision making. When government meetings are open to the press and the public, when budgets and financial statements may be reviewed by anyone at anytime, and when laws, rules and decisions are open to discussion there are less opportunities for the authorities to abuse the system in their own interest and the community has a greater trust of the government.

Professional Management

We would like to hire a full time paid borough manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of Parkside and implement the policy and vision of the borough. This position would be paid for by eliminating the position of Borough Secretary and reducing the tasks and salaries of the borough’s three professional staff members, the treasurer, engineer and solicitor. We hope that Linda Higgins would apply for the position of Borough Manager if it is created.