Borough Manager Brant Kucera resigns, takes position in Oregon
By Rick Marts, Correspondent, The Times
Kennett Square Borough Manager Brant Kucera, left, who submitted his resignation letter on Monday night, discusses the Borough’s 2014 Capital Development Plan with Council President Leon Spencer at a meeting of the Borough Council, Monday night.
At Monday night’s Borough Council meeting, Don Pierce of Maillie, LLC, a certified accounting and business consulting firm, presented the results of the firm’s 2013 audit of the financial records of Kennett Square Borough.
Pierce said his firm gave the Borough a clean audit. Moreover, he highlighted the Borough’s receiving an award from the Government Financial Officers Association—a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting for 2012, the most recent year for that award.
The GFOA established this award in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles as they prepare annual financial reports in the spirit of transparency and full disclosure. This certificate recognizes the Borough for achieving that goal.
Pierce said, “The bottom line is that the Borough’s net position in terms of assets and liabilities has gradually improved over the last five years to where it now has a positive balance of $9.47 million dollars in its combined accounts of Government Activities and Business-Type Activities.”
A cautioning statement was offered, however, when Pierce said, “The balance in the general fund—the Borough’s largest account—has generally decreased from one year to the next over the last five years. At the end of 2013, the amount carried over to 2014 in the general fund had fallen to $36,000.” Pierce recommended that this carry-over amount be increased in the future by ensuring that revenues always exceed expenses.
Borough Manager Brant Kucera is leaving Kennett Square for a position in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Announced last month, this news is not new to most.
However, Kucera submitted his letter of resignation to the Council at Monday’s meeting.
In the letter, Kucera said, “Taking this position will permit me to move back out west where I lived for many years and provide new challenges that will further my career. I have enjoyed working at the Borough and will miss the employees, members of council and the vibrancy of Kennett Square.”
Council President Leon Spencer said, “We will greatly miss Brant and everyone should know that our receiving the financial accounting award from GFOA was principally due to this guy right here (pointing at Kucera).”
In other business, Kucera presented the Borough’s 2014 Capital Improvement Plan for the Council’s consideration over the next 2 weeks, with the intent to adopt the plan at the Council’s next meeting on October 20. He outlined the major capital projects envisioned over the next 5 years, which included
• Implementing remote meter reading,
• Completing various street and sidewalk projects,
• Installing a financial software package,
• Expanding the parking garage, and
• Purchasing a new ladder truck for the fire company.
Kucera said that applications for capital funding for these and other projects are being prepared now or will be in the near future. He said, “We expect that most of the funding for these projects will come from sources within Chester County, with some from the federal government’s Community Development Block Grant program administered by Chester County.”
Highlights of the reports from various Borough entities include:
• Codes Department Chief Drumheller reported conducting 267 property inspections, issuing 41 building permits, and investigating three chicken coop complaints about coops not in compliance. He said, “If you see violations feel free to call our office.”
• Historic Kennett Square Executive Director Mary Cunningham reported that we should look forward to the upcoming Farmers Market Festival, the next issue of FIG coming out soon for the holidays, and discussions with Longwood Gardens about a shuttle from Kennett Square to the gardens during the holidays to serve about 200 people per day.
• Claire Finfrock reported on summer activities of the Kennett Area Parks and Recreation Board, including installing new electric scoreboards at Pennock Park that operate remotely; planning for eight sets of bleachers to be installed next year; providing summer camps for 100 children and clinics for basketball and girls field hockey; and managing the Mushroom festival 5K run that successfully raised funds for various uses in the Borough.
In addition, the Council approved the following special events:
• Halloween Parade and Party – October 26
• Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting – November 28
• Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides – December 7, 14, 21, and 28
• Midnight in the Square – December 31 – January 1
President’s Report
Spencer reiterated his request from last month that all residents register for Swift Reach—a robo call system that can immediately contact all of those who sign up for the system. He said, “I urge that all residents become members of Swift Reach. It’s a reasonable way to effectively contact the citizens of Kennett Square when we face an emergency situation as we did last month with the water contamination threat.”
Spencer also addressed a comment from the public questioning whether the Borough had sufficient water during the water emergency to put out a building fire, should one occur. He said, “There was no risk of not having water for an emergency. First, we have a reserve supply of 5,000 gallons of water for just such an emergency. We also have mutual agreements with other municipalities and fire companies to assist us during any emergency.”
