At the Wednesday meeting, Upper Darby council passed a lead-poison-prevention ordinance requiring properties built before 1978 to be certified lead safe or lead free.
The ordinance requires all rental properties to be tested and certified lead safe or lead free with a license renewal, all houses to be certified at transfer and all child care facilities on license renewal.
Amrinder Singh, director of Licenses & Inspections, said the ordinance includes rentals, child care facilities, condemned or unsafe properties and applies to properties subject to real estate transfer inspections and use and occupancy requirements.
Celebrating approval of the lead poisoning ordinance on Wednesday night at the Upper Darby Township Council meeting are, from left: Myron McNeely, 5th district council member; Asha Criner; Rosemarie Halt; Melissa DiNofia-Bozzone, 3rd district council member; Kyle McIntyre, at-large, council member; Michelle Billups, council president; Noah Fields, council vice president; Rajinder Kaur; Mary Nixon; Mayor Ed Brown; Lora Seigmann Werner; Donna Smith; Danyelle Blackwell, 4th district council member; Portia Kamara; David Bantoe, 6th district council member; Amrinder Singh; Syama Disa, 7th district council member; and Brian O’Neill, 1st district council member. (COURTESY PHOTO)
“Lead poisoning remains one of the most serious yet preventable environmental health hazards affecting children.
The purpose of this ordinance is straightforward: to identify and address lead-based hazards before children, families, residents, homeowners, and other occupants are exposed to preventable harm,” Singh said.
Lora Siegmann Werner, director of the Delaware County Health Department, expressed her support.
Werner said the township has the highest number of lead poisoned children in the county and is responsible for the most severe cases which have lifelong impacts.
Only 24% of children in Delaware County are screened for lead poisoning, and the county ranks seventh in the state for the number of children poisoned each year.
“Lead poisoning is happening today in Upper Darby Township. It will continue again tomorrow and over and over again … the path to ending this tragic cycle in Upper Darby is passing this ordinance,” Werner said. “It’s so important to prevent these exposures from happening in the first place so generations of children are poisoned over and over again.”
A certified third party professional would verify structures are lead safe or lead free. Beginning Jan. 1 all rentals in the township will need to be tested. Non-rental homes would be tested at the time of property transfer.
That certification would be renewed every three years for rentals, Singh said. Once found lead free, the status would remain with the property through future owners. L&I would establish a reasonable fee for rentals to carry out the program.
Donna Smith, education coordinator and community outreach for Multicultural Family Services, said the ordinance saves children’s lives and lives of those not yet born.
“This is a public health issue. It’s an economic health issue,” Smith said. “A child’s health should never depend on their ZIP code, but it is about us protecting them.”
Rosemary Hall of Children’s First said lead poison disproportionately impacts low income families. When the issue is identified for every $1 of remediation there is an expected savings of $17 to $220 also a savings in education services because the children need early intervention services as well as public food and health services.
She said many of the children have neurological issues later in life.
“This measure is not a financial burden to landlords or homeowners, it is an economic and moral win that protects public safety,” Hall said.
Hall said East Lansdowne enacted a similar ordinance in 2022, and within a year had 55 percent compliance of rentals and full compliance of child care centers.
“It can be done effectively, safely and in the long run improve property values,” Hall said.
The ordinance passed unanimously.
Property maintenance
Director Singh also spoke to council on another topic: an ordinance that would oversee property maintenance issues, and through the issuing of quick tickets for violations.
That ordinance would provide efficient administrative enforcement, addressing 17 property maintenance and quality-of-life violations, he said. Most fines for violations, including uncut grass and trash at a property, would be a $50.
More serious issues such as dumping, hazardous material or abandoned vehicles with unrepaired flat tires or expired registrations would have $100 fines.
Singh said for the year there have been 9,500 complaints to the township One Center with 75 percent of those complaints L&I issues about grass and trash.
The instant tickets would include a photo of the violation through a cloud based system, and the software replaces a system from 1983.
“This is just a tool to encourage people to do the right thing, to help eliminate blight, Singh said. He added they are taking baby steps as many L&I ordinances are out of date and the ordinance is a tool that many densely populated communities like Upper Darby have to employ to clean up neighborhoods.
“Now if they get a ticket it will change their behavior,
Over the first few months the ticket will be a warning with fines kicking in 2027, Singh said. Tickets can be appealed.
Singh said that in the first few years, officials expect to see a lot of tickets but as time goes by and compliance increases, tickets are reduced.
Final approval is expected at the September council meeting.
Arts and Education Center
Councilmembers also heard from Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation, which gave an informational presentation on SPARC, the Upper Darby Arts and Education Center, which is now open in Barclay Shopping Center.
SPARC is now open. at Barclay Shopping Center. (PETE BANNAN – DAILY TIMES)
The foundation received $800,000 in American Rescue Plan Act pandemic funding from the township after winning a lawsuit when council changed course.
Justin Heimbecker, foundation executive director, said since receiving the ARPA money the organization has raised over $2 million in private, foundation and corporate funding.
Heimbecker said, “after several years of planning, challenges, persistence and an amount of work by a lot of people, SPARC is open.”
He said it isn’t just about renovating a building but something broader, “a catalyst for activity, partnership and investment in Upper Darby.”
The organization has prepaid rent on their new space for five years to create leverage and build a sustainable institution for years to come, he said.
They now have a 140-seat black box theater as well as 32 state-of-the-art computers, a 3D printer and a recording studio.
He said they are now activating programs. Heimbecker said that since the early July soft launch, the mission is happening and shows the township’s investment is having an impact.