Bensalem Township Council motioned in favor of a resolution for expressing support for the Bensalem Economic Development Cooperation (BEDC) in order to develop an economic revitalization plan for the township.
At the councils meeting on Monday, April 13th, the township motioned in favor of the BDEC getting support from a consultation firm known as Tip Strategies. Robert Norkus, the Executive Director of the BDEC explained to the council why a move like this was needed.
“We’re faced with what most communities in the county are faced with, and that’s a new economy. It has changed things radically. We know we’re we are in that transition, but we don’t know where we’re going. The effect it has in our communities is substantial, and we find that we as an organization have to adapt to change.”
Norkus explained that Tip Strategies was ultimately chosen as the firm the BDEC would go with to get consultation on what to do going forward. While the firm is based in Houston, they do meetings online and can come out to a community when needed.
Norkus explained that the BDEC is seeking a grant to help pay for the consultation which will cost $110,000, but won’t cost taxpayers anything and will come out of the BDEC’s pockets, along with the grant helping to pay for remaining costs.
In a back and forth exchange between Norkus and Council President Ed Tokmajian Jr clarity was provided in light of some recent comments on social media about funding for the grant coming out of taxpayers pockets.
The BEDC is covering the other 50 percent of the grant, Norkus told Council emphatically.
“The grant that we’re after is a 50/50, if awarded it will pay for half of the consultant fee which is about $110,000. We don’t expect to be finished with the consultants until first quarter of next year. Reason for that is extensive, if will involve the township, the residents, primary stakeholders, and anybody else that we can think of to have involve, because we want this thing done right.”
Credit: Lower Bucks Hospital
Council members asked Norkus a few question about the firm’s plans, such as Council Vice President Jesse Solan asking if Tip Strategies would look at the townships municipal codes for businesses.
Norkus said, “Part of this has to be looking at the code of a municipal has to be looked at, because you can’t conger up something opposite of that code.”
Council Member Edward Kisselback asked if from this consultation it would be whoever comes first gets a business location in the township. Norkus stated that this wouldn’t be the case.
“Not necessarily, because part of attraction has always been “we wanna get somebody”, we wanna get another business in. If you were to go out and ask people, you would hear it. We want Trader Joe’s, we want this company, we want that company. Our search is dependent on the analysis of several criteria. We want to have a reasoning about what businesses we want to attract.”
Councilman Joseph Wenzel Jr. was a bit skeptical to the development because while things like redevelopment of the mall and Armstrong Middle School property are realistic, their not possible without developers.
“My concern with this is they come back and say “oh to revitalize Bensalem we need to redevelop the mall, redevelop the Armstrong property, put in bike lanes.” It’s a realistic feature, but without developers we can’t handle that. Township’s not buying property and building buildings on that.”
Norkus assured Wenzel Jr. that when working with the firm, it would be more about persuading businesses and developers to come in as opposed to doing things that would cost Bensalem tax payers.
“Their gonna give us a plan, but the plan is contingent on a lot of valuables.”
Ultimately, the council motioned in favor for the firm to work with BDEC in order to give them suggestions on what they can do to bring in businesses a redevelopment into the township, with Norkus promising that anyone from the council who has concerns can voice them at anytime even when they get Tips Strategies involved.
“If you’re in it from the beginning, you have a voice, and can express the concerns you’ve raised tonight, and you can expect them to give you a satisfactory answer, and if not, we’re stuck, and if we’re stuck, we have to push until we move forward again.”
The BDEC, according to its’s website, works hand in hand with all stakeholders to achieve smart, sustainable growth while delivering value with a focus on quality of life, providing inclusive and equitable opportunities, and maintaining respect for the environment.
The Bensalem Economic Development Corporation is sustained by an expanding investor program and supplements its operations from growth and income investments.
Editor’s Note: Publisher/Editor Jeff Bohen contributed to this report
Recent Comments