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Newtown Township Board of Supervisors

Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors, April 2022
January meeting to swear in our newly elected
Supervisor. (L to R): Ed Partridge, Tina Roberts-Lightcap,
Kathryn V. Chandless, Esq. and Leonard Altieri
(not pictured: Mike Russo)

Photos courtesy of Leonard Altieri 

Early in January, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors held its annual reorganization meeting where newly elected Supervisors were sworn in, appointments were made to township administration positions, and various township boards and commissions members were appointed.

Newly elected to the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors is Kathryn (Kathy) V. Chandless, Esq., who was sworn in that evening. Kathy joins the five-member elected Board of Supervisors who are charged with the general governance of the Township. Together, they are responsible for the execution of legislative, executive and administrative powers, to ensure sound fiscal management and to secure the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Newtown Township.

“I am excited to become an active member of the Board and participate in making Newtown Township a safe, enjoyable and community-centered place to live, both now and in the future,” Kathy said. She and her running mate, Mike Russo, successfully campaigned for and won Board of Supervisors positions, joining Leonard B. Altieri, III, Esq., Christina (Tina) Roberts-Lightcap and Edward Partridge. 

Township Supervisors Altieri,
Roberts-Lightcap and Russo at
Newtown Square’s first annual
Circle at Sundown event

The evening also included a unanimous vote to elevate Leonard Altieri to Chair of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors, with Supervisor Tina Roberts-Lightcap serving as Board Vice-Chair. Supervisor Kathy Chandless explained how the decision was simple. “Leonard has assumed a leadership role from the start of his tenure on the Board, pioneering much-needed efforts to increase transparency and community engagement, and so he was a natural choice to be elevated to Board Chair,” she said.

Leonard is excited to undertake his new role as Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “I am a lifelong Newtown Square resident. I attended St. Anastasia and Marple Newtown High School,” he said, “and I am honored to now be in a position to do all I can to give back and to improve the community I love.” Leonard has previously served on the Marple Newtown School Board, the Newtown Township Planning Commission, and was the Chairman of the School Board Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee.

Since January, the Board of Supervisors has been working diligently to connect with community leaders, pass important ordinances and focus on open lines of communication with residents. 

The Board is particularly proud of their work on successfully passing the Historic Preservation Ordinance in February. This ordinance was first attempted over 20 years ago but did not pass. Leonard explained that for the past two years, he and his fellow Supervisors worked with the Newtown Square Historical Society, which was instrumental in getting it passed. The ordinance affords protections to our historic structures, establishes a Historic Commission comprised of residents, and creates a foundation in this Township for additional protections.

Passing of the historical preservation
ordinance. (L to R): Mike Russo, Tina
Roberts-Lightcap, Cathy Cavalier,
President of the Newtown Square
Historical Society, Leonard Altieri
and Ed Partridge

Opening the lines of communication between Newtown Township residents and our elected officials is top priority for our Board of Supervisors. They recently passed a resolution codifying the ability for greater public participation/comment for all township Boards and Commissions including the Board of Supervisors. There is now a dedicated public comment email address that is monitored, recorded and presented at the proper Board or Commission meeting. Public comments are welcomed and included on meeting agendas, and all township public meetings are live-streamed and recorded for future viewing. Additionally, most of the Board of Supervisors now have publicly available township email addresses that are posted on the township website.

They have also secured essential grant money to explore the expansion of our walking trail system; assembled a team to address speed and traffic control solutions; as well as implemented an engineer-based plan committed to addressing portions of our township plagued with outdated stormwater systems. As Board Chairman, Leonard has also launched a Community Outreach Tour in an effort to open the lines of communication between our local business owners, school officials and religious institutions.

While it seems the list of tasks is daunting, the Board of Supervisors is committed to working hard to keep our community thriving. They welcome the opportunity to work together with the residents of Newtown Township, and encourage ideas, suggestions, feedback and of course, volunteers. For more information, please visit the township website at www.NewtownTownship.org.

 


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