Seven Months In, Upper Darby Council Blew Up Its Own Leadership

Quick catch up for anyone new.

Two things happening at once here. The first is that Upper Darby Township Council members have been at odds with each other since January.

The second is the Mozino tract, a roughly 15 acre wooded parcel in Drexel Hill and the last unprotected forest in Upper Darby. Rockwell Development Group (Greg Lingo) wants it rezoned into a brand new “Community Mixed Use” district so it can hold townhomes, apartments and retail. The zoning ordinance that would allow it was drafted by Rockwell’s own attorney. Residents have packed council meetings for months asking the township to preserve it instead. My Right to Know request on it came back with 1 of 8 items filled and I’m waiting on my appeal to the state.

Seven months into a term, Upper Darby Township Council reorganized its leadership. Council voted to reopen the officer positions, then elected Michelle Billups president over Minick, kept Noah Fields as vice president, and elected Danyelle Blackwell secretary.

Minick got four votes for president. His own, Fields, Myron McNeely, and McMahon. Everybody else went Billups.

For vice president…Kyle McIntyre nominated Melissa DiNofia-Bozzone, but Fields survived by one vote. David Bantoe and Danyelle Blackwell were the (2) that defected to oust the President but not the VP.

The bloc that just removed the president then turned around and reelected his vice president…negotiated deal or a miscalculation?

McIntyre actually explained what happened: council leadership is supposed to facilitate the work of all eleven independently elected members, apply procedures consistently, keep meetings professional, and let every member participate equally. And clearly a majority lost confidence that the current leadership could do that.

&…ordinances have been facing repeated delays while other legislation moved fast. A proposal to use eminent domain against the firehouse was advanced without committee review, without consultation with council members, and w/o any financial plan behind it. He also brought up restrictions on members’ participation and speech, and political pressure directed at people who disagreed with leadership or spoke out of turn…

“So unfortunately, it left us with the only check that we actually have, which is reorganization.”

Favoritism, favoritism, favoritism…that’s exactly what council majority is confirming. Some ordinances get slow walked, some skip committee. Members who talk out of turn get brushed to the side.

Now…I have to question whether this is the exact machinery that carried the developer written zoning ordinance to a 3-2 planning commission recommendation while residents were told to “be patient.” Seems to be the process failure that produced the Mozino fight. Fair to say these two are connected?

Fields used his time on a four minute story about his years as an EMT, growing up just outside of Philly, and discussing nuanced stories as a child. And then closed with “I pray we use this room wisely.”

He did not defend Minick, nor did he address a single thing that was about to be voted on.

Very performative and strange…glaring and pointing at those in attendance acting like the residents owe him something? Confusing.

He gave a speech about compassion at a meeting where his own constituents were begging him not to hand one of their last forested green spaces to a developer, and he never mentioned the forest.

Mayor Ed Brown just thanked Minick for his service and in old business afterward, Minick offered some words.

I wrote this a little out of order since half of public comment was before the reorg.

But before the first half of public comment…council was in disarray and had to break for recess. Throughout the public comment period, Noah Fields looked to be ignoring residents so he could focus on politics, repeatedly texting and signaling to Blackwell to check her phone.

The first time…even a ding went off on her phone. At least silence it.

During the second recess just before the reorg, Noah was visibly not happy with Melissa, Brian and Kyle. Was VP Noah Fields texting President Minick for one last recess call just so he can keep courting votes?

Faith Zerby, scientist with Delaware Riverkeeper Network, read from Marple Twp’s own Dec 2020 resolution, using a parallel situation when those supervisors voted 7-0 to deny a developer using Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment to protect what was then Don Guanella Woods and is now the largest park in Delaware County.

Jamie Watts crushed it again…using the countys own 2022 open space study. Mozino is 15 acres with close to 100% canopy cover and roughly 2k mature trees. And also brought up the fact that proximity to open space increases property value rates.

A few others pointed to preserving it for stormwater management to reduce flooding. Lee Jordan said the township should be redeveloping vacant eyesores, not gutting a forest. Bonnie Hallam pointed people to savethemozinoforest.org and to lawn signs, and encouraged people to join the fight. Check out my interview with BOTH Lee and Bonnie here!

And Becky Duggan, to council: “If you guys are selling out for this Mozino tract, I hope it’s worth it.”

McIntyre announced that there will be a special council meeting on Wednesday, August 12, dedicated entirely to the Mozino tract. Council, community members, and the developer…on the record. But it was also said that he and someone named Brian met with the developer recently, shared community feedback, and came away “optimistic.” He thanked the developer for listening and hearing out the community’s concerns. And closed with “I think at the end of the day, we’re gonna get something good for this community”

A couple meetings ago Kyle said “I support continuing to look into how we can and if possible, acquire the property” and admitted he might get in trouble for saying it. Last night he was optimistic after a private meeting with Greg Lingo and predicted something good for the community.

Those are not the same position. It doesnt make me think that he has changed his stance on acquiring…buttt it does make me wonder if the ‘acquire camp’ is powerless here.

“Acquire the land” is public ownership … “something good for this community” is a negotiated site plan with the developer.

Somewhere, somehow between mid July and last night, the frame seemed to slide back from whether Rockwell builds to how Rockwell builds.

I want to be fair to him. McIntyre is the only council member who has ever said acquisition out loud, and he seems to be the one who forced a dedicated public meeting.

Show up Wednesday August 12th @ 7pm: 100 Garrett Road

Council accepted the treasurer’s resignation and now has thirty days to appoint a replacement. Billups proposed for collecting resumes and interviews.

I have not verified the claims that one public commenter laid out so I wont go into too much detail, but there are allegations of governmental favors and ties to the treasurer’s family. Another speaker said the treasurer is in default on more than $40,000 in Upper Darby taxes and owes the federal government around $230,000.

General Notes:

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