Love Where You Live

Letter from the Borough Council President Love Where You LIVE

by Ryan Lineaweaver, West Reading Borough Council President

“If you don’t love where you live, quit.” Blunt, but poignant, words of advice from the most recent Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB) Annual Conference this past spring. Those stark words came from someone who was commemorated for 50 years of service to her borough as a council member.

And it’s absolutely true.

Thankfully, there’s a lot to love about West Reading. I mean, just look at this entire magazine dedicated to the people, businesses, events, and activities in our 383-acre borough that contains north of 4,500 residents.

But there’s so much more that makes this town tick, largely by those who dedicate themselves to the betterment of our borough. From our police and fire departments, to our borough staff, to our committees and commissions, and our mayor and borough council (yes, I’m going to toot our own horn), this town is filled with staff, volunteers, and neighbors who make West Reading the special place that it is. Our police department does an incredible job with their responsiveness to calls, arriving on location within two minutes of dispatch. They’re continuing to be an asset to our community, attending local events, doing business checks, and continuing foot and bicycle patrols. And as of last month, our officers are outfitted with body-worn cameras –thanks in large part to a generous donation from West Reading – based Customers Bank.

West Reading’s fire department continues to be a staple of our community, relying largely on a group of volunteers that responded to 75 calls for service in September alone. These community members are relentless with their training, often spending at least one evening a week learning and preparing for all scenarios they could face. And their response time is the *chef’s kiss*, getting en route to calls in less than three minutes.

The public works department is continually taking on more responsibility, staying on top of aging infrastructure (hello, terracotta water and sewer pipes) and bringing large-scale projects back in-house to save tens-of-thousands of dollars for our taxpayers. All this while continuing to keep our town beautiful by trimming trees, managing our parkland, making our buildings more energy-efficient, plowing/sweeping/patching streets, dealing with sewer backups, submerging themselves into freezing water to fix water and sewer pipes, and fixing our fleet of vehicles with an in-house mechanic.

Our codes department will be coming back in house beginning in 2023 – providing more services and safety to our borough than ever before. They are the guardians of our quality of life in the borough, and work tirelessly to ensure that our residents and businesses have safe living and working conditions.

And who could forget our incredible office staff: our accounting team, secretary, administrative staff, recreation director, and their fearless leader in Borough Manager Dean Murray. Murray, who grew up in West Reading and served for nearly 30 years as a member of public works, keeps this borough ticking with his long hours, knowledge, and dedicated public service. This entire staff continues to be a rock for our community, being our central source of information and compliance.

Our committees and commissions are largely made up of volunteers from residents and stakeholders. From Traffic & Infrastructure, to Planning, to Recreation, to Environmental Advisory Council, to our Zoning Hearing Board – there’s very little these boards don’t touch on. These monthly meetings are the hub of community conversation and solutions to problems. If you’re seeking a solution to an issue you’ve been having, these dedicated neighbors have the brains you want to pick.

And finally, our borough council. You likely won’t find another council like ours in Berks County. Heck, you’d be hard pressed to find another one like it in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The average age of a borough council in Pennsylvania is roughly 66 years old. Here in West Reading, we skew two decades younger. We’ve found a blend of experience, youth, and mutual respect for each other that has put the needs of the borough first.

Sure, you’ll find us at photo-ops for ribbon cuttings, community events, and the like to support our blossoming downtown. But you’ll also find us picking up trash in the cloverleaf, on Penn Avenue, and our own neighborhoods. You’ll see us meeting for hours on end to put together the 2023 budget. You’ll see us mulching the park system, holding “free markets,” and talking with business owners and residents to solve issues and resolve conflicts. You’ll see us connecting with residents on social media, cheerleading our town’s successes, and working together to continue to make things better.

I’d like to think that we’ve really built something special here in West Reading, and have continued the legacy of those who had the foresight to invest in this town decades ago.

We all love this town, and hope that it shows to everyone who works, lives, and plays here.

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