Lansdale is growing and growing fast. As noted in prior musings Lansdale Borough’s population is now around 18,800 people within three square miles. We are one of the densest locations in Montgomery County. With a growing population, specifically within the desirable target market of millennial families (median age in Lansdale is now 38), businesses will be interested in joining our active and lively community.

Coupling, in criminology, is the idea that crime is intimately connected to the location that it occurs, and that crime won’t just “move around the corner.” Understandably, some may not believe this theory — that if police focus on a specific area and try to deter crime, criminals won’t move their illicit activity to where the police are not as rigorous.

Over the last several months Lansdale Borough’s energy consultant Blue Sky Power has been working diligently to review and analyze the opportunities the community may have to increase both green and locally generated power to become more independent and gain flexibility as an electric service provider.

This is the article I was hoping that I would not have to write. I was hoping that our vaccination rate in Montgomery County was high enough to stem the tide of the rising COVID-19 Delta Variant. That is not the case. The Delta Variant surge has begun to reach our community and the greater North Penn Area. In the last 45 days we have seen dramatically increasing positivity rates across the area with communities reporting 14 Day Positivity Rates as high as 7.7%.

In 2010, Lansdale was a community of around 16,269 people. After 10 years of revitalization, growth, and investment, we are now a community of nearly 18,800 — an increase of around 15.4% in the span of 10 years. This makes Lansdale, by population, larger than all the surrounding municipalities except Montgomery Township, and makes Lansdale the fastest growing community, by quite a margin, in our immediate area.

In the game Monopoly, after acquiring property groups, you are allowed to begin developing your properties by placing houses and hotels on them. This increases the rents, which increases your wealth, which helps you win the game. As a player, you are incentivized to develop your land because it will allow you win the game at an accelerated rate.

Tonight at 6 p.m. at Borough Hall, we will hold our annual National Night Out celebration where our Lansdale Police Department welcomes the whole community to enjoy some food, some fun, and to get to know one another.

I am happy to announce that the 2021 Mardi Gras parade planning team has met this past weekend and is starting to pull together the plans for the 70th Mardi Gras parade, which will be themed “Decades of Celebration” and will occur on Saturday November 20.

I am happy to announce that our community has come together to help correct the frustrating — and frankly, disheartening — theft of veteran grave markers in our community cemetery.

Over the last 24 hours, the Lansdale VFW, the Lansdale Historical Society and I have been discussing how we can make sure veterans are commemorated with the appropriate markers as soon as possible.

It is with real frustration and disgust that I must report that someone — or multiple people, unknown at this time — visited Lansdale Cemetery between May 31 and July 11 and stole 56 metal military veteran grave markers from our community. It is unknown if the theft took place over multiple nights or on a single evening. The total valuation of the loss was around $400 in markers, however the act itself is more disrespectful than the price of the markers.

Recently, there has been some concerns in the community about the number of basketball nets placed on sidewalks and curbsides for kids to enjoy some pickup street basketball. The concerns have centered, mostly, around the safety of the children and concerns with traffic flow.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July holiday and you were able to spend some well-deserved time with family, friends, and loved ones. Additionally, I would like to thank everyone who came out and joined in on our First Friday last week. It was amazing seeing our community full of life and vibrancy again! As we continue our reemergence from the pandemic, there will be more events planned throughout the remainder of the year. The calendar of events currently looks like the following:

As I am sure many of you are aware, this week is going to be hot. Specifically, today through Wednesday will all be over 94 degrees for a sustained period with a heat index of over 104 for the next three days. With heat levels and temperatures this high we are under a Code Red warning for the next several days. This means that there is a high possibility of heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration for everyone — especially the very young and the elderly, if precautions are not taken.

This past week, after more than 15 months, both Lansdale’s and the Commonwealth’s emergency declarations came to an end. Let me start by thanking everyone in the community who bore the burden of this emergency: from the families who had to stay home with kids, to the loved ones that were lost, to the businesses that suffered, to the people struggling with depression and anxiety, this pandemic was one of the most challenging times any of us have ever seen and it is unlikely that many of us will ever forget it.

This weekend, Lansdale will be celebrating Juneteenth for the second time in our community. Last year, I was proud and honored to be the first mayor in our community to declare every June 19 as “Juneteenth” in Lansdale. In 2020, a sizable crowd safely gathered outside borough hall to hear the story of Juneteenth and the importance it holds with communities across our country, and how Juneteenth is a day to celebrate and honor all those who helped end slavery in America.

Over the last four years Chief Mike Trail, council, and I have been working diligently to identify opportunities to grow and improve the Lansdale Police Department. This month, it is my hope that council will approve the hire of two additional police officers as we continue to work toward that goal in order to continue to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of our community.

As Lansdale Borough Mayor, this week I have signed an official proclamation recognizing Pride Month here in the Borough of Lansdale.

Pride is an important part of every community and culture in the world, and it is critical to celebrate with our LGBTQ+ friends to show that we value their contributions and passions for our community, that we know the fight for equality is ongoing and that we stand beside them steadfastly. Lansdale is a great place to call home, not only because of our diversity but also because we celebrate that diversity.

Today, we honor all those who were so brave to offer themselves to the cause of our great country and remember everyone who sacrificed everything so that we all might endure and prosper.

Sacrifice means to surrender, relinquish, or permit injury, for the sake of something more or something greater than oneself. The loved ones that we remember today were as diverse and as varied as our country and yet it is their similar purpose, shared values, and sacrifice that is most instructive. They stood firm against insurmountable odds and bravely stepped forward in service of our country, our communities, and our families.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this past weekend Lansdale played host to an amazing Mental Health Awareness event for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI partnered with Round Guys Brewing, Well Crafted, Lansdale Tavern and Stove & Tap in a new Hops for Hope fundraiser that allowed residents to enjoy a beer while learning about the realities of dealing with mental illness and how it impacts a person’s everyday life and the lives of those around them.

If you have not already submitted a mail in ballot, please make sure you get out to the polls tomorrow to vote for judicial, municipal, and school board races. Local races have some of the largest direct impact on our lives. Critical decisions about how our communities operate usually happen at the local level, and we need everyone to participate in the electoral process.

Additionally, on Primary Day, everyone will be eligible to vote on the ballot questions that are being put forward on a statewide level. This includes people who are not registered with a party.