December 2021

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Willistown Township and Willistown Police Department wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season. The Township offices will be closed Friday, 12/24 & Monday,12/26 and Thursday 12/30 & Friday, 12/31. There are secure drop boxes located beside the front and rear doors at our Administration Building at 688 Sugartown Road. Residents can drop off any correspondence or permit applications while we are closed.

Willistown Township 2022 Budget Adopted

The Board of Supervisors adopted the 2022 budget at the Monday, December 13th Board of Supervisors meeting. We are pleased to announce no increase in property taxes or sewer rates in 2022. View the 2022 Budget.

BOS Meetings Available Via Zoom and In Person

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to announce all residents will be able to participate in Board of Supervisors meetings via Zoom and in person at the Township meeting room. Please sign up via "Notify Me" under Boards and Commissions to be notified when the Zoom registration links and meeting agendas are available. The year's first Board meeting will be held on Monday, January 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm.

The Perfect Gift For Your Dog: A 2022 Dog License

All dogs three months or older must be licensed by Jan. 1 of each year in PA. An annual license is $8.50 and a lifetime license is $51.50. If the animal is spayed or neutered, the annual fee is $6.50 and lifetime is $31.50. Discounts are available to older adults and people with disabilities. Violators can be cited with a maximum fine of $300 per violation plus court costs.

If your dog gets lost, a current license is the fastest way to get him back. The small license fee helps the millions of dogs in the state by funding the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Register your dog(s) today.

Volunteers Needed!

Willistown Township is seeking a resident to fill a vacancy and serve on the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is an advisory board to the Board of Supervisors and Zoning Hearing Board and is responsible for administering the Township’s comprehensive plan, reviewing development projects, and hearing requests for conditional uses and variances. The Commission meets on the first and third Wednesday of most months at 7:30 pm.

Willistown Township is seeking a resident to fill a vacancy and serve on the Malvern Library Board. The Malvern Library Board is comprised of seven members, two of whom are from Willistown. The Board is responsible for stewardship, long-range planning, and promoting and advocating for the library in the community. The Board meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Learn more and apply on our Volunteer Information Page.

Welcome Officer Hagan

Willistown Police Department welcomes Officer Jeff Hagan to the department. Officer Hagan graduated from the Delaware County Police Academy in 2018. Prior to joining the Willistown Township Police Department in 2021, Jeff worked at the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department. Jeff possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from The Pennsylvania State University. If you see Officer Hagan around the Township, please give him a warm welcome.

MS4 Update

The presentation for the December 13 MS4 Report Update Meeting is now available on our website. MS4 stands for the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System and the Township is required to update our Pollutant Reduction Plan every few years by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. The goal of the MS4 Program and the measures the Township is proposing, reduces the pollutant loads in the Township waterways that eventually flow into the Delaware Bay Watershed.

The MS4 Application is available for review in the Township Building during normal business hours (Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm), with comments being accepted till 1/14/2022.

Snow Removal Tips & Info

The Willistown Township Public Works Department takes great pride in executing snow removal operations. The eight-man crew clears 57 miles of Township roadways and 12 miles of PennDot roadways in a quick, efficient, and safe manner to ensure the safety of its residents. Residents can do their part to facilitate the process:

No vehicles should be parked on roadways or cul-de-sacs from the onset of the snow until the roadways have been completely cleared.
Mailboxes should be located at least one foot behind the face of the curb at the height of four feet.
Do not deposit shoveled, blown, or plowed snow onto public streets or storm sewers. This can cause dangerous conditions and is a violation of the law.
When possible, wait to clear your sidewalks and driveway aprons until the Public Works Department has completed its snow removal operations.
Please be patient. Snow removal does take time, especially in heavy snowfall. Crews will begin salting at the onset of the storm. Once two inches of snow have fallen, plowing will begin. Roads are plowed in an order based on traffic: state roadways will be plowed first, major secondary roadways will be plowed second, and tertiary roads will be plowed last.

Willistown Parks & Rec News

Kirkwood Preserve Expansion

Over 12 Acres Added

Willistown Township and Willistown Conservation Trust continue their public/private partnership to protect lands for open space and recreation by adding over 12 acres to Kirkwood Preserve. Owned by Willistown Conservation Trust, Kirkwood Preserve is 83 acres of rolling hills with the main stem of Crum Creek meandering through Willistown at 855 Grubbs Mill Road, Newtown Square. The Willistown Township Open Space Fund was utilized in the initial acquisition of Kirkwood Preserve and leveraged to Chester County and PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources funding. Leveraging Open Space funds in the same manner, the partnership convened again for the latest acquisition which will add over three-quarters of a mile of trails and 12.42 acres of critical riparian buffer, woodland, and grasslands to the existing preserve. The Township is working with the Trust on access improvements including expanding the parking area and installing stepping stones across the creek. Stay Stay tuned for more details about when the new lands will be open to the public and a grand opening celebration in the fall of 2022. Feel free to contact Mary Hundt, our Director of Parks and Recreation, with any questions.

Willistown Summer Fun Camps to Return in 2022

Willistown Township summer fun camps will be returning for grades K - 5 to Sugartown Elementary School for 8 fun-filled weeks, June 20- August 12, 2022. Residents and non-residents can register for 1 week or all 8 weeks. We offer full and half-day options, plus before and after care is available. Themes change every week. Registration will open January 1, 2022. For more information visit our Summer Camp page.

Community News

Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Malvern Fire Company - We received word from the North Pole that Santa Claus will be arriving in the Malvern and Willistown area on Sunday, December 19, between 12 and 3:00 pm. Be on the lookout for him. Happy Holidays from everyone at Malvern Fire Company and stay safe.

Paoli Fire Company - Mark your calendars, Paoli! Santa is coming to town on a Paoli Fire Company truck on Saturday, December 18, starting around 9 am.

To find which fire company services your area visit our website. Fire companies not listed received a visit from Santa earlier in December.

Wreaths Across America at Paoli Battlefield
Saturday, December 18 at 11:00 am - Livestreamed

Paoli Battle is happy to announce that they will be having Wreaths Across America December 18, 2021. If you have not done so, please like follow their Facebook page. Consider sponsoring a wreath to be placed on the grave sites of the 52 dead continental soldiers from the Battle of Paoli.

Remember. Honor. Teach. This is the mission of Wreaths Across America. By coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies every December at Arlington National Cemetery and other veterans cemeteries around the country, Wreaths Across America strives to remember our fallen heroes, honor those who serve and teach our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms.