Wyomissing Borough

Wyomissing Borough is the municipal government serving the Borough of Wyomissing in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Borough Hall is located at 22 Reading Boulevard, Wyomissing, PA 19610, and the main administrative phone line is 610-376-7481. The Borough handles the day to day functions residents interact with most often: utility billing, refuse and recycling collection, yard waste and bulk item pickup, permits and code enforcement, zoning administration, fire inspections, park and street tree maintenance, and community recreation programming. Public records, meeting agendas, ordinances and budget documents are published through the Borough.

Government Structure

The Borough operates under a council form of government, with an elected Borough Council setting policy, adopting the annual budget and enacting ordinances. Council work is supported by a network of standing committees, appointed boards and commissions, each with a defined area of responsibility. These include the Civil Service Commission, Economic Development Committee, Finance and Administration Committee, Fire and Police Committee, Infrastructure Committee, Park and Shade Tree Commission, Personnel Committee, Planning Commission, Recreation Board, Refuse and Recycling Committee, and Zoning Hearing Board.

Agendas and approved minutes for Council and for each of these bodies are posted in the Borough's online Agenda Center, giving residents a record of actions taken and advance notice of items scheduled for discussion. The codified Borough ordinances, organized into 27 chapters, are also available online, along with budget summaries, audit notices and year end department reports for Public Works, Fire and Police.

Utility Billing and Water Service

Water and sewer accounts are billed quarterly. Drinking water is supplied by the Western Berks Water Authority for most of the Borough and by PA American Water for the Wyomissing Hills section, while sewer service is provided through the Joint Municipal Authority. Billing cycles differ by section of town: Wyomissing Hills accounts are billed at the end of January, April, July and October, and the remainder of the Borough is billed at the end of December, March, June and September.

Several payment options are available, each with its own cost structure:

• ACH direct debit, with no fee
• Online or telephone credit and debit card payments, subject to a 3 percent convenience fee
• Payment by mail
• In person payment at Borough Hall

A 10 percent penalty is applied to late payments, so residents are encouraged to note their billing cycle. A drop box is located to the right of the main entrance on Fairview Avenue for after hours payments and correspondence.

Refuse, Recycling and Yard Waste

Each household is assigned one weekly curbside refuse collection day. Up to five containers are accepted per scheduled collection, and material may not be set out before noon on the day prior to pickup. Missed collections can be reported to Borough Hall at 610-376-7481.

Single stream recycling is collected Borough wide every Wednesday. Residents may request a free lidded recycling container from Borough Hall, and free recycling stickers are available for those who prefer to use personal cans.

Yard waste is collected Borough wide every Monday from mid April through mid December. Bags and containers must not exceed 40 pounds, branches must be bundled with a maximum of 10 bundles per week, and biodegradable yard waste bags can be purchased at Borough Hall with cash or check.

Up to two bulk items may be set out per collection day, and mattresses and box springs must be enclosed in mattress bags.

Permits, Zoning and Code Enforcement

Residential permitting and code enforcement functions are administered through a third party agency, Kraft Municipal Group, located at 6525 Shillington Plaza, Shillington, PA 19607 and reachable at 610-777-1311. That office handles Uniform Construction Code plan reviews, building permits and inspections, property maintenance inspections, rental inspections and residential zoning. Notably, the Borough does not require a residential resale, or UNO, inspection, which simplifies the process for property transfers compared with some neighboring municipalities.

Commercial zoning and engineering review is handled by McCarthy Engineering at 1011 N Park Road, Suite 100, Wyomissing, PA 19610, 610-373-8001. Nick Perilli serves as Commercial Zoning Officer, with responsibility for commercial zoning matters, subdivision and land development review, and stormwater management.

The Zoning Hearing Board reviews and acts on applications for variances and special exceptions under the Borough Zoning Ordinance. It meets on an as needed basis and operates in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

Fire Safety

The Borough Fire Marshal, based at 1259 Penn Avenue, Wyomissing, PA 19610 and reachable at 484-890-2625, conducts commercial fire inspections, issues fire code violations, enforces open burning regulations and carries out fire investigations. Annual Fire Department reports are published alongside other year end department summaries.

Parks, Parklands and Trees

Wyomissing's park system and the surrounding Wyomissing Parklands are overseen by the Park and Shade Tree Commission. Long range management is guided by the Wyomissing Parklands Natural Resources Stewardship Plan, prepared in cooperation with Berks Nature and Flora Teeter. The plan addresses invasive species control, riparian buffer restoration, stormwater issues and trail improvements over a five to ten year horizon. A Memorial Benches in the Parklands program allows residents to sponsor benches, and a Tree Department line at 610-678-9985 handles requests related to Borough tree limb removal.

Recreation and Communications

Community recreation events are coordinated by the Recreation Board, with schedules published in the annual Recreation Guide and on the Borough events calendar. The Borough also issues a newsletter, The Citizen, and publishes annual water quality reports.

A Notify Me subscription service allows residents to create an account and receive email and notification alerts for Borough news, meeting notices and agenda updates, which is the most direct way to follow Council business and collection schedule changes.

Recent Initiatives

Documents and notices related to ongoing projects are posted to the Borough as they become available.

Practical Information

• Address: 22 Reading Boulevard, Wyomissing, PA 19610
• Phone: 610-376-7481
• Drop box: right of the main entrance on Fairview Avenue
• Cash or check required for yard waste bags and bulk item tags purchased at Borough Hall