Womelsdorf Awards High St. Job, Eyes $594K Investment

Womelsdorf Borough Council has picked the contractor for its grant-funded High Street project and moved to put half of the borough's PLGIT money, up to $594,000, into a one-year investment paying about 4.7 percent, according to minutes of its Oct. 6 meeting posted ahead of the Nov. 2 meeting. The same minutes record two new part-time police officers taking the oath of office, a sidewalk deadline pushed to May 2027 for a business on North Third Street, and a bills list of $123,334.92.

The Oct. 20 workshop minutes add a one-year stray-dog agreement with the Berks Animal Rescue League, a conditional escrow release at 128 E. High St., and roof-repair bids still under review. This is Berks Beat's first story on Womelsdorf, a borough at the western edge of the county.

High Street goes to Forino, with no price on the record

The project is paid for with a state Multimodal Transportation Fund grant. The fund, created by Act 89 of 2013, gives money to municipalities and others "to improve transportation assets that enhance communities, pedestrian safety, and transit revitalization," according to PennDOT's program page. PennDOT runs one version of the fund and the Commonwealth Financing Authority runs another; the minutes call it only "the MTF grant for High St." and do not say which.

The award had been coming since late summer. At the Sept. 1 meeting, engineer James McCarthy reported that the "MTF grant is now out for bid, should be able to vote on at the October meeting." On Oct. 6, the minutes say, council discussed "the final bid tabulation" and "reviewed the four different contractor bids for project." Then: "Motion by Mrs. Hopple, seconded by Mr. Mellon Sr., to award the contractor bid for the High St. project to Forino Co. LP. Motion carried unanimously."

The minutes do not give Forino's bid amount, the other three bidders' prices, or the grant amount. The bid tabulation is not posted with the minutes. Councilman James Mellon Sr., listed on the Nov. 2 agenda as council's liaison for the grant, also raised "applying for 2027-2028 MTF grant," so the borough is already looking at a second round. PennDOT's page says the fiscal year 2027-2028 application window "is now closed."

The project itself is curb and sidewalk work tied to a state repaving job. At the July 7 meeting, residents of 417 E. High St. who asked about "the curb and sidewalk project" were "informed by council that PennDOT will be repaving Rt 419 and High St. and borough received a grant to help fund curb replacement." A resident who asked about doing his own sidewalk work was told "that per borough ordinance, work needs to be completed by a licensed contractor." At the July 21 workshop, Mellon "reviewed the upcoming curb project and MTF grant parameters," and council discussed "focusing only on sidewalks that are a trip hazard for this project," with other failing sidewalks "placed on a watch list and reinspected at a later date." For property owners, the July 21 minutes spell out the consequence: "Residents who fail will get a letter explaining the failures and what to do next," with the engineer offering to be the point of contact for questions. The minutes describe the grant as helping "fund curb replacement," not sidewalks, and the July 21 workshop discussed "possibly waiving any permit fees if not using the borough's contractor once decided," which points to owners of failing sidewalks paying for their own repairs; the minutes record no decision on fees and no cost to owners.

Up to $594,000 into a term investment, outcome unrecorded

Borough Manager Michael Williams brought council a plan for the borough's money in PLGIT. PLGIT is the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust, an investment program created in 1981 for the short-term cash of Pennsylvania local governments and school districts, according to its website. A term investment locks money in for a set period at a fixed rate instead of leaving it in an account that can be drawn on any day.

The minutes say Williams "discussed placing half of our PLGIT money into a term investment vehicle for about a year, at a 4.7% rate vs. a 3.7-3.9% rate." The motion followed: "Motion by Mrs. Hopple, seconded by Mr. Mellon Sr., to place up to $594,000 of PLGIT money into a term investment vehicle."

That sentence is where the record stops. Every other motion in the Oct. 6 minutes ends with "Motion carried unanimously." This one does not, so the minutes do not record whether the investment was approved. Council was due to approve the Oct. 6 minutes on Nov. 2, the point at which a missing vote line would normally be corrected.

Two officers sworn in, after a look at South Heidelberg

Officers Stephen Devore and Christopher Loftus took the oath of office at the Oct. 6 meeting, administered after council was introduced to them, the minutes say. Both are part-time hires. At the Sept. 15 workshop, council voted to hire Loftus "as a PT police officer earning $27.05/hr" and to start Devore, "previously hired, at the same rate of $27.05/hr." The Sept. 15 minutes spell his name DeVore; the Oct. 6 minutes spell it Devore.

The same Sept. 15 minutes carry one line worth watching: "Discussion on utilizing South Heidelberg Police Department services, no action at this time." South Heidelberg's department already covers Wernersville, where September minutes note talks on "continuation of police services," as we reported in our Wernersville preview. Neighboring Robesonia held a public hearing Oct. 5 on the hours and type of police service it buys, as our Robesonia recap reports. Womelsdorf's minutes say nothing more about South Heidelberg after Sept. 15.

Council also adopted Resolution 2026-07 on Sept. 1, "reducing employee contributions to police pension plan," by a unanimous vote. The minutes give no percentage.

Sidewalks, a shed and an escrow release

LAO Co., at 410 N. 3rd St., asked for more time on a sidewalk project. Council granted "the deadline extension until May of 2027," then voted "for the same deadline extension to be given to McDonald's, if an extension is requested." Both motions carried unanimously. A separate agreement with McDonald's, to make its sidewalk "for public use since outside of ROW," as the Nov. 2 agenda puts it, meaning the public right of way, has been with the solicitor since at least Aug. 3 and was "in process, no new action" on Oct. 20.

A resident at 21 Locust Lane got a stormwater exemption for a shed but "must still obtain required permits from Kraft," the borough's code enforcement firm, Kraft Municipal Group.

At the Oct. 20 workshop, council released the escrow for a project at 128 E. High St. An escrow is money a developer deposits with the borough to guarantee that required site work gets done; a maintenance bond is a separate guarantee that the finished work will hold up for a set time. The release is "contingent upon payment of all borough fees and invoices and receipt of the 18-month maintenance bond of $13,573.05." The minutes do not name the project or the developer.

Stray dogs, a roof and the fire company's radios

The Berks ARL stray-dog service was discussed Oct. 6 with "no action required." By Oct. 20 it was "found to have no financial commitment, unless the borough would utilize the services," and council voted unanimously "to use the Berks ARL stray dog service, for a one-year agreement."

Borough Hall's roof is next. Mike Smimmo, who runs maintenance for the borough, told council Oct. 6 the borough "should start looking into estimates for repair." By Oct. 20, contractors had inspected the roof and "bids are currently under review by council; a vote is scheduled to occur at the next meeting." No bid figures appear in the minutes.

Bob Martin of 501 W. High St., speaking for the Womelsdorf Fire Company, told council Oct. 6 that the company "attended the Berks County Radio meeting" and would host a meeting Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. "to see the different Motorola models being offered by the county." The county listed replacement of its 911 radio system among the big costs it has taken on, in a budget presentation to the commissioners on Oct. 15, and other fire companies are already pricing their share; Longswamp Township committed $200,000 toward Topton's radios. Womelsdorf's minutes put no dollar figure on the fire company's radios.

The fire company is also chasing state money after losing a fundraiser. Councilman David Craft reported at the Aug. 3 meeting that the "fire company meet with the liquor control board, they are no longer able to do the online raffles for fundraising, they are looking into other options." On Sept. 1, council passed two resolutions naming an official to apply for Local Share Account grants, a state grant program: Resolution 2026-05 "to repair and replace the driveway and parking lot at the fire station" and Resolution 2026-06 "to be used to purchase AEDs," automated external defibrillators. The grants are back on the Nov. 2 agenda.

Budget, bills and smaller items

Councilman David Craft said Oct. 6 the "finance committee looking to meet soon regarding 2027 budget planning." That is the only budget line in either set of minutes; no figures or tax rate have been published. The Oct. 20 bills list was $118,848.52, on top of the $123,334.92 approved Oct. 6.

Also on the record: Mayor Jennifer Gettle and Chief Pontician, both absent Oct. 20, submitted by email a "request to advertise for a part-time crossing guard." Phillip Henry of the youth soccer association asked Oct. 6 about using the soccer fields "at a discounted rate if they would maintain the fields," with no action recorded.

What happens next

Council met Monday, Nov. 2, a day ahead of its first-Tuesday pattern. No minutes of that meeting are posted, so none of the outcomes below are on the record yet. The Nov. 2 agenda lists:

• The traffic ordinance, under old business. On Oct. 6 it was "completed, to be reviewed at the next meeting."
• "PPL - LED conversion of street lights," new business.
• Roof repair, park stream walls and the library boiler, under maintenance.
• The McDonald's sidewalk agreement and a "PPL Master Bond & Agreement for Street Cuts," under the solicitor.
• "Budget Discussion" and "Fire Company LSA Grants," under Craft.
• A part-time masonry employee, the Christmas party, the fireworks and a CPR session at Borough Hall on Dec. 8.
• "Advertise for PT crossing guard," under the mayor and chief.
• Approval of the Oct. 6 and Oct. 20 minutes, where the PLGIT vote could be clarified.

By the pattern in the borough's Agenda Center, council holds a regular meeting on the first Tuesday of the month and a workshop on the third Tuesday, at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall. That would put the next workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and the next regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1, but neither agenda is posted and the dates have shifted before, so check the Agenda Center. Each agenda carries a "Citizens to be Heard" slot. Borough Hall is at 101 W. High St., Womelsdorf, PA 19567; the office phone is 610-589-4725, per the borough website.

Sources

• Womelsdorf Borough Council minutes, Oct. 6, 2026 (PDF, 3 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Workshop minutes, Oct. 20, 2026 (PDF, 2 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Council agenda, Nov. 2, 2026 (PDF, 3 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Council minutes, Sept. 1, 2026 (PDF, 3 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Workshop minutes, Sept. 15, 2026 (PDF, 2 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Council minutes, Aug. 3, 2026 (PDF, 3 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Workshop minutes, July 21, 2026 (PDF, 2 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Council minutes, July 7, 2026 (PDF, 3 pp.)
• Womelsdorf Borough Agenda Center
• Womelsdorf Borough website (Borough Hall address and phone)
• PennDOT, Multimodal Transportation program
• Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust