State Of Emergency Continues In West Chester, Enforced

WEST CHESTER, PA — The COVID-19 case spike that prompted a state of emergency in West Chester Borough is not going away, as the borough case count has climbed to 524. That's up from 437 at the end of September, according to Chester County Health Department data.

The count for cases in the borough was 202 at the end of August.

A declaration issued Oct. 2 by West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin included warnings that tickets and $300 fines could be the penalty for gathering in groups of more than 10 or for not wearing a mask in public.

Herrin announced last Friday: "I am declaring a state of emergency in the Borough of West Chester as of 6:00 pm today. A state of emergency expands the powers of the Mayor so I may institute temporary, protective regulations. The purpose is to improve our government's ability to manage novel coronavirus transmission in our community."

The number of citations issued for mask and large gathering violations was not provided to Patch, though the mayor's office affirmed the State of Emergency is being enforced in the borough.

"Citations have been issued since the emergency declaration went into effect," said Emily Pisano, speaking for the mayor's office.

"The emergency declaration will continue until the mayor removes it or (West Chester) Borough Council takes action," the mayor's office said today.

Herrin's emergency declaration pointed to the 18-22 age range, whose numbers of COVID-19 cases rose from 88 in August to 299 for September. No other age group's numbers changed drastically in that time span.

West Chester University's Vice President of Student Life, Dr. Zeb Davenport, spoke with Patch about that 18-22 age range, and the relationship of the university — and its student population — with the rest of the borough.

Davenport began by pointing out that West Chester University has long had a relationship with the borough.

"We are partners with the borough," he said. He said that when there are issues with student violations, the school and West Chester Police work together, and students are held accountable for any legal misconduct.

WCU supports and is strictly enforcing the borough's emergency declaration, he said. Immediately following the mayor's announcement, WCU posted the rules on its social media platforms and West Chester University President Christopher Fiorentino sent an email to all students to reinforce the message.

Davenport pointed out that not all 18- to 22-year-0lds in West Chester Brought are university students. Further, he said, since January 2020, of 358 citations issued in West Chester Borough, 128 went to WCU students. He said in a 2019 window for which the borough forwarded citations to the university, 41 percent of citations in West Chester went to WCU students. In 2018, a full year of reports showed 34 percent of the citations were given to WCU students.

The citations he referred to are, of course, unrelated to the emergency declaration.

The mayor's emergency declaration not only pointed to the 18-22 age group, but also said, "infections in the Borough are concentrated in the rental community."

West Chester University's undergraduate population of about 14,500 do not all live in single-room apartments on campus, Davenport noted. He said 552 students now live in single-room campus housing. There are commuting students who live in the borough, as residents of West Chester Borough, he pointed out.

"We support the borough in keeping the borough safe," he said. "We are doing what we can do to partner with the community. If someone receives a citation we follow through. We care about our community. The last thing we want is for anybody to get sick."

West Chester University has taken measures from the beginning of the pandemic that put student safety first, and it has worked hard at educating students and getting them on board with safety measures, Davenport said.

Each student had to sign an agreement focusing on ways to mitigate spread of coronavirus, in order to enroll.

"We made the decision to make go remote, and it cost us a lot of money to go remote," he said.

By enrolling in classes, all on-campus and off-campus students agree to abide by all federal, state, county, local, and university guidelines, as well as those issued throughout the academic year and communicated to students via the Student Community Agreements and Student Code of Conduct," he explained.

He said the SGA president and the university's student council are working to encourage students to conduct themselves in way that represent good citizenship. "These students are showing how to be a good neighbor and classmate," he said.

A mass-mask distribution happened the Sunday before classes started, with drive-thru pickup, as professionals drove around dropping off masks.

Not wearing a mask in public can end in a $300 fine, not a small amount for many college students.

"The fine amount is a lot but I'm sure the premise is to deter," said Davenport. He said that in addition to the borough's deterrence efforts, the university will continue to hold students accountable who don't respect the standards set for safety.

The university announced Wednesday it would remain in remote learning for the spring semester.

Davenport also noted that WCU students and its larger community contribute to the local economy. "When the students are here, there's a big impact on the borough economy."

"We're doing what we can. We get it," Davenport said.

The emergency order remains in place in the borough, and the next meeting of West Chester Borough Council is Oct. 14. In that meeting, West Chester Borough's budget deficit and possible tax hike will be matter for discussion.

Revenue in West Chester Borough fell with parking revenue this year, and a preliminary budget called for a 13 percent raise in taxes.

Herrin said last month the borough council is pondering a property tax increase because "the 2021 Borough budget projections are currently $670,000 out of balance, due in part to reduced parking revenue." Herrin said the borough's revenue assumptions, the potential to dip into the "rainy day fund," and further expense reductions are all still under consideration.

Find a related story, with more about the Oct. 2 Emergency Declaration, here.