ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA —Adele Kubel had gathered nearly 300 signatures for two petitions that she was going to present to Abington Township’s Board of Commissioners.
But she was told during the board’s June 13 meeting that they wouldn’t be accepted. A month later, the township changed its tune.
Kubel —who usually addresses commissioners during the public comment sections at every monthly meeting —was prepared to present two petitions to commissioners.
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One was nearly 200 signatures she collected from residents campaigning for a long-promised library building to replace the mobile home the township uses. The other was about 30 signatures to purchase property along Old York Road and save it for green space.
Patch has obtained a copy of the petitions from Kubel.
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Kubel figured the petitions would be accepted since she said that three years ago, Commissioners Chairman Thomas Hecker told her that petitions were a great way to promote change.
At the June meeting, Kubel gave the petitions to the police officer on duty. She said they never went any further as the officer couldn’t find any takers.
The video of the meeting on the township’s website shows a lawyer informing Kubel that the township would no longer accept petitions yet no reason was given and commissioners never voted about petitions being prohibited, she said.
The petitions were brought up again at the July 11 commissioners meeting by Kubel.
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“Both petitions were rejected,” he told commissioners. “They are no longer accepted. There were no explanations.”
She was told by Commissioners’ Vice President Matthew Vaney that her three minutes of public comment time had expired.
But another resident picked up the conversation in public comment, asking, “Are you no longer accepting petitions?
Hecker, who was attending the meeting via Zoom, asked Kubel if she had the petitions in her possession.
Kubel responded that she did and was able to turn them in.
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