It was just a formality, but City Council passed a resolution Monday night to contribute $5,000 to the reward being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person, or people, responsible for last week's double homicide on the 200 block Charles Street.

Council had unofficially committed the funds last week, but discussing the crime and other problems in the city sparked some emotions among the four councilmembers present for meeting, especially Councilwoman Robin Scott.

"It's just frustrating, and it's a hard position, and you want to help so much," Scott said (amidst tears) "I've lived here all my life, and it's sad ... You just try to make a difference, and no one seems to care what we all go through."

Scott said she was walking with her daughter Sunday night and "actually witnessed a mother coaching her son to beat up another person."

"It hurt me so bad," Scott said. "How do you really get a handle of all this negativity that is going on in this city? ... We are like lost souls here ... it's just sad ... Some days I don't even want to leave my house and drive through Coatesville. I just don't. I just stay home."

To be eligible for the reward, anyone with information about the deaths of Shontae Peterson, 21, of Valley and her boyfriend Carnell Parker, 24, of Coatesville, should contact the Citizens Crime Commission's tip line at 215-546-TIPS.

Callers may remain anonymous.

Here's a copy for your perusal.

Here's what's on tap.

Fourth Ward Councilman Kurt Schenk expressed his displeasure with the Daily Local's coverage of Coatesville and the newspaper's editorial board during his council comments at the end of Monday night's meeting.

The sharp words were prompted by Local's own pointed criticisms contained in an editorial from May 13 that compared Schenk and Councilwoman Patsy Ray to the Scarecrow from the "The Wizard of Oz."

Schenk pondered why Coatesville, which represents "2 percent of the county's population, (receives) 50 percent of the Daily Local's news coverage." And he characterized those articles as overwhelmingly negative.

"If (Coatesville) was a white affluent neighborhood anywhere else in the county," Schenk said. "It would not be tolerated."

Convinced he will never get what he believes is a fair shake by the newspaper, the councilman has begun publishing his own newsletter, which Schenk distributed copies of before the start of the council meeting.

The first edition can be seen here ... it's like Schenk's own blog without all the fancy electricity.

Here's what's on the schedule for June 9 in city council.

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, members approved changes to Police Chief William Matthews' contract that allows him an additional year to complete his Act 120 certification.

A majority of councilmembers also voted in favor of renewing City Manager Harry Walker's contract for three more years.

Walker said he looked forward to playing a leadership role in Coatesville's rebirth, but he was not eager to spend another three years refereeing City Council's infighting.

“This has been an interesting trip,” Walker said about his past two years in Coatesville. “I came in here thinking I was going to save Coatesville from gross fiscal mismanagement. I didn’t think I was getting into a gunfight at the OK Corral.”

Councilman Ed Simpson cast "no" votes against amending Matthews' contract and extending Walker's term. Martin Eggleston voted against the Matthews resolution and abstained from voting on Walker's contract.

He later said, for the record, he did not support renewing the city manager's agreement with the city.

Here's the agenda for tonight's City Council meeting. Police Chief William Matthews and City Manager Harry Walker's contracts are expected to be discussed.

But remember what happened two weeks ago.

The promise of an action packed City Council meeting Monday night fell short amid a flurry of additions and deletions to the agenda (here it is in it's original form).

Among the items tabled by council were two resolutions: one that would have had council vote whether to renew City Manager Harry Walker's contract, and a second that, if passed, would have amended Police Chief William Matthews' contract allowing him another year to get his Act 120 certification.

Here's a link to the story I wrote live from Monday's meeting and another to the follow up in Wednesday's paper. They're pretty similar.

Tonight's agenda looks like it is chock-full of interesting stuff.

Here's what's on tap for tonight's Coatesville City Council meeting.

Better late than never, here's what's on slate for tonight's meeting.

The city swore-in three more new officers at Monday's council meeting. Each officer was added using the provisional hiring program implemented earlier this year. Matthews credited that process for reducing the time it took the department to recruit and interview the new officers.

The police still have a few vacancies. Those spots will be filled after the city compiles a new civil service list that will be compiled after a civil service exam is administered later this month.

Here' what's on tap for tonight.

Members of City Council and the Coatesville Redevelopment Authority will conduct a joint, public work session this evening, at 6:15, at City Hall.

Six new police officers will be sworn in at tonight's City Council meeting. Based on what Chief Matthews and other city officials said two weeks ago, the department is ahead of schedule.

Check out the complete agenda here.

UPDATE: Only four of the six police recruits were sworn in at Monday night's council meeting. Matthews said the other two individuals listed on the agenda, and possibly one more, likely will take the oath in March.

Here's a link to a copy of the FLP Energy literature titled "Questions and Answers about the Proposed Coatesville Energy Center."

It was distributed to the audience at the last City Council meeting by Fourth Ward Councilman Kurt Schenk.

Coatesville City Council and the RDA are planning a powwow to iron out their differences. Can the relationship be saved?