Sneaking a crane onto Goldtex site | City budget hurdle at PICA | Northwood’s private security | Manayunk water main break

The Pestronk brothers orchestrated an elaborate scheme to get a crane onto the Goldtex construction site where union protesters continue to block supply and equipment deliveries. Inga Saffron describes the lengths the developers went to – from a decoy tractor-trailer to an additional security presence – just to get the crane on site. It worked.

After much wrangling the city’s budget might not be so final after all. NewsWorks reports that the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority will meet today about the city’s five-year spending plan and City Controller Alan Butkovitz thinks that for the first time PICA shouldn’t sign off on the budget. Why? Labor. The budget reflects no increased costs for city workforce or the (contested) arbitration award for firefighters.

Northwood may be the first neighborhood in the city to have its own private security guard and not everyone is pleased, reports the Daily News. Northwood residents pay Harry Mearing to patrol their streets and look after their homes, but the 15th Police District and Councilwoman Marian Quinones-Sanchez aren’t so enthused.

Oh, yes, and there’s another water main break. This morning a 12-inch main broke in Manayunk at Ridge and Manayunk avenues. It seems to be minor, but still. Again?

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest. Have a tip? Send it along.