Owen T. McAfee

The meeting included presentations regarding the Eastridge development, the Swissvale Hill Phase 2 project, and an update on the Comprehensive Plan. The Council approved various financial disbursements and resolutions, including the authorization for bid advertisements for the reconstruction of Graham Boulevard and the M-47 Regional Defect Removal Project. Additionally, the Council approved several conditional use applications, property lot line revisions, land bank property acquisitions, and applications for the use of municipal facilities and public spaces for community events. Several requests for residential accessible parking permits were also reviewed and approved.

The meeting included a presentation on the history of the Eastridge Community Center & Library and reports from various council committees including infrastructure, finance, public safety, special events, and the land bank. Resolutions were approved to authorize a grant application for library equipment, amend a loan agreement with the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank, rescind several LSA grant requests, and modify an LSA grant request to include a front loader for the public works department. A motion regarding a vacant property recovery program application failed. General community concerns regarding public safety, property issues, and local services were also addressed.

The Council discussed several administrative and project-based items, including the approval of financial disbursements, software module purchases for Cloudpermit, and change orders for elevator and boiler repairs. Key resolutions included applications for law enforcement grant funding, codification services, security service procurement for the Borough building, and the advancement of the Swissvale-Hill Phase 2 Rain Garden Project. The Council also reviewed various permit applications for community events, including parklet usage for a youth music festival, a voter registration convention, a vaccine clinic, and a banner display for Veteran's Month, as well as a request for a residential accessible parking permit.

The meeting focused on winter storm operations, including snow removal equipment and salt procurement strategies. A review of the borough's budget and financial health was provided, highlighting tax revenues, the Sewer Fund shortfall, and the impact of grant-funded expenditures. The council approved resolutions regarding the borrowing and purchase of rock salt, authorized the advertisement for sealed salt bids, and granted permission for the Library Director to apply for a community health grant. Additional updates were provided regarding committee activities, land bank property status, and upcoming public hearings.

The council authorized the disbursement of funds and passed several resolutions, including the dissolution of the Wilkinsburg Municipal Authority and the transfer of its accounts to the Borough General Fund. They approved the purchase of new financial software from Edmunds Government Technology, authorized ground boring services at 1707 Douglass Drive to test for mine conditions, and approved a contract for professional traffic engineering and surveying services. Additionally, the council authorized a police detail agreement with Trumbull Corporation and approved the emergency demolition of the property at 1040 Penn Avenue.