Saturday, February 23, 2013
The proposed new law will be on public display for two weeks. And other notes from Wednesday night's borough council meeting.
Open Fires Ordinance Drafted A new ordinance regulating open burning in Whitehall Borough has been drafted and made available for public review at the borough municipal building along Borough Park Drive. (UPDATE: The proposed ordinance is also available online.) The proposed ordinance resembles one currently in use in Hampton Township with, as Whitehall Borough Manager James E. Leventry said, "a few tweaks." For example, Hampton officials do not allow for grills, outdoor barbecues or fireplaces used strictly for cooking to be less than 10 feet from a house, structure, inhabited area, roadway, utility or property line, but Whitehall's ordinance, if passed by the Whitehall Council, would set that minimum at just 5 feet. In all other cases of…
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Thursday, February 7, 2013
A draft ordinance is being prepared that may be made available to the council in time for its Feb. 20 meeting.
The issue over backyard fire pits in Whitehall Borough is coming to a head. Borough Manager James E. Leventry said that a draft ordinance regarding fire pits is being prepared and may be made available to the Whitehall Council before its next meeting—Feb. 20. While the new Whitehall ordinance might not be enacted for some time after that, the borough council could start discussing the pros and cons of the draft after being presented with it. Fire pits were a major topic of discussion at the council's June 20 meeting when some council members admitted to personally enjoying pits while, at the same time, acknowledging why other residents might not. Councilman Philip Lahr said at the time, for example, that residents have told him that they …
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Harold Berkoben is the new vice president, and committee members also re-organize.
New President, Vice President The Whitehall Borough Council used its first meeting of 2013 to select Councilmen Glenn Nagy and Harold Berkoben as its newest president and vice president, respectively. The Whitehall Council regularly rotates its council members through those positions without controversy. As such, Councilmen William J. Veith resigned on Wednesday night from the presidency that he held in 2012 before joining a unanimous vote to elevate then-Vice President Nagy to the head seat. With the vice presidency then vacated, Berkoben was selected unanimously to replace Nagy. Also on Wednesday night, the borough's seven councilmembers received their new committee assignments for 2013: Police Retirement The Whitehall Council also …
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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Thursday, December 20, 2012
Also, Whitehall's 2012 house decorating contest winners are announced, and other notes from Wednesday night's borough council meeting.
Borough Appointments At its meeting on Wednesday night, the Whitehall Borough Council unanimously appointed six people—all incumbents—to serve the borough as municipal volunteers in various capacities: The Whitehall Council also unanimously appointed two incumbents (listed first and second below) and one newcomer to serve on the board of the Whitehall Public Library: The library board's newest officers were also revealed on Wednesday night. Cristina Brady will serve as President, Hal Ohm is Vice President, Damien Schorr is Treasurer, and Recker is Secretary. The board's officers do not have terms, but they typically remain in their positions for one year. And selected unanimously by his colleagues to represent Whitehall on the Medical …
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
Leftovers from Wednesday night's borough meeting.
Changes Coming at Route 51 Eat'n Park Whitehall Borough Councilman Philip Lahr shared the news at Wednesday night's council meeting that big changes are coming at the Route 51 Eat'n Park. Eat'n Park management is planning on "a great deal of improvements" there, Lahr said, including restroom renovations, an increase in actual building space and the addition of curbside pickup for to-go orders. Lahr said that restaurant management is still in the process of having its plans approved by Whitehall's Planning and Zoning officials. No More Curbside Electronics Pickup in Whitehall Councilman Robert McKown said on Wednesday that, starting on Jan. 1, 2013, solid waste collectors in Whitehall will no longer pick up electronics equipment alongside …
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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The Whitehall Borough Council approved the measure, 6-0, on Wednesday night.
Acting in what Whitehall Borough Public Safety Committee Chair Robert McKown said is in the best interest of its taxpayers, the Whitehall Council approved a policy on Wednesday night that calls for other municipalities to pay for Whitehall Fire Company service should they need it—but not in all cases. Up until the policy was passed on Wednesday by a 6-0 vote—Councilman Harold Berkoben was absent—Whitehall's volunteer fire company would always respond to emergencies in neighboring municipalities free of charge when those municipalities' fire companies either needed help or were not able to respond themselves at all. But now, in cases when two specific things both occur—(1) Whitehall Fire is the primary responder for another municipality and…
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
The shrubbery is crowding lanes of traffic, and other notes from Wednesday's council meeting.
Weed 'Em Out If weeds from private property are spreading out and covering public roadways, who should be responsible for cutting them down? Whitehall Borough Councilman Robert McKown brought up the topic at Wednesday night's council meeting. McKown said that he's noticed high grass and other shrubs crowding both lanes of travel along Curry Road in the southern part of Whitehall. "It's actually impeding upon the travel area of the road," McKown said, citing safety concerns. "You can't even see the curbs anymore." McKown suggested that Whitehall's Public Works employees travel both sides of Curry and cut down the weeds that have moved past private property lines. He also wants those properties' owners to be contacted about maintaining their…
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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Thursday, September 6, 2012
The borough council also discussed on Wednesday night upcoming library renovations as well as Community Day success.
High Grass, Shaky Buildings, Other Eyesores At a Whitehall Borough Council meeting on Wednesday night, Councilman Philip Lahr talked about foreclosures in Whitehall and the eyesores that they can become. "Some of these properties have been vacant for four years," Lahr said. "The grass is high, and I know of one property where a structure is starting to collapse." Borough solicitor Irving Firman told Lahr that Whitehall administration is trying to take legal action on some of those foreclosed properties and issue municipal liens and tax collecting. "In some cases," Firman said, "there are absentee landlords or there is some difficulty tracking down the particular bank or LLC (limited liability company) that owns the properties." Councilman …
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Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
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Thursday, July 12, 2012
Medics move into a former firehouse on Route 51.
Call it a win-win-win. When the Whitehall Fire Company's Route 51 station shifted over one property recently, it left a vacancy next door. In steps Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA) to fill that vacancy, leaving behind a Whitehall Municipal Complex garage that will now become an extended part of the borough's public works space this Thursday. "The road crew will finally have more space," Councilman Philip Lahr, a former firefighter, said after a Whitehall Council meeting in May, "which they need very badly. Now, they have two garages to store equipment in. "The (new) firehouse (project) was a win-win thing. If you built the fire hall, it's done for the future now. You'll never have to put that kind of money in again except for …
Friday, June 22, 2012
Also, a discussion about a war memorial, and other leftovers from a June 20 borough meeting.
Residents Have Fire Pits Concerns The aroma of a backyard fire is a welcome smell to many folks in Whitehall Borough. But to some others, it's a nuisance. Because with the smell comes the smoke. That was the story from a discussion among Whitehall council members at a borough meeting on Wednesday night. Some council members admitted that they enjoy backyard fire pits in the borough, but some of those same members said that they understand why their neighbors might not. Councilman Philip Lahr said that residents tell him that they can't open their windows when a neighbor starts a fire. Borough Manager James E. Leventry said that whenever the weather gets nice every year, Whitehall's municipal offices' phones start to ring with calls from …
40.35093
-79.978899
Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/june-20-whitehall-council-notes
1833209
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nofire pitts
8:11 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
Just came across this woman's testimony from Milford, CT a few years ago. Please consider her family's health ramifications from neighbors' outdoor fireplace. http://burningissues.org/car-www/pdfs/2009HBLaura%20Russo,%20Milford-TMY.pdf --------------- Ms. Russo says, "... I can tell you, an outdoor fireplace goes for anywhere from 50-150 dollars. My co-pay for the ambulance ride was a lot more … more ›