Thursday, December 13, 2012
The tentative 2013 budget for Verona doesn't include a tax increase, but some borough officials want a more thorough document.
Verona residents might not experience a real estate tax increase in 2013, but some officials and residents still have a problem with the preliminary budget. On Tuesday, Verona Council approved a $1.3 million preliminary budget that keeps the tax rate steady with a 4-2 vote. Councilmembers Rhoda Gemellas-Worf and Sandy Drabicki-Bell dissented. Councilman Dom Conte was absent. The current millage rate is 8.0 mills, meaning a resident pays $800 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. Borough Manager Bonnie Conway said she used the same tax revenue numbers as last year, however, those figures could change due to the county-wide reassessments. The county has yet to release certified numbers to the borough for budget purposes, meaning …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Verona officials must fix a storm sewer near Center Avenue before the work begins.
A large chunck of Allegheny River Boulevard in Verona is scheduled to be paved in 2013, but officials are looking into fixing a storm sewer before the work occurs. On Tuesday, borough Engineer Larry Seiler said he has met with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials about the project, and they given a June 1 deadline for the storm sewer repairs. Seiler said a storm sewer along Center Avenue near the GetGo gas station needs work, but he doesn't know the extent of the damage at this time. "At this point, we don't know if we have to replace it or repair it," he said. "Until we televise it, we won't know the extent." Paving is expected to occur from Jones Street to Plum Street next year. Seiler said if the storm sewer project isn't…
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Verona officials approved two contracts with Oakmont Water Authority Tuesday night.
Oakmont Water Authority will bill Verona residents for their sewage usage next year. On Tuesday, Verona Council approved two contracts with the Oakmont Water Authority—one handing over the collection of delinquent sewer bills, and the other for billing and collecting current sewer bills. The approval was contingent upon whether the contract could be changed from four years to a year-to-year basis. The authority would replace the Central Tax Bureau, which collected delinquent taxes for the Allegheny County Sanitation Authority. Oakmont Water Authority already handles collecting water bills in Verona. Councilwoman Rhoda Gemellas-Worf said CenTax was "not doing their job" at collecting the delinquent fees. "No one was collecting them," she …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Verona Council discussed several topics at its regular October meeting.
Here's a roundup of items discussed at the Verona Council meeting on Tuesday. Apology A juvenile who broke a newly-installed community sign at Cribbs Field last month apologized to council for his actions. “It was an accident," the teenage boy said. "I didn’t mean to break it.” Council thanked the boy for attending the meeting and expressing remorse. The sign has been repaired. Tax Collection Council hired two firms to collect its taxes. The law offices of Ira Weiss was hired to collect delinquent municipal taxes and real estate fees and Berkheimer Tax Administrator was appointed as the deputy tax collector for current real estate taxes. Berkheimer will replace the Central Tax Bureau, also known as CENTAX. Officials also are in discussions…
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Here's a look at items discussed at Tuesday's Verona Council workshop.
Verona Council discussed several topics at its Sept. 25 workshop meeting. Here's a roundup: Police Officers Two part-time police officers have been hired. The officers, Dennis Rupert and John Vojitko, will join the Verona Police Department. Councilman Pat McCarthy said both were interviewed and had meetings with police Chief Ron McLemore. McCarthy said Vojitko is currently an officer at the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg and Rupert is with the PA National Guard. Grant The borough received a $2,500 grant from the Local Government Academy to help attract new businesses. Bridget Seery, local business owner and chamber of commerce member, said the purpose of the grant is to complete a market analysis for the borough. Officials agreed to …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Here's a roundup of items discussed at last week's Verona Council meeting.
In addition to a federally-mandated sewer project and fundraising for the Verona Borough streetscape revitalization project, here's a look at some of the items discussed at last week's council meeting: Paving Project Council agreed to hold off on paving roads this year in an attempt to pave more next summer. Engineer Larry Seiler said some roads that were up for consideration were East Railroad Avenue, Ridge Avenue and miscellaneous alleys. However, with $50,000 in the budget for paving, they wouldn't get much more than that done. Councilman Tony Futules suggested holding the $50,000 from this year and combining it with next year's paving funds to work on a larger paving program. "If we do a larger project, we'll get more for our money," …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Trips will take place in October and December.
Verona Borough is sponsoring two trips in the upcoming months to raise money for the borough's streetscape revitalization project. The borough has applied for a $200,000 county grant for the project—this will add to a $143,243 grant already received. If it is awarded, the borough will be responsible for matching 15 percent. Councilwoman Rhoda Gemellas-Worf said the borough would receive $400 for every bus filled for the trips ($10 for every person who goes). The project includes infrastructure improvements—such as lighting and landscaping—to the Allegheny River Boulevard business district. Mike Vento, the architecture and design chair for the Verona Business District Advisory Committee, said he hopes some of the work is completed by the …
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Riverbank Park, computers and more discussed at the Verona Council meeting.
Here's a roundup of items discussed at the July 10 Verona Council meeting: Riverbank Park The renovations at Riverbank Park on Arch Street have been completed. The project included the paving of the tennis and basketball courts; line striping; new fencing; lighting along the walkway; the removal and planting of trees; new trash bins; and removable tennis nets. The borough received a county grant to perform the project. Councilwoman Rhoda Gemellas-Worf said she would like to see mulch in the entire playground because it's been hard for public works employees to cut the grass. She said mulch from the tot lot spreads to the grassy area, so it becomes a safety issue for anyone who would attempt to cut the grass. Mayor Dave Ricupero said the …
Friday, July 13, 2012
Officials agreed to evaluate the ambulance company's performance in six months.
After months of considering a switch in ambulance services, Verona Council decided to stick with the one it has. On Tuesday, officials agreed to give Guardian Angel Ambulance another shot, pending that officials receive monthly reports from the company. Discussion began a few months ago, after officials began to address criticism about the company's response time. Staff from Guardian Angel and Lower Valley Emergency Medical Services gave presentations to council over the last month. After hearing both presentations, many of the council members and borough officials said they were satisfied with Guardian Angel's explanation. Council President Dom Conte said he spoke with Mayor Dave Ricupero and police Chief Ron McLemore, who agreed that …
Monday, July 2, 2012
Sewer repairs, the Riverview Superintendent transition and computer updates were among the items discussed during a meeting on Tuesday, June 26.
Ambulance Co. Tells Verona It Shouldn’t Get Axed After hearing a presentation from Guardian Angel Ambulance staff, Verona Council is in the process of deciding whether or not it will retain the company’s service. Staff from Guardian Angel Ambulance spoke to council at a meeting Tuesday, addressing criticism about the company’s response time that led council to consider switching companies. Council brought in staff from Lower Valley Ambulance last month, and President Dom Conte said he expects a decision will come within a two- to three-week period. Read the full story here. Sewer Repair Order Causes Stink During Tuesday’s meeting, a resident sought repayment for tree removal she said resulted from a borough letter ordering her to repair …
Heidi Dezayas
8:51 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thank you! I am really excited about this project...Verona's business district is going to look amazing when this project is done. more ›