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Canonsburg hires public works director

3 min read

Carl T. Lawrence was hired as Canonsburg’s director of public works Monday night.

Borough council approved hiring Lawrence, who will be paid a salary of $58,000.

His appointment was not unanimous as Councilmen Tim Bilsky and Paul Sharkady voted no, both of them saying they believed another candidate was more qualified.

Lawrence has been a member of the street department for a number of years.

He replaced Chester Osiecki, who retired in August. Since then, borough manager Terry Hazlett has been filling in as public works director in addition to his manager’s duties.

The borough had contemplated going without a public works director for a year to save $65,000 in order to divert that money toward the purchase of a new liner for the swimming pool. When higher-than-expected donations for the pool’s liner came in, council decided to fill the director position.

Hazlett reported to council that the borough’s Community Development Block Grant allocation for 2013 is $430,058. Of that amount, $100,000 will be designated for home rehabilitation, $50,000 for blight removal, $153,872 for street improvements on First Street and Perry Como Avenue and $75,806 for sidewalk accessibility at selected sites.

Mayor David Rhome reported that he, police Chief R.T. Bell, Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, and Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane, had met with representatives of the state Department of Transportation on finding solutions to traffic congestion near the East End.

Rhome said there have been 36 accidents at the intersection of Bobby Vinton Boulevard and Morganza Road in the first nine months of this year. They discussed ways to make the area safer and less congested, including eliminating that intersection or allowing only right turns onto Morganza Road. There was also talk of first trying to synchronize the traffic signals in the area.

Rhome said a project on Weavertown Road and Adams Avenue will be put out for bids in 2015, with construction to begin in 2016.

Also at the meeting, council approved the $4.3 million budget, which includes a salary for a paid firefighter.

In a statement Monday, William Fenimore, president of the fire department, said the department’s assets are not $2 million, as some had suggested, but $1.88 million in firefighting equipment used to protect borough citizens. He said the department does not have sufficient cash to fund the paid fireman position and would not have made the request if they did not feel the position was warranted.

Council also agreed to allow parking on both sides of Belmont Avenue on Sundays as requested by the pastor of New Life Church. Council also plans to limit on-street parking on portions of North Street.

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