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July 27, 2018

Council Votes 5-0 for New Interim Borough Manager

Ellwood City Council voted 5-0 on Thursday night to name a previous Borough Manager Joseph Cioffi, as the interim manager. Council members Rob Brough and Marilyn Mancini were absent from the special meeting. Cioffi, will be paid $30 per hour and will work a full-time shift from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Monday to Friday, starting next week. Since stepping down as manager, Cioffi has remained involved locally, serving for a time as parks and recreation director and as the playgrounds director, among other positions. Judith Dici, council president has been filling in as interim manager since the board…

July 26, 2018

Bernstine, Vogel Urge Council to Act on Proposed Changes to Ellwood City Electric

ELLWOOD CITY – In a letter sent to members of Ellwood City Borough Council Wednesday, Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-10) and Sen. Elder Vogel Jr. (R-47) urged immediate implementation of proposed changes to Ellwood City Electric to ensure protection and increased transparency for residents. “These changes are the result of months of discussions and meetings we’ve had with residents, current and former council members and business owners,” said the lawmakers. “We believe they are necessary to help the electric service continue to improve and develop.” The lawmakers outlined several proposed changes including setting rates comparable to other regional energy providers, providing…

July 18, 2018

Council Approves Murals for Underpass

At Monday’s meeting, Ellwood City borough council approved a request by a local artist to paint murals on the Fifth Street Underpass. Woodrow Cowher, of Ellwood City, had previously painted murals on the side of Sweet Caroline’s on 507 Lawrence. His project is sponsored and funded by the Ellwood City organization Kitchen Cabinet and the Hoyt Foundation. The paintings will be on the outside walls of the underpass and according to Kitchen Cabinet member Earla Marshall, will require little maintenance due to a protective coating Cowher uses. There was initially some discussion between council and the cabinet over approving the…

July 12, 2018

Borough Code Officer Requests Stronger Enforcement Ordinances

Ralph Chiappetta, Ellwood City borough’s code enforcement officer, addressed yard maintenance issues at council’s agenda meeting on Monday. He urged council to request the state government to enact stronger code laws. According to Chiappetta, most complaints are grass and trash related and the major issue is dealing with out of state owners. Several borough properties have owners from as far away as Texas, California, or Oregon, and Chiappetta said it is exceedingly difficult to eradicate blight in these properties. The owners often ignore letters and fines and are difficult to contact. He specified one property is up to $17,000 in…

July 11, 2018

Bernstine Looks to Partner with Municipalities to Boost Regional Job Growth

ELLWOOD CITY – In a letter sent Monday to all 23 municipalities in the 10th Legislative District, Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) invited local officials to work with him to develop business-friendly practices in a unified effort to boost regional job growth. “I believe it is the responsibility of our government to work together for our region and bolster our communities,” Bernstine said. “We need to make sure that we are giving businesses every reason to relocate or open in our municipalities.” Earlier this year, Bernstine worked with Slippery Rock Borough Mayor Jondavid Longo and council members to formulate a 25…

June 25, 2018

Bernstine Launches Parliamentary Attack on Anti-Second Amendment Bills

HARRISBURG – Staunch Second Amendment supporter Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) today announced his plan to use legislative tools at his disposal to stop the state House of Representatives from voting on anti-gun legislation which would violate the Pennsylvania Constitution. “Our state Constitution is crystal clear when it says citizens’ Second Amendment rights ‘shall not be questioned,’” Bernstine says. “I took an oath to defend and protect our Constitution, and I take that very seriously. I will use any and all legislative tactics available to defeat these attempts to infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.” Bernstine filed 79 amendments…

June 22, 2018

Ellwood City Borough Council June Meeting Brief

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City Borough council meeting held on Monday, June 21: Zoning Ordinance Amended Council amended the Zoning Ordinance to remove a limitation on non-pedestrian use businesses on downtown Lawrence Avenue. The ordinance, passed in 2016, limited businesses such as doctor and lawyer offices to the 2nd floor. Council considered allowing setbacks on Lawrence Avenue, but ultimately decided to maintain the requirement that storefronts be flush with the sidewalk. Vice president Jim Barry said setbacks wouldn’t conform to the look of the downtown. According to council president Judi Dici, the 2016 ordinance has…

June 21, 2018

Bernstine Votes in Favor of No-Tax-Increase Budget

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) today released the following statement after joining a majority of his House colleagues in voting to send the 2018-19 state budget to the Senate: “This bipartisan budget doesn’t ask taxpayers to send Harrisburg more of their hard-earned money and keeps spending below the rate of inflation. I am committed to not reaching any deeper into the pockets of the hard-working taxpayers, so I am pleased the plan we passed today honors that commitment. Thanks to recent economic growth, we were also able to invest in our classrooms and put some money away in the…

June 21, 2018

Council Votes to Maintain Beechwood Boulevard Address Change Despite Backlash

At Monday’s regular meeting, council defeated a motion to rescind an address change to nearly 40 street addresses, including 11 that converted from Beechwood Boulevard to Constitution Avenue. The motion was proposed by Michelle Lamenza and supported by George Celli. The other five members voted against rescinding the change  despite considerable backlash from several residents from Beechwood/Constitution, who felt the action was unnecessary and detrimental and accused council of targeting Beechwood and not responding to citizens’ concerns. Several council members emphasized the decision was done in the interest of public safety at the urging from the Lawrence County government and…

June 20, 2018

Request to Host Event Turns into Contentious Council Meeting

After considerable contention, council voted to suspend a zoning ordinance and permit Scott and Caroline Golmic, owners of Sweet Caroline’s  on 507 Lawrence Ave, to host events on an empty adjacent lot. The Golmics originally requested permission in a letter dated June 6. However, a motion approving the event was pulled immediately prior to council’s agenda meeting on Monday, June 11. The Golmics attended the meeting to question why their request had been pulled and were told their event violated several ordinances. Council member George Celli offered to meet with the Golmics to work out a solution. However, by the…