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August 22, 2018

Bernstine Applauds Borough’s Changes to Ellwood City Electric

ELLWOOD CITY – Following months of negotiations and legislative intervention, Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) today praised Ellwood City Borough Council for adopting changes to Ellwood City Electric, which he said will ensure consumer protection, price stability and increased transparency for residents. The actions came after Bernstine and Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47) issued a letter to council members last month urging immediate implementation of several consumer-based changes. Bernstine’s legislation requiring the borough to adopt changes passed the House in April and was awaiting consideration by the Senate. The changes adopted or being considered by council include providing advance notice of rate…

August 16, 2018

Council Votes on Issue Regarding Ellwood City Electric

Ellwood City Council Votes 4-2 at Monday’s agenda meeting to find out more information on Rep. Aaron Bernstine’s suggested changes to the Ellwood City Electrical Department. The council will not be voting on the seven issues suggested by Bernstine at next Monday’s council meeting. Council President, Judith Dici and Interim Borough Manager, Joe Cioffi felt it would be better to wait to vote on some of the issues until there could be further negotiation with Bernstine and Senator, Elder Vogel about them. However, two council members Robert Brough and Lisa Guerrera challenged the timeliness of the Borough’s actions and asked the…

August 1, 2018

Bernstine to Provide Monthly Legislative Updates on WKST’s Morning Show with Ken Hlebovy

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) announced today he will be providing monthly legislative updates on the News Radio WKST 1200’s Morning Show with Ken Hlebovy, beginning Thursday, Aug. 2. Bernstine will be a guest on the show from 8-9 a.m. on the first Thursday of every month to talk about state and local issues and current legislation being considered in Harrisburg. “I look forward to highlighting some of the issues we’re working on and how they impact western Pennsylvanians, as well as answering questions from callers,” Bernstine said. “A big thank you to Ken Hlebovy for this great opportunity…

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…