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Politics

May 16, 2018

Ellwood City Council Agenda Brief

The following is a brief summary of items discussed at the Ellwood City borough council agenda meeting on Monday, May 14: Beechwood Blvd Address Added to Agenda Council member Michelle Lamenza requested a motion be added to the agenda to repeal a motion changing several Beechwood Boulevard addresses to Constitution Boulevard addresses. Earlier in the year, council approved these changes to make it easier for emergency responders to find specific addresses. However, some of the affected constituents hired a lawyer, Al Torrence, of Beaver County, to ask council to repeal the motion. In the March meeting, Torrence argued that the…

May 14, 2018

Ellwood City Native Takes on Independent Electric Utilization Study

Liz Prence, a native of Ellwood City is doing an independent study to help people find the reason for their high electric utilization. Prence has over 35 years experience in data analysis and quality control, she has a Bachelors in biochemistry and is currently chief quality officer for Healthmap Solutions. The study will help provide information and effective solutions to people who have excessively high electric bills by determining the cause of the discrepancies seen among electric customers. “We are all charged the same rate per KWH, yet many residents don’t have high electric bills (me, for example),” Prence said….

May 10, 2018

Visitors Ask Ellwood School Board to Reconsider Removing Baseball Field Lights

Visitors representing Ellwood City area baseball organizations urged council to reconsider its decision to remove the lights from Sanders Field, arguing that the district’s baseball program will decline without the ability to play night games. The wooden light poles were installed in the early 1950’s and became a hallmark of the Ellwood area’s baseball program. At its January meeting, the board voted 6-3 to remove the wooden light poles following an accident in August when a pole collapsed, injuring a 13-year old girl and a man. According to school board member Jennifer Tomon, the board chose to remove the lights…

May 7, 2018

Group Cites Constitutional Article During Town Hall Meeting

Town hall organizers urged Ellwood City residents to oppose House Bill 2030 at a meeting on Thursday, May 3 in the municipal building. The event speakers believed the bill, which would potentially cut the borough’s budget by $1.45 million dollars, would be devastating to the community. Visitor Stephanie Muntean acknowledged the borough has problems that need solved but feared the precedent of state legislation to control a municipality. “We have to control our own borough,” Muntean said. The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10, New Beaver, will prevent the Ellwood City borough council from transferring funds from the…

May 4, 2018

Group Discusses House Bill 2030 at Town Hall Meeting

A group of concerned residents in Ellwood City met for a Town Hall meeting Thursday night at the Municipal Building, to present facts about House Bill 2030. Mary Ann Viccari, who served 40 years in borough administration, presented a PowerPoint at the town hall meeting that focused on facts about HB 2030. The meeting primarily focused on what would happen if HB 2030 did pass and how it would affect the community and jobs within it. Ellwood City transfers $1.45 million yearly from the electric fund to the general fund. Viccari said, HB 2030 will not necessarily lower electric bills;…

May 2, 2018

House Approves Bernstine Bill to Improve Access to Care in Mental Health Emergency

HARRISBURG – Marking May as Mental Health Awareness Month, the state House of Representatives today voted unanimously to approve legislation, authored by Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence), to remove bureaucratic barriers to behavioral health services for individuals seeking immediate treatment. House Bill 1997 would allow patients in crisis to be instantly “deemed eligible” for care at a behavioral health facility while their Medical Assistance application is being reviewed. “When behavioral health emergencies arise, individuals who are unable to receive immediate care at the appropriate facility are forced to incur costly bills for emergency room visits, or in worse-case scenarios, they become…

May 2, 2018

Senators Urge Governor to Act to Eliminate Summer Gas Mandate

Senators Elder Vogel (R-Beaver, Lawrence and Butler), Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny), and Don White (R-Armstrong, Butler, Indiana, and Westmoreland) joined together in urging Governor Wolf to push the Department of Environmental Protection to formally petition the federal Environmental Protection Agency to lift the “summer gas” mandate that drives up the costs of gasoline for western Pennsylvanians. “In order to avoid an unnecessary increase in gasoline prices this summer, we request you urgently instruct your DEP to take any and all actions necessary to immediately submit the SIP (State Implementation Plan) to the EPA and formally request suspension of this unnecessary regulation…

April 20, 2018

Ellwood City Borough Council April Meeting Brief

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City borough council meeting held on Monday, April 16: Visitors Council approved a suggestion from Kathy Brenner to install two Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible swings, one in Ewing Park and one in Heritage Park on Pittsburgh Circle. Brenner said the swings typically cost between $1,300 to $2,000. Coincidentally, Mayor Anthony J. Court said a local business owner approached him to donate a ADA accessible swing. Council approved the donation and agreed to purchase a second swing. However, a motion will wait until May when council has a specific price to approve….

April 19, 2018

Bernstine: Ellwood City Electric Legislation Clears Major Hurtle

HARRISBURG – Taking the first major step toward protecting local residents from skyrocketing electric bills, the state House of Representatives today approved legislation, authored by Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence), to bring additional oversight to the business and spending practices of Ellwood City Borough’s electric company. “Today’s vote was a big win for Ellwood City residents,” Bernstine said. “We are one step closer to stopping the egregious behaviors of Ellwood City electric through legislative oversight.” House Bill 2030 would require more uniform and reasonable rate structures to be adopted by the borough-run electric company. Specifically, the bill would require the Borough…

April 18, 2018

House Bill 2030 Passes, Ellwood Council Hires Lobbyist to Oppose

Yesterday, House Bill 2030, which modifies the Ellwood City borough electric department, passed in a 106-89 vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10, New Beaver, will now pass to the state senate. The bill will prevent the borough from transferring funds from the electric department to the General Fund and includes additional provisions for consumer protection. The bill’s language limits its impact to boroughs providing electric to more than one county. Out of the 35 boroughs in Pennsylvania that supply electric, only Ellwood City is located in more than one county. “We are asking the borough of Ellwood…