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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…

April 16, 2018

Ellwood City School Board April Meeting Brief

Festival Parking Lot Issue Resolved The board passed a motion resolving an ongoing parking issue with the festival committee. District organizations, such as the football boosters, have historically used festival car parking as a fundraising method. However, a new district policy concerning licensing/subcontracting and confusion over which organizations the festival would award the parking lots to resulted in a delay in the board granting the lots to the festival committee. The motion granted the festival committee use of the district’s parking lots in Ewing Park, provided school organizations have first choice to use the lots. The motion also temporarily suspended…

April 11, 2018

Council- Volleyball Lights Raise Question of Park Hours

At Monday’s Ellwood City Borough council agenda meeting, council member George Celli questioned a motion to purchase an LED lightning package for the volleyball court in Ewing Park at a cost of $9,068.98. Celli felt it was unwise to install lights for one court without considering the costs of installing lights for other amenities, such as the tennis court and skateboard park. In addition, he felt lights would nullify the “dawn to dusk” hours of the park. Council member Jim Barry felt all the courts should have lights, on the grounds that money was available from the Marcelus Shale Fund…

April 11, 2018

Councilman Suggests Resolution to Protest House Bill 1405

At Monday’s Ellwood City Borough Council agenda meeting, council member George Celli proposed a resolution to oppose PA House Bills 1405 and 2030. Both bills would set new regulations on the borough’s electric department, including restricting council’s ability to shift electric fund revenue to the general fund. If council passed Celli’s resolution, it would indicate council’s opposition to the legislation but have no legal impact. Council added the resolution to the agenda but no other members spoke for or against it. The bills are sponsored by State Rep. Aaron Berstein, (R-10), and both include language that would limit the borough’s…

March 22, 2018

Ellwood City Borough Council March Meeting Brief

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City Borough Council meeting held on Monday, March 19: Visitors: Numerous visitors urged council to reconsider charging organizations event costs to recoup borough expenses. One visitor requested that council hire a borough manager capable of effective grant writing and said the costs of most events could be covered by grants. He also praised Council President Judi Dici for acting as interim manager on “pittance” money. Former council president Connie MacDonald criticized council for throwing away $171,900 on an aborted new electric building. He had previously attacked council for this decision and…

March 21, 2018

Council: No Events to Be Charged and Cost Estimates Greatly Reduced

During its meeting on Monday, council voted to allow all requested events in 2018 at no charge. In edition, the estimated borough costs for events provided last week was recalculated at significantly lower rates. In February, council announced the Ellwood City Relay for Life would be charged $550 to recoup borough expenses and that all other borough events would be required to pay borough expenses. At the agenda meeting on March 12, over 50 visitors urged council to reconsider and have the borough absorb event costs. At the regular meeting on Monday, held in the auditorium to accommodates over 60…