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August 4, 2016

Standing Up to Ellwood Electric Resource Page and Right to Know Request

Standing Up to Ellwood Electric, a Facebook page created in response to larger-than-average electric bills in the Ellwood City Borough for July’s billing cycle, has grown to nearly 1,200 members. One of the group’s moderators, Dave Gulish, created a resource page available to anyone wishing to learn more about Ellwood’s Electric Department and borough government. On July 20, Gulish filed a Right to Know request with the borough for information including wages, wage increases, overtime wages and general information on the electric department. On July 27, Borough Manager Bob Villella responded with a letter to Gulish stating that the borough…

August 3, 2016

Eric Ryan Corporation’s Letter to Borough Manager

At Monday’s meeting, Borough Manager Bob Vilella read part of an email he received from Keith Venezie, CEO of the Eric-Ryan Corporation, an Ellwood-based nationally known utility auditing firm. After receiving a copy and permission from Venezie, here is the full email: “Back in March, I became concerned about the increase in the electric cost not only on my personal bills but the community billings as well. I exercised the “right to know” law and the boro complied immediately with my request for contract and billing information. My staff spent several hours reviewing the calculations. Based on the information we…

August 3, 2016

Gibbons Opens Campaign Office in Ellwood City: Announces Open House this Thursday, Aug. 4

State Representative Jaret Gibbons is pleased to announce the opening of his re-election campaign headquarters in Ellwood City. The campaign office is located at 317 Seventh Street and the telephone number is 724-824-1138. Gibbons will hold an Open House to officially open the campaign office this Thursday, August 4 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Anyone interested in talking with Rep. Gibbons or learning more about his campaign is encouraged to stop by the campaign office. “With critical issues facing our community, I want to ensure that all voters have an opportunity to have any…

August 2, 2016

Borough and AMP Presentations as File Downloads

The following are the presentations giving by Borough Manager Bob Villella and AMP representative Pam Sullivan at the town hall meeting on Monday regarding the electric department. The borough’s is available as a PDF and AMP’s is a power point. Borough Presentation AMP Presentation  

August 2, 2016

Town Hall Meeting Leads to Potential Future Meeting Concerning Electric Department

Earlier this year, the Eric Ryan Corporation, a nationally-known utility auditing company, obtained information from the Borough’s electric department using Pennsylvania’s Right to Know act. At a special town hall meeting on Monday, Borough Manager Bob Villella read an email he received from Keith Venezie, ERC’s CEO. “Based on the information we were provided, we were able to validate that the borough is being billed correctly by the suppliers based on the contracts that were negotiated and executed, the borough is billing the customers (who’s bills we reviewed) correctly based on the current ordinance, and the PPA that is part…

August 2, 2016

Veterans’ Specialists to Visit Gibbons’ Office Next Week

To assist veterans and their families, state Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence, today announced he will host veterans’ specialists in his Ellwood City office. Gibbons said Stephanie Bengoa and Ryan Paglia will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10 at his Ellwood City office, located at 438 Line Ave., to lend help to veterans and their families. Bengoa of the American Legion Veterans Assistance Program will be in Gibbons’ office to assist veterans with understanding what benefits they have earned, filing appeals to existing claims, enrolling in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system and any…

August 1, 2016

Gibbons Opens Campaign Office in Ellwood City: Announces Open House this Thursday, August 4th

State Representative Jaret Gibbons is pleased to announce the opening of his re-election campaign headquarters in Ellwood City. The campaign office is located at 317 Seventh Street and the telephone number is 724-824-1138. Gibbons will hold an Open House to officially open the campaign office this Thursday, Aug. 4 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Anyone interested in talking with Rep. Gibbons or learning more about his campaign is encouraged to stop by the campaign office. “With critical issues facing our community, I want to ensure that all voters have an opportunity to have any…

July 29, 2016

Electric Meeting Set for Monday

A town hall on the Ellwood Borough Electric Department will be held on Monday, Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. in the borough auditorium. An official from American Municipal Power (AMP) will be present. The electric department has been subject of citizen criticism after bills dramatically increased in July, bringing to the forefront concerns over customer service, billing and the necessity of the department itself. Over 50 visitors attended council’s agenda meeting on July 11 and over 100 at the regular meeting on July 18. A Facebook group titled “Standing Up to Ellwood Electric” has over 1,100 members. Previous articles on…

July 21, 2016

Midland MA Receives $7.6 Million in State Financing

A major water project to eliminate a costly burden on Midland Borough water customers will receive $7,556,690 in state funding, according to Senator Elder Vogel (R-47). The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Midland was awarded a $4,050,800 grant and a $3,549,200 low-interest loan to construct its own raw water intake system to eliminate the need to purchase it from Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI). “I was pleased to work with my colleague Representative Jim Marshall in support of this financing. The current situation is unmanageable.” “That makes this PENNVEST financing essential for Midland,” Senator Vogel continued. “The Municipal Authority and…