Bill Neal recognized by Penn Hills council
Share this post:
On Nov. 21, Penn Hills council recognized Bill Neal for his service in the community. Neal founded Champion Enterprises in 1975, an organization that is dedicated to keep youths off the street through various programs and lectures across the Greater Pittsburgh area.
“Bill Neal has spent four decades to keep young people off the street and on the right path with sports programs, classes and mentoring efforts throughout the region,” said Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese. “Champion Enterprises has reached over 250,000 young people through lectures and clinics, and has helped so many of our area’s young people get into college.”
Neal’s work has been recognized in the past with the KDKA Hometown Hero Award, the Jefferson Award and the United States Air Force National Community Service Award. Calabrese proclaimed Nov. 22, 2022, as Bill Neal Day in Penn Hills. Neal thanked council members and said that he would be partnering with the Pittsburgh Corvette Club to give Penn Hills High School boys and girls basketball teams new basketball shoes.
“That is no small task, to be sure, given what Michael Jordan has done for the price of shoes,” Neal said. “That being said, in the next couple weeks all the boys and all the girls on both teams will receive brand new shoes. I’ve been involved in programs and community programming for young people, this is my 48th year, and it feels like yesterday. I am extremely proud to have been a part of many things.”
Also at the meeting, council held its first budget hearing. Municipal manager Scott Andrejchak gave a short presentation covering major points of the 2023 operating budget, which was published on Oct. 31 and is available on the municipality’s website.
It includes no real estate tax increase, with the rate remaining at 6.444 mills, and no reductions in services.
“The point of my presentation is to give you all a high-level overview of our spending plane next year,” Andrejchak said.
He explained that the majority of the general fund revenue comes from the real estate tax and Act 511 taxes, including earned income. Regarding expenditures, 25% are estimated to go toward the municipality’s police; 16% will go to the Department of Public Works; and 10% each to the planning department and paying debt service on municipal borrowing.
In 2022, Penn Hills officials took $10 million from pandemic-related stimulus money and added it to the general fund as a public safety wage reimbursement. The municipality added four police officers, and purchased new police vehicles and equipment, a license plate reader and new body cameras.
Additional funding also was given to each of Penn Hills’ volunteer fire departments, and money was provided for a new ambulance and equipment purchases for emergency services.
Andrejchak went on to highlight the improvements to the Parks and Recreations Department, library and senior center, security improvements, paving, stormwater maintenance, and grant applications that will be made under the 2022-23 stimulus programming.
The municipality has been able to make some additions to the code enforcement program, which will include adding a sixth code officer and new software in 2023. Andrejchak also gave a brief summary of the successful sanitary sewer projects completed in 2022 and the ones in the works for 2023.
“I never thought that I would get excited about a sewer system before I became mayor,” Calabrese said. “That’s one of those things that we don’t think about. We often attend different conferences, and we talk with other municipalities throughout Western Pennsylvania. Truly, we have one of the best sewer systems in all of the county.”
Penn Hills’ 2020 general fund budget originally projected a revenue shortfall of $3 million, which was covered by tapping into the municipal fund balance. Since the stimulus awarded in connection with the covid-19 pandemic, the municipality has been able to plan the rebuilding process of its financial status.
In January, S&P Global Ratings raised Penn Hills’s credit rating from “negative” to “stable.”
“Prior administrations were going into the savings account and just spending,” Calabrese said. “They were living off of savings. This is awesome. When we got the improved credit rating, it’s like if you used to have a really bad credit rating and your FICO score shot up. This is really, really good news.”
Another budget hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5, and the budget is set to be voted on at the Dec. 19 council meeting.
Other council business included:
Two residents made public comments about issues with the rising deer population. One resident claimed that her and her dog both contracted Lyme disease on her property. She also said to have lost hundreds of dollars in plants from her garden. Both residents requested that there needs to be a plan put in place to control the deer population.
Martin Wetmore was appointed to the Penn Hills Traffic Safety Committee for a four year term.
Council awarded a demolition contract for $28,400 to Davis Demolition for two commercial structures. A vacant property located at 2522 Main St. was approved for acquisition and subsequent disposition in accordance with the Allegheny County Property Recovery Act.
A $125,851 Home Consortium Grant was approved, along with the authorization of the municipality’s participation in Allegheny County Home Consortium Program for the Administration of Homebuyer Assistance Funds.
A contract for $317,830 was awarded to Sports and Recreation Associates for the Penn Hills Universal Park ADA Development project. A change order in the amount of $200,000 was approved for Folino Construction in regards to the paving project started in June 2022.
A minor budget amendment to the Community Development Block Grant Budget was approved.
At the end of the meeting, Deputy Mayor Frank Pecora wished everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving and reminded everyone that Light Up Night will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1.
For more information regarding the 2023 budget plans and upcoming municipality events, visit pennhillspa.gov.