Upper St. Clair approves 2018 township budget with no tax increase
For the ninth consecutive year, Upper St. Clair’s municipal real estate tax rate will remain at 3.83 mills after the township’s commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 4 to approve the 2018 budget with no tax increase.
Board President Mark Christie said that it was a priority of the board to be fiscally responsible, but much of the ability to do that is because of the great management by the township staff.
The general fund revenue is projected to go up 3.44 percent next year to $21.6 million. The projected operating expenditures are budgeted to increase 3.17 percent to $15.8 million. The township’s full 2018 budget is available at twpusc.org.
The board also adopted a resolution to prohibit “category four” casinos within the township. Gov. Wolf in October signed into law Act 42, which authorizes video gambling expansion opportunities throughout the state, while granting local officials the ability to decide whether to allow certain opportunities to be permitted within their jurisdictions.
At the same meeting, the board honored retiring township engineer Ruthann Omer and outgoing Commissioner Rex Waller for their service to the community. Omer, president of Gateway Engineers and a life-long resident of Upper St. Clair, has been township engineer for 20 years. Rex Waller began his tenure as Ward 2 commissioner in January 2014. During his four years on the board, he served as vice president and on several different committees.
Following nearly an hour of public comment at the beginning of the meeting, Upper St. Clair commissioners voted 5-1 to approve the planned natatorium renovation and new multi-use community complex at the high school.
Commissioner Ronald Pardini cast the lone no vote and Commissioner Russell Del Re abstained due to potential business conflicts. The vote gives a unified conditional use and preliminary and final land development approval for the project.
The school district was seeking modification for the height of the building, which, at 47 feet, 6 inches, exceeded the township code’s maximum building height of 35 feet. A modification was also being sought for a proposed 13 feet high retaining wall, which is taller than the township’s maximum retaining wall height of six feet.
Chuck Hokanson said his property at 2113 Blairmont Drive was the most severely impacted by the planned community complex building. Hokanson said he fully supported the new pool planned for the high school, stating it was “inconvenient” that the two projects were bundled together. Presenting the board with a petition from about 30 of his neighbors, Hokanson said there was universal opposition to the administration building and urged the board to reject the district’s request for modification.
Mike Murdy, a member of USC’s swim club board of directors, told the commissioners that plans for the district’s capital improvement projects had been public knowledge for more than a year. Stating that the community would benefit from the updated facilities and additional meeting space, Murdy asked the board to grant approval to the district.
The district plans to construct a new eight-lane pool at the high school with a bid alternate for an additional special use pool, along with a multi-use complex at the high school stadium. The estimated cost for the projects, which also include the completion of the Boyce athletic field facilities, is $16 million.
At the same meeting, the board granted amended final approval for a massage therapy business, Sage Organic Spa, in a suite at Clair Place, located at 1131 Boyce Road.
The board also agreed to an amended approval for the relocation of a maintenance building at Friendship Village of the South Hills. The building will be relocated near Boyce Road, due to limited utility access in the previous location. The landscaping plan has been revised to provide screening of the one-story 1,400-square-foot building from Boyce Road.
In other business, the board approved a contract with the USDA Wildlife Service of Raleigh, N.C., for a special use culling permit, prescribed activities, with the cost not to exceed $45,000.
Also approved was a contract for $805,226.85 with Independent Enterprises, Inc. of Oakdale, PA for the Boyce at Boyce Plaza Roads public improvement project, and a contract for $425,866 with Pfund Superior Sales of Lower Burrell for three 2018 Ford E-450 Life Line Superliner type III ambulances.