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Bethel Park Council approves payraises for non-union employees

By Cara Host for The Almanac writer@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Bethel Park Council granted pay raises to about two-dozen employees at its meeting Dec. 10.

Council routinely approves salary increases every December for staff members who are not represented by a union. The employees who will see raises include the police chief, his lieutenants, the municipal manager, department heads, engineers, code enforcement officers and secretaries.

Police Chief Tim O’Connor will see his salary increase by about 4 percent to $124,402. Municipal Manager Shawn Arbaugh’s salary will increase by about 4 percent to $123,188. Police lieutenants will receive 3-percent raises, to $115,365 and the assistant municipal manager will get a raise of about 2.75 percent to $107,345.

Council also approved bonuses of $4,000 each to Arbaugh, O’Connor and public works supervisor Susan Dolinar.

In another matter, council accepted retirements from two police officers and hired two more.

Sgt. Edward Kach and Officer Frank Marks will both retire at the end of the year. Council hired Andrew Jacobs and Matthew Kearns, both of whom will start their new jobs as Bethel Park police officers in January.

Council also amended its garbage and rubbish ordinance to place restrictions on when commercial dumpsters can be offloaded. Dumpsters can no longer be serviced in the overnight hours. Council made the change after hearing noise complaints from residents.

Several local residents were honored at the council meeting for their volunteer work, especially after the June 20 flood.

Allegheny County Councilwoman Sue Means recognized several members of Black Hawk Family Relief Fund and the Citizens of Bethel Park Facebook group for their work in fundraising and organizing the relief effort. Means said after the flood left parts of Bethel Park devastated, “something beautiful happened. Neighbors started helping neighbors.”

Hundreds of people stepped up to volunteer, but someone needed to organize all these people to where they were most needed. That’s where the Facebook group and Blackhawk Family Relief Fund came in.

Means presented commendations from Allegheny County to about 10 people from those groups.

“You gave people hope,” Means told the volunteers.

Bethel Park Council President Tim Moury offered his own accolades to the volunteers. “What makes Bethel Park special are people like you,” he said. “You brought the community together.”

Becky Luzier, president of the Black Hawk Family Relief Fund, credited the countless volunteers who helped clean up, raise money or lend a hand in some other way after the flood. Her group raised over $55,000, which has been used to help families rebuild. The group will also offer holiday support for local families in need.

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