Council Highlights 5/8/24
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Among other things, council:

• Opened paving bids and awarded the contract to the lowest bidder. The paving project will involve North Ave between Beech and Main Streets, Hemlock Lane, Shirley Drive, Graham Place, the 100 block of James Street, and a patch on 6th Street. More updates on timing in the future.
• Authorized the engineer to begin putting together bid specifications for the refurbishment of the basketball court at West Leechburg Memorial Park to be paid with state grant funding.
• Authorized taking the garbage contract out to bid for a new term.
• Discussed progress on future Gosser Street Sewer Project.
• Continued ongoing discussion over police protection and options.
• Discussed memorial efforts for former Mayor Jim Gallucci.

​A Reminder for Borough Sewer Users:

Bills for the borough’s new sewer user fee were mailed at the end of February and were due 3/28/24. The borough knows this is a new fee and a new process for our residents and there may be an adjustment period.  This is just a reminder to please pay those bills.

Please remember that this is a separate, new fee from the one that you are used to receiving in the past. That bill funds the transmission and treatment of sewage to the main treatment plant. The new fee that we are reminding you to pay will be used to maintain and improve sewer lines that the borough is responsible for.

If you have lost your bill, or never received it, please contact the Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority at 724-568-3655.

For general information or questions about the new sewer user fee, please contact the borough secretary at 724-845-7359.

Council Highlights 4/10/24
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Among other things, council:

• Passed ordinance 334. This ordinance changes the fee charged to property owners when the borough is forced to mow the grass on those properties.
• Passed Resolution 3 of 2024 updating the fees charged for street and right-of-way excavations. These fees were last updated in 2005.
• Passed Resolution 4 of 2024 establishing the fee for handicapped parking space applications.
• Passed Resolution 5 of 2024 updating the borough’s Young Lungs at Play policy. This policy prohibits smoking and vaping on and around borough grounds including the park. This is a state-run initiative that the borough already participated in and this was just an update to the policy.
• Discussed the Local Share Account Grant the borough has received for work to repair/repave the basketball court at the park.
• Authorized advertising for bid the 2024 paving plan which is planned to include (subject to bid prices) Shirley Drive, Graham Place, Hemlock Lane, North Avenue (between Main and Beech Streets), James Street (the 100 block), and a patch on 6th Street.
• Discussed Completion of repairs to damage at the borough building.
• Discussed Gosser Street Sewer Project and possible cooperation with other municipalities.
• Discussed police coverage proposal from Southern Armstrong Regional Police. No action was taken at this time, this was just a discussion of the proposal.
• Discussed status of grant applications and future possible grant applications.
• Discussed the garbage contract and taking that out for bid.

Among other things, council:

• Authorized sending letters to State Rep Major, State Sen Pitman, Governor Shapiro, and the Westmoreland County Commissioners regarding the school taxation situation.
• Discussed Easter activities in the borough. The Easter Bunny will be at the park from 12:00pm to 1:00pm on 3/30/24 to greet and take pictures with children. The Easter Bunny will then be driven around town.
• Discussed the start date of repairs to the borough building and the return of the secretary to her normal office hours.
• Authorized advertising an amendment to the borough’s grass ordinance that would change the cost charged to a property owner if the borough is forced to mow their grass.
• Discussed multiple grant applications that the borough is waiting to hear decisions on.
• Discussed possible streets to be paved in summer 2024.
• Discussed completed repairs and replacement of manhole on 6th Street.
• Discussed upcoming sewer line replacement project on Gosser Street and possible cooperation with Municipal Authority of Allegheny Township.

Semper Gratus will once again be hosting its Shamrock Shuffle 5k and 1-mile Fun Walk in West Leechburg this year! The event will take place March 23, 2024 and starts at 10:00AM. A variety of first responders and borough public works will be on hand to assist with the event.
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For additional information, please see the letter and maps from Semper Gratus below.

The resolution below was passed at the 2/14/24 council meeting calling on the Leechburg Area School Board to select option a2 for tax equalization. Option a2 would more equally distribute the tax burden among all communities in the district.
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Unfortunately council has no power over school taxes and can only advocate on behalf of borough residents, which residents also have the power to do. Please consider attending and speaking at a school board meeting to advocate for our borough.