Munhall Borough Council approves hires, grant applications and appointments, OKs parking and maintenance funding

Munhall Borough Council on July 15 approved a package of routine municipal actions, including personnel hires, grant applications, commission appointments and facility work, after a meeting that included brief public comment about livestream audio.

Council President led the meeting and the body approved motions to pay bills and payroll for June, hire two Department of Public Works workers and one police officer (each hire contingent on standard background and drug/alcohol screening), and to submit grant applications for a multimodal "Future of Main Street" project and a $200,000 county GDDF grant for the Creek Street Bridge. The council also moved to advertise a cost-recovery ordinance for the Munhall Volunteer Fire Department, advertise roof-repair bids, appoint a planning commission member and authorize an energy broker to negotiate gas and electric rates on the borough’s behalf.

The meeting’s context and why it matters: the approvals clear near-term staffing and capital steps that the borough says will support maintenance, safety and downtown improvement efforts. Council motions authorize staff to pursue external funding and to proceed with contracting and procurement steps that will affect the borough’s public-works schedule and short-term budget allocations.

Key actions and details

• Finance and payroll: The Manager reported tax collections of $4,480,205.11 to date, which he said amounted to roughly 80%–85% of the expected schedule. The council approved payment of bills for the period June 1–30 totaling $391,218.45 and approved payroll for the same period by voice vote.

• Personnel hires: The council approved hiring Jameson Mays for the Department of Public Works at $20 per hour and Ryan Highland at $22 per hour, both contingent on passing background checks and drug/alcohol tests. The borough also approved a police hire at an annual salary of $64,890.58, contingent on required pre-employment checks. Council motions included contingency language tying employment to the required screens.

• Grants and infrastructure: Council authorized staff to apply for a multimodal grant for the "Future of Main Street" project (the Manager estimated the project at about $500,000 but said he did not have the precise figure in hand) and to submit a $200,000 GDDF application for the Creek Street Bridge.

• Appointments and ordinances: The body appointed Mark Fowne to the Munhall Planning Commission and voted to advertise an ordinance to create a cost-recovery mechanism for the Munhall Volunteer Fire Department. The solicitor was instructed to prepare a modified ordinance addressing temporary rental units.

• Facilities, contracts and payments: Council voted to advertise bids to repair the borough roof, authorized an RFP for a redesigned municipal website to enable online payments and modernize the interface, and approved a $27,500-not-to-exceed modification (contingent on cost-sharing negotiations) to improve the upper parking lot and traffic flow. The council also voted to split a $1,200 payment from T‑Mobile intended for Firehouse No. 1 building maintenance, after discussion that an earlier gentleman’s agreement expected the firehouse to assume building maintenance going forward.

Public comment and technical details

Susie Collins, a resident of 4001 West Horn Road, asked the council to improve the audio quality of livestreamed meetings so viewers can hear through background conversations. "My name is Susie Collins... can I just make it be done to improve the sound of that?" she said; the Manager acknowledged the issue and said the borough would use microphones when needed.

A staff member responding to a question about a proposed local ordinance told the council that a separate ordinance was unnecessary because "there are Pennsylvania statutes which are law which we can enforce," and said the legal research had been provided to the chief.

Votes and procedural notes

Most motions were approved by voice vote; where a member indicated they were absent for prior meetings they abstained from approving those minutes. Specific motions recorded in the meeting: approval of minutes, payment of bills, payroll, RFP advertisement for website design, multiple hires (public works and police), the planning-commission appointment, advertisement of a cost-recovery ordinance for the volunteer fire department, roof-repair bid advertisement, T‑Mobile payment split for Firehouse No. 1, grant submissions for multimodal and GDDF funds, appointment of an energy broker to negotiate utility rates, and approval of a parking-lot modification contingent on cost sharing.

What’s next

Several items—grant awards, contractor negotiations and ordinance drafting—require further action or external approval. The council announced a public "Cots and Coffee" event on July 30, 8 a.m.–10 a.m., and adjourned after completing the listed votes.