Canonsburg Council Preliminarily Approves Police Contract

Council on Monday preliminarily

The motion was approved by a 6-2 vote, with Councilmen Paul Sharkady and George Coleman dissenting. Both men said they wanted to see the entire contract instead of just the list of changes between the current contract and the new one, borough Manager Terry Hazlett said.

He added that while council has received verbal verification that police have tentatively approved the deal, the contact will be finally approved once the union gives that approval in writing.

If approved, the police officers would realize a 3.25 percent raise each of the three years of the contract. Contribution to health care would increase to 2 percent of gross wages and pension contributions would be $2.5 percent of compensation.

In other business, council also debated applying for a $400,000 loan to begin work on . The building and grounds committee has said a loan is necessary to help match a $650,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant received from the state in September.

While Sharkady made a motion to borrow the money, finance chair Rich Russo said it would be fiscally irresponsbile to vote on the matter until council knew the interest rate, and until the matter could be considered as part of larger budget discussion.

Hazlett said that after some debate, Coleman rescinded his second to the motion, stopping discussion.

The loan will be part of discussions at the budget meeting slated for 7 p.m. Oct. 18.

Council also voted to advertise an amendment establishing a weight limit of 15 tons on Gladden Road and McEwan Avenue. That measure was approved by a vote of 6-2, with Coleman and Sharkady voting no.

Honored during the meeting was school guard Ruth Blackman for attending to an injured child at Canon-McMillan Middle School.

Main Street Manager Nadeen Steffey was also honored for her work with the Main Street program, which received state honors for the second year in a row.

Steffey's award was presented by Pat Milioto, chief of staff for