Dormont to Update Comprehensive Plan

Dormont Council on Monday voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with Interface Studio, LLC, to update the borough's comprehensive plan.

Borough manager Jeff Naftal said the Philadelphia based company, which has partnerships with companies in Pittsburgh and Chicago, was chosen because the comprehensive plan it creates also will serve as a branding and marketing project for Dormont Borough.

"The borough will come out with a brand, which is something we can use," Naftal said. "They tie it in to traffic and parking needs, too. Everything we’ve seen about what they do and how they do it tells us our public will be fully engaged in this process, and that’s important to us."

Boroughs are supposed to complete comprehensive plans once every 10 years. Dormont has not completed a comprehensive plan since 1995.

Also during the meeting:

• The borough will buy a new backhoe for the street department at a cost of $85,737. Naftal said the cost came in under budget, allowing the borough to purchase extra equipment for the backhoe at the budgeted cost. The equipment should last for about 20 years, he said.

• Matt Hamilton was appointed to fill the remainder of Council President Bill McCartney's term on the planning commission. McCartney notified council in the fall that he planned to continue serving on council, but was stepping down from his planning commission seat.

• John Schneider was promoted to Working Foreman and Tim Duffy was promoted to Assistant Working Foreman in the street department. Naftal said the two men have been serving in those positions for some time, but were never awarded the proper job titles.

• Evan Duffy and Joey Skrip were hired as general maintenance workers for the borough, each at a salary of $39,638.89. Naftal said Duffy is the son of Tim Duffy of the street department, but that Tim Duffy will not be supervising his son in this role.

The next Dormont Council meeting is Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in Dormont Municipal Center on Hillsdale Avenue.

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