Jul 18, 2018 By Mark Soroka for The 3 min read

Road repairs in Belle Vernon could be phased in as early as this fall, said Mayor Gerald Jackson during the July monthly meeting of the Belle Vernon council.

“We have some roads that need to be repaired,” said Jackson. “But it’s important to remember that people don’t want to see patching. They want to see fixing. And we’ve got roads that need some serous fixing.”

While the borough has enough money to start the project, it won’t get the rest of funding for road repairs until the end of the year. As a result, Belle Vernon won’t be able to complete all road repairs before winter.

“I would do some of the repairs this fall then carry the rest over into the spring. We should start by prioritizing which roads need immediate work,” said Councilman Richard Saxberg.

Jackson said that these repairs will be part of a $1.2-million road project for the borough.

Nathaniel Hayes, who represents Gateway Engineers, told the council that it can save money by locking in rates for materials before the beginning of the road repair season.

“You won’t get hit so hard if the price of asphalt goes up later,” he said.

Also, during the meeting, the council recognized Police Chief Keith Williams for assisting two elderly residents of the borough who were recently struggling to mow their lawns on an extremely hot day.

“It is this kind of action that makes the department proud to have Chief Williams on board and for setting a great example for his fellow officers,” said council president Joe Minniti, who presented Williams with a commendation letter and pin.

Williams, who was promoted to chief of the Southwest Regional Police Department in March, started his career in law enforcement in 2005.

“Chief Williams always goes above and beyond,” said Jackson. “He will never hesitate to help someone in need. He’s a great role model and an example of the type of police chief every community should have.”

Also at the meeting, council agreed to pursue with legal action against Waste Management. According to Jackson, one of Waste Management’s garbage trucks is causing damage to Miller Avenue and Grant Street while it is traveling through Belle Vernon.

“We told them to stop. And we could have resolved this if the driver’s supervisor came to one of our meetings to work on a solution with us. But they aren’t responding. We need to proceed now with action against their bond issue,” said Jackson.

In other business:

n Jackson announced that preparations are nearly complete for Belle Vernon’s second annual Canoe/Kayak Race, which will be held this coming Saturday. The race will start at Brownsville and finish at Belle Vernon. In addition, food and entertainment will be offered at Ted Kuhn’s Memorial Park and fireworks will take place at dusk.

n Chief Williams reminded residents that they should call 911 if they suspect any criminal activity taking place in the borough.

n The council voted to promote Officer Aaron Morgan to the rank of corporal.