Oct 12, 2013 4 min read

A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:

Council considers gas boom advantages

WAYNESBURG – Borough council will consider spending about $500,000 to upgrade the sewer treatment plant in an effort to cash in on the gas well drilling boom in the county.

Drilling companies generate a large amount of waste water as a byproduct of creating gas wells. That water must be treated before it can be released back into the environment.

The sewer treatment plant treats the water now, but at the meeting Monday, council hired Fayette Engineering Co. to design a wastewater pretreatment tank that will more than double the plant’s capacity.

Fayette Engineering will be paid up to $94,000 for the project, which is expected to take a year to complete. Arthur Brower of Fayette Engineering estimated that construction will cost between $400,000 and $500,000.

Council plans to use the sewer authority’s reserve fund to pay for the improvement. Low interest PENN-VEST loans, which were incurred several years ago to rebuild the plant, will be paid in full this year and the authority posts a surplus of over $200,000 every year.

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Hospital, union

agree on contracts

WAYNESBURG – Negotiators for the Service Employees International Union and Southwest Regional Medical Center hammered out two new labor contracts that were ratified Oct. 13 by the rank-and-file and the hospital.

The three-year agreements, which affect nearly 200 employees, provide enhanced health-care benefits, reduced health-care premiums, increases in pay and more. Registered nurses fell under one contract, while the other applied to licensed practical nurses and support personnel, including housekeeping, maintenance, food service and technicians.

The contract cuts out-of-pocket health-care costs, while reducing premiums by 10 percent. It offers updated and competitive pay scales for registered nurses and diagnostic imaging technicians. All bargaining unit employees will receive raises, with market adjustments being awarded to LPNs, phlebotomists and pharmacy technicians. Employees also will receive access to two floating holidays.

Southeastern Greene board

hears more opposition to

building plan

MAPLETOWN – A public hearing held Tuesday by Southeastern Greene School Board on the purchase of property for a new school again became a forum for those opposing the project.

Most of those who spoke from the audience of about 100 told the board district residents simply can’t afford the higher taxes that would be required to pay for a new building.

Several also asked the board to delay decisions regarding the property until after the Nov. 4 election, when the success or failure of a slate of write-in candidates opposed to the project could better indicate public sentiment regarding the building.

The board is developing plans to build a school to house kindergarten through 12th grade and to replace the district’s two existing buildings. The building’s cost has been estimated at $18 million.

The board earlier negotiated a purchase agreement to buy 45 acres of land across Route 2014 from Mon View Park for $213,750 from Greene County Land Development Inc.

Kevin Hayes, the district architect, said the district originally considered eight potential sites and narrowed it to three.

The property along Route 2014 was selected as the best site because of the availability of public sewerage and because it is relatively flat and has the least number of environmental issues, he said. Total costs for acquisition and land development also were the least, estimated at $1,032,150.

Coalition fights

to keep Curry Home

WAYNESBURG – A delegation from the Coalition to Save the Curry Home met with the Greene County commissioners to again urge they change their minds about selling the county nursing home.

But board chairman Kelce Mosley, speaking for the commissioners, said he can see no other alternative in light of the county’s financial position.

Mosley pointed out that in 1987 the county was obliged to provide $779,000 in county tax revenues to subsidize the 111-bed nursing home.

Roy Burnworth of Rices Landing, who at one time had a member of his family in the nursing home, said, “As responsible citizens, we are obligated to prese3rve the legacy of Francis Marion Curry and all the people who through the year have worked very hard making it what it is today,” Burnworth said.

He also said he realizes Greene County is in financial difficulty, but implored the commissioners “not to use it as a quick fix for our problems.”

Council hires 3 patrolmen

A proposal to provide combined engineering and managerial services to Waynesburg Borough was submitted to borough council by Charles P. McCall and Associates of Waynesburg.

The proposal highlighted a lengthy and busy meeting during which council hired three new patrolmen, leased a new patrol car, reverted to the practice of holding two regular meetings a month, granted permission for the construction of a service station at the corner of Greene and Washington streets, and rescinded earlier action which restricted parking in the area of College Field during football games.