Silvestri gives his final speech on state of township
McMURRAY – Michael Silvestri, the longtime manager of Peters Township who is retiring in September, gave his annual – and final – state-of-the-township speech Wednesday. And his message was simple: There will be change in top management of the municipality.
“I will be retiring and Paul (Lauer) will be here talking in my place,” Silvestri told attendees at a luncheon sponsored by the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce at Valley Brook Country Club. Lauer is currently assistant township manager.
“We will be looking to fill the assistant manager position,” Silvestri said.
Earlier this month, township council hired Joseph Hursen as its new director of public works. He is replacing Peter Overcashier, who is retiring in July. Police Chief Harry Fruecht is retiring in September. His successor has not yet been named, but council hired Douglas Grimes, a veteran of the state police, as deputy chief to help with the succession planning.
Also, the township took over the operation of the Peters Township Public Library last year. The move boosted the number of township employees from 85 to 104, he said. Myra Oleynik, the former librarian at Bower Hill Elementary School, was hired as the library director last year. She replaced Pier Lee, who retired after 40 years as library director.
The township housing market was strong in 2015, with the average sales price of $383,375. Silvestri said 406 homes were sold last year.
The population in Peters is 22,349, an increase from 21,213, according to the 2010 Census.
The average household earned income is now $149,391, he said.
Construction-wise, 76 new homes and two commercial buildings – the new Eat ‘n Park restaurant and Taco Bell, both on Washington Road – were built in 2015 for an overall value of $54.98 million. The assessed value of the township is $346.8 million, up $5 million from the previous year.
The township’s deer management program, now in its 10th year, harvested 80 deer. Silvestri said 6.4 miles of roads were repaved in 2015 and 9.7 miles of roads were rejuvenated.
He also addressed Rolling Hills Country Club, which closed last year. Both the township and the school district are working together to acquire the 190-acre East McMurray Road property. Township officials are working on a bond issue to generate money to purchase the property, with a value estimated at between $9 million and $10 million.
“We are in discussions,” he said.
“Something should come out in the next month.”
Rod Piatt, a principal of Horizon Properties, which is part of a consortium of developers that have also been in talks to buy the property, declined comment.
The township would like to use the land for recreational purposes and possibly a community swimming pool. The school district, meanwhile, has expressed an interest in using the land for a new school.