Commissioners voted unanimously June 10 to use the power of eminent domain to obtain three vacant properties that abut the trail in Rennerdale and expand land for the Panhandle Trail. The properties total more than 25 acres and have years of unpaid taxes owed on them.

The largest site, owned by Thomas Curcio, is on Columbia Avenue, as is a smaller parcel owned by W. G. Jones. Some land owned by Anna Geyser on Sunnyside Avenue will also be acquired under last week's action.

Waivers on the back taxes were obtained in 2001 from Allegheny County and the Chartiers Valley School District.

The 2001 board had everything lined up to acquire the lands, but when the make-up of the board changed in 2002, action to take over the properties was voted down.

Commissioners have not said what the new trail lands would be used for, but former officials had planned a dog park and a picnic area for some of the acreage.

• Commissioners unanimously approved the comprehensive open space and parks plan, which has been under study by a citizens' group for 18 months.

The plan is a conceptual plan that can be modified, but officials view it as a precursor for obtaining state grant help. Commissioner Bill Snider and resident Gail Neustadt of Grand Cypress Lane each expressed disappointment with response to the public survey portion of the plan, but Commissioner Kay Downey-Clarke said she didn't know how to improve the response except by going door-to-door. Ms. Neustadt said the plan contains too many ballfields and is based on 2000 statistics.

Students Jeff Williams, Conor Horgan, Frank Maioli and John Cusick were hired as summer employees with the public works department. Board President Roger Horgan abstained.

Mayor Susan O'Connell and Councilwoman Mary Luxbacher will examine costs associated with replacing the streetlights on Steuben Street with new poles to accommodate LED lighting. The action was taken June 10 after being informed that Duquesne Light Company, which owns the existing lights, will not permit use of their poles for this project.

Officials hope to obtain a Pennsylvania Harvest Grant to provide funding to install solar-powered streetlights on Steuben Street as well as renovations to the community center located on Stotz Avenue.

• Council authorized Manager Doug Sample to seek a grant to replace six heating/air conditioning units on top of the community center.

The state's alternative energy funding program stipulates that a funded project will result in a minimum energy cost-reduction of 25 percent. If awarded the grant, the borough must match 25 percent of a project's cost and it must be completed within 18 months.

• The borough will seek 600 tons of road salt for the coming winter season through a South Hills Council of Governments joint municipality program as new bids are being prepared. The Cargill Salt Company recently informed participating SHACOG communities it was not extending an option year to its contract.

Manager Doug Sample said that changes in ordering quantities have occurred and that prices this year are expected to be as much as $125 per ton. He said the borough typically uses 800 tons a winter season. The bid will allow a community to receive as little as 80 percent of its ordered amount or as much as 125 percent of it without any price change.

• The paving of a large section of Backbone Road, from Broadhead Avenue to North Grandview Avenue, has been completed, and council approved an initial payment of $75,000 to A. Folino Construction, which was awarded the $152,764 project.

Council has accepted a $1,300 proposal from Marshman Services of Washington, Pa., to replenish the wood-chip safety surface around the playground equipment. There also will be some landscaping improvements.

Also, the board awarded a $13,117.95 contract from Ellis Asphalt Paving Inc., to resurface the basketball court and perform miscellaneous repairs in the court area. It was the lowest of two bids.

• The borough will continue to contract with Carnegie for police, fire and EMS services until 2012.

The agreement calls for payments of $62,620 in 2010, $63,246 in 2011 and $63,878 in 2012. The current cost is approximately $62,000.

Commissioners will present their second free public safety day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the lower lot of Scott Park, Lindsay Road.

Among the activities will be a bike safety program, car seat inspections, a kids' training house, a smoke simulator house, blood pressure readings, child fingerprinting, identity theft information and advice and fire extinguisher training.

Life Flight will land at 11:30 p.m. and a Jaws of Life demonstration will take place at 12:30.

• Commissioners are considering an ordinance that would carry an annual fee for residences and businesses with alarm systems.

The draft ordinance would augment a 2003 ordinance that requires start-up alarm fees of $25 for residential security systems, $50 for residential fire systems and $100 for commercial and multi-family properties. Under the proposed legislation, the start-up fees would remain, but an annual $35 fee would be assessed, too.

Officials say the new fee is necessary to keep up with administrative costs as well as provide updated property owner and contact information.

Commissioner Jean O'Toole said he is opposed to the new fee.

"I don't think it's the way to go," she said.

• Engineer Larry Lennon said a parking lot for 6-8 cars could be built on the former Glenn Hotel site, 600 Carothers Ave.

He said two retaining walls would be needed.

Board President Eileen Meyers said some of Scott's federal Streetscape money that was to have been used to relocate light poles on Carothers may be able to be used for the lot.

The former hotel has been razed after the property was foreclosed in 2006 by the Chartiers Valley School District. Ten years of back taxes plus fees were owned to the district and Allegheny County. About $6,500 worth of back taxes are owed to Scott.

• Commissioners discussed having a traffic study done to determine the feasibility of installing a left turn arrow on Greentree Road from McMonagle Avenue into the entrance of the Carriage Park apartments.

"It would let a few cars go and would eliminate a lot of congestion," said Commissioner Jim Walther, who noted a resident made the suggestion to him. "It's like a chess game coming up Greentree Road."

• Commissioner Betty Ann Connors suggested instituting a fee for placing political signs on public areas.

Collier has such a fee, she said. The fee would be $50 or $100, and candidates would get the money back once all of their signs were removed within a certain time frame following elections.

Though he agreed to look at Collier's ordinance, Solicitor Bob McTiernan cautioned that "this is the American Civil Liberties Union's favorite issue."

Also opposing the idea was Bill Wells of Lindsay Road, who won the Democratic nomination for a Ward 2 seat in the May Primary despite having 20 of his signs stolen from private properties on his street. Mr. Wells said people who steal signs could put them up after the deadline, causing candidates to lose their refunds.