(File Photo of the Beaver County Courthouse)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver, PA) Several topics were discussed at the Beaver County Commissioners’ work session this morning at 10 a.m. at the Beaver County Courthouse in Beaver. One of the topics was addressed during the Audience Participation section, which was when a New Sewickley Township woman named Lisa Dengel asked the commissioners about any updates regarding their meeting with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on August 28th, 2025. This is dealing with the situation in Economy Borough in which Economy Borough residents are concerned because Chad Weaver, owner of Weaver Homes, is continually being given additional items that need taken care of conservation wise. Some Economy Borough residents were accusing the Beaver County Conservation District (BCCD) through the Department of Environmental Protection of purposely stalling the construction of the remainder of their housing plan, and these residents confirmed this has been going on since February of 2025. Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning told Dengel that this meeting she referred to was called by the commissioners and was between some elected officials, the BCCD and the DEP, because the commissioners wanted to understand based on complaints that people gave them about what the role of the DEP was and the lineation of the BCCD and the DEP in regards to this issue of conservation in Economy Borough. This meeting was also preempted as an “educational tool” by Jeff Pflug, the Executive Director of the BCCD. In other business, Beaver County Solicitor Garen Fedeles mentioned in the solicitors’ report of the work session that one of the thirty-one resolutions for tomorrow on an agenda is for a paving program in Rochester Township. Commissioner Manning also mentioned that the Montgomery Locks and Dam project is still going and funding is still needed, and the commissioners can not do anything about the Pittsburgh International Race Complex continuing to be incorporated after the Wampum raceway will close on November 9th, 2025 after their final season. Beaver County Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp also mentioned that the commissioners are heavily invested in the Beaver County Drone Team, which uses drones to help individuals get to a scene faster before the Beaver County Drone Team gets there. One drone of the Beaver County Drone Team was used to identify and locate the two-year-old child who went missing in Beaver Falls on Monday, so authorities can get that report about the toddler, who is now safe. Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Director Tony Caltury mentioned that the gutters of the Brady’s Run Ice Arena in Beaver Falls during the Department Head Report of the work session. Caltury also mentioned two upcoming events in Beaver County: the MAC Cross Country Championship for twenty-eight schools to compete in at Brush Creek Park in Beaver Falls today with the meets starting at 3 p.m. and on Saturday, October 11th, the “Month of Mud” mountain bike racing event for racing will take place at the trails of Brady’s Run Park at 1:30 p.m.