(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
New officer, new park, new rules…the city of Beaver Falls made the most of Tuesday night looking toward the future of the city.
The evening started with the official swearing-in ceremony of the Beaver Falls Police Department’s newest member, as Mayor Kenya Johns officially welcomed Tyler Ursida to the force. Ursida had his hiring approved by city council at the behest of Chief David Johnson at their previous meeting on April 11, following a stint with the Beaver Area Police Department. He becomes the second new officer for the city in the last 5 months, joining Christina Good who was sworn in last November.
Following the opening ceremony, the council shifted their attention to upcoming Spring and Summer events. Official approval was given by council to hold the Beaver Falls Car Cruise on June 10, following a request for approval by chairman Tom Gargaro. A trio of recommendations to the Safety Committee for upcoming usage of city streets, parks, and playgrounds were also unanimously approved. Simultaneously, the council also approved for “adopting, defining, and establishing regulations for the use of city parks and playgrounds” as well, ensuring that these upcoming events will have a code for citizens to follow.
One of the major events coming up for the city is the official grand opening of Library Park, which is in its final stages of completion. “The lighting is in place now, they just finished the roof on the pergula,” spoke city manager Charles Jones, “we’re looking to put the benches in on Friday, so we’ll be fully functional for Saturday.” The Saturday Jones refers to is Saturday, April 29, when the Library Park will celebrate its grand opening at 4:00 PM, followed by a event hosted by Beaver Falls CORE later in the evening.
Additionally, the city council approved a request by Treasurer Sandy Wilkins to exonerate taxes from the years 2019 through 2022, along with an agreement with the State Attorney General’s office to coordinate with the guidelines for the Task Force Program. Fire Chief Mark Stowe announced that six more buildings were demolished in the city before collapsing, preventing further damage to adjacent buildings. The city approved General Fund expenditures at an amount of $343,713.65.
The next Beaver Falls council meeting is scheduled for May 9 at 7:00 PM.