(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
The regular work session for the Beaver County Commissioners at their July 27 meeting was a relatively short session–under 20 minutes from start to finish–but it didn’t go by without some good news and a bit of a challenge.
The good news came in the form of a recap from DA David Lozier in regards to the two sessions held at CCBC the prior two Tuesdays: “We had 130 people attend the first session on July 19; we had 108 attend the session yesterday on July 26,” Lozier stated. “Between the two sessions, we had all 44 school buildings in the county, all school districts, all parochial schools, all charter schools, a number of other agencies, and even the Catholic Diocese and school districts from outside Beaver County attended.”
Those sessions at CCBC came to be in the shadows of several mass shootings in schools across the country; most recently the shootings in Uvalde. “The bulk” of police staff also attended the sessions, and “the substance of the program was excellent”, as described by Lozier.
Solicitor Garen Fedeles then asked for the approval of beginning a contract proposal to remove knotweeds along the Ohio River, ahead of an official resolution so that the weeds may be removed as soon as possible. 51 resolutions were presented for the July 28 public meeting; among them resolutions for a $350,000 grant acceptance by Waste Management, demolition of the visitors’ stands at Carl A. Aschman Stadium in Aliquippa, and several union CBAs. The full list of resolutions for the July 28th public meeting can be seen here.
Commissioner Tony Amadio acknowledged that the Commissioners were invited to attend the locks and dams on Wednesday, August 3 at 10:00 AM, which will cancel the work session for that morning. Commissioner Jack Manning acknowledged the final day of work for longtime Beaver County Rehabilitation Center executive director Paulette Miller, who held that position for 32 of her 47 years at BCRC.
The meeting ended as a Monaca resident shared with the Commissioners an opinion piece about another County Commissioner–Lawrence County Commissioner Chairman Morgan Boyd–declaring his public choice for governor in the upcoming Pennsylvania general election. The Beaver County Commissioners were then asked if they would do the same and go public with any endorsements.
“We normally don’t do politics during our work sessions or public meetings,” Amadio countered. “We’ll listen, we’ll hear, but–in my long tenure–I learned a long time ago that politics is best out in the street.” None of the three Commissioners provided any support for either gubernatorial candidate in this year’s election.