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Duquesne Police Add Three New Officers
By Cami DiBattista
The Tube City Almanac
August 30, 2018
Posted in: Duquesne News
With new officers Nathan Calabro, Kevin Diamond and Ian Clinton-Layton being hired in Duquesne, the city once again has a fully staffed department, Police Chief Tom Dunlevy announced at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The hiring of the new officers filled a gap created when several officers retired and several more relocated earlier this year.
“It will be nice to have our force back to a full staff,” Dunlevy said. “We will be able to focus more on some of the issues we are aware of concerning juvenile problems in the area.”
In other business:
Several residents expressed concern at the road conditions in the city --- especially on Grant Street and Second Avenue.
Other issues brought to council’s attention include rat infestations due to residents placing garbage bags out days before garbage pickup; and concerns regarding juveniles running in the streets, darting in front of cars and hanging on the fence outside of St. Joseph’s Church.
Mayor Nickole Nesby said the issues will be addressed by the Public Works Department and the city’s newly elected code enforcement officer, Sidney Walker. Areas in need of improvement will be addressed as funds become available from a community development grant, she said.
Walker reported that $700 was collected in occupancy permits for the month of August and $647.50 was collected in building permits, resulting in a total of $1,347.50.
Nesby reported on her recent attendance at the Mayors Innovation Project, in Grand Rapids, Mich. A wide range of topics were covered during the workshop including securing government funding, obtaining technical assistance on implementing policies and policy ideas centered around housing, energy, transportation and economic development, Nesby said.
The city will work to come into compliance with state regulations regarding collection of leaf waste, Nesby said. State Act 101 of 1988 requires municipalities with 5,000 or more residents to take steps to keep recyclable materials --- including leaves --- out of landfills.
Nesby said she has a meeting scheduled to discuss the matter with Waste Management to ensure Duquesne is complying with the law. The company's contract to collect the city's trash is up in December, she said, and council will be advertising for bids at that time.
One option would be for Duquesne to run its own garbage collection or recycling, and there may be grants available from the state Department of Environmental Protection to do so, Nesby said.
Council passed the following motions 4-0 during the meeting:
A motion approving the second and third reading of the Mayor Salary Ordinance, changing the position of mayor to a full-time paid position beginning in 2022. The second and third readings corrected the dates for when the change takes place to 2022, rather than 2021.
A motion to apply for a grant to adopt a storm water management ordinance that complies with the Allegheny County Storm Water Management Plan, as approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection on May 31.
A motion to approve a $50 payment for an ad in the program book for the 2018 Spirit of Excellence Awards slated for Oct. 11, where Nesby will be a guest speaker.
Cami DiBattista is a freelance writer who covers municipal news from Duquesne and White Oak, along with other topics, for Tube City Almanac. She may be reached at cad316@gmail.com.
Originally published August 30, 2018.
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