Baldwin Boro Could Get More Strict on Storm Water (Feb. 21 Mtg. Notes)

Video Testing of Private Sewer Lateral Lines

UPDATE: Read the bill here.

If you're considering buying or selling property in soon, you'd better check your pipes—with a camera.

In an effort to lessen the amount of storm water entering Baldwin's sewage system, , the Baldwin Borough Council voted, 6-0, on Tuesday night—Councilman John Ferris was absent—to approve the first public reading of Bill No. 12-02-01, a bill that would require private sewer lateral lines underneath property in the borough to be tested via video evidence in order to prove that the lines do not contain rain water.

Periods of wet weather in Baldwin often see an increase in sewage water flow for the borough due to a number of reasons—one of them being leaky sewage pipes being infiltrated by rain. Watch an animation on the 3 Rivers Wet Weather website for further explanation.

Bill No. 12-02-01, should it ultimately be passed by the Baldwin Council as an ordinance, would become effective 30 days from its enactment and affect property transfers from that point on, including sales of homes. The borough would not issue lien letters without compliance of the ordinance.

"Since we're ," borough solicitor Stanley B. Lederman said, "we have to make sure that your pipes inside the house to the main line and the lateral line (are) unobstructed and not leaking water. You have to get a certified plumber to do a video inspection and certify that everything's OK.

"What we want is a tight system."

Crack Sealing Program

Baldwin Council Vice President Michael Stelmasczyk praised the borough's engineering firm of Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering, Inc., on Tuesday for their preventative-measure plan to seal cracks on borough roads this summer.

Stelmasczyk said that he believes that the firm's crack sealing program is a first for Baldwin Borough.

Engineer Larry Souleret explained that some of the borough's better roads will have crack sealing done on them this summer while some worse-off roads will be repaved.

"You might look at the roads we're (sealing), and say, 'Well, why aren't you doing this one? It's a lot worse than the ones you're doing,'" Souleret said. "Well, when they get so bad, it's just a waste of money, so we're trying to do it on the roads that have cracks but are not in real bad shape."

Some Parking Restrictions Added

The Baldwin Council approved, by 6-0 votes on Tuesday night, traffic resolutions that will ban parking in front of dumpsters in the and on the odd-numbered side of Recker Drive.

Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Baldwin Council adopted Allegheny County's hazard mitigation plan, developed by the Allegheny County Emergency Management Agency to reduce losses to life and property by natural and human-made hazards, by a 6-0 vote on Tuesday.

as opposed to developing ones of their own. Adopting the plan gives borough officials the opportunity to obtain hazard mitigation program funds in the event of a disaster.

Safe Kids Pennsylvania

Chief William E. Plunkett asked borough officials on Tuesday to approve the implementation of a Safe Kids Pennsylvania program in Baldwin. The Baldwin Council voted, 6-0, to do so with $10,000 that an anonymous donor gave to Baldwin EMS at the time of her death.

Plunkett said that $5,000 of the money will be used in 2012, and the other half will be used in 2013.

Safe Kids Pennsylvania's mission is to promote the prevention of childhood injuries in the state through education, collaboration and advocacy. Plunkett plans to use the money to make improvements to safety measures at Baldwin parks.

Shade Tree Commission

Borough Councilman John Conley made a motion during the new-business portion of Tuesday night's borough meeting to have Baldwin join nearby and Brentwood boroughs in a multi-municipal , which would be aimed at encouraging residents to plant more trees.

Brentwood, Baldwin and Whitehall—along with the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Carrick and Overbrook—are already part of the group, and this Shade Tree Commission would be an extension of that cooperation.

Fellow Baldwin Councilman Ed Moeller said that he would like more time to review exactly what joining the commission would mean for Baldwin and asked Conley to discuss his motion in greater detail before bringing it to a vote at a future meeting.

Conley agreed and retracted his motion.

Police Promotion

Police officer Leo Gigliotti had the probationary status removed from his rank by a 6-0 vote on Tuesday and is now a full-time permanent officer in the .

Mayor Absent

Like Ferris, Baldwin Mayor Alexander R. Bennett Jr. was absent from Tuesday's council meeting.

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