Dormont Borough Council Supercommittee Meeting – April 27, 2026

The Dormont Borough Council Supercommittee met on April 27, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m., to receive a presentation on a residential compost pilot, interview five candidates for a council vacancy, and review committee reports on the first-quarter budget, the 2026 ISO fire rating, pool operations, the road program, and the active transportation plan. No registered public comments were submitted at the start of the meeting, and the session ended with one public comment. Formal votes were not taken in this supercommittee session; action items are scheduled for the May 4, 2026 voting meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mr. Ledford of 1545 Grand Avenue asked how the roughly $330,000 in negative budget variances to date would affect the year-end forecast. He observed that snow removal and recreation repairs appeared unbudgeted and asked whether staff have a process to use the document images and search functions in AcuFund rather than simply collecting data. No other public comments were offered.

Presentations & Committee Reports

• Compost Pilot Presentation (PRC/CONNECT): Chesapeake First of the Pennsylvania Resources Council, presenting on behalf of CONNECT, described a pilot compost collection site. The project would use locked drop-off bins, initially a Big Belly-style system with the Metro Store bin as the favored model in 46-64 gallon sizes. CONNECT would own the bin and would contract a hauler through an RFP. The pilot would cap participation at roughly 50-100 residents with access codes, begin around August 2026, run for at least one year and ideally two, and start with once-weekly collection. It is funded by a $50,000 foundation grant to CONNECT and is planned for about four communities. Participation would be free at first; data collected would be shared publicly; PRC would hold one virtual and one in-person educational workshop. Council members raised questions about privacy, tracking, bin ownership, liability, full-bin overflow, long-term costs, and resident signup. The likely Dormont location discussed was near the municipal building, where existing cameras can monitor the area. No formal action was requested at this meeting; the presenter expected to work with the borough in June on outreach and planning.
• Council Candidate Interviews: Five candidates were interviewed for the vacant council seat using seven identical questions. The candidates highlighted varied priorities: Sean Melton, a 25-year resident and retired healthcare technology product manager, emphasized budget efficiency, grant revenue, communication, and implementation of the comprehensive plan. Helen Kalovich, a 13-year resident, RN, and parent, prioritized road and alley repair, opposed sewer privatization, and supported grant-funded projects and clearer resident communications. Matt Kelsey, an ER charge nurse and former Mount Lebanon volunteer firefighter, focused on public works, police and fire funding, completing park renovations, long-term financial planning, and looking into annexing Big Snyder Park. Brendan Joyce, Dormont's constable and a six-year resident, emphasized integrity, responsiveness, public safety, infrastructure maintenance, and finishing Dormont Park. The fifth candidate, owner of The Blind Fox on West Liberty Avenue and a two-year resident, stressed community engagement, filling empty storefronts, and better public education about borough finances; he said he would be very hesitant to make budget cuts after the recent tax increase. Council President Amie Downs said the appointment will be voted on at the May 4 meeting and that the appointed member would serve until the end of 2027, then face the 2027 primary and a subsequent election to complete the vacancy.
• Finance & Legal Committee – Q1 Financial Overview: Finance staff presented a budget-to-actual review. Most departments were roughly one-quarter spent; finance was around 55% spent due to a January payment for a December-budgeted audit item under cash-basis accounting; public works was around 64% spent because winter storms consumed about 85% of the department's overtime budget; and parks and recreation was about 93% spent before the pool season opened. Planning/stormwater line items reflected annual fees paid at the start of the year. Contingency and miscellaneous expense lines still held over $100,000 of unexpended funds, including safe mobility, sidewalk grant, facade grant, and human relations commission items. Unexpected items included special police services overtime reimbursements running about double the $45,000 budget, with large checks from Pennsylvania American Water and Columbia Gas; a $8,900 reduction in road-salt charges; and property maintenance reimbursements of about $1,000 received against about $2,000 paid. The tax anticipation note will be repaid in July after real estate tax receipts arrive, with about 75% of real estate taxes expected by the end of the second quarter. About $300,000 in state pension aid is expected. Staff also demonstrated AcuFund, the new financial accounting software replacing Tyler; it automates reconciliations, shows bill images, and allows department heads to see current payment data. Council asked for monthly reports and for clearer separation of anticipated revenues and expenditures with dollar figures. The reserve fund will be reassessed at the mid-year review.
• Recreation & Community Affairs Committee: The pool and locker room rules were condensed from a long list to about 10 simplified rules, with tightened water slide, pool closure, and locker room provisions; printed signs and materials will be prepared. The updated pool entrance creates a quick-access entry through the men's locker room using three removable vinyl partitions with locking casters, at a cost of about $2,700, approved within the borough manager's spending authority. Council members raised concerns about sightlines and the gap under the partitions, and staff agreed to review those details. The committee also discussed accepting a $1,000 Audubon Society grant for a chimney swift tower in Dormont Park; because the funds must be used by the end of June, the item will return in June after consulting Audubon Society on placement, since council questioned the proposed out-of-the-way location. On the playground project, staff reported that documentation is being finalized for a general obligation note to complement the DCNR/local law conservation grant; the loan has a two-year interest-only period and will then be amortized over 10 years. The RFP timeline is set: advertise July 9, mandatory pre-bid August 5, bids open August 18, and a recommendation to council in September. Council discussed holding a ceremonial groundbreaking at Dormont Day even if the contract award occurs later.
• Public Safety & Building Code Enforcement – 2026 ISO Report: The fire chief reviewed the five-year Insurance Services Office evaluation. Dormont remained a Public Protection Classification Class 2 community, with a score of 80.96 compared to 81.71 previously. The gross score improved by about five points, but a "divergence" mechanism offset much of the gain. The department captured all available points for water inspection and flow testing. Nationwide, 2,170 of 37,358 rated departments are Class 2 and 517 are Class 1. The main potential improvement noted was moving from two-year to annual fire inspections, subject to staffing capacity. The chief agreed to provide a short bullet summary for the borough newsletter by Friday.
• Property, Supplies & Public Works Committee: The 2026 road program is out for bid, with advertisements on April 30 and May 7, a mandatory pre-bid meeting on May 14, bids opening May 20, and award expected in June. The base bid includes Mississippi, Crosby, and Tennessee; five alternates include two sections of Almond Street, Sixth Alley, Howlburn Avenue, and Linden Avenue. On PennDOT's road diet update, borough officials are waiting for PennDOT's Kelly Nolf to schedule another conversation with council.
• Planning, Sustainability & Inclusion Committee – Active Transportation Plan: The Safe Mobility Commission has reviewed the draft active transportation and safety action plan and provided comments, which will be sent to council. Council comments are due in about a week, and staff planned to incorporate edits into a master document for the consultant by May 15.
• Voting Meeting Agenda and Discussion Items: Council reviewed the May 4, 2026 voting agenda. Park-and-ride items were removed from the surplus/disposal list after being scanned, so they will not be disposed of. A proposed fence purchase for the Pop Murray dugouts was deferred to June to allow more bids. Council President Downs also reported that a recent Pittsburgh Regional Transit article about the Dormont TOD project was misleading: the borough is not close to negotiating a contract, council has not yet received the presentation, and no vote will occur at the May 18 presentation. She asked PRT to correct the article and to provide materials and talking points in advance.

Key Outcomes

• The council vacancy appointment will be voted on at the May 4, 2026 voting meeting at 7:00 p.m.; the appointed candidate will serve until the end of 2027 and must run in the 2027 primary and again in a subsequent election to finish the term.
• The compost pilot required no immediate action; borough staff will work with PRC/CONNECT in June on outreach and planning for a possible August launch.
• The quick-access pool entrance was approved within the borough manager's spending authority, with follow-up on privacy and partition-gap concerns.
• The chimney swift tower grant and placement will return on a future agenda after Audubon Society input; the $1,000 grant funds must be used by the end of June.
• The playground project follows the advertised RFP timeline, with a council recommendation expected in September.
• Finance reports will become monthly, with anticipated revenues and expenditures broken out separately and assigned dollar figures.
• The 2026 road program bids open May 20 with award expected in June; the PennDOT road diet discussion will be rescheduled.
• Dormont maintained its ISO Class 2 rating, and the fire chief will provide a public newsletter summary.