The Mt. Lebanon Commission worked with municipal staff and consultants to choose several projects to focus on this year. During a February retreat, commissioners narrowed a list of 17 proposed projects to six top priorities.

Working with the consulting firm Strategic Solutions, commissioners evaluated each of the 17 projects using a weighted point system, including cost of the project’s implementation and continued operation, amount of staff time needed to plan and maintain the change in operations, and impact on the community. Also taken into consideration was where each project ranked on the survey and how the project aligns with Mt. Lebanon’s Comprehensive Plan, a 10-year long-range planning document adopted in 2013.

The six projects commissioners want to emphasize in 2021 are:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) With the aim of creating a more welcoming community, the DEI initiative will involve an ad hoc committee of residents serving in four working groups, and staff from the public information office, library, human resources and police.

Parks Master Plan and Recreation Center Feasibility Study This project was included in the 2021 Manager’s Recommended Budget. The Commission may expand the project scope to include sustainability efforts. The study will be a collaboration among the municipal planner, recreation and public works departments. A Request for Proposals was issued in March and staff is currently evaluating the responses.

Municipal Website Redesign Mt. Lebanon’s website was implemented in 1998 and was last redesigned in 2015. A redesign would make the site more useful and more user-friendly. Mt. Lebanon’s information technology department will work with the public information office, tax and finance office and recreation department. Plans include convening a community focus group and issuing a Request for Proposals for a consultant.

Advisory Board Restructuring Commissioners are taking a look at Mt. Lebanon’s 18 volunteer boards and authorities to evaluate their structure and role and look for ways to maximize usefulness and keep volunteers engaged.

Vibrant Uptown This is an ongoing streetscape project aimed at revitalizing the Washington Road business district with new sidewalks, improved lighting, additional greenspace and placemaking. Construction is slated to begin this summer.

Overnight Parking Mt. Lebanon bans street parking from 2 to 6 a.m. Residents can request permission from the police department for overnight parking on a case-by-case basis. Amendments to Mt. Lebanon’s overnight parking ordinance will clarify the ordinance’s language, improve the process for requesting permission and streamline enforcement. Police, information technology, planning and public information will collaborate on the project.