Every year brings change, but it seems that 2023 was a big one for Mt. Lebanon.

After several retirements and a promotion, we have three new leaders atop our police department: Chief Jason Haberman, Deputy Chief Dan Cuiffi and Deputy Chief Steve Ruby. They bring a wealth of experience from inside and outside our department and we are thrilled to have them here.

After two years of construction, our Vibrant Uptown streetscape is substantially completed. The infrastructure was the big upgrade, with new conduit, lighting, seating and sidewalks. We are excited about the future improvements in the works to make Uptown a true destination.

In May, the municipality debuted a new website at mtlebanon.org. The site is more accessible, easier to search and is better organized so you can find what you need, whether you’re a resident, business owner, vendor, elected official or visitor.

The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department has a beautiful, sleek new fire engine. It will be more nimble and more serviceable than the vehicle it replaced.

We have a new comprehensive plan that will go to the Commission for approval this month. It is full of ideas based on the changes our residents want to see in the municipality in the next 10 years.

We have many awesome new businesses throughout Mt. Lebanon. We are fortunate to have three classic business districts and a niche mall to welcome all sorts of entrepreneurs who are fulfilling their dreams.

As I write this, many exciting changes are planned for 2024 in the Manager’s Recommended Budget. New inspections software that will make it easier for you to track your building permit has already been approved. Five new advisory boards will start next April to help guide the direction of our municipality toward the goals set in the comprehensive plan.

But I have something I’d like to see change and I hope you can help. Many of us who work in local government and in government agencies put in long hours to ensure our residents and visitors have the best of everything at a responsible cost. Each day, we answer your phone calls, emails and social media comments with the true desire to help you. Yet we have noticed an uptick in anger and short fuses from the public when things don’t go according to plan.

Please remember many of the people on the other end of the conversation are your neighbors. We want to hear your feedback and we want to get better at what we do. We also want to be able to recruit top talent to work alongside us as other staffers retire in the months ahead.  We have thicker than average skins, but we still have beating hearts. Be kind.