Mt. Lebanon’s annual operating budget pays for all of the expenses it takes to run the municipality for a year. The municipality’s capital improvement program (CIP) targets larger, one-time expenses, or programs that take more than a year to complete.
A capital item is one that meets any one or more of the following criteria:
A project with a tangible result that will take more than a year to complete.
Any nonrecurring — less frequently than five years — purchase which costs more than approximately $100,000. This applies to both new and replacement equipment.
A project which will increase the value of land or buildings substantially.
Other items at the discretion of the municipal manager, with the concurrence of the finance director.
The five-year plan includes 46 new or continuing projects, 21 of which are slated for completion in 2025. Although the total cost of the projects on the list is about $88.44 million, a combination of grants and other funding sources places the net tax cost at about $33 million.
The plan calls for 21 projects in the 2025 program, with a net tax cost of $7,453,700. It’s important to note that none of the projects are guaranteed, as variable circumstances could arise during the year.
Major projects for 2025 are:
$6.2 million for mandated improvements to the sanitary sewer system, to be paid for by the municipality’s sewer utilities fund
$2,960,000 for street reconstruction, of which $625,000 will come from the sewer utility fund
$1,725,000 for the installation of a new ice rink chiller system
$971,000 for stormwater management
$510,000 for HVAC upgrades to the municipal building
Also in the works for 2025:
Recreation
$295,000 for conversion of two tennis courts to six pickleball courts, and $339,250 for lighting upgrades to tennis courts 1 through 8
$169,330 for the installation of forward tee boxes for seniors at three holes at the golf course
Public Works
$470,930 for ADA improvements to Meadowcroft Park
$252,000 for continuing stream restoration work in Bird Park, paid for by the sewer utilities fund
$190,000 for replacement boilers at the Public Safety Center
$178,750 for electric vehicle infrastructure. In coordination with CONNECT and Duquesne Light, the municipality participated in the Electrify Allegheny program where Duquesne Light staff surveyed the municipality for potential electric vehicle charging stations. In 2025, costs reflect fleet charging stations located at the public safety center and the public works site for fleet charging only. The project is partially funded by $100,000 from Duquesne Light’s EV Make Ready program.
$118,000 for sidewalk improvement
$117,500 for improvements to the exterior of the Public Safety Center. This project will continue in phases through 2028.
Parking
$335,000 for modernization and upgrade of the elevator in the North Garage, to be paid for by the parking fund.
The Commission conducted a public hearing on the Capital Improvement Program in October, and will vote to adopt the program at its December 10 meeting.