The municipal staff, including the senior staff and the “second in command” staff along with the facilities managers of the ice rink, golf course and tennis center meet the first Thursday of each month to exchange information. Here are a few highlights from this morning’s meeting, many of which will appear in more detail in our April issue:

• Mt. Lebanon has been notified to expect a federal  grant of $400,000 plus, funneled through the Southwestern Planning Commission, to be used for synchronization of traffic signals along Bower Hill Road. (This already has taken place on Washington Road, thanks to a grant.) The grant would require a 25 percent match and need Commission approval.  If approved,  Public Works Director Tom Kelley says engineering studies for the $500,000 project would begin in fall 2012 with construction taking place in 2013.
•  “Stormworks,” a division of Nine Mile Run, has donated a rain barrel and will lay out and design a small rain garden in Mt. Lebanon Park. Mt. Lebanon will provide the labor and maintenance.  To be located near the restrooms near the parking lot, the rain garden is intended to be a demonstration garden, encouraging residents to have their own.
• Because of warm weather, the golf course remains open for play. Unfortunately, also because of warm weather, the middle school ski trip this weekend is cancelled.
• Indoor Tennis is considering purchasing a fourth tennis bubble to accommodate requests for winter play that currently cannot be met.  Debt service to Mt. Lebanon on the previous bubbles ends this summer, and the three existing bubbles have many years’ life remaining, so this is  an opportune time to add a bubble and expect it to break even the first year and eventually generate revenue of as much as $100,000, said Tennis Center Manager  and Pro Hank Hughes. Details remain to be finalized.
• MRTSA has received a grant that will go toward the purchase of IPads for all vehicles.  The IPads will cut down on the use of paper records and will be useful, for instance, when a person who needs transport to a hospital but refuses to go is asked to “sign off.”
• The Recreation Center’s online registration has been upgraded.  People will not need to re-enter information each time they sign up for a program and will be able to easily edit information.  In addition, they now can  access a record of every course/program they have signed up for, apply any credits they may have accumulated to new registrations and pay outstanding bills.
• The response to publicity calling for applicants for boards and authorities has been disappointing so far.  The Commission relies on these volunteer boards for their knowledge of the community and expertise in specific areas. Applications are being accepted for boards such as traffic, planning, historic preservation, community relations and economic development until mid-February.  If you can help, fill out and return the common application at http://www.mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?nid=29.  Please specify which  board you are interested in.