Sewickley Herald

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Serving Aleppo, Bell Acres, Edgeworth, Glenfield, Haysv'flle, Leet, Leetsdale, Osborne, Sewickley, Sewickley Heights, Sewickley Hills
Wednesday, February 17, 1993
Most quilt makers can't hold a patch on Michael Cummings. He's in town this week. See page 18.
In Two Sections'50 Cents
INSIDE
Special
report
►	Go ahead, have a cow: Sewickley Council' s new Committee-of-the-Whoie (COW) is examined in depth.
Page 5
Letters
►	Leetsdale Council President Roger Nanni and District Justice James E. Russo bark back at a letter to the editor.
Pages
SHADY CHARACTERS: At Shades & Such, one of Sewickley's newest
retail shops, owners Karen Muse (left) and Barbara Wickwire, don't always wear lampshades. They usually sell them. For more, see page 11.	photo by Dav.dson Cha„
▼ FOCUS
nan
wants to tax Y
By FRANK TIBOH!
Staff writer
Sewickley Council wants Sewickley Valley YMCA to pay its fair share of taxes to the borough.
At its meeting Monday night, council voted 8-1 to direct Solicitor Charles Means to file a challenge to the YMCA’s tax-exempt status. Vice President Clinton Childs voted against the motion.
Childs said council should give the’ YMCA the benefit of the doubt this time because the two parties might be able to reach a settlement.
“We’ve been stonewalled every time,” responded fellow Councilman Hugh McMaster III, explaining council’s attempts to reach an agreement with the YMCA. “We will not be able to get them to the table until we file a challenge.”
Fred Potts, the YMCA’s executive director, did not return a Herald telephone call for comment. Henry F. Devens III, president of the YMCA’s board of trustees, said he he did not wish to comment at this time.
He did say the YMCA could have a comment at a later date.
► Quaker Valley boys and girls soccer teams receive
Donations in lieu of taxes?
Leetsdale practice called ‘questionable' by county solicitor
congratulations from Allegheny County Commiss-
By FRANK TIBOHI and GINA SANTICOLA
loners.
Staff writers
Paga 23
INDEX
' ' v ; ...	.. . ■■..... i V.
Police New*
Opinion............6
- 'School	..
Religion-----------17
It’s not illegal, but it is questionable.
Allegheny County Solicitor Ira Weiss used those words to describe Leetsdale Borough’s handling of 30 commercial property assessment cases in 1991.
Leetsdale officials did not inform either Quaker Valley School District or the county — the other two taxing bodies — that they withdrew assessment appeals in exchange for cash contributions.
“I believe settling tax assessments in that way is in dubious practice,” Weiss said. “There are three taxing bodies involved, and withdrawing assessments without the knowledge or consent of the other two is improper.”
Weiss looked into the matter after Leetsdale
resident James Shaughnessy wrote letters about this matter to Dr. Charles Blocksidge, director of property assessments, appeals and reviews for Allegheny County, and also Ed Tessaro, of the Allegheny County district attorney’s office.
Council President Roger Nanni admitted Leetsdale hired Edgeworth attorney Bob Peirce to reassess commercial properties in the borough.
Nanni said Peirce secured funds from several Leetsdale businesses, which, in return, would receive police and fire protection.
Peirce was vacationing in South Africa and did not return a telephone call from the Herald.
Weiss said that Leetsdale will not be reprimanded for its lack of communication, but the school district and county will intervene in the future.
Continued on page 2
Urn controversy
By a 5-4 vote, council voted to amend the borough’s ordinance to allow urns to be used to decorate the sidewalks in front of village businesses. Recently, a controversy has ensued over the borough’s decision to enforce an ordinance because of fears of liability.
Solicitor Means and Borough Manager Donald Sandor will develop dimensional specifications for the urns.
C.B. Hays, Carolyn Hammer, Frank Sacco and Council President Laurence O’Loughlin voted against the measure.
Council then, by a 6-3 vote, voted to discontinue a moratorium on the urns already in place, But discussion by Councilman Frank Sacco to add a timetable to the creation of the amendment brought about a new vote by council.
By a 5-4 vote, council decided to continue the moratorium.