The next meeting is March 20th at 7 PM.
We haven't had any updates for a little while, because Borough Council has engaged in its typical "transparency" -- in other words, trying to prevent Franklin Park residents from knowing anything it's doing -- with respect to CityScape. Not only is everything to do with CityScape now hidden in executive session, away from the public, but it is also marked in agendas as being protected by attorney-client privilege.
That's an awful lot of secrecy for hiring a company to comment on where a municipality should consider putting cell towers.
When I asked for an update, solicitor Max Junker refused, stating that this weird, secretive behavior was instead a routine part of Franklin Park negotiations with potential vendors, meant for contract review and so forth. He gave no reason why Franklin Park routinely engages in negotiations for larger expenditures (most recently a $150,000 truck) with no need for such secrecy, keeping the public in the loop about the state of its considerations, but is unable or unwilling to do so here.
Franklin Park residents continue to deserve better. We deserve to know what's going on. We deserve to know Borough Council's plans, and their reasons for their plans, with respect to a contentious issue where they have a sad track record of trying to keep their plans away from public scrutiny.
Check the agenda HERE within 24 hours before the meeting - you'll often find last-minute changes involving controversial topics. On some computers you may need to create a username and password to read agendas and minutes -- but at least they are free to create and use. (Contact us if you need help.)
Borough Council has been known in the past to push discussion of the cell tower to the very beginning or the very end (9:44 PM, in April) of the meeting. So: Try to get there on time, and stick around until they're done!
The "pre-meeting" is open to the public (see below) and borough council has often used such meetings to do their actual discussion about the cell tower plans.
Committee meetings, "pre-meetings," "post-meetings," and work sessions happen in the back room behind the main meeting room at the borough building. They are open to the public (except during executive sessions, most often at the very end), even though this is not obvious. There was a brief discussion several months ago of putting up a sign stating "Open to the Public," but this has not happened as of October: apparently writing those four words on a sheet of paper and taping it to the back room's door is not something Borough Council wants to do.
That says a lot about Borough Council and its theoretical "transparency," doesn't it?
.
The public often doesn't get to comment at the back-room meetings, but simply knowing what the old boys' club is discussing can be very helpful.
The door in the back right of the main meeting room is the easiest way to reach the area where the public can sit for committee meetings, work sessions, "pre-meetings," and "post-meetings."
The address is:
2344 W Ingomar Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
00
DaysDays
00
HrsHours
00
MinsMinutes
00
SecsSeconds
Stay tuned for June meeting details!
Borough council normally meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
The first meeting is a "work session" where the public doesn't usually get to talk, but where they often discuss the cell tower. The second meeting usually glosses over the cell tower, but lets us talk.
So: listen at the first meeting, and tell the public what you heard at the second.
We defeated it in 2017. We defeated it in 2020. And together, we can do it again this year!
Help Protect Our Franklin Park Homes!
Save Our Homes!
Borough Council Updates
Save Our Homes!
We didn't move to Franklin Park to live next to a massive, potentially unsafe eyesore. Franklin Park has better options.
Get Involved!
Borough Council Updates
Save Our Homes!
If we all act together, we can send a clear message to Borough Council: NO cell tower at the golf course!
Borough Council Updates
Borough Council Updates
Borough Council Updates
In theory, they're committed to transparency.
Here's what their "transparency" looks like in practice.
Stay tuned!
Sign up to receive updates as they happen!
Copyright © 2024 No Cell Tower at Clover Hill! - All Rights Reserved.
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.