Edgeworth has a new emergency dispatcher, tax collector

Edgeworth officials have hired a new full-time dispatcher and appointed a new tax collector.

Council voted 6-0 July 19 to hire Moon Township resident Michael Martin as dispatcher. Councilman Daniel Wilson was absent.

Martin is the borough’s second full-time dispatcher. Edgeworth also has five part-time dispatchers.

Manager John Schwend said Martin was selected out of about 35 candidates and five finalists.

He said Martin’s experience being a dispatcher with UPMC helped him stand out.

Pay is $20 an hour.

“Full-time employees are more invested in the organization than part-time employees,” Schwend said. “(Council) felt it was in the best interest of all the residents to have a full-timer here that will be invested in a career in the borough instead of just a part-time job.”

The borough could opt to eliminate its dispatcher positions and go with Allegheny County 911, but Schwend said there are no plans to do that because the residents enjoy the borough having its own workers on the phones.

“Residents in the borough like the service of being able to call here and have somebody who knows the neighborhood specifically, knows the roads and who can answer other questions,” Schwend said. “The dispatcher also answers questions about park rentals, meetings and other borough business. It’s important to have somebody on site that they can call 24 hours a day who knows the community.”

Edgeworth Police Department has nine officers — three full-time, including Chief John Burlett, and six part-time officers.

Burlett said he is excited to have Martin on board. His initial shifts will be evenings, overnight and weekends.

“With the labor market the way it is, council felt best to fill (shifts) with a full-time position and, possibly, he could take on the duties of the daytime dispatcher, which is basically the police chief’s administrator,” Burlett said.

Schwend announced tax collector Christopher Blazak has resigned from his post because he is moving out of the borough.

Blazak was less than a year into his four-year term.

Council voted 6-0 to accept his resignation and voted in the same fashion for his replacement.

Hugh St. Martin will serve as tax collector through next year. He must run in the 2023 primary election if he chooses to keep the seat, which will be for two years.

Schwend said the tax collector deputizes Jordan Tax Service to collect real estate taxes while Keystone Collections collects earned income, business privilege and local services taxes.

Council had 30 days from July 19 to appoint a new tax collector.

Schwend said council opted to move quickly on the vacancy so there would be no downtime.

“We knew that Chris was going to resign from the position,” Schwend said. “We had already begun to interview interested residents to see who would be able to take over. Rather than having a lag of however many days, we decided we would appoint a new person.”

Other business

Edgeworth council adopted a resolution July 19 in support of the Quaker Valley Council of Governments’ glass recycling program.

The borough has agreed to contribute $40 per month.

Quaker Valley COG has a glass recycling location at 629 New Brighton Road in Avalon across from its public works facility. It also has a bin at Riverfront Park in Sewickley.

Bins are available from dawn to dusk each day and are open to all Quaker Valley COG communities. Glass containers must be rinsed of any perishable debris prior to being recycled. Adhesive labels and container lids do not need to be removed prior to being recycled. Items such as mirrors, porcelain dishware and light bulbs will not be accepted. More information is available by calling 412-766-7458.