November’s election victors — three of them incumbents — took their seats on Springdale Council this month.
This year’s council will only differ slightly from last year’s in both its members and leadership.
Deborah Piontek, the top vote-getter in November, was the sole non-incumbent council member to be sworn in. She earned 16.7% of the vote in the general election.
But Piontek is by no means a stranger to the council chambers. A longtime resident, she previously served on council from 1998 to 2007 and has been a frequent speaker at recent meetings regarding a proposed data center in Springdale.
Jeff Hartz, Michael Ziencik and Jason Overly — all Democrats — were also re-sworn in to their seats.
Ziencik and Overly, who previously served as president and vice president, respectively, will retain their posts this year.
One seat on council remains open, however.
The election saw four, four-year seats and one, two-year seat on the ballot. Ziencik, who claimed victory in both races, opted to take the four-year seat, leaving council to appoint another member to the vacant two-year seat.
Council will make that appointment at its Jan. 20 meeting.
Joe Kern, who was previously appointed to council and emerged as the fifth-highest vote-getter in November, confirmed he has submitted a letter of interest for the post.
The council members begin their new terms less than a month after a controversial vote to approve a conditional use application for a massive proposed data center at the site of the former Cheswick Generating Station.
Ziencik and Overly voted to approve the project, while Hartz voted against it.
Several council members cited a potential doomed court battle as their reason for approval.
Still, Piontek said she would be working to hold developers from Allegheny DC Property Co. responsible as the project progresses.
“I’m excited about our future,” Piontek said. “I’m excited to get to work and do the business of the citizens.”
During the land development phase, the developers will have to return to council several more times before they can break ground.
In addition to monitoring the data center project, Piontek said she would begin long-term planning for infrastructure improvements in Springdale.
January marks the departure of Republicans Kern and Toni Robbins from council, both having lost to Democratic opponents in November.
The four newly sworn-in members will join Dan Copeland, a Republican, and Dolly Stephens, a Democrat, on council.
