Sewickley halts township-related activities; Manor and Penn Township close offices; Jeannette, Hempfield and North Huntingdon declare emergencies

In an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19, several municipalities in Westmoreland County are closing offices or municipal-related activities, while others are asking that residents interact with office personnel only when necessary.

Sewickley Township canceled all activities, gatherings and events affiliated with the township, as of noon Monday and continuing until 9 a.m. March 30, because of concerns over the spread of coronavirus, supervisors said Sunday. That includes all events, gatherings and functions scheduled at the Sewickley Township Recreation Center as well as the Crabapple Park and Pool Complex, supervisors said.

Those who paid to use the township recreation center in Herminie during this time will be issued a full or pro-rated refund. This includes all Sewickley Area Athletic Association and Yough Area Midget Football activities scheduled for Crabapple.

The three-member board of supervisors will access the situation over the next two weeks and decide if any additional cancellations are needed. The supervisors said they have not decided whether to declare a state of emergency in the municipality.

The supervisors also are asking that residents to limit their in-person visits to the municipal building to “absolutely” necessary purposes. All other correspondences and interactions should be done by phone or online.

All scheduled public meetings will be conducted as of now, but the meetings will be held in the township garage, which is larger than the formal meeting room in the municipal building on Mars Hill Road.

Manor Borough closed its facilities on Monday and will remain closed until further notice, the borough said in a statement. The council meeting on Wednesday is open to the public.

Residents with city business are asked to contact City Hall to make arrangements if they need to speak to someone in person.

Penn Township has closed its municipal offices — police, public works and the municipal building — to the public on Monday, until further notice, the township stated on its website.

Township staff will continue to work. Tax payments can be made through the mail or at the deposit box outside of the municipal building in Harrison City. The tax office mailing address is P.O. Box 456, Harrison City, PA 15636.

To obtain a building permit or meet with community development staff, call 724-744-2171. All building permit applications are available on the township website at penntwp.org.

Visit the Facebook page of the Penn Trafford Area Recreation Commission for information about recreation. Township parks are open, but residents are urged refrain from using the playground equipment.

Irwin government office remains open to the public. Shari Martino, borough manager, said residents are asked to refrain from coming to the office. Residents can call the office or email to irwinboroughmanager@gmail.com.

Payment to the borough can be made via dropbox at the borough office, Martino said.

Unity limits office access

Public access to the Unity Township municipal building on Beatty County Road will be limited to the main vestibule beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Township tax payments may be placed in a drop box outside the building’s main door or through a drop mail slot at the entry to the tax collector’s office. The tax office staff will continue to process payments. No cash payments will be accepted.

Township supervisors and staff may continue to be reached by phone or email. The tax office also will be available by phone. Scheduled face-to face meetings with township supervisors are cancelled, as is the March 24 meeting of the zoning hearing board, which will be rescheduled.

The Unity restrictions are to remain in effect until 8 a.m. on April 1 unless circumstances dictate otherwise.

Municipalities in states of emergency

Officials in Hempfield, Jeannette and North Huntingdon declared states of emergency in their municipalities.

Jeannette closed all city buildings, the library and parks to the public on Monday, through March 28, Mayor Curtis Antoniak ordered.

At this time, city council will hold its regularly scheduled meetings, but is urging the public and non-essential staff to avoid the meetings to prevent the spread of the virus. While the city is not invoking a disaster declaration, it may invoke the powers of the board of health to manage the disease, Antoniak said.

The city’s Easter egg hunt scheduled planned for Altman Park on April 11 has been canceled and the Great American Clean Up scheduled for April 18, has been postponed. The new date and time will be announced later.

North Huntingdon said its March 14 declaration of disaster emergency will not have any immediate impact on government or civil operations, but is the next step to access any resources that may become available.

The police department is operating under modified guidelines to ensure the safety of both the officers and the public. Residents are asked to limit visits to the Town House and other public facilities to necessary business. All township staff may be reached by calling 724-863-3806 and key email addresses are listed on the township web site www.nhtpa.us.

In Hempfield, access to the municipal building will be limited, said township Manager Jason Winters. The vestibule will be open with a dropbox and contact information. Residents needing assistance are encouraged to go online or to contact township officials over the phone.

All Parks and Recreation events have also been cancelled and the athletic complex is closed.

A public workshop set for Wednesday evening has been cancelled, but a meeting scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. is expected to go on as scheduled, Winters said.

Residents who were hoping to speak at public comment are asked to submit comments in writing by 6:30 p.m., but officials are encouraging the public not to attend the meeting if possible. An agenda for the meeting will be posted by 12 p.m. Thursday.

Updates regarding the coronavirus will be posted on the township’s website, hempfieldtwp.com.