Jefferson Hills announces state of emergency plans
By ERIC SEIVERLING
eseiverling@yourmvi.com
Jefferson Hills borough declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening, to help accelerate resource and service agreements during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In addition, officials closed the borough’s administration building and has sent non-essential staff home until further notice. This includes the Jefferson Hills Public Library, administration and planning, and the engineering department. The Jefferson Hills Police Department will continue to be fully staffed, and the Public Works Department remains on 24-hour call for municipal call-outs and inclement weather.
The borough has suspended all borough-sponsored programming and will not accept reservations for borough facilities until further notice.
All borough permits issued for sports, events, and community activities are rescinded until further notice. This includes borough parks, playing courts, fields, and the Gill Hall Community Center. Also suspended are all library programs and meetings scheduled at least through March 27.
Jefferson Hills Mayor Janice Cmar said the emergency declaration was the result of the borough learning a Clairton resident was admitted Sunday to Jefferson Hospital with a confirmed case of coronavirus.
“We would rather err on the said of caution,” Cmar said. “Every day there’s more cases. We want to be proactive and not reactive.”
The borough is also locking the administration building during the same time period. Any personal emergency inside the borough should call 412-925-3355.
To contact Jefferson Hills police, residents are asked to use the intercom button attached to the front doors of the administration building. An officer will come to the door.
Cmar said the borough is continually monitoring information provided by Allegheny County Health Department, the State of Pennsylvania, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Louise Urban, CEO of Jefferson Hospital. The borough recommends that residents look to those resources as well as national news outlets for the most up-to-date information on the pandemic.
