McLaughlin Resigns from Moon Township's Board of Supervisors

The township also has hired a new planning director.

Moon Supervisor Timothy McLaughlin resigned Wednesday from his position on the township Board of Supervisors.  Board chairman Jim Vitale announced the resignation at the board's monthly meeting. McLaughlin, whose job with U.S. Airways was transferred to Charlotte, N.C., did not attend the meeting. Supervisor Frank Sinatra indicated at the meeting that McLaughlin's out-of-state job transfer was the reason behind his resignation. McLaughlin's home at 111 Snell Drive, which has been listed as for sale for much of the year, was recently sold, according to county property records. The Pennsylvania Township Supervisor's Handbook requires that supervisors reside in the townships they serve.  "He was dedicated to this community," Sinatra said at …

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clearfield

10:36 pm on Thursday, August 4, 2011

What took you so long? You have been out-of-town for most of this year, and denied the community a replacement because of your ego, power and control issues? You have done harm to the community while a resident and while away. How sad.   more ›

Moon Walmart Construction Back on Track

Moon Board of Supervisors approve a settlement with Walmart Stores Inc.

Construction on a new Moon Township Walmart in the former West Hills Shopping Center came one step closer to fruition last night. The Moon Board of Supervisors approved a settlement agreement with Walmart Stores Inc. last night in a 3-1 vote; Supervisor Marv Eicher cast the lone "no" vote on the settlement. Supervisor Tim McLaughlin didn’t attend the meeting. The board approved preliminary construction plans for the national retain chain in July. The 150,000-square-foot facility is to be built at the intersection of University Boulevard and Brodhead Road. Walmart and the township had been embroiled in a months-long lawsuit about rooftop and road specifications for the building. Walmart sued the township last year to amend several …

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Residents Call for Resignation of Moon Officials

Questions linger about the residency of Supervisor Tim McLaughlin and Manager Jeanne Creese. Residents also want the board to block a new group home on Greenlea Drive.

When Greenlea Drive resident Greg Thompson approached the podium at last night's Moon Board of Supervisors meeting, he said he had a proposition for township Manager Jeanne Creese.  "I have a house for you," he said. "Move right next door to me. At 162 Greenlea Drive."  Thompson was among more than a dozen Moon residents who spoke at the contentious meeting, which ended with the board taking a vote to terminate Creese from her position. The vote did not pass. Residents jammed the township meeting room and criticized the board over a variety of issues during the three-hour meeting. Some called for Creese to resign from her position because she does not live in the township. Some questioned why Supervisor Tim McLaughlin has not stepped down …

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Residency Status of Moon Supervisor Still Unclear

County election official said physical residence in the township is needed to serve on the board.

An Allegheny County elections official said it's unclear whether the residency status of Moon Supervisor Timothy McLaughlin will impact his ability to serve on the board.  McLaughlin, who works in customer service for U.S. Airways, has been transferred to a job in Charlotte, NC. He is listed in Allegheny County property records as the owner of a home at 111 Snell Drive in Moon that is listed for sale through Prudential Real Estate.  David Voye, manager of the balloting section of the Allegheny County Division of Elections, said a regular presence in the township is required of elected officials, but permanent residency in a community is sometimes hard to define.  "They need to reside within the boundaries of the township," Voye said. "But …

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Seven Questions with Jim Vitale

Get to know Jim Vitale, the newly appointed chairman of the Township Board of Supervisors.

Last week, the Township Board of Supervisors appointed three-year member Jim Vitale as its new chairman, replacing former chair Tim McLaughlin during the group's re-organization meeting.  Vitale, a Robert Morris University alum and 20-year Moon resident, said he didn't expect to be named chairman last week, but said "I thought maybe someday I might serve as chairman." Vitale, who is employed as an account executive at the Tyler Mountain Water Company, talked withMoon Patch about the township's biggest issues -- and what he loves most about living here.  In your three-year tenure on the board, what do you find most difficult about the job? It's just trying to make sense out of different people's expectations and hopefully trying to find a …

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Residents Speak Out Against Bus Shelters

Township residents sign petition to prevent new bus stops from being built.

A group of residents made it clear: They won't welcome a new bus shelter on Hunter's Run Drive.  Several residents  presented the Board of Supervisors with a petition Monday night, signed by neighbors who are opposed to the construction of a Lamar bus stop on the street.  In 2007, the township entered into an agreement with the Baton Rouge-based Lamar Advertising Company to build a series of black aluminum bus shelters, which feature prominent advertising displays, for both Port Authority and school district use.  Since the agreement became final, two such shelters have been built and eight building permits have been issued for future locations. Those sites include a shelter for the intersection of Hunter's Run Drive and Beaver Grade …

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Five Things You Need to Know This Week

Kick off your Jan. 3 with a rundown of the week's soon-to-be hot stories

1. Moon Township reorganization meeting The Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. tonight at the township building for its annual re-organization meeting.  It's the first meeting of the new year for the board, and the first meeting since the adoption of the 2011 budget. If you can't make the meeting, check in with Moon Patch first thing Tuesday morning: We'll have coverage of the meeting.  2. School district, teachers union negotiation update Last week, the Moon Area School District and the Moon Area Education Association met for a non-binding arbitration hearing, marking the second time the parties have met since teachers returned from a 13-day strike in November. Officials connected to the arbitration said they expected the arbitrator…