THE BOROUGH BULLETIN

Digital Newsletter
December 2025 Edition

"SNOW ANGELS" VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN THE WEXFORD AREA

Snow Angels is a volunteer program designed to assist older and disabled residents with snow removal from sidewalks and driveways after a winter storm. The program will run from December 1 through the last snowfall of the season.

The Borough is looking for volunteers willing to be a Snow Angel. Unfortunately, our Snow Angels program currently has more residents requiring assistance than we have volunteers. We have a number of residents requiring assistance in the Wexford area. However, we could use volunteers throughout the Borough.

Signing up to be a Snow Angel or to receive assistance is easy! Go to the Snow Angel Program page of our website to sign up online or to acquire additional information and guidelines for the program. Or contact Donna Platt at 412-364-4115, Ext. 302 or by email at dplatt@franklinparkborough.us.

If you know of a neighbor that could use the help, please volunteer to be their "Angel".

What's more exciting than fire trucks and Santa Claus!!

The annual visit of Santa Claus sponsored by the Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2025, from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Santa will be riding on the fire truck and will travel over all streets and roads. Parents should listen for the fire truck siren and escort younger children to the truck to receive a candy present from Santa

Light Up Your Holidays!

Recycle Your Old or Broken String Lights

Yes, it is that time of year! Ready to decorate for the holiday, but those pesky string lights just don't seem to want to work? Franklin Park is again offering a way to dispose of those old or broken string lights. A collection bin has been set up courtesy of Michael Brothers Hauling & Recycling to provide a place for you to recycle your lights for a good cause. Michael Brothers has partnered with Project Bundle-Up for their Annual Christmas Light Recycling Drive. All holiday lights are accepted. Preferably not attached to garland or wreaths.

The collection bin is located in the lobby of the Municipal Building and, available during regular business hours, Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, except for holiday closures. We will collect string lights until January 9, 2026.

All proceeds support Project Bundle-Up to provide winter outerwear to children and seniors,

YARD WASTE DROP OFF SITES CLOSED

The Yard Waste Drop Off Sites at Blueberry Hill Park are closed for the season. Please DO NOT leave any material at or near the site. The site will reopen on or about March 1, 2026, weather permitting. The Leaf Bag Drop Off Site will not formally close due to its proximity to the road. However, please try to refrain from placing leaf bags at the site during the winter months. This site is NOT to be used as an alternative to the Yard Waste Drop Off Site. Residents must obtain a new permit each year.

Both sites are under video surveillance. Violators will be prosecuted.

Curbside Christmas Tree Collection

The Public Works Department will be collecting Christmas trees at curbside the weeks of January 5 and January 12, 2026. All trees must be placed at the curb by 6:00am on Monday morning of each week. Please DO NOT leave plastic or any decorations on the tree. DO NOT place Christmas trees at the Yard Waste or Leaf Bag Drop Off Sites. If you miss the collection during the weeks of January 5 and January 12, you can place your tree at the wood mulch pile for chipping. There will be signs posted for the Christmas Tree drop off area at the lower park entrance.

2025 REMARKABLE TREE WINNER!

The winning tree is an Oak tree located on Locust Road, measures 10'4" in circumference and is estimated to be 156 years old. The tree offers a shady spot to sit and enjoy a beautiful day, provides lots of acorns for the deer, squirrels and other animals as well as a home for various nesting birds. A grand tree worthy of being a remarkable tree winner!

2026 Waste Management Residential Collection Information Flyer

For 2026 refuse/recycling rates, holiday schedule and collection information, view the flyer available to residents on our website at www.franklinparkborough.us.

Street Parking and Snow Removal Laws

Franklin Park Police would like to remind residents that on street parking is prohibited between 2am-6am every day. This becomes extremely important as we head into the winter months, so snow and ice removal vehicles can keep the streets clear. We would also like to remind residents that it is illegal to deposit or cause any snow or ice to be deposited on or immediately next to a fire hydrant or on any sidewalk, roadway or loading and unloading areas of a public transportation system, except that snow and ice may be mounded by the Borough on public cartways incidental to the cleaning thereof, and it’s just not cool to blow your snow into the street.

Under Pennsylvania law, the owner of any property abutting a sidewalk has a duty to maintain that sidewalk in a safe manner. In Franklin Park, that means clearing snow within 24 hours of a snow event and keeping the sidewalk in a state of good repair.

Franklin Park Borough is currently accepting applications for the following Borough Board(s) and Commission(s):

Building Board of Appeals (5 -year term) - 1 Vacancy
Requires training and experience consisting of licensure as an architect or engineer, experience in the construction industry, and training or experience as an inspector or plan reviewer.
Civil Service Commission (6-year term) - 1 Alternate Member Vacancy
Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) (3-year term) - 3 Vacancies
Recreation Board (5-year term) - 1 Vacancy
The Recreation Board is an advisory Board to Borough Council responsible for recreation issues and implementation of parks and recreation programs, including the Festival in the Park, and holiday events. Candidates must first attend/participate in three (3) Recreation Board meetings or events prior to being considered for appointment. Please contact Zach Brower, Recreation Director at 412-364-4115, ext. 347 or zbrower@franklinparkborough.us for more information.
Vacancy Board (1-year term) - 1 Vacancy

If you are interested in serving on one of these boards or commissions click the link for more information. Scroll down to "Become a Member" for links to the Board & Commission Application Form, Statement of Financial Interests form, Background Investigation Authorization Form.

Submit application, letter of interest and/or resume, Statement of Financial Interests form, Background Investigation Authorization Form to the Borough Secretary at ckrummert@franklinparkborough.us or 2344 West Ingomar Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 or submit it online.

WATERSHED WINTER BIRD COUNT

Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association is sponsoring its second Watershed Winter Bird Count this coming January 3, 2026, a Saturday. Participants can either participate as a field watcher or a feeder watcher.

To view the results of last year's count on our website use the following link: 2025 Watershed Winter Bird Count. It shows a remarkable diversity of 30+ species and a total of over 700 individual birds counted. Annual bird counts establish valuable sets of data which help document shifts in species populations. Equally important is that participation in the counts encourages a shared interest in the ecological health of our watershed.

Contact John Orndorff of the Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association by phone (412-313-1363) or by email (orndjo@gmail.com) about whether or not you plan to participate in this year's bird count. The more eyes and ears observing, the better the chance of finding those rare individual birds which we might otherwise miss.

Santa Visits Franklin Park
Sunday, December 21st from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Wednesday, December 24th
Christmas Eve - Borough offices will close at 12 Noon

Thursday, December 25th and Friday, December 26th
Christmas Holiday - Borough offices will be closed
(Garbage collection scheduled for Thursday will be delayed one day.)

Thursday, January 1st
New Year's Day - Borough offices will be closed
(Garbage collection scheduled for Thursday
will be delayed one day.)

Christmas Tree Collection
Weeks of January 5 and January 12, 2026
(All trees must be placed at the curb by 6:00am Monday morning of each week)

HAVE SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!

Monthly Meeting Schedule

All monthly meetings are open to the public and are either in-person, virtual or both. The link needed to attend a virtual meeting can be found on the meeting agenda on the Agenda & Minutes page or on the monthly Calendar on our website. This newsletter is published on or about the 15th of each month. Therefore, the meeting dates provided below will be from the 15th of this month through the 15th of next month. All meetings are subject to change, and residents are advised to check our website for latest updates.

Planning Commission - Tuesday, December 16 @ 8:00 pm

Borough Council Regular Meeting - Wednesday, December 17 @ 8:00 pm

Recreation Board - Tuesday, December 23 @ 7:00 pm (no meeting)

Environmental Advisory Council - Monday, January 5 @ 7:30 pm

Reorganization Meeting - Monday, January 5 @ 7:00 pm
The regular monthly Work Session meeting will be held immediately following the
Reorganization Meeting.

Zoning Hearing Board - Thursday, January 8 @ 7:30 pm