Despite protests from a handful of residents who attended the Northgate School Board meeting Monday evening, the district’s elected officials not only adopted a budget funded by a one-mill property tax increase, but found another $60,000 in additional expenditures to add to the bottom line.

Bellevue Council voted unanimously Tuesday to fill the vacant third ward council seat.

The vacancy created by the August resignation of Jerry Walter was filled by Mark Panichella, who will serve until the end of the year.

Panichella, 39, of Dawson Avenue, is the Democratic candidate for that seat, and will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot for a four-year term.

A native of Greensburg, he holds a bachelor of arts degree from West Virginia University and is the director of human resources for the VITAC corporation.

Bellevue has become the first of three local municipalities to adopt a joint zoning code, paving the way for the state’s first successful implementation of a multi-jurisdictional zoning effort.

Adoption of the code, which grew from the completion of a joint comprehensive plan, is in its final stages, with Avalon and Ben Avon borough councils slated to take action later this month on the code already approved by Allegheny County.

Kilbuck fire service

Beginning Sept. 1, fire calls in Kilbuck Township will be answered by the Emsworth and Ben Avon fire companies.

The Kilbuck Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its July 28 meeting to accept offers from the neighboring boroughs to provide fire services after the Kilbuck Township Volunteer Fire Company disbands in September.

Kilbuck will be divided at Plumer Avenue for the purpose of call response, with Emsworth and Ben Avon firefighters responding to calls in their respective areas.

A time crunch will leave Bellevue among the uncounted when the Allegheny County Health Department considers the adoption of new air quality guidelines on July 1.

Bellevue council decided, at its regular meeting on May 5, to readvertise for applicants for an appointment to the Civil Service Commission, after declining to select the only person who filed an application on time.

Bellevue Council unanimously approved, at its regular meeting on May 5, the purchase of new playground equipment for Bayne Park.

The borough will use a $10,000 grant that it received last year, and contribute $995 of its own money, for the purchase of two swing sets, a carousel and seesaw. The price does not include installation.

Council member Jerry Walter asked why installation was not included. Public works supervisor Tony Barbarino said that the public works department will do the installation.