There are five four-year seats and one two-year seat that will be filled in the Northgate School Board elections this year. Primary votes for cross-filed candidates could wrap this up next week, or the vrace could wait until November for a final decision.

The candidates are:

Tim Makatura Dr. Makatura, from Bellevue, was appointed to the board last August to fill a vacancy. A psychologist who works as a clinician and a college instructor, he holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, a master's degree in guidance and counseling, and a Ph.D in psychology.

Historically, Bellevue has been a dry town. No neighborhood bars where friends can gather to tip a few frosties and talk over the triumphs or travails of the day. No restaurants where diners may sip a pre-dinner whiskey sour.

For decades, though, proponents of change have attempted to revoke that dry status by proposing referendums that would allow liquor licenses in Bellevue. This year's election once again puts the issue on the May 17 ballot, with those voters who prefer maintaining the status quo vying against those who feel that it is time to change.

The Kilbuck Township Planning Commission's first order of business Tuesday evening was to elect officers for the coming year.

Jack Ferguson was named chairman, with Paul Miller elected vice chair and Keith Cameron as secretary.

The Avalon Police Department has been awarded two grants that will go to purchase computers and bullet-proof vests.

Chief Tom Kokoski and Avalon Council safety committee chairman Patrick Narcisi announced the grants at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Earned income taxes for Avalon Borough and the Northgate School District will be collected next year by a new company, as both local government agencies have opted to hire the regional tax collector a year early.

State law -- Act 32 -- requires that EIT collection be consolidated throughout the state, in most cases on a county-by-county basis. Because of its size and population, Allegheny County has been divided into four tax collection districts, with local municipalities and school districts located in the Allegheny North Tax Collection District (ANTCD).

Ben Avon Council unanimously approved term limits for members of the Joint Planning Commission.

Chairman Scott Keener's term will expire 2011, John Busse's 2012, Thomas Mrozenski's 2013, and alternate Catherine Houska's 2014—all on December 31 of those years.

Council didn't set term limits when the members were originally appointed, but did so at Tuesday's meeting to comply with the planning code. Terms are staggered so multiple vacancies do not arise at the same time. When the time comes, re-appointments will be for the full, four-year term.

An ordinance under consideration by Avalon Council could give police the power to fine the owner of any property where officers are called more than twice in a 30-day period.

Property owners would be charged $100 per call in excess of the limit. Property owners who fail to pay the fine within 10 days of receiving an invoice from the police department could be charged with a summary criminal offense and fined an additional $25 to $100.

The ordinance would apply to the owners of any property in the borough -- residential, commercial or vacant lot.

Bellevue residents could find themselves subjected to street sweeping parking restrictions year 'round.

"I want this enforced," safety committee chairman David Gillingham Jr. said of the borough's 1981 ordinance that provides for the weekly parking prohibitions on particular streets to be in place all year, rather than just the April through November period that has been the practice for decades.

Bellevue Council has once again found itself in the position of needing to hire someone for the swimming pool, but not having any funds budgeted.

A motion to hire two people to work as cashiers ran into problems at council's work session on Tuesday when council member Jane Braunlich pointed out that the budget line item being used by the parks committee had already been spent.

"You cannot take it out of that line item. That line item no longer exists," Braunlich said.

Bellevue will not be applying for a grant to fund a new police officer position if officials follow their own directive.

Safety committee chairman David Gillingham Jr. made a motion at council’s regular meeting Tuesday to apply for a COPS grant that would provide funding for a new police officer for three years. Gillingham, however, could not answer questions about whether the borough would have to pick up the tab for the officer after the 36-months funding period.

Avalon Police Officer Tom Kokoski has been hired as the borough's new police chief.

A search for a replacement for current Chief Robert Howie -- who will retire later this month after a dozen years in the position -- took months and involved a great deal of debate and conversation, according to council safety committee chairman Patrick Narcisi.

"It was a very difficult decision," Narcisi said at a special council meeting held Tuesday to hire a new chief.