ZELIENOPLE — Borough council approved the purchase of five transformers to help a number of Zelienople residents and businesses that have had electric issues, according to borough manager Andrew Spencer.

Council on Monday voted unanimously to purchase the five transformers from T & R Electric for $64,111.

“A number of electric service upgrades have been requested of the borough, at four properties,” Spencer said. “The electric committee has had some email communications on this.”

According to public works director Chad Garland, the transformers are expected to be delivered between March and August 2024.

According to council vice president Drew Mathew, these transformers are smaller than the ones ordered for the Main Street Revitalization Project.

“The ones we just ordered are for small businesses (while) the ones (for the) Main Street (Revitalization Project) are for multiple businesses,” Matthew said. “They need it upgraded. They are wanting more power. Right now, they’re using generators until we can get them the extra power.”

According to Mathew, some of the transformers are going to service the industrial park. Another will service a portion of Main Street and others will service residential neighborhoods.

Council also voted to repair a portion of the sidewalk at the northeast corner of High Street and New Castle Street.

The borough will pay Franz Crete LLC $6,200 for the project.

According to council president Mary Hess, the sidewalk has deteriorated and requires repair to be ADA-compliant. Additionally, the sidewalk is too steep and will need to be improved to make a more gradual incline.

“It can only be so steep, so we have to extend it longer. That’s why it costs so much,” Hess said. “We have to remove multiple pads of concrete to kind of get the slope down.”

The Zelienople Area Business Association’s Small Business Saturday will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 25. According to Matt Edwards, of the business association, there are talks of holding off on the ice sculpture portion of the event until December when the weather is colder.

“It will be a lot of the same things that we’ve done in the past for Small Business Saturday, running promotions for our local businesses, offering giveaways and prizes for people who come and shop locally that Saturday,” Edwards said.