Zelienople is the last of four municipalities weighing participation in the new Southwest Butler Stormwater Authority, an intergovernmental group that could address stormwater issues of four municipalities in southwestern Butler County.

At its meeting Monday, June 24, Zelienople council scheduled a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. July 29 at the borough’s municipal meeting.

Jackson Township agreed to form the stormwater authority during its Thursday meeting, while Harmony and Evans City approved joining the authority earlier.

Council president Mary Hess said some people have come to meetings expressing concern about potential fees that could result from the authority’s formation. Fees would be determined after the group’s formation, but are expected to be $60 or less per year for residents and a little higher for businesses and other entities.

Discussions to form such an authority began in 2019 following a flood that affected the region. Initial conversations featured 10 municipalities, including Adams, Cranberry, Forward, Lancaster and Penn townships, as well as the borough of Seven Fields.

Also at Monday’s meeting, borough police Sergeant Kevin Mikulan was promoted to a newly formed rank at the Zelienople Police Department.

Mikulan passed the necessary physical and written tests to advance his rank to lieutenant. The promotion is effective July 8.

“He’s a wonderful asset to this community and we are very grateful to have him,” Hess said at the Monday meeting.

The council passed legislation indicating lieutenants will make $0.75 more per hour than sergeants.

Council members announced plans to fix a sidewalk on Newcastle Street in the near future and then turn their attention to lighting and utility poles along the streets.

There also was discussion about freshening up a couple of interior items, such as restrooms in the police station.

Tom Nesbitt, borough resident and member of the Zelienople Historical Society, has been putting together an inventory of all historical preservation work done thus far, which includes the Historical Plaque Program, originally sponsored in 2022 by Zelienople borough and the Zelienople Historical Society.

These bronze plaques, marked with a trademark Zelienople “Z,” have been put in place to highlight and verify the age of structures in the town that are more than 100 years old.

Council members aim to encourage the beautification trends that already are being seen on Main Street, and hope to make themselves and the historical society useful resources to help potential buyers of historical buildings decide how to best honor the town’s history.

The council will next meet at 7:30 p.m. July 8 in the borough’s municipal building.

Eagle assignment editor Tracy Leturgey contributed to this report.