Saxonburg Area Business Association reshuffles board
At their first meeting of the year on Tuesday morning, Jan. 14, the Saxonburg Area Business Association reshuffled its board.
Of the seven members of the 2024 board, two — board vice president and local real estate agent Kerri Kadyk, and board president Phil Wain of Wain Landscaping — stepped down after their two-year terms expired. The five other board members are staying put.
An election was held to determine which two of three candidates would take the seats vacated by Wain and Kadyk.
Sherry Rankin of the Tearoom on Main and Lisa Blackwell of Rustic Blossom Boutique garnered the most votes, putting them on the board ahead of Valerie Chittester. Originally, local real estate agent Justin Kovach was on the ballot, but dropped out.
While there are seven board members, only four serve in the executive positions of president, vice president, treasurer and secretary.
Ryan Pugh of M.B. Pro Services will serve as president of the board, while local real estate agent Jack Hutterer will continue in his prior role as treasurer and Dan Byerly of Saxonburg Memorial Church will do likewise as secretary. The role of vice president has yet to be filled.
During the January meeting, Saxonburg borough secretary Steven May served as guest speaker.
May addressed the fact Saxonburg Borough Council recently raised its tax rate by 1.5 mills, from 20.66 to 22.16. He said that this was a tough pill to swallow for all involved.
“I was nervous about it. The council, of course, was nervous about it when we were working through the budget,” May said. “But as I’m reading through the Butler Eagle, you see … it’s the same story all around.”
May also brought up security concerns on Main Street, a topic which came up following the terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. He said the issue will be addressed at a future borough council meeting.
May was particularly touched by the attacks, as he had previously been to New Orleans and walked the same street where the attack occurred.
“Some of those pictures where the gentleman was hit in the wheelchair … I stood on that street corner. I have pictures of me there,” May said. “That makes me very, very nervous.”
While May did not go into details about what changes are proposed, he promised that the borough would do everything in its power to prevent such an incident from happening in Saxonburg.
“We may make a move to make Main Street impenetrable,” May said. “That way we don't have an incident like that. I’d like to make it so that people know they’re safe.”
May also mentioned that Saxonburg will look for a new solution for Christmas lights starting next holiday season. He said the current setup for Christmas lights on borough streets is both prohibitively expensive and a safety hazard.
“They are electrical-taped together. They are becoming a safety hazard,” May said. “You wouldn't believe how much commercial Christmas decorations are. It’s like $400 even if you wanted the little candles attached to the poles.”
May said that the borough will seek feedback from the public on an alternative solution, as officials do still want to make Saxonburg’s streets come alive for the holiday season.
“We do want to keep festive, of course,” May said. “I don't want to leave it bare.”
