Getting free at-home COVID-19 tests just got easier.  Health insurers are now covering the cost, and the federal government has launched its website for free tests.

The federal government’s test website, COVIDtests.gov, is now live.

The Allegheny Health Department in collaboration with the Borough of Forest Hills is offering a FREE COVID-19 and Flu vaccine clinic at the Westinghouse Lodge on Monday, January 31^st from 1 PM-4 PM.  Parking is free in the lot right across from the Lodge.  Complete details and pre-registration link are available here.

Results of the Second House Decorating Contest

Note: Posting was delayed due to pending notification of winners.

Congratulations to this year’s winners! Thanks also to everyone who participated in the voting.

1st Place 743 Braddock Road Walter and Patricia Oliver	2nd Place 250 Avenue A Vince Donofri0	3rd Place 814 Braddock Road Phil Jacob

Please Take Note To Ensure Your Payments Are Received By The Correct Department

Refuse, sewage, fire payments and local service tax (LST) should be placed in an envelope marked: Borough of Forest Hills.

School and borough real estate tax should be placed in an envelope and marked: Tax Collector.

Please do not put Tax Collector payments in the same envelope as Borough of Forest Hills payments.

The state is offering a new program through the Commonwealth of PA’s Department of Human Services. The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is a temporary emergency program to help low-income families pay overdue water bills. LIHWAP is a grant. You do not have to repay it. LIHWAP- will be accepting applications for assistance beginning January 4th of 2022.  The site does provide consumer-friendly directions to apply through the PA COMPASS website. Complete information is at this site: Water Assistance LIHWAP Program.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is announcing single-lane restrictions on Route 30 (Ardmore Boulevard) in Forest Hills Borough, Allegheny County begining  Monday, December 13 weather permitting.  Single-lane restrictions will occur in on Ardmore Boulevard as needed between Bevington Road and Kenmore Avenue weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the eastbound direction and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the westbound direction through early January. Crews will conduct preliminary construction activities including test pitting utility locations.

The $13.73 million improvement project on connecting Routes 8 and 30 between Brinton Road in Wilkinsburg Borough and Yost Boulevard in Forest Hills Borough includes the replacement of three culverts requiring traffic crossovers, paving operations, ADA curb ramp installation, drainage improvements, signing and pavement marking installation, and other miscellaneous construction. The overall project is expected to conclude in summer of 2023.  Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.  511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Pool and Tennis Passes will be cut by 50% in 2022. Look for more details in the spring issue of the newsletter.

Forest Hills Borough office is now open on a limited basis during the following hours (except certain holidays or for staff meetings held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from Noon – 2:30 PM):

Monday
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM – 6:45 PM
Friday
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Those entering the building must use a properly affixed mask and follow restrictions as posted.  Please have your checks and bills prepared in advance before coming into the building.  Staff will continue to work as long as they remain in good health and the borough encourages the public to continue to contact the office during business hours at 412-351-7330 with issues or questions that may arise. The borough continues to provide its usual full services including public safety services and the public works crew will continue its normal duties.

Permits and inspections are also limited and residents should call the Borough Office to get speak to our code enforcement / building / Zoning personnel.

Citizens may continue to contact the police department for both emergency and non-emergency matters by calling 911.  If at the municipal building, a small blue call box is located near the bulletin board at the main entrance than can be used to contact the police for both emergency needs and non-emergency information.  If an officer is not on an emergency call one will meet  you at the building.

A drop box is located at the main entrance to the borough building for payments by check or money order and the borough encourages citizens to continue to use it. Other documents for the borough may be placed there as well. An online payment option is also available through the website.

Obviously as conditions change this information will change as well.  Please contact the office for up to date information.  Forest Hills appreciates your understanding and reminds all to safely check on neighbors and friends.

Adagio Health is dedicated to providing prevention services to hard to reach resident populations – especially crucial cancer screening services such as mammograms via voucher program.  To learn more about the Mammogram Voucher Program and Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program click this link.

What can our region do about climate change and the vulnerabilities it creates in our communities? Please tell us in CONNECT’s Regional Climate Survey  It will only take about 5 minutes and will help our local governments plan for the future.

Future council business meetings will be held in person  at 4400 Greensburg Pike with restrictions required by the pandemic.  For June 16th that will include limited attendance permitted (max of 15 people), masks required, social distancing required and anyone attending should leave the room immediately upon council adjournment.   This is tentative pending any changes in CDC or health deptartment regulations which could return business meetings to Zoom.  This is a constantly changing situation and we will continue to advise via the borough website.  We anticipate that future meetings may be livestreamed on the borough’s YouTube channel (Tree City TV) though that is still a work in progress and will not occur on June 16th.

Note: Council Committees Meetings, Finance, Public Safety, etc., will continue via Zoom but is subject to change.

If you have an issue that you would like council or the Mayor to address but cannot attend a meeting, please submit your concern or idea to council by calling the borough office at 412-351-7330 and speak to staff or leave a detailed message. All messages submitted will be presented to council for review either in committee or at a business meeting or both. You may also submit your concern or idea to council by completing the form found here.

Again, we will keep you updated via the website but you should also feel free to call the office at the above number. And please call the office if you have any questions.

In early February a mailing was sent for the 2021/2022 Woodland Hills EMS Subscription Drive.  Subscription coverages go from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022.  We count on your support to help us to keep Woodland Hills EMS up-to-date on training and equipment.  Member benefits also help you when you need it the most.  Questions regarding our Subscription Drive should be forwarded to 412-351-9111 or whems340@gmail.com.  You can also view a copy of the mailer which includes complete information by clicking here!

Click here for Subscription and Billing information.

Help us help you!!  Donate today!

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority has created the Clean Water Assistance Fund to help families pay their sewage treatment bills. This program serves low-income homeowners in the 83 municipalities that ALCOSAN serves. It is administered by Dollar Energy Fund.  Learn more here.

Forest Hills Borough is developing an Active Transportation Plan to encourage pedestrian and non-motorized ways of moving from place to place.  We are especially focused on making non-motorized forms of transportation safer and more convenient in Forest Hills, especially in the business district, and in areas around the parks.  We are also interested in ways to improve access to public transit and bicycle options.  Please look at the interactive map here and note specific areas where you have a concern or have observed safety issues.  You can add your comments in the feedback box found on that page.  This information will be used to shape our Active Transit Plan.”  Click this link for the Interactive Map.

In conjunction with our consultants and resident input, a DRAFT Active Transportation Plan has been prepared.  You can also view a brief Active Transportation Plan Summary here.

Additionally there are three catalyst projects which are the Greensburg Pike, Brinton Road, and Ardmore Boulevard Catalyst Projects.

For a limited time only, the Allegheny County Vacant Property Recovery Program will be accepting applications to acquire vacant properties for side yards to an owner-occupied primary residence or blighted structure remediation at a reduced cost to the applicant. Under the 2020 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program, we will waive our standard parcel fee of $3,000 for applicants for a side yard to their primary residence and applicants proposing to demolish a blighted structure. We will reduce the fee to $1,400 for applicants proposing to rehabilitate a blighted structure. All applicants will also be responsible for the appraised value of the property, a good faith deposit, and closing costs. The application, which contains additional details about the Program guidelines, can be accessed at our website: www.alleghenycounty.us/VPRP. We are excited to announce that we will now be accepting electronic submissions to VPRP@AlleghenyCounty.us, as always, all required materials must be submitted at time of application.