The municipality’s senior administrative staff meets each Thursday morning to share information and discuss upcoming events and meetings.  Here are a few “short takes” from the meeting that you will probably read about in future magazine issues:

• The fire department’s new ladder truck is en route from Nebraska and will arrive in Mt. Lebanon late Saturday afternoon. The $890,000 truck was purchased with the help of a $595,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security and the cost also was offset by  the sale old truck, making the total cost to Mt. Lebanon about $224,000.  The truck is wider than the old truck, so firefighters are urging resident to avoid parking directly across from one another on opposite sides of the street.  If there is a house on fire and cars are blocking passage, the fire truck will get through, says Chief Nick Sohyda.  (You figure it out!) Everyone is invited to the traditional Push-In ceremony, where firefighters push the truck into the bay, on Saturday, Feb. 4  from 4 to 6.
• Contractors were pouring footers this week for the new Marriott Springhill Suites hotel uptown.  Now that’s progress!
• The Fresh Market grocery store planned for the corner of Connor and Washington Roads has received preliminary approval from the municipal planning board, indicating that most concerns raised, including traffic issues, have been satisfactorily resolved. Final approval is still needed from the commission, but it seems that the green light is on.
• An elderly lady was a victim of a scam where her “grandson” called to say he was in jail in Mexico and needed several thousand dollars to get out.  She sent the money, unfortunately.  If you ever receive a similar sort of  call, please check with relatives  or the police department before wiring money.
• Tickets for Winterfest, an uptown festival on Saturday, Feb. 25, that will include entertainment and a chili cookoff, are  available at the customer service center in the municipal building or online at www.mtlebanonpartnership.com.  Cost is $10.
• Municipal Planner Keith McGill has posted the RFP for an update of Mt. Lebanon’s comprehensive plan.  The land use plan is required to be updated every 10 years.  Consultants responding to the RFP will need to detail their plans for getting diverse public input so that the finished plan reflects a shared community vision for the future.  A steering committee will work with the consultant on the plan, which will begin to take shape in April and continue for several months.