HARMONY — Officials from Harmony, Zelienople, and Jackson Township met Tuesday at the Harmony Museum to discuss what their communities did in 2013 and what is on the docket this year.

They spoke at the Zelienople-Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce annual State of the Union luncheon as more than 30 people listened. The luncheon also served as an early farewell to state Rep. Dick Stevenson, R-8th, who will leave office after representing the communities for 12 years

Stevenson will retire at the end of the year, and he is being replaced by Rep. Jim Marshall, who represents the 14th District. Due to redistricting changes, Marshall will represent Harmony and Zelienople.

Stevenson told the crowd he enjoyed his time in office and that he will continue to fight for local projects, including plans to revitalize downtown Zelienople.

“I’m very optimistic,” Stevenson said of the project. “I will continue to push until the end of my term.”

Marshall followed up Stevenson’s comments and also said the revitalization is important, noting that the Kaufman House, which is part of the revitalization project, could be an “anchor of the communities.”

After comments by the two men and state Sen. Elder Vogel Jr., R-47th, the crowd heard updates from other officials.

Zelienople

Borough Manager Don Pepe said the main project in 2014 is the Main Street revitalization, but he also said this winter has been tough on the community.

“This has been a very humbling year,” Pepe said, referring to the long, sustained winter that has bombarded the area with snow and cold. “This year has been a very difficult time for all of us,” he said.

Pepe stressed that the Main Street project is “super important for this region,” and that it would have “an enormous impact on all of us.”

The project, which is reliant on a possible state grant, would allow the borough to redevelop the downtown with new street signs, lighting, underground utility connections, and parking.

“The Kaufman House is a key component to our Main Street,” Pepe added. “The inner city parking lot, it’s really the highest priority we have.”

Zelienople Police Chief Jim Miller said issues for his department include changes in personnel, a partnership with the Seneca Valley School District and community drug issues.

Four police officers recently retired and were replaced, Miller said.

Miller said the department patrols schools as many as seven times a day under an agreement with Seneca Valley because “school security is a big issue.”

The recent bad batch of heroin in the region — attributed to doses labeled “Theraflu” — hit the borough, Miller noted, when a woman was arrested and alleged to have sold bad heroin to many users, including her own daughter.

Miller said there were five overdoses from the heroin in the borough and that four of the victims could credit being alive to fast acting paramedics administering the drug narcan.

“If it wasn’t for the EMTs,” Miller said, “these people would have died.”

The Zelienople Fire Department’s focus in 2013 was on training and safety. Fire Chief Rob Reeb said firefighters participated in 2,500 hours of in-house training and 2,700 hours of outside training.

“We have a truly amazing group,” Reeb said.

Reeb said this year the department will continue to focus on training and safety but also work toward increasing its membership. The department only added six new firefighters over two years, a trend that Reeb said is a problem.

Harmony

Council President Jim Hulings lavished praise on the borough, noting that it has a historic background and has many homes that feature religious symbols and American flags in their yards.

He also said the crime rate is nearly zero and the borough had more churches than bars.

“(Harmony) is a treasure we need to preserve,” Hulings said. “We have a very dedicated borough that protects it.”

Neal Nanna, chief of the Harmony Volunteer Fire Department, said the department has been growing as it covers Harmony, Jackson Township and Lancaster Township.

“We received 500 (fire and accident) calls last year,” Nanna said.

He also said the department was recognized by the state fire commissioner because of its many certified firefighters. The department’s ISO insurance rating, which is an analysis of fire protection efforts, improved from a 6.9 to a 5.8, and could lead to lower insurance rates for residents and businesses.

Jay Grinnell of the Harmony EMS said last year there were 7,400 people moved by the services’ ambulances.

Grinnell, who is also a Jackson Township supervisor, said the ramifications of the federal Affordable Care Act are being felt in the township as there will be an expected 65 percent increase in health care costs to the township due to the new law.

Jackson Township

In 2014, the township will focus on “keeping up and catching up” said Chris Rearick, township manager.

Rearick said the township is faced with multiple issues, including Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling, road improvements, and growing housing plans.

Rearick said the township is remodeling its 4,500 square foot police station, which should be done in June. The total cost of the project is about $2 million.

Terry Seilhamer, Jackson Township police chief, said the highest priority for his department this year is to get out of the temporary structure the department has been in for more than 10 years.

The department plans on replacing it’s K-9 officer due to old age. Seilhamer said the department is seeking funds for the K-9 unit.

Also, the department plans to replace officers’ ballistic vests, which have a five-year shelf life.

One area of concern, Seilhamer said, is improved access into and out of the Seneca Valley School District campus, which has three schools with a combined population of more than 4,000 students.

Officials have explored options to increase access in the event of an emergency, such as widening Seneca School Road, or a less viable option of building a bridge that crosses Connoquenessing Creek.

The bridge plan has been all but ruled out because of the cost, Seilhamer said.