Fiscal Year 2022 Requested Community Projects
Project Name: Avella School District Water Line Extension
Proposed Recipient: Avella Area School District
Address of Recipient: 1000 Avella Rd, Avella, PA 15312
Amount Requested: $500,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used for approximately 39,950 L.F. of 8-inch diameter ductile iron water line and appurtenances to provide potable water service to the Avella Area School facility as well as 47 customers along S.R. 0050. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as the Avella School facility, which serves roughly 650 students and staff, currently experiences water quality problems and quantity deficiencies in groundwater sources that require water to be trucked in. A public water supply will eliminate the safety hazard at the school and bring a safe and dependable water supply to the residents along the water line route.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Excela Health Cancer Care Equipment
Proposed Recipient: Excela Health
Address of Recipient: 532 West Pittsburgh Street, Greensburg, PA 15650
Amount Requested: $650,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used to acquire an intraoperative C-Arm Fluoroscopy for cancer treatments, which is used during radiology procedures to provide multi-dimensional imaging. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will allow Excela Health, the leading provider of health care for Westmoreland County’s 340,000 residents, to monitor patient progress and make treatment decisions and adjustments in real time for cancer patients.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Greene County Business Incubator
Proposed Recipient: Greene County Board of Commissioners
Address of Recipient: 93 East High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370
Amount Requested: $1,395,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used to rehabilitate the Silveus Building purchased by the county in 2019 to allow for the expansion of county departments and to create a Greene County Business Incubator. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will house Greene County services and diversify the local economy by encouraging growth of small businesses.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Washington County Campus
Proposed Recipient: Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc.
Address of Recipient: 3251 NE 180th Ave, Williston, FL 32696. The project will be located on 102 acres off Beagle Club Road in Robinson Township, PA 15205.
Amount Requested: $1,200,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used for Phase I of the project - preconstruction and site preparation to make the property pad ready for campus buildings. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as the Washington County Campus will serve veterans and other disabled individuals in Western Pennsylvania and widespread regions of the Midwest and Northeast who are receiving service dogs through GAMSD. Once finished, the campus will provide a place for these individuals to complete their medical service dog training, bond with their dogs, and learn to care for them.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport Master Plan Update
Proposed Recipient: Fayette County Airport Authority
Address of Recipient: 988 Sky Drive, Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used for a master plan study to determine the best of the two alternatives to extend the runway, as well as fund an Environmental Assessment. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will ensure the airport can meet increased demand for additional air transportation across Fayette County, which cannot be accommodated absent a runway extension to 5,500 feet. Should the runway be extended, annual operations will drastically increase, bringing visitors to Fayette County, who will support local businesses and foster economic growth.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Monongahela Valley Hospital Detoxification Unit
Proposed Recipient: Monongahela Valley Hospital Foundation
Address of Recipient: 1163 Country Club Road, Monongahela, PA 15063
Amount Requested: $455,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used to create a 14-bed Level 4 Detoxification Unit to serve patients with severe drug addiction in Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette, and Greene Counties. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will provide much-needed medical services to a region highly affected by the opioid epidemic. In 2017, Pennsylvania overdose deaths peaked at 5,369. That same year, the Monongahela Valley Hospital averaged 162 drug and alcohol-related admissions per month. As of March 25, 2021, there have been 33 suspected drug overdose deaths in Washington County alone, up from 20 over the same period in 2020.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Welcome and Education Center Improvements
Proposed Recipient: Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
Address of Recipient: 1 Museum Road, Washington, PA 15301
Amount Requested: $413,230
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used for construction of an outdoor family area, Americans with Disabilities Act accessible ramps, viewing platforms, and an entryway to the Trolley Display Building, an outdoor display area, sidewalks, street lighting, and parking for visitors and employees. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will ensure safe and equal access for all patrons, as well as provide necessary updates to help the museum achieve its mission to “preserve and perpetuate its collection of historic transportation equipment, artifacts, and archives and utilize the collection and other resources to provide an unparalleled immersive experience that brings the technology and culture of the Trolley Era alive through entertaining, educational, and diverse programming.”
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Washington Hospital Behavioral Health Unit
Proposed Recipient: Washington Hospital Foundation
Address of Recipient: 155 Wilson Avenue, Washington, PA 15301
Amount Requested: $1,208,200
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used renovate and optimize Washington Hospital’s Behavioral Health Unit. The unit is one of the only acute inpatient behavioral health units that provides 24-hour treatment for patients with mental health emergencies in Washington and Greene Counties. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will help residents in mental health crisis receive appropriate care, keep communities healthier and safer, and relieve a burden on regional, state, and national health systems and governments.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety Backup 9-1-1
Proposed Recipient: Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety
Address of Recipient: 911 Public Safety Road, Greensburg, PA 15601
Amount Requested: $527,784
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would be used to provide a semi-portable, backup 911 facility capable of setting up in any office environment if the main 9-1-1 Center experiences an outage or disaster. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as the county does not currently have a backup 9-1-1 facility.
Member Certification Letter
Project Name: Westmoreland Heritage Trail – Middle Gap Development
Proposed Recipient: Westmoreland County
Address of Recipient: 2 N. Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Explanation of Request: The requested funding would extend the Westmoreland Heritage Trail and tees up future construction of the envisioned Tunnel under S.R. 66. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will spur adjacent economic development, create new recreational opportunities, improve health of trail users, and provide alternative transportation options for the public.
Member Certification Letter