Former Oakmont Council president fills vacancy

Oakmont Council welcomed a familiar face back to its ranks to fill a vacancy.

Patricia Friday was sworn in by Mayor Sophia Facaros on May 15.

Friday was appointed by a narrow margin at a special meeting May 8 to fill the seat vacated by Lindsay Osterhout, council president. Osterhout was in the final year of her first four-year term on council.

In her resignation letter, Osterhout said her workload and family responsibilities have increased and she would not be able to dedicate time to borough meetings and serving. Her letter was submitted March 16.

Friday, a retired Riverview School District elementary principal, will serve through the end of this year. Her appointment will not impact the primary ballot.

Friday said she was honored to be appointed.

“It’s in the spirit of community service, and I felt I could be helpful with my experience. I thought I could come hit the ground running,” she said. “I’m anxious to read what’s going on and see where I can be best put to use.”

Friday, a Democrat, was on council for eight years and served as president for two years. She decided not to run for reelection in 2021.

Four candidates were interviewed for the vacancy, and council voted 4-3 in Friday’s favor. Friday’s supporters were Vice President Nancy Ride and members John Arnold and David Brankley. The mayor cast the deciding vote.

“All four were exceptionally good candidates,” Ride said. “The majority selected Patty because of her prior experience. She can help out immediately. To have someone serve for just a few months was too much of a learning curve, I thought.”

Facaros, who served on council with Friday, echoed Ride’s comments.

“Her qualifications (and) experience, her position on council as council member and as past president (set her apart),” Facaros said. “(She is) very knowledgeable of the community with her many years living in town.”

Council plans to host a reorganization meeting to appoint its new president and vice president at 7 p.m. June 6. It will go into a workshop meeting afterward.

In other business

• Motorists should expect to see an increased police presence the next few weeks, particularly along Hulton Road.

Sgt. Stephen Turpin announced the department will participate in Just Buckle Up, also called Click It or Ticket, a campaign designed to crackdown on aggressive driving and traffic violations.

One of the areas of concern is the Third Avenue-Hulton Road intersection. Turpin said drivers have been ignoring posted signs and making illegal turns in that area.

Oakmont police will use state grant funds through the Eastern Allegheny Traffic Safety Alliance to help cover manpower and traffic enforcement shifts through June 4. The grant is administered through the Plum Police Department.

• Councilwoman Amanda Pagnotta announced an official Oakmont Facebook page is in the works. One of its goals is to help inform residents of official borough actions, events and more.

Pagnotta said more work needs to be done, including updating the borough’s social media policy.

The new page address is Facebook.com/oakmontborough.