Penn Hills is moving ahead with a strategic plan to help set goals for the community.

Council on Monday approved a contract with Strategy Solutions of Erie, worth up to $10,000, which will be paid with a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant.

Penn Hills will need to spend the money by June because the grant will expire, said Terry Van Horne, municipal manager.

Howard Davidson, municipal planning director, said he wants council to lead the process so the strategic plan doesn't wind up sitting on a shelf, collecting dust.

Council heard a presentation in February from Strategy Solutions about helping Penn Hills work on a strategic plan that would be based on recommendations from an early intervention study done in 2006.

The firm has worked for communities such as Erie, Titusville, Fairfax County, Va., and Marysville, Ohio, on similar plans.

Debra Thompson, the company's president, suggested organizing the process by assembling a steering committee, holding community forums, developing and implementing a community survey, developing community vision statements and goals, collecting community input and implementing the plan.

Strategy Solutions focuses on strategic planning, market research and implementation management for private companies; not-for-profit, community and faith-based organizations; communities and governments.

Also at Monday's meeting:

• Theresa Sciulli, controller, told council she received a $15,000 Verizon phone bill for lines in the municipal building. The typical monthly bill is $4,000.

The building used to have phone service through Remi Communications, which went out of business. The municipality switched to Verizon after having less than 30 days to find another provider, Van Horne said.

He is working with Verizon to reduce the bill because Verizon charged about $200 per line for more than 50 lines that were transferred from Remi to Verizon, he said

Councilwoman Sara Kuhn said she hopes the municipality doesn't get charged another $15,000 when it switches soon to another phone company.

• Council tabled paying McVay Plumbing of Penn Hills $24,145 for emergency installation of a water line at Penn Hills Park.

In some areas, the line is 20 to 25 feet underground and the municipality does not have a map of the line, Van Horne said.

Officials have known about the situation since late fall.

Resident Joseph "Mickey" O'Connor said he tried to have the line replaced six years ago when he was the municipal purchasing agent.

Kuhn said she doesn't like using the term "emergency" because it is not appropriate for this project.

Mayor Anthony DeLuca Jr. said bids should have been sought for the work.

The municipality now will seek bids, Kuhn said.