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Community Relations Board is composed of eleven members, five selected by ward and six at-large and serve three-year terms.
Duties
Advises the Commission in connection with these relations
Encourages compliance with all laws regarding the rights of citizens
Conducts mediation of neighborhood disputes
Establishes a position of community leadership with respect to all matters of community relations
Recommends diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
Functions in a conciliatory manner pertaining to problems which may arise regarding citizen rights
Promotes unity among residents of diverse backgrounds
Our Mission
The goal of the Community Relations Board is to promote a high quality of life for all Mt. Lebanon residents and create a welcoming environment that encourages diversity and inclusion. This is achieved through public forums, educational initiatives, gatherings with community leaders and mediation among residents. The Board also advises the Commission in respect to all related matters.
Staff Liaison
If you have any questions, please contact staff liaison ">Robyn Vittek at 412-942-0922. Confidential emails may be sent to the Community Relations Board using .
Community Dispute Resolution Service
The CRB provides free non-binding confidential community dispute resolution services, including mediation, to help residents whose concerns, complaints, or disputes have reached an impasse. To learn more about the CRB community dispute resolution and mediation process, contact the CRB staff liaison, Robyn Vittek, or 412-942-0922.
Community Service Award
Mt. Lebanon’s Community Relations Board is searching for a resident who has volunteered his or her time to make a real difference in the quality of life in our community. Complete details are available here.
History
The passing of the national civil rights legislation in 1964, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Study on Fair Housing in 1965, and a subsequent study by the Mt. Lebanon League of Women Voters that revealed discriminatory attitudes on the part of some local realtors prompted a League of Women Voters campaign to convince the Mt. Lebanon Commission to institute a community relations board. The Mt. Lebanon Community Relations Board was founded in 1966.
Read the ordinance that created the CRB here.
CRB By-laws
CRB increased in size in 2002. Read the ordinance here.
The CRB again increased its size in 2022. Read the ordinance here.
Human Relations Laws
Over the next 40 years and in response to changing society, the CRB has moved far beyond its original singular mandate of encouraging compliance to laws in the area of human relations. Today, the board plays a proactive role in creating a welcoming environment for people of diverse backgrounds and ensuring that all residents of Mt. Lebanon have the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life. Through monthly meetings, dialogues, forums, studies and surveys of individuals and groups in the community the board has attempted to identify the residents’ needs and to bring them to the attention of elected officials and the general public. With the support of the municipal staff, the CRB has been successful in offering solutions to the problems by bringing the appropriate individuals, groups and agencies together to create the necessary programs.
Example Programs
In 1974, the Board’s initiative in identifying the need for a walk-in counseling center for with drug, alcohol and family problems, led to the formation of Outreach South. Now called Outreach Teen and Family Services, the agency was modeled after a successful inner city YMCA program but was first a program in a suburban Pittsburgh community.
In 1986, after undertaking a study, the CRB determined the need for supervision or care of latchkey kids before and after school and recommended a panel be formed to address this problem and create facilities to serve this purpose. This resulted in the Mt. Lebanon Extended Day Program.
In 1987, the CRB commissioned a study to evaluate the quality of life of seniors in the community. The CRB then facilitated a public/private coalition of the The Crossroads Foundation, St. Clair Hospital and the municipality, which in turn became Senior Partners, as a starting point to address their concerns and needs.
Starting in May 2005 and continuing, the CRB, taking into account the rising population of senior citizens in Mt. Lebanon, held the first “Senior Health & Wellness Fair” at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon, with the cooperation of St. Clair Hospital’s Lifeline program, Mt. Lebanon Municipality, Police Department, Fire Department, (MRTSA) Medical Rescue Team South Authority, local senior care centers and many other local Mt. Lebanon businesses.
The Board Today
Today, the Mt. Lebanon Community Relations Board is poised to continue the tradition of finding innovative ways to “be there” for the community, while still fulfilling its original mission of seeing that laws pertaining to human rights are upheld. Read the CRB's latest strategic plan.
