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Somehow, an article that was written after the January 5, 2004 meeting of board of county commissioners and published
in the newspaper on the 6th, is now online with another date-tag.
Nonetheless, an important point was brought up concerning tax-exemptions and abatements that was nicely given some print
space. (hey, who knows, maybe they'll mistakenly upload the article that features Citizen _____ making comments about
the controversy about electronic touch-screen voting machines.
Commissioners scrap independent tax assessment appeals
board
By Paul Sunyak , Herald-Standard
02/06/2004
Excerpt:
Citizen _____ urged the commissioners to calculate the real estate taxes lost through tax abatement programs - such
as the Keystone Opportunity Zone and the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Act (LERTA) - and to release that figure in future
budget presentations.
______ said that such programs result in a tax shifting to other property owners, who deserve
to know the extent to which they are subsidizing those programs.
More...
While the FC Housing Authority has not yet requested to be awarded KOZ status for any of its properties, we need to continue
watching as new development project begins... More public monies will be used in the county for development of projects when
all units are not yet fully utilized, currently, with existing housing.
Related material
The Housing Authority is seeking Hope Grants from the federal government for housing development..
Zimmerlink addresses inquiry results
By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
01/28/2007
Calling it a "thorn in her side since 2003," Fayette County Commission Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink
Thursday addressed the results of an inquiry relating to the Fayette County Housing Authority that began when she announced
that her father was a Section 8 landlord.
Zimmerlink said that in July 2003, she made public that she had discovered her estranged father was a Section
8 landlord. As a follow-up to Zimmerlink's announcement, the board asked for a review of the FCHA Section 8 program to ensure
the FCHA was compliant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations regarding landlords and conflicts
of interest.
As a result of the investigation, Zimmerlink said five conflicts were discovered, two appearances of a
conflict were discovered and eight FCHA staff with family members as Section 8 landlords were found to have no conflict.
Of
the conflicts, three individuals had to terminate contracts, including Robert Keill (Zimmerlink's father), Norm Davis (father
of the founders of the Davis and Davis law firm, which serves as FCHA solicitor) and John Over of Cedar Tree Development,
brother of FCHA finance director Sonya Over.
Anna Belle Cooper, sister of former FCHA board member the Rev. Howard
Dantzler, did not have to cancel a contract or return money because her contract was discovered after Dantzler was no longer
a board member.
HUD required that in addition to Norm Davis terminating five tenants, the FCHA had to repay HUD $3,909.
Also, Keill had to terminate his one tenant and a total of $1,352 was repaid to HUD.
Zimmerlink addressed the issue
at Thursday's monthly commissioners' meeting, after Barb Peters spoke during public comment....
Peters said the FCHA is depleting cash reserves every year. "Your board appointments approved all this,"
she said. Peters also cited problems at the FCHA, including findings in an audit that included fraud, approval of change orders,
regulating bank accounts, and conflicts of interest with Section 8 housing and other issues.
Peters said she believes
the executive director may have hindered the actions of the board. "He baffles them with (crap) a great deal of the time,"
Peters said. She said she would like the FCHA to be an elected board, and would also like to see an increase in the number
of board members...
Voice your opinions and viewpoints, but get the facts straight, or we are all discredited...
Zimmerlink never gets criticized
01/26/2007
I am responding to the editorial in the Jan. 10 issue of this newspaper regarding "Commendable." Why is
it that this newspaper thinks that Fayette County Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink can do no wrong?
At the Fayette County Housing Authority, Angela voted numerous times on all voucher payments, including Section
8 HAP payments, fully aware that her father was a Section 8 landlord. As a board member, she is definitely supposed
to know the procedure.
She questions everything else that goes on. I guess that since it was her father, it was OKto go against proper procedure, even though it is against the state ethics code and illegal. Of course,
she will make some type of excuse to justify her actions, and this newspaper will back her...
Tammy R. Soisson
Vanderbilt
Joseph Hardy is among property owners taking advantage of tax-abatement programs such as LERTA through the Uniontown
Area School district and Wharton Township. Fayette County commissioners also must weigh in on LERTA reauthorizations,
but not for specific projects.
2004 letter indicates Hardy threatened to disband authority
By Steve Ferris, Herald-Standard
01/28/2007
Fayette County Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III threatened in 2004 to disband the Fayette County Airport
Authority because the board had not resolved a legal dispute that began in 1987 with an airport tenant, according to a letter
he wrote.
The June 23, 2004, letter to then-authority chairman Fred K. Davis references the dispute involving TOL Aviation.
A Fayette County Common Pleas Court judge ruled last September in favor of the authority, awarding it $68,183
in damages for unpaid hangar rent plus interest.
Davis said the total award was around $100,000.
TOL built
hangars at the airport in 1983, but did not pay rent to the authority. The ruling awarded back rent dating to 1987.
In
his letter, Hardy said he met with TOL's attorney and wanted to urge the authority to promptly settle the matter out of court.
Hardy
wrote that TOL was prepared to offer a reasonable cash settlement and, if the authority were to lose its lawsuit, TOL would
have been in a position to remove its hangars...
Nobers said Hardy was concerned about several issues that had not been resolved at the time. He said
Hardy wanted the authority to "move forward or he would begin discussing disbanding and looking at other ways to operate." The
issues were the TOL lawsuit, an easement dispute and the runway extension project, but all three are on track, Nobers said. Davis
said the easement dispute involved property owned by former state Rep. Jim Shaner. Shaner wanted $15,000 for property
and house damages that he claimed resulted from work at the adjoining airport property, Davis said. Davis said he did
not believe the claim was justified and declined to get involved in a settlement, but Hardy apparently paid Shaner the $15,000. Davis
said the only reason Hardy paid Shaner was because of his status as a legislator. Davis said he doubted that Hardy
would have gotten involved if the dispute had involved someone else. http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17774977&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6
Uniontown Area School Board awards LERTA to projects in the district. The members have also voted to authorize
Keystone Opportunity Zones within its jurisdiction to namely Fay Penn Economic Development Council (a charity) and Gary Gearing,
a local businessman who ran for county commissioner in 2003-4, and PA State Legislator for the 51st district in 2005 as part
of PA Clean Sweep reform candidates.
It's doubtful Gearing is a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee...
Uniontown board proposal still over target
By Angie Oravec, Herald-Standard
01/28/2007
The Uniontown Area School Board grew a step closer to deciding the scope of a high school project after
a six-hour work session on Saturday.
The scaled-back proposal projects hard costs totaling $31.6 million and soft costs totaling $4.1 million,
amounting to a project cost of $35.7 million. The net project cost after reimbursement is $27.2 million, according to the
district's architect Mark Altman of the Altman and Altman firm.
Board member Tammy Boyle told Altman she "has faith" he can cut more costs to reach the $34.8 million target. The
board is expected to vote on the project at a special meeting at a date yet to be announced. The board went through
the original plan section by section to see what items could be cut and reached a consensus on severing the high school's
1910-11 section and using it as a middle school. Altman provided to the board copies of cost savings made by downsizing
areas of the project, including reducing the kitchen, music and art addition by 24,630 square foot, cutting $2.6 million from
total project costs, and reducing the gymnasium by 5,000 square feet, cutting $400,000 from its cost. The scope of
the high school gymnasium was an area of contention, with board member Harry "Dutch'' Kaufman citing the need for a new gymnasium
by noting the number of sports teams has doubled in the last 20 years or so and the district hasn't done anything with its
athletic facilities since 1950, according to information he received from the district's athletic director. http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17774978&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6
Uniontown school project advances
Uniontown Area School Board is nearing consensus on a revised high school renovation project.
The nine members of the board met for six hours Saturday during a nonvoting workshop of the buildings and grounds committee.
Also participating in the workshop were architect Altman & Altman; construction supervisor Fairchance Construction;
and the Foreman Group, hired to review Altman & Altman's plans and to suggest cost savings.
High school Principal Thomas Colebank offered suggestions for the most efficient use of the renovated facility.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/fayette/s_490629.html
Citizen group walks out of meeting
By Angie Oravec, Herald-Standard
01/28/2007
A number of residents protesting inadequate public input into Uniontown Area School Board's Saturday work
session staged a walkout near the start of the marathon meeting.
About 40 citizens gathered at the 9 a.m. start of the meeting, but decided, after alleging it was made clear
to the public that their input would not be received, to walkout.
The walkout occurred early in the meeting, about 10:20 a.m., an hour and a half into the six-hour session
that lasted until about 3 p.m. with a lunch break and another 10-minute break in between. It involved most members of the
Citizens Advisory Committee exiting from the meeting room. About 15 citizens still remained in the public seating. Ron
Machesky, chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee formed to add public input into the high school project, addressed the
board prior to the citizens' departure. "You lied to our Citizens Advisory Committee. We were supposed to speak," said
Machesky, who alleged it was made clear that public comment would not be received. "This is not doing what the meeting was
advertised to do." The meeting room took on a different look Saturday, as tables were joined to form a square, where
board members faced the district's architects and construction managers and Buildings and Grounds Director Rob Smalley. Typically,
at meetings, the public faces the majority of board members seated at a single row of tables and the architects and construction
managers will sit with the public. While the backs of the architects and construction managers faced members of the public,
the public seating arrangement had not changed. http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17774979&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6
Uniontown Area High project still millions away
By Judy Kroeger
TRIBUNE-REVIEW NEWS SERVICE
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
The Uniontown Area School District board wants its high school renovation architectural firm, Altman &
Altman, to go back to the drawing board for a third time.
At a work session Monday, the firm presented a plan that involves less new building and more renovation, but only shaves
about $400,000 off the original proposal.
The district has $35 million available for the project.
Altman & Altman architect Ken Schrock said the revised plan includes renovating the old gymnasium and the 1910 building.
The firm also recommended renovating the auditorium and the 1980 addition, and building a four-story classroom tower and a
new kitchen and cafeteria.
Fairchance Construction pegged the total cost at $42,338,696.
The original plan -- tearing down the 1910 building, constructing a new gymnasium and four-story classroom tower and adding
new student parking -- was estimated by Fairchance Construction to cost $42,801,937.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_408125.html
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