Dec 4, 2003 By Steve Ferris 2 min read

Uniontown City Council is revising two Community Development Block Grants to include equipment purchases for the fire and police departments. Council unanimously approved the revisions to the 2000 and 2003 CDBG contracts during a meeting Tuesday.

This year’s contract was changed to include the purchase of four breathing apparatus units for the fire department.

The 2000 contract was amended to include the purchase of laser fingerprinting equipment and training, two digital cameras and 25 pagers for the police department, and a film projector to assist the fire department with community safety programming.

William Long, executive director of the city Redevelopment Authority, which administers the CDBG program, said three units were supposed to be purchased in the original 2003 contract.

A fourth was added after officials learned the cost could be covered by the $470,068 grant, he said.

Changes were made to the 2000 contract after police decided that items in the original purchase order were no longer needed and that other equipment was needed, he said. The 2000 grant was $473,601.

In unrelated business, council hired Robert Allman as the full-time street line painter for $10.65 per hour and Kent Hall as a full-time parking garage attendant at $6 per hour for 58 hours per two-week pay period. Allman used to work as a garage attendant and Hall was a substitute attendant.

In other business, council approved some free holiday parking. Parking at meters in the central business district only is free for two hours through Dec. 19 and there will be free all-day parking in the central business district Dec. 21-26.

Council’s next meeting is Dec. 18 at noon when the board members will consider the 2004 budget, which does not raise taxes.