Officials use funds as local match
Officials involved in the downtown Uniontown revitalization project came before the Fayette County commissioners last week asking that $900,000 worth of Federal Building renovations be used as a local match in their state grant application. What they neglected to mention is that the application had already been submitted and that they had already listed the $900,000 as part of the required $3.15 million local match on a new parking garage project.
The officials who approached the commissioners Tuesday – Uniontown City Councilman Bob Cerjanec and Fay-Penn Economic Development Council chief executive Michael W. Krajovic – confirmed later that the $900,000 is already part of the grant application awaiting approval in Harrisburg.
Cerjanec did so shortly after he, Krajovic and Uniontown Mayor Jim Sileo met with the Herald-Standard editorial board Wednesday. In that session, Cerjanec used the past tense in describing Fay-Penn’s submission of the grant application.
While Cerjanec initially backed off that comment, he phoned within an hour of the session’s end to say that the $900,000 had indeed been included in the grant application. Krajovic, whose agency is administering the project on behalf of the city, said the same thing Friday.
“Yes, the application was submitted (in early January),” said Krajovic. He also confirmed that the Federal Building renovations undertaken by the county are part of the formal grant proposal, though the city has no supporting documentation at this time.
Krajovic said that for the Federal Building renovations to be accepted as part of the package, the state requires proof of such things as the paying of Davis-Bacon Act wages for the work done.
While the city and Fay-Penn would need to obtain that material from the county, Krajovic said, “I’m not even sure formal (commissioner) approval is necessary, since it does not involve any money (transaction).”
Chuck Ardo, who works in the press office of Gov. Ed Rendell, couldn’t say whether the city needs formal county approval for the $900,000 to be used as a match, nor could he address what impact lack of that approval may have on the grant application.
“The application is under review. The details are being studied currently,” said Ardo, who noted only, “It’s important that the ($3.15 million local) match be maintained.”
News that the $900,000 is already listed as part of the city package surprised Commission Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink, who at Tuesday’s meeting said she wants to explore all options for using the Federal Building renovations.
Zimmerlink maintains that the county needs to know with certainty whether it can use the $900,000 as matching funds for its own projects, such as courthouse renovations or prison renovations. And if it cannot, Zimmerlink wants to know if other government entities and agencies, within the city and the county, would qualify to use those renovations as a grant match.
“I need some type of documentation or proof that we would not be able to use the (matching funds) ourselves,” said Zimmerlink. “And if not, I think it’s only fair to make sure that we ask any other local agencies what their needs are.”
Zimmerlink said that Tammy Shell, director of the county Office of Planning and Community Development, and Raymond C. Polaski, executive director of the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority, have weighed in on the side of doing more research on the matter before the commissioners authorize anything.
Their positions are supported by letters and e-mails provided by Zimmerlink.
Plan B in wings
Cerjanec, the city’s finance director, said that if Uniontown can’t use the $900,000 county match as part of its package, he’ll revert to Plan B, which involves finding that portion elsewhere. Cerjanec said that while nothing will derail the revitalization plan, the Fayette County commissioners had in the past made informal commitments regarding use of the Federal Building renovations.
When pressed to specify which county commissioners had given him those assurances, Cerjanec said, “Vince Vicites. Write his name down.”
Vicites said that back in early- to mid-2003, he broached using the Federal Building renovations as a grant match in conversations with Krajovic and Bob Junk, who was then working for Fay-Penn. Vicites said he was unwilling to provide the city with $1.5 million in cash as initially requested, and thought substituting the renovations was a cost-effective way for the county to help out.
“They had said, ‘We can do in-kind matches, too,’ and I said, ‘Maybe we can help you out in that regard,'” recalled Vicites. “My discussions were with Krajovic and Bob Junk initially. I may have had additional discussions later on with city officials.”
Vicites said that “in theory” he has always supported the idea of using Federal Building renovations to help the city’s revitalization efforts. He said that he sees no other possible grant-matching use for that work on the horizon, noting that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission was “very noncommittal” last year when the commissioners talked to that agency about help with courthouse renovations.
“Grants for these types of projects are very difficult to obtain,” said Vicites, who intends to vote Monday, when the commissioners again meet, to let the city use the $900,000. “I’m going to vote in favor of it, yes. I don’t see any down side to it.”
Krajovic said that Vicites and Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III have made statements supportive of the move, and noted of the commission in general, “I’m confident that they will support the revitalization project.”
Zimmerlink wants openness
While Cerjanec said that the commissioners’ office has ignored six letters and two e-mails on city revitalization stretching back to Oct. 1, 2004, which forced him to bring up the issue at Tuesday’s agenda meeting, Zimmerlink said she prefers the public meeting route to informal, behind-the-scenes maneuvers.
“Back in September or October, they could have requested that this item be placed on the agenda (for a public meeting), and it could have been handled there,” said Zimmerlink. “But they wanted an internal document. On these types of matters, where you’re talking (about a project that used) $900,000 worth of county bond money, I think we need to have an open public discussion on that.”
Added Zimmerlink, “The process would have moved a lot quicker if they had asked to have it put on the agenda back when they first said they needed it.”
Further, in her own Jan. 21 letter to Sileo, Zimmerlink took umbrage with Krajovic’s behavior during a Jan. 20 private meeting that included herself, Vicites and Hardy assistant Charmaine Sampson.
“What was scheduled to be a meeting for Fay-Penn to explain the city’s request for the release of county matches quickly turned into an unwarranted series of accusations, assumptions and a suggestion to make a negative public statement about me initiated by Mike Krajovic,” wrote Zimmerlink. “It was said that I failed to respond to the city’s two letters, failed to take any action on this matter, was delaying progress and was not supportive of the Uniontown revitalization efforts.
“The statements of Mike Krajovic were spoken on behalf of the city of Uniontown. I trust that his unfounded statements are not the sentiments of those of you serving Uniontown.”
Krajovic, who was out of the state Friday, could not be reached for response on this issue. He will be afforded that opportunity when he returns to work Monday. Vicites said only that he left the room when the situation got ugly.
Zimmerlink said that no one should mischaracterize her for wanting to do the job for which she was elected. She said her concerns – and unanswered questions – on the Federal Building, including recent news from an aide to U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) that Hardy was notified “weeks ago” that the federal government had lifted a restriction on the building’s use, a move that may impact the grant match scenario.
“Erroneously stating that I attempted to delay this project or am against the Uniontown revitalization is only an attempt to cloud the issue at hand,” said Zimmerlink.
“Some elected officials and quasi-government agencies take offense to those having an opposing view, and these same officials and agencies tend to become antagonistic when one does not simply go along with them.
“As commissioner, my first responsibility is with the needs of the county, not individual local projects, regardless of the locality and regardless of those involved.”
Zimmerlink said that if Fay-Penn and the city can tell her “with the utmost certainty” that the county can in no way use the $900,000 for any of its own projects, and that no other possible competing municipal or agency uses are on the table, she would consider authorizing the match as requested.