Redevelopment authority budget shows decrease
The Fayette County Redevelopment Authority Tuesday approved a 2007 budget that is a decrease over the current budget. According to executive director Andrew French, the $1,146,000 budget is a decrease of about $5,000 from the current $1,151,000 budget. French said the savings came in the area of salaries. He cited as examples the full retirement of former executive director Raymond Polaski from part time status and a vacant code enforcement clerk position.
French said the budget is balanced and they “have enough resources to cover expenses.”
On the expense side of the budget, salaries take up the largest amount, at $629,497. Adding in benefits to the base salary amount, the total figure of the budget that goes toward the authority’s 17 employees is $950,175. Under the category of other costs, including rent, utilities insurance, supplies and equipment, the authority will spend $112,942.
On the revenue side of the budget, the largest income is from the Community Development Block Grant funding, at about $503,000. French said if the authority is successful in receiving competitive grant funds in addition to the allocated CDBG funding, they will have a little bit of a cushion.
Authority member Dee John commended French for the lowered budget. “Any time you can come down that’s pretty good in this day and age,” John said.
In other action, the authority approved a $12,700 contract with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services to appraise 20 properties in Brownsville Borough that are owned by Ernest Liggett.
Liggett has been cited for code enforcement violations and the issue has been in court numerous times and the authority has been working to clean up the blighted area that downtown Brownsville has become.
French said the appraisal is a continuing element of the authority’s effort to revitalize the borough. He said the appraisals are a means to get a better sense of the value of properties as a way to “explore different redevelopment options.” He said the area has already been deemed as blighted and the authority must decide how it wants to proceed. To move forward any more, they must develop a comprehensive plan.
When Ross DiMarco asked if any of the buildings could be salvaged or if they all must be dismantled, French said it is too early to tell.
He said after the appraisals are obtained they will meet with officials from the office of Gov. Ed Rendell to discuss options.
“It’s a multi-pronged effort,” French said.
In response to a question from John about taking the dilapidated buildings by eminent domain, French only said eminent domain is a power that authority’s have at their disposal.
Chairman Kenneth Finney said they are trying to make something good out of something that hasn’t been good.
When John said that Liggett doesn’t seem to want to repair the properties, pay his taxes or work with anyone and asked if anything has been done to the properties, French said there have been some recent activities. French said those “activities” included Liggett boarding up some properties “right before the court case.”
The authority also approved a memorandum of agreement with the Indian Creek Valley Water Authority and the Mountain Watershed Association for the Kooser and Tabey Road area waterline extension project in Springfield Township.
French said the extension of approximately 15,000 linear feet of water line will benefit 40 homes in the area that have failing wells, some of which are the result of mine contamination. The project includes funding of $500,000 from CDBG money and $427,000 from the Department of Environmental Protection. French said the homeowners would have to pay tap-in fees and lateral connection fees.
During the executive director’s report, French said there was a recent productive meeting with the state Department of Transportation regarding additional funding for the Matthew Drive Extension project through the Fayette County Business Park. He said supplemental resources are being identified. The meeting was necessary because bids for the project came in higher than anticipated.
French said the authority is wrapping up regular projects and looking forward to a “dynamic 2007.”
Finney said it has been a productive year for the authority. The South Union Township business park secured a Wal-Mart Super Center and numerous other businesses have been built there as well.