Commissioners to vote on ferry maintenance
The Fayette County commissioners voted Tuesday to enter into an agreement with a Charleroi company to perform the five-year dry dock and inspection services for the Fredericktown Ferry. Commissioners Vincent A. Vicites and Angela M. Zimmerlink voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion to award the contract to Campbell Transportation Co. for a total cost of $57,000. Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III was absent.
The cost of the contract will be split between Fayette and Washington counties, which share the cost to run the ferry across the Monongahela River. Paul Nixon, head of the bridge department, said he sent out 10 bid packets and received two in return. Nixon said the second bid was received from Ohio River Salvage of Cresson.
Last month, Nixon said the U.S. Coast Guard mandates that the work be performed every five years.
He said the ferry must be towed to the site where the service will be performed and then pulled out of the water, and any needed repairs are performed.
Nixon said five years ago the work was conducted in Elizabeth, and the total cost was about $15,000.
Zimmerlink also instructed Nixon to provide information to her about the last time the work was performed, when it was not put out to bid.
The commissioners voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion to accept the resignation of Veterans Affairs director Donald Seroka, effective May 18. With his departure, the county is losing the fourth Veteran’s Affairs director within a couple years. During his 14 months with the county, Seroka took over the veteran’s transportation from Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation.
In a related matter, the commissioners voted to approve hiring Perry Russell and William Pitts as part-time, per diem van drivers at a rate of $60 per day, effective May 29.
Michelle Grant Shumar, director of the Fayette County Office of Human and Community Services and FACT, announced that a delegation of representatives and county human service agency representatives traveled to Harrisburg on Tuesday to meet with local legislators to stress the need to preserve funding in the state budget for programs that help children and youth, tobacco prevention and cessation, nursing homes and families struggling with the challenges of mental retardation.
Shumar said Tuesday marked the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania’s legislative workday for human services funding.
The commissioners also voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion to ratify the Fayette Washington Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Partnership with Fay Penn Economic Development Council.
According to information from Fay-Penn, a planning grant has been awarded for the creation of a KIZ within Fayette and Washington counties, the goal of which is to “promote and foster collaboration among institutions of higher education, their surrounding communities and local businesses.”