Housing authority enters contract for background checks
The Fayette County Housing Authority on Wednesday approved a one-year contract for conducting criminal history checks on housing and employment applicants with the Uniontown Police Department.
Currently, the Fayette County sheriff’s office conducts the background checks on housing applicants for the authority and it can continue, but the office is busy, especially during court week, Lora DiDominic, the authority’s director of admissions and assisted housing, told the board.
The police department will conduct the checks and return the information on the day they receive the necessary forms from the authority, she said, noting that the police and sheriff’s office charge the same fee of $8.50 per check.
“We want to get the checks back as soon as possible,” DiDominic said.
Authority executive director Thomas Harkless said performing criminal background checks on job applicants was added to the contract with the police department.
“That way we can use them for everything,” Harkless said.
In unrelated business, the authority board agreed to advance as much as $40,000 to the Uniontown Senior Housing Limited Partnership to run The Heritage in downtown Uniontown.
The authority recently took over The Heritage from the city after it lost its low-income housing subsidies and no longer could afford to operate the building, which contains 36 apartments for senior citizens.
Authority administrator Natalie Sharpe said The Heritage is in a “loss position” and needs help paying operating costs and loan obligations.
“They’re looking to get through this initial period,” Sharpe said.
Harkless said a former employee miscalculated the operating subsidy for The Heritage and the money advance would correct the problem.
The advance was approved in a 4-0 vote. Authority board member Beverly Beal abstained.
In a separate matter, a public statement attached to the meeting agenda states that the authority and Vivian Fisher, who was terminated from her job as a purchasing agent after 12 years, resolved their remaining disputes and Harkless agreed to provide her with a letter of reference. The letter also was attached to the agenda.
In other business, the authority:
n Renewed a contract with Scott Electrical Co. of Greensburg for maintenance, repairs, operating equipment and supplies at all authority properties at a cost not to exceed $50,000. Scott Electric was retained through the state’s COSTARS program.
n Awarded a $53,250 contract for plumbing construction for the capital fund program at South Hill Terrace in Brownsville to Newco Mechanical of Scottdale.
n Hired Keith Morgan of Brownfield as a custodian at $13.33 an hour during his one-year probation period and then $15.36 an hour.