New member appointed to Uniontown Redevelopment Authority
One of two vacancies on the Uniontown Redevelopment Authority board was filled Wednesday when Mayor Ed Fike appointed Antoinette Hodge to fill the unexpired term of John Orris, who had resigned earlier this year.
Hodge’s term will expire in July 2018. A second vacancy on the board was created when member James Sileo was not reappointed when his term expired at the beginning of the month. That five-year term would expire in July 2019.
All appointments are at the discretion of Fike, who said he would like to have the final board member in place for the August meeting.
Hodge is a native of Uniontown who moved back to the city recently. Her resume includes a stint as the assistant director for modernization for the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
“I’m looking forward to working with everyone,” Hodge said.
Authority executive director Mark Rafail noted that a member of Hodge’s family is on the list for housing rehabilitation, but she is not the property owner and the house has been on the list for four years, so according to solicitor Sam Davis, it does not present a conflict of interest for her to be appointed to the board.
The authority board Wednesday also took formal action to approve moving the offices of the authority and the Main Street/Uniontown Business District Authority director to the second floor of City Hall with no charge for the rent.
Rafail said the office move will save $14,712 a year in rent, cleaning and Internet security services currently paid to The Redstone Foundation. The lease for the space in the Fayette Chamber of Commerce building requires 90 days written notice to break it, which Rafail provided on June 19 after City Council directed the authority to move to City Hall.
Rafail said additional savings are being realized by changes in the telephone system. the authority currently pays about $5,400 a year for telephone service, with an additional $360 a year paid by the Main Street program. Under the system that will be put into place at City Hall, phone service for both programs will be included in one $1,680 fee per year for a savings of $4,080 a year.
The authority also authorized advertising for bids for street milling and paving. Although five streets are on the list, Rafail said there is probably only enough funding to pave two streets. Grant and Whitman streets are at the top of the paving list, Rafail said.
Plans were also announced to demolish five dilapidated houses on Collins, Lawn, Summit and Wilson avenues. Six others properties are being purchased by the authority for various future uses. A lot on North Gallatin will be used for a school bus shelter. Property on Butler Street will be donated to the East End United Community Center.
The center’s executive director, Matthew Crutchman, said the property will be used as green space, with rustic wooden playground equipment currently in the center’s garden, installed. Crutchman said the equipment is currently installed near the center’s vegetable garden, across the street from a bar.
“The safety issue always crossed my mind,” Crutchman said.
The authority also voted to approve the start of employee benefits for Rafail, whose 90-day probationary period has ended.