Uniontown Concerned Citizens appoint officers, develops bylaws
The newly formed Uniontown Concerned Citizens Association appointed officers and developed bylaws allowing anyone who lives in the city to be voting members.
UCCA is a merger of concerned citizens groups from the East End, Gallatin Avenue and Lafayette neighborhoods, which saw their memberships dwindle over the years.
A handful of UCCA members appointed Amy Toth as president, Paula Toth as first vice president, Madonna Minor as second vice president, Pat Henderson as treasurer and Matthew Crutchman as secretary at a meeting last week.
Last Thursday’s meeting was held in the East End United Community Center, where Crutchman is executive director, and the members agreed to continue meetings there on the last Thursday of each month from January through November.
After the officers were appointed, members made numerous changes to a proposed set of bylaws and agreed to vote on the a final version at the February meeting.
The changes would eliminate a proposed $81.83 membership fee, give voting rights to any city resident, require an annual audit at the end of every year and create outreach, communications, budget and finance, nominating, audit and fundraising committees as well as an advisory council.
“This is America. You don’t pay to vote,” said Ray Gilbert, who was a member of the Lafayette concerned citizens group.
He said the UCCA should raise money instead of charging membership fees.
Gilbert also objected to allowing businesses to be voting members. Businesses can participate in UCCA meetings, but only city residents should be allowed to vote, he said.
A provision that would have allowed businesses to be members was removed from the bylaws.
The bylaws also allow the UCCA to establish a Uniontown Community Fund to provide financial support for projects to promote charitable activities, cultural enrichment, education, community service and economic and environmental revitalization projects.
Members said the mayor and police chief should be asked to attend their meetings. Gilbert suggested providing copies of UCCA meeting minutes to the mayor, City Council members and state and federal representatives.
Main Street program manager Rebecca Hilton said city officials are more likely to attend UCCA meetings if members attend City Council meetings.
Several members said they plan to attend the council meeting on Wednesday to talk about a rental property inspection ordinance.
Some members said charging landlords a $50 fee for each rental unit they own would allow the city to inspect those properties to make sure they are safe, but others said the city could make rentals safe by enforcing existing laws and landlords would pass the fees on to tenants.
Rental properties are businesses and landlords should have to pay the city’s $100 business license fee for each rental unit they own, Gilbert said.
Cruthcman said Uniontown is one of only a few municipalities in the area with a rental property inspection ordinance.