Jeers and cheers
JEERS: The thought that the Uniontown Redevelopment Authority could have lost out on thousands of dollars for various projects in the city is very disturbing. But that’s exactly what a recent audit revealed, according to Clayton Gregg IV, a certified public accountant for McClure & Wolf. Gregg gave the audit a D-plus, noting the city lost out on the funding due to a “lack of internal control.”
A former employee was terminated for data entry errors that resulted in unreliable funding figures, and Mark Rafail, the authority’s executive director, said measures have been approved to guard against such errors in the future. Gregg applauded the authority for the change, noting it was moving in the right direction. He added that authority officials and board members should scrutinize their reports more carefully in the future to make sure everything is being done properly. We hope the officials and the board take Gregg’s advice to heart, as the city can ill afford to lose any more redevelopment funding.
CHEERS: The borough of Point Marion may soon find itself as a stop along one of the largest hiking and biking trails in the United States. That’s the word from Vicky Evans, council vice president, who said the Industrial Heartland Trails Association Coalition is planning a 1,600- mile trail between Pittsburgh and Parkersburg, W.Va., which would go through the borough. The trail would use many smaller hiking and biking trails along the way, including Fayette County’s Sheepskin Trail.
Evans said the hope is that those who use the trail will make a stop in Point Marion, bringing some much-needed revenue to the borough’s coffers. In the short term, she said, the borough needs to install more bike racks in town, add bathroom and other amenity signs at its park and develop partnerships and packages with nearby attractions. Among the most important long-term goals listed, she said, were identifying vacant and blighted properties for renovation or redevelopment, and developing a plan for key services. It sounds like a lot of work, but it could be well worth the effort if usage of the trail takes off as planned.
CHEERS: Kudos to the recent inductees into the halls of fame at Connellsville Area, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown Area high schools. We also applaud the many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the events happen. We think the idea for each high school having a hall of fame is a great one, as they not only recognize graduates for their amazing accomplishments but also serve as an inspiration to our youths that they, too, can do great things.
The inductees this year come from all walks of life, including athletes, teachers, coaches, engineers, doctors, attorneys, a former astronaut, a former state legislator, an actress and dancer, a scientist, a prominent outdoors writer, a music professor and computer animation designer. It shows that dreams can come true if you work hard enough.
JEERS: Masontown Borough Councilman Harry Lee was the only member of council to oppose a recent ordinance increasing water and sewage rates by $5 per month to help offset the cost of completing upgrades to the borough’s water treatment plant as mandated by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Lee said he felt the increases could have been avoided if the borough had looked into alternatives.
Lee said he was even more upset that some members of council have been missing meetings when their input was needed, especially for such major decisions as raising water and sewage rates. It was noted that council vice president E.J. Gulino and Joseph Stillwagon have been among the worst offenders, attending few meetings lately. What’s interesting is that Gulino and Stillwagon are among five candidates seeking three spots on council in the November general election. Voters would be wise to do their homework before casting ballots in that race.