Latest news with #CambriaCountyPlanningCommission
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New grant program aims to help municipalities with infrastructure projects
NORTHERN CAMBRIA, Pa. – A new Cambria County grant program approved by the commissioners at Thursday's meeting in Northern Cambria is aimed at assisting municipalities with infrastructure improvements that target mobility, safety and quality of life. The Municipal Infrastructure Assistance Program will be funded through revenues from state Act 89 – a $5 vehicle registration fee – and Act 13, which is a fund to improve municipal bridges in poor condition. 'This will allow a lot of municipalities around our communities to fix up critical infrastructure,' Cambria County Planning Commission transportation planner Jacob Zerby said. The planning department will administer the new program through a competitive application and vetting process. Staff will rank the municipal projects based on a variety of criteria, such as road or bridge conditions and detours, before advancing them to the commissioners, who will work with PennDOT to determine how to award the funding, Planning Commission Executive Director Mark Lazzari said. Each project must be PennDOT-approved and can apply to road and bridge repairs, sidewalk improvements, traffic signal updates and stormwater management. The grants cannot be combined with the annual distribution of county-supplied liquid fuels money, which topped $433,000 in 2025 for every municipality in Cambria County, except the City of Johnstown. President Commissioner Scott Hunt lauded the new program and said there would be roughly $350,000 available for grant awards under Act 89 alone. Act 13 revenues have yet to be determined. 'By doing it as a grant program, we will be able to give small, medium and large municipalities a fair shot at funding, which will complete much-needed road and bridge projects that they otherwise would not be able to complete,' he said. Hunt added that the program would also include the City of Johnstown. The board voted on each resolutions for each act separately, but passed both. Commissioner Thomas Chernisky voted against the Act 89 funding, but agreed to the Act 13 proposal. He said he cast a dissenting vote for the local use grants because he would prefer that these funds be shared with all municipalities using the same county formula as liquid fuels. 'For many years, we told people once all bridges are fixed that the (funds) should go back to each municipality in addition to liquid fuel dollars using the same formula,' he said in a statement. 'I do not want to pick winners and losers.' He and former Commissioners William 'B.J.' Smith and Mark Wissinger enacted the Act 89 fee in 2016 as a way to address 10 structurally deficient county-owned bridges and one that was closed. Those have since been fixed and reopened, and the pair voted in December 2023 to remove the fee before it was brought back in January 2024 due to its success and potential future use, such as the new grant program. More information about the assistance program can be found at The first round of grants will be open Friday to May 12, and the second round will open May 13 and close June 16. In other business, Chernisky requested Thursday that his objection and comments at the March meeting regarding a broker fee agreement with Pittsburgh-based MGI Risk Management for $3,750 per quarter from April 1 through Dec. 31, 2027, be officially included in the minutes. 'A commissioner who requests to have a segment of his discussion on a no vote preserved should be permitted to have that dissenting opinion reflected in the minutes accurately,' he said. Chernisky had raised concerns with the deal at the March gathering because the business was not awarded through a request for proposal, which Hunt told him isn't required because it's a professional contract. Chernisky noted similar objections in April 2024 when Gallagher and Co. became the new broker of record for the county's insurance policy. Hunt said in March that the switch to MGI Risk Management was simply the county's business following the broker from Gallagher to MGI. As for the comments being recorded, Hunt denied the request, stated it would be inconsistent with past practices and questioned if every conversation during the meeting should be recorded verbatim. Ronald Repak, county solicitor, supported this evaluation. Ed Cernic Jr., county controller, suggested if someone wants their words recorded exactly in the minutes to supply a written statement for the record, which Chernisky agreed with.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Yoder Township approves funds for West Hills comprehensive plan
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Upper Yoder Township is the latest of the five West Hills municipalities to approve paying toward a comprehensive plan that none of them could afford alone. The municipalities of West Hills region are preparing to spend a combined $37,500 to match a state grant of an equal amount secured with support by the Cambria County Planning Commission. The total $75,000 in funds would be used to hire a consultant who would develop a plan for the municipalities to collaborate on shared goals and services. Upper Yoder Township Supervisor Sue Konvolinka said the supervisors approved their payment of $12,648, contingent on the agreement of the other municipalities to pay their portion. Each municipality's share of the $37,500 needed to develop the plan is based on its population. Upper Yoder Township, Westmont Borough, Lower Yoder Township, Southmont Borough and Brownstown Borough are all participating, though Westmont and Lower Yoder have yet to finalize their commitment to pay for the plan's development. Five West Hills municipalities moving toward county's first joint comprehensive plan The five municipalities of the 30-square-mile West Hills region are preparing to spend a combined $37,500 to develop a comprehensive plan for improving the region through the next 10 years. Konvolinka said she wanted to make it clear that the comprehensive plan was not about consolidation of municipalities. 'This is not about consolidation,' she said. 'It's about collaborating, sharing services and saving taxpayers money.' The Cambria County Planning Commission is administering the state grant for the plan on behalf of the municipalities. The commission has issued a Request For Proposal to potential consulting firms and expects to select a consultant by mid-May. The selected firm would be given a target of July 2026 for the plan's completion, according to the RFP. The consultant will focus on conducting engagement with the public and a steering committee to identify top community priorities and deliver guidance for executing the plan, the RFP says. A comprehensive plan would saving municipal costs through sharing more services and cooperating to improve housing, recreation and environment across the municipalities. Editorial | Teamwork in the West Hills Municipalities in the West Hills suburbs of Johnstown are preparing to spend a total of $37,500 to develop a comprehensive 10-year plan for regional improvements. Topics for the plan include extending collaboration beyond EMS and police to include shared staff, public works, equipment and utility services; revitalizing existing commercial districts and integrating smaller, mixed-use businesses into residential areas for economic vitality; enhancing pedestrian infrastructure with sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks; and prioritizing protection of sensitive environmental areas and implementation of sustainable stormwater solutions. The RFP says the plan to be developed would 'honor the identity of each municipality' and 'preserve each municipality's autonomy' while saving municipal costs through sharing more services and cooperating to improve housing, recreation and environment across the municipalities. Westmont Borough mulls sharing services with neighboring municipalities, takes step toward joint comprehensive plan Westmont Borough Council is moving forward with following the process for a comprehensive plan to share services with neighboring municipalities. 'To ensure the preservation of each municipality's autonomy and to accommodate their distinct socio-economic and geographical characteristics, the plan will integrate collective regional goals and objectives,' the RFP says. 'Additionally, each municipality will be allocated a dedicated section within the plan, delineating its individual background, specific goals, objectives, and a tailored action plan. This approach aims to honor the diverse identity of each municipality while fostering collaboration towards overarching regional objectives.' Once hired, the consultant 'should start the planning process by engaging with the public, the commission and the municipal steering committee to identify top priorities,' the RFP said.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Five West Hills municipalities moving toward county's first joint comprehensive plan
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The five municipalities of the 30-square-mile West Hills region are preparing to spend a combined $37,500 to develop a comprehensive plan for improving the region over the next 10 years. The Cambria County Planning Commission is coordinating the municipalities' steps toward developing and implementing a plan that would preserve each municipality's autonomy while saving municipal costs through sharing more services and cooperating to improve housing, recreation and environment across the municipalities. Southmont Borough unanimously approved its financial commitment of $5,026 for the plan Monday. Brownstown Borough has committed to funding its share, borough officials said, and Westmont Borough and Upper Yoder and Lower Yoder townships are each in the process of scheduling votes to finalize a contribution. 'It will be a good thing,' Westmont Borough Council President Marc McCall said. 'The municipalities tried this years ago but didn't go forward. Now that we have all municipalities in agreement, I feel positive that it will pass.' Each municipality's financial contribution is based on its population, Cambria County Planning Commission Community Development Planner Shanna Murphy Sosko said. The $37,500 contribution from the municipalities is required to match a state grant of the same amount secured by the Cambria County Planning Commission in the fall. The grant of $37,500 from the Pennsylvania Municipal Assistance Program and the local share of $37,500 would cover the $75,000 fee to hire a consultant to write the plan, Murphy Sosko said. The county planning commission is currently seeking proposals from qualified planning consultants to provide professional services to develop the plan for the West Hills region. Proposals are due April 11, according to the commission's Request For Proposal (RFP). A consulting firm would be selected and awarded May 15, and the selected firm would be given a target of July 2026 for the plan's completion. The consultant will focus on conducting engagement with the public and a steering committee to identify top community priorities and deliver guidance for executing the plan, the RFP says. The state and local funds of $75,000 combined would be exhausted after the formation of the plan; new sources of funding would have to be used to execute the plan. The consultant's guidance would include identifying potential sources of funding for projects, and identifying completion timeframes, the RFP says. Doug Beri, Southmont Borough Council president, said more grant funds would naturally flow to the West Hills municipalities after the comprehensive plan is completed. 'For the West Hills to be competitive for state and federal grants, it needs to have a comprehensive plan,' Beri said. 'This will help us access more grant funds in the future.' The identity of each municipality would be honored by the plan, the RFP says. 'To ensure the preservation of each municipality's autonomy and to accommodate their distinct socio-economic and geographical characteristics, the plan will integrate collective regional goals and objectives,' the RFP says. 'Additionally, each municipality will be allocated a dedicated section within the plan, delineating its individual background, specific goals, objectives, and a tailored action plan. This approach aims to honor the diverse identity of each municipality while fostering collaboration towards overarching regional objectives.' Once hired, the consultant 'should start the planning process by engaging with the public, the commission and the municipal steering committee to identify top priorities,' the RFP said. The RFP includes several topics that have already been identified by the municipalities and planning commission. Those topics for the plan include extending collaboration beyond EMS and police to include shared staff, public works, equipment and utility services; revitalizing existing commercial districts and integrating smaller, mixed-use businesses into residential areas for economic vitality; enhancing pedestrian infrastructure with sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks, and prioritizing protection of sensitive environmental areas and implementation of sustainable stormwater solutions. The plan could also include proactive maintenance and rehabilitation initiatives for existing housing, address aging and blighted structures to foster stable communities; modernization of antiquated land use ordinances, codes, and regulatory processes, and developing a comprehensive parks and recreational approach that evaluates options for regional recreation programs, including potential collaboration with existing recreation providers. The West Hills comprehensive plan would be the first ever joint municipal plan in the county, Sosko said. 'It's exciting,' she said. 'The hope is that it will set stage for other municipalities in Cambria County to want to do this as well.'
