16851_Authority_Aug_2023

municipalauthorities.org | 13 Cambria County Commissioners en- acted Act 152 in January 2017, which imposes a $15 increase in the fees charged by the Recorder of Deeds for recording deeds and mortgages that then fund the Cambria County Demolition Funds Program. In Cam- bria County, to date, 29 properties have been demolished, 13 of which were commercial so they were tested for hazardous materials and abated if necessary. The RACC has adopted locally that in order to be eligible for Act 152 funds, a local municipality, authority or public non-profit must own the structure before demolition, which means that after the demo is completed, the owner can do with the property what they like without restrictions. In years past, the owners have completed stormwater manage- ment projects on the vacant land, sold for economic development, sold to a neighboring property owner, or left as green space. Most people think it’s hard to apply for and receive a grant, and although it is, we all know that it’s manag- ing the grant and making a project successful which make for sleepless nights. The average person doesn’t see our long hours creating, re-creat- ing, designing, engineering, bidding, confirming program eligibility, meeting compliance requirements, spending the money on time, and then finally closing out the project. All of those steps require a team of knowledgeable and dedicated team- mates, and I have found some of the best in Cambria County. Our partners include the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority (JRA) for sewer replacements and housing rehabilitation; Cambria County town- ships and boroughs and their author- ities for demolition, stormwater, side- walk and street improvements; the City of Johnstown and JRA through an EPA Brownfields Assessment coalition grant; and Johnstown Area Regional Industries (JARI) for job training. We also have a very close working relationship with our local legislators including Congressman John Joyce, Senators Robert Casey and John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Represent- atives Frank Burns, Dallas Kephart and Jim Rigby, Pennsylvania Senator Wayne Langerholc, Cambria County Commissioners Thomas Chernisky, Scott Hunt and William Smith, and the RACC Board of Directors Samuel Piccioni, Raymond Guzic Jr, Joseph Vargo III, Raymond Wendekier, and W. John Pudliner. Without the support of these partners and their knowledge of Cambria Coun- ty’s needs, these projects may take years to accomplish or might never come to fruition. With partners who show up to your meetings, answer your phone calls, assist with funding, and celebrate ribbon cuttings, it is so much easier to complete projects smoothly. In Cambria County, we are very fortunate to have engaged part- ners from the federal, state and local agencies, and involved citizens. S Before Before After