Bradford council approves routine payments, grant applications and contracts

The City of Bradford City Council approved a series of routine payments, contract awards and grant applications during a regularly scheduled meeting; council members voted to authorize staff to apply for multiple grants and to approve vendor payments and small-scale rehabilitation disbursements.

The actions included acceptance of vendor quotes, transfers between internal funds, authorization to apply for grant programs including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and an LSA grant request of up to $1,000,000, and execution of an engagement letter with a consulting firm. Council also approved an additional grant payment of $2,130.84 for rehabilitation work at 17 Coal Grove Avenue and accepted multiple routine invoices for police and fire equipment and services.

Why it matters: The approvals authorize spending and grant-seeking that affect the city’s capital projects, police and fire departments, and community development activities. Several items advance grant applications that, if awarded, could fund facility work and a new police station; the LSA authorization in particular sets an upper limit staff may seek but does not itself award funds.

Among the items approved, the council authorized submission of applications to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for CDBG funding under the Housing and Community Development Act (42 U.S.C. 5301) and related federal regulations (24 C.F.R. part 570). The council also authorized the police chief to pursue federal or state grant awards for computer hardware and software and for microgrant funding identified with a T‑Mobile program.

During the public comment period, an unidentified resident invited council members and the public to a virtual town hall about home rule scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m., saying, "It's gonna be a virtual town hall on, Wednesday, October 22 at, 6PM." The council did not take substantive action on the town-hall announcement; it was offered as public information.

Votes at a glance (each item recorded by agenda number as read into the record): - 38103 — Approve payments to the King County District Attorney's Office (finance). Outcome: approved. - 38104 — Accept quote and approve payment for credit card terminals (accounts/finance). Outcome: approved. - 38105 — Approve payment to Andrews Auto (police). Outcome: approved. - 38106 — Authorize permission to apply for the T‑Mobile improvement program grant (fire). Outcome: approved. - 38107 — Approve payment to Vogue Technology (police). Outcome: approved. - 38108 — Approve payment to Vogue Technology (police). Outcome: approved. - 38109 — Accept quote and approve payment to ESI Equipment, Inc. (fire). Outcome: approved. - 38110 — Transfer K‑9 fund account monies to the general fund (accounts/finance). Outcome: approved. - 38111 — Approve payment protocol item (protocol 80). Outcome: approved. - 38112 — Approve modification to the City of Bradford’s fiscal year 2024 CDBG program. Outcome: approved. - 38113 (recorded in the minutes as 38133) — Resolution authorizing submission of an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for CDBG funding under the Housing and Community Development Act (42 U.S.C. 5301) and 24 C.F.R. part 570; certifying compliance with program requirements. Outcome: approved. - 38114 — Provisioning/acceptance related to a 2023 CDBG rent‑assistance program (text in record unclear). Outcome: approved. - 38115 — Approve payment to All Traffic Solutions Inc. Outcome: approved. - 38116 — Authorize and execute a letter of engagement with Paige Wolfberg and Worth LLC. Outcome: approved. - 38117 — Approve additional grant payment of $2,130.84 to Deborah Filarecki for additional rehabilitation work at 17 Coal Grove Avenue. Outcome: approved. - 38118 — Approve payment to Allied Systems Inc. Outcome: approved. - 38119 — Exonerate the city treasurer from collecting certain 2025 property taxes (accounts/finance). Outcome: approved. - 38120 — Authorize Police Chief Michael Ward to apply for a T‑Mobile micro grant for police computer hardware/software. Outcome: approved. - 38121 — Transfer monies from the capital reserve account to the general fund (accounts/finance). Outcome: approved. - 38122 — Authorize Police Chief to apply for up to $1,000,000 through the LSA grant for funding to complete the new City of Bradford police station and execute related documents. Outcome: approved. - 38123 — Accept quote and approve payment for a five‑year contract with Exxon Enterprises (police). Outcome: approved.

The meeting record shows these items were read and approved in sequence with no extended debate recorded on the motions themselves. Several roll-call affirmations occurred after each motion; the transcript records repeated "Yes" responses for council members. Where the transcript contained unclear wording (for example item 38113 recorded as "38133" in the record, or brief garbled phrasing on a CDBG rent item), this article reports the text as read into the record and notes where the printed number or wording appears inconsistent.

The council adjourned after completing the listed business and noting there was no further business for the councilors.