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Altoona council approves consent agenda including CDBG street reconstruction, awards demolition contracts; three repository bids voted down
Summary
On May 12 the Altoona City Council approved its consent agenda 7-2, awarding a CDBG street reconstruction contract, authorizing grant applications for playground work, approving fire-rescue equipment purchases and awarding multiple demolition contracts; three pulled repository bids from out-of-state bidders failed in separate roll-call votes.
The Altoona City Council approved its consent agenda at a May 12 meeting, 7-2, clearing multiple items including a Community Development Block Grant street reconstruction contract, grant applications for a Beach Avenue playground project, replacement rope-rescue equipment for the fire department and awards for demolition work on blighted properties.
By roll call, the council voted to award the 2025 CDBG Street Reconstruction Project to Granitez Brothers of Holidaysburg for $182,705.50 payable from CDBG fiscal year 2024 funds and authorized the city manager to execute the documents. The council also authorized submission of a $30,000 recreational and educational development grant application to the People, Parks, and Community Foundation for design costs for the Beach Avenue playground, and a $250,000 Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program grant application to the Commonwealth Financing Authority with a local match of $94,467.20 for playground installation.
The council approved purchase of fire department rope-rescue equipment from Safeware of Lanham, Maryland, in the amount of $58,469.15 from the 2025 capital budget. The consent agenda included a series of demolition awards to G and R Excavation (Tyrone) covering multiple properties the city has identified as blighted; the resolution grouped the demolition bids and listed individual property addresses and award amounts.
Council also approved a memorandum of understanding with AFSCME Local 2,188 covering the meet-and-discuss group of first-line supervisors for Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027, and appointed City Manager Chris McGuire to the Altoona Parking Authority for a five-year term to expire January 2030. The city manager was authorized to execute documents and the city clerk to attest, where applicable.
During the reading of resolutions, council pulled three repository-bid items for separate votes (identified during reading as items Double A, Double B and Double C). Each pulled repository bid failed on a roll-call vote after separate consideration. For the Double A item — a $700 repository bid submitted by Arif Gungoria of Waterboro, Maine, for property at 1313 Seventeenth Avenue — council recorded votes of "No" from each council member present and the vote did not pass. The Double B and Double C repository bids, both submitted by out-of-state bidders and listing multiple properties, likewise failed on roll-call votes.
Council also discussed a tabled item (Item D) and noted additional follow-up on other matters — including a request to further study a potential Inviso deal — but those items were not decided at the meeting.
Clarifying details: The CDBG award amount is $182,705.50; the People, Parks and Community Foundation grant request is $30,000; the Commonwealth Financing Authority request is $250,000 with a $94,467.20 local match; the rope-rescue equipment award is $58,469.15. The consent vote passed 7-2-0. The three pulled repository bids (Double A, Double B, Double C) were voted on separately and each failed with council voting No on the roll calls.
Next steps: The City Manager is authorized to execute contracts and grant applications where noted; staff will follow up on tabled items and the council will receive further information on the tabled Inviso matter and other items.
