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Altoona considers contractor-licensing ordinance; council seeks clarification on insurance and three-strike rules
Summary
Council introduced an ordinance to require contractor, electrician and plumber licensing; public comment urged retaining licensed trades on the examining board and staff agreed to clarify workers' compensation minimums and the three-strike enforcement rule.
Council introduced a code amendment Monday that would add contractor licensing to the city code and require licensing for electricians and plumbers working inside Altoona.
During public comment, Bob Kutz urged the council to retain licensed master electricians and plumbers on the examining board as the city moves to a three-tier licensing system, saying the board’s technical expertise is important for determining violations and ensuring safety.
Council members and staff also took a media question about the ordinance’s insurance language. A provision in the ordinance lists workers’ compensation minimums in a confusing sequence ("100,000, 500,000, 100,000"), prompting a council member to ask what the numbers mean. City staff said the intent is compliance with the Commonwealth’s workers’-compensation requirements and agreed to provide the exact liability and insurance thresholds to council members.
Staff clarified the "three-strike" disciplinary provision applies on a calendar-year basis; a contractor could accumulate three strikes on one project or across multiple projects within the same calendar year.
The ordinance was introduced for first reading by Councilman Butterbaugh; final adoption and exact insurance thresholds will be addressed at a subsequent meeting when staff provides the requested clarifications.
