BELLEFONTE — When it comes to Centre County government, circle June 27 on your calendar.
That’s the day the Responsible Contractor Ordinance will be voted on by the Board of Commissioners.
During the June 13 meeting, Chair Mark Higgins said the public hearing will take place prior to the regular meeting on June 27.
“I believe it will be toward the beginning of the meeting,” Higgins said.
He added that there will be no venue or time change for the meeting.
“It would need to be held during a time when the Board of Commissioners are open for business,” Higgins explained. “At this point, it would be 10 in the morning for the regularly scheduled commissioners’ meeting.”
The controversial proposed ordinance would establish new requirements for contractors to be eligible to bid on some Centre County government construction projects.
The county is currently required to accept the lowest responsible bidder for any given construction project. However, the county code and relevant statutes and regulations provide little guidance for defining “responsible.”
The proposed ordinance would, among other things, require that 70% of the craft labor workforce on projects over $250,000 be certified journeypersons, workers who have completed a state or federally approved apprenticeship training or those currently enrolled in such an apprenticeship program.
Contractors would self-certify with a notarized statement that they are in compliance with the conditions.
At a recent meeting, the BOC voted 2-1 to advertise the proposed Responsible Contractor Ordinance governing county construction projects over $250,000.
The RCO has a 30-day public review period. There are less than two weeks left for review.
Higgins and Vice Chair Amber Concepcion voted in favor of the proposed ordinance, while Commissioner Steve Dershem voted against it.
In other business, the commissioners:
—Heard a presentation about C-NET from Cindy Hahn. She talked about C-NET’s involvement broadcasting county meetings and its service to the public.
—Approved a grant agreement with the Department of Housing & Urban Development for the continuation of the Centre County Rapid Re-Housing Program. The agreement total is $385,415, funded federally for the period of Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024.
—Approved a contract renewal with the Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Psychological Clinic to provide mental health services including outpatient and community services. The contract total is $20,000 funded as follows: state ($19,078) and county match ($922) for the period of July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
The BOC will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20. The meeting is open to the public and will also be televised live by C-NET.