Jan. 12—EBENSBURG, Pa. — The Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County opened bids for multiple projects on Thursday and discussed the future of its demolition program since the Cambria County commissioners’ December vote to stop funding it.

All three Cambria County commissioners who began terms in office earlier this month have indicated their interest in resuming the Act 152 demolition program in the county before any disruption in funding occurs.

Act 152 authorized Pennsylvania’s counties to impose and collect $15 fees on certain deed and mortgage transfers and to use that money to fund blight removal.

The Cambria County commissioners voted to implement the fees in 2016, and that money has since put a sizable dent in blight across the county.

“It’s an important program for the county and for the Redevelopment Authority,” Redevelopment Authority Chairman Samuel Piccioni said on Thursday during the authority’s meeting at the Cambria County Human Services Building, 401 Candlelight Drive, Ebensburg.

However, the commissioners repealed Act 152 in December — as well as Act 89, which allowed counties to impose $5 fees on non-exempt PennDOT vehicle registrations in the county and put them toward bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects.

The programs were repealed with 2-1 votes, with Commissioner Thomas Chernisky and then-Commissioner William “B.J.” Smith in the majority. Commissioner Scott Hunt voted to maintain the programs, and said he didn’t understand why Chernisky and Smith took action to repeal them.

None of the county commissioners oppose the programs. Their repeal punctuated the final meeting of Smith, who, along with Chernisky in 2016, introduced those programs and made them cornerstones of the county’s operations.

Smith lost reelection in November to now-Commissioner Keith Rager. Chernisky and Hunt were re-elected.

Smith said in December that, because he was leaving office at the end of the year, he wanted a satisfied conscience moving forward by removing the fees, which the new group of commissioners could put back in place if they deemed it appropriate.

Voting to repeal programs that had been instituted in part by Smith opened an opportunity for the new board of commissioners to take a fresh look at them, Chernisky said on Thursday. Chernisky said he is in favor of reinstituting the programs.

Rager said in a phone interview on Thursday that a lot of good work has been accomplished with funds from Acts 152 and 89. He said that he is in favor of reinstituting both.

“Nobody likes taxes, but these programs help fix bridges and take blight down,” Rager said. “I don’t know why they were stopped, but I am for both of them. What’s a $5 fee on a $60,000 or even $20,000 vehicle? What’s $15 on a $200,000 home? I say, let’s put things in perspective.”

Four of nine blight demolitions slated through May have been completed, Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County Executive Director Renee Daly said.

And those structures that are currently under contract to be demolished will not be affected by the commissioners’ December vote to repeal the funding mechanism for the program.

Nine applications have been submitted for future demolitions, Daly said.

And because the repeal of the program doesn’t take effect until March 1, money is still flowing through deed transfers until then, she said.

Chernisky said the program will be brought to a vote before March so that funding is not interrupted for future demolitions.

“We did it with the idea that there would be a delay so the new board of commissioners can re-evaluate Act 152, which I’m going to support,” Chernisky said on Thursday.

The Redevelopment Authority on Thursday also opened bids for multiple projects. A contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidders after an internal review by the authority’s engineer and solicitor, Daly said.

A project to pave Mallory Lane in Jackson Township received seven bids. The lowest bid opened Thursday was a bid of $93,554 from Quaker Sales Corp., of Johnstown.

A project to pave Short Avenue in Cresson Township received seven bids. The lowest bid opened Thursday was a bid of $41,005 from New Enterprise Stone & Lime Company, of New Enterprise.

A project to replace sanitary sewer infrastructure under Highland Avenue, Cambria Township, received 13 bids. The lowest bid opened Thursday was from James Excavating Inc., of Johnstown.

A project for roof replacement at the Martha & Mary House homeless shelter in Dale Borough received no bids. Although the roof is in need of repair, the damage affects the structure’s attic and does not affect the environment of the inhabited portion of the building, Daly said.

Those projects will be funded by Community Block Grant Development funds, which the Redevelopment Authority manages for municipalities in the county.