Pacifico highlights city progress in annual speech
City Mayor Matt Pacifico’s annual state of the city address Monday was largely a list of city government activities and accomplishments during 2022, many undertaken with the help of other agencies and organizations.
The half-hour talk was direct and straight to the point.
That was fine with Pennsylvania Municipal League Executive Director John Brenner, a guest for the speech, which took place at the Railroaders Memorial Museum.
“It’s about results,” Brenner said. “Day to day.”
It was important for him “specifically to highlight the amazing work our great staff is doing every day,” Pacifico said afterward, when asked about his approach to the talk, which focused on department directors. “It’s good to share with everybody all the things we’ve accomplished.”
Those included:
– Department of Administration: Allocation of $39.6 million awarded by the American Rescue Plan Act for stormwater projects; for renovation of a building on Margaret Avenue to create an employee training center; renovation of the highway yard building; reactivation of the Redevelopment Authority; acquisition of ground to accommodate expansion of the police station; and creation of a business development loan fund and a small business development grant program.
– Public Works: Construction of sidewalks on East Cherry Avenue and at the Altoona Housing Authority’s Fairview Hills family development; construction of student safety improvements along 17th Street; installation of lights at Garfield Park; installation of LED streetlights; acquisition of a grant to renovate the Altoona Transportation Center; improvements at Hamilton Park; street repaving.
– Codes & Inspections: Demolition of 11 blighted buildings.
– Finance: Avoidance of a tax increase with the help of ARPA money.
– Police: Hiring 11 officers; participating in charity events like the Torch Run, the Polar Plunge, No-Shave November, a hockey game, National Night Out, a home run derby, distribution of Christmas presents and “COCO with the POPO.”
– Fire: Hiring seven firefighters; handling 2,800 calls; including 37 structure fires, with several firefighters earning medals of valor and lifesaving medals for actions connected with a fire at Logan Hills on Easter Sunday; obtaining Lucille the arson dog.
– Community Development: Hiring of a new director, along with creation of two new staff posts.
Pacifico also highlighted development projects, including the Curry Innovation Center, which includes space occupied by Saint Francis University; creation of a homeless shelter in the former Drenning building on North Branch Avenue; planning the rehabilitation of the Donald E. Witherspoon Basketball Courts in Fifth Ward; and creation of six pickleball courts in Garfield Park.
Looking ahead, Pacifico said his biggest priority is housing. Emphasis will be on creating incentives and funding so homeowners can pursue renovations and so that new houses can be built, especially accommodations for young professionals, he said.
Recently created Operation Safe Space, in cooperation with the Hope for the Homeless group, will push to hold negligent landlords accountable for taking rent for spaces that are unfit for habitation, the mayor said. That will mean finding money to provide temporary housing for tenants “rescued” from those situations.
Recreation is another focus, with two new parks for people of “all abilities,” one completed, one planned. The completed facility is on Sixth Avenue near the ArtsAltoona building, featuring a bankshot basketball court. The planned facility will be in Garden Heights.
There’s also Prospect Pool — management of which the city took recently from the Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission. The committee working on getting the pool ready for summer plans a big splash for opening day.
Pacifico said he doesn’t want “to be satisfied with things as they are.”
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.