Burns seeks to unearth Johnstown ARP grant awardee scoring system
Pursues ‘review packet’ compiled by three city employees
Rep. Frank Burns December 13, 2022 | 10:52 AM
EBENSBURG, Dec. 13 – Curious about the scoring system whereby three Johnstown city employees ranked organizations selected to receive millions in American Rescue Plan grants, state Rep. Frank Burns has lodged a Right-to-Know Law request for those documents.
Burns, D-Cambria, filed his request with Johnstown City Manager Ethan Imhoff, after viewing a WJAC televised interview where Assistant City Manager Alex Ashcom stated that he, Finance Director Robert Ritter and Community and Economic Development Director John Dubnansky compiled a “review packet to objectively score each organization that applied."
Consequently, Burns is asking Imhoff to supply him with:
- Copies of any and all documents – including the “review packet” referenced by Ashcom – that deal with the scoring, ranking, selection or rejection of applicants that was used to decide Johnstown’s disbursement of American Rescue Plan grant money.
- Copies of any and all correspondence – including but not limited to emails – sent to or from Ashcom, Ritter and/or Dubnansky, regarding the scoring ranking, selection or rejection of ARP grant applicants.
“Some entities that applied for grant funding were successful, others were not. To bring illumination to this selection process – which many in the community are demanding – I am requesting that you provide me with (this information),” Burns wrote.
Burns added, “Although I am not required to state a reason for making this information request, I will tell you that its sole purpose is letting the public know the process used by city government to award substantial amounts of federal grant money derived from taxpayer dollars. I hope that you and others in city government share my belief that it is their right to know this information.”
Burns, who is representing Johnstown for the first time, believes the community and taxpayers are entitled to know how the city selected winners and losers in doling out $3.8 million in ARP funding.
“Only when that process is fully revealed can people decide for themselves whether it was done fairly and objectively,” Burns said. “That information needs to be put on the table, for all to see.”