New Kensington-Arnold School District has sway over its cities joining county blight-fight program

New Kensington and Arnold both are interested in joining a Westmoreland County blight-fighting program, but the school district the cities share will have the deciding vote.

New Kensington Council has unanimously approved joining the Westmoreland County Land Bank, which is an extension of the county Redevelopment Authority that buys tax-delinquent properties with the goal of fixing or tearing down buildings and returning those properties to the tax rolls.

In approving New Kensington’s participation, council agreed to pay a one-time, $5,000 joining fee. The city also would give up half of the property tax revenue collected on properties that go through the land bank for five years, with that money going to support the land bank’s operations, said Brian Lawrence, executive director of the land bank and the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority.

“The county has the resources, tools and expertise to obtain site control and to deal especially with properties that are clouded with numerous title issues,” New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said. “Once they do that, it accomplishes several things. It helps to eliminate potential and actual blight, and it allows the property to be marketed for redevelopment throughout the city.”

New Kensington’s approval is contingent on New Kensington-Arnold School District agreeing to participate, which Lawrence said is required. The district would not pay a joining fee, but it would be agreeing to the diversion of property tax revenue to the land bank, as well as the exoneration of past due taxes.

Westmoreland County agreed to those terms when it founded the land bank in 2013, Lawrence said. It began its work in 2014. Since then, 25 municipalities and 15 school districts have joined. It has been involved with about 150 properties.

The land bank has two tools available to it that municipalities and redevelopment authorities don’t, Lawrence said. It can’t be outbid at a judicial sale, so properties aren’t bought by those without a community’s best interests at heart.

It also can exonerate delinquent taxes, which can accumulate to more than a property is worth and make its reuse economically unfeasible, Lawrence said.

The land bank also works with property owners when possible.

“It is important for property owners who are unable, unwilling or incapable of maintaining their property that they find a safe place for that property to be deposited,” Lawrence said. “We have done this a number of times.”

Lawrence is scheduled to make a presentation to the New Kensington-Arnold School Board at its May 3 meeting, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said.

School board President Tim Beckes said it is too early for him to comment on the land bank, as the board has not discussed it.

“We need to understand what it is first,” he said.

Whether or not Arnold Council goes forward with considering joining the land bank might depend on what the school district does, Councilman George Hawdon said. If the district says no, it would become moot for Arnold.

Depending on what the school board does, Hawdon said Arnold might ask Lawrence to appear at its council meeting May 10, a week after the school board meeting.

Hawdon said joining the land bank “is one of the most important things we could possibly do.”

“The land bank is definitely something that we need,” he said. “We are looking at any possible way to expedite getting rid of the buildings and being able to remove blight. The land bank is definitely a resource toward that.”

Arnold had 85 blighted properties in its most recent count, Hawdon said. He hopes the school district agrees to participate in the land bank so his council can consider it.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s a very positive program,” he said. “If we could assist some people in getting rid of houses, the more that we can address blight and the more tools we have to address blight, the better.”

Some of Arnold’s blighted properties are scheduled to come down this summer. Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a contract for the demolition of 10 buildings.

“That’s not enough,” Hawdon said. “We’re not going to rest until 100% of them are down.”