LAWRENCE COUNTY Authority questioned on sales of vehicles by housing authority

A housing authority official said staff layoffs led to the vehicles being sold.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Three vehicles owned by the Lawrence County Housing Authority have been sold, but two authority board members say they have a problem with the procedure.
Jeff Scrim and Robert Heath questioned why bids were accepted on three vehicles when board members had not approved which cars were to be sold.
The authority sold a 2004 Jeep Cherokee, a 1996 Ford F-150 pickup truck and a 1995 Chevrolet Lumina.
Scrim said he thinks the authority should have kept the newer vehicle because it had a manufacturer's warranty and sold another old vehicle.
Authority Executive Director Robert Evanick said the vehicles were sold because of staff layoffs. Evanick said he made the decision which vehicles were to be sold, believing it was an administrative matter.
Scrim and Heath said they found out about the sale by reading it in the newspaper.
Both eventually agreed to accept the highest bidders, along with board members Gary Felasco, James Graves and Donald Conti.
There were six offers for the Jeep and Paul Lynch of New Castle had the highest offer at $21,100. Lynch also bought the Ford truck for $3,003. There were 12 bids for that vehicle.
Wayne Cioffi of New Castle bought the Chevy Lumina for $708. There were nine bids on that car, Evanick said.
In other business, board members awarded a two-year contract to Rob Ratkovich, who does business as Diamond Consulting. Ratkovich will work as an inspector of housing authority maintenance projects and be paid $66,976 per year. Evanick said Ratkovich was the only person who bid on the job.
The work includes replacing roofs, refrigerators, stoves, piping and recondition air conditioners at various housing authority properties.
Scrim abstained from voting for Ratkovich because Ratkovich is a member of New Castle City Council. Scrim is the city's fire chief.
cioffi@vindy.com