Felton feels ‘encouraged’ with push for diversity in Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Former Baron inducted into Hall

First Posted: 12/23/2014 WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city&#8217;s request for qualifications from outside firms to inspect properties drew six responses by Monday&#8217;s deadline.
The city is considering awarding a contract for a third-party housing, rental and commercial inspections program as a way to increase revenues and the number of inspections.
City spokeswoman Liza Prokop Tuesday indicated the process of selecting a possible contractor is just beginning. Responses to the RFQ posted on the city&#8217;s website were due by 2 p.m. Monday.
&#8220;At this point, a timetable has not been established to implement the program as the city is in the early stages of exploring available options and reviewing qualifications,&#8221; Prokop said.
Employees in the city&#8217;s Operations Department conduct inspections and will continue to do the work if a contract is awarded, she said. In next year&#8217;s $44.3 million balanced budget, revenues from rental inspections alone increased to $175,000 from $75,000 budgeted this year.
The city sought detailed information from prospective firms that included licenses and certificates, references from clients, &#8220;specialized experience and technical competence.&#8221; A two-year contract would be negotiated with the highest qualified respondent that would be required to begin the work within 30 days of its selection. The firm&#8217;s employees would be required to be trained in all aspects of the state&#8217;s Act-45 Uniform Construction Code.
The contractor would be responsible for a host of duties, including identifying and scheduling all inspections, conducting the inspections and, if necessary, re-inspections, providing a comprehensive fee schedule and providing assistance with disputes between property owners, Realtors, landlords, tenants and prospective homebuyers.