In 2024, State College enacted a “responsible contractor ordinance” (RCO). Last month, Borough Council felt the responsibility to narrow it.
The law governed contractor hiring for “construction, demolition, alteration, renovation, modernization, service or maintenance of [public] buildings, structures or facilities….” Originally, the measure applied to structures valued minimally at $250,000. On July 20, councilpersons voted four-to-two to double that dollar threshold and exempt broad categories of work on roads, culverts, roadway drainage pipes, and stormwater infrastructure.
Before the change, according to the Centre Daily Times, the college town “reported a significant decline in contractor bidding following the implementation of the requirements.”…