Jeff Pikulsky

Jul. 15, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- U.S. Rep. John Murtha has informed local officials who sought his help in protesting the relocation of the Mon Valley's Social Security office that the move is a done deal.

In a July 10 letter, the Johnstown Democrat stated that the decision is final and added, "I'm truly sorry our efforts weren't successful."

In November, Monessen City Council and the Greater Monessen Chamber of Commerce wrote the congressman, expressing their disappointment that an effort failed to bring the Social Security office to the Mon Valley Community Health Center in Monessen.

A group of Mon Valley mayors demanded an investigation into the decision to move the Social Security office from Charleroi to WillowPointe Plaza along Route 51 in Rostraver Township.

Officials said they were concerned about getting public transportation to the new site and claimed that the bid by the Mon Valley Health and Welfare Authority, which operates the health center, was a half-million dollars less than the bid awarded for the WillowPointe Plaza site.

The U.S. General Services Administration procures space for the federal Social Security program.

Murtha passed along a June 10 letter to his office from GSA Acting Administrator David L. Bibb that addressed moving the Mon Valley office.

Bibb wrote that WillowPointe Plaza is serviced by the Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation program.

He said Washington County residents will be able to use the Washington County Transportation Authority's door-to-door shared ride program to get to the social security office.

Mid-Mon Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Valerie Kissell said the authority will begin providing direct transportation to the center on Oct. 1.

Kissell said the authority board June 26 added WillowPointe Plaza to a Valley Link East bus route that will begin Oct. 1.

The route will provide direct transportation to the Social Security office.

Kissell said the authority has been planning a route to the plaza for about a year because of an industrial park and new community wellness center.

"We would have done this regardless of a Social Security move," Kissell said. "That just brings another opportunity for us to provide service with that being there."

In reference to the lease, Bibb said claims that the payments would be $500,000 more per year are "inaccurate."

He wrote that the lease will be $168,722.40 annually for the first five years and $122,091.20 for the last five.

Bibb wrote that GSA would not discuss pricing offers, but said, "It is not possible for such a large spread to exist between offerors."

"Price, past performance, and quality of the building were considered in the evaluation ... the award was made to the offeror that represented the overall best value to the government," Bibb wrote. "The selection was not based purely on lowest cost because past performance and quality are significant factors, as well.

GSA believes WillowPointe Plaza will provide a quality environment for the public once the transportation requirement has been met, Bibb said.

Gary Boatman, president of the Greater Monessen Chamber of Commerce, said this morning that the chamber will not give up the fight, although Murtha's letter was disheartening.

"I think we need to keep going," he said. "I'm not sure exactly where we would turn because Congressman Murtha really put some effort into it."

Boatman said a proposal to move the office to Monessen's health center would have cost about $62,000 per year, less than half of the WillowPointe lease.

"Over the 10 years, it is closer to $1 million (more)," he said. "At a time when gasoline is on everyone's mind, why would you go out to a fringe area instead of being in the heart of where the constituents are?"

The Charleroi office opened in 1969 and moved to its current location at 431 Fallowfield Ave. in August 1976.

The Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce had also submitted a bid for the Social Security office to move into space at the former Montgomery Ward building in Charleroi.

Jeff Pikulsky can be reached at jpikulsky@tribweb.com or .

Newstex ID: KRTB-0311-26683132