County chooses electric supplier

BY STACI WILSON

With the deregulation of electric looming, the commissioners signed a one-year contract with Constellation Energy, of Baltimore, Md.

The county will purchase electric from Constellation at a rate of $.064243/kwh for 13 county accounts.

The commissioners also approved the issuance of bonds by the Susquehanna County Industrial Development of Auhotirty to finance the Holiday Inn Express expansion project on behalf of Singh Realty LLC.

Changes and additions to county staffing took up the bulk of the Sept. 8 county commissioners meeting.

The commissioners accepted, with regret, the resignation of Dean Johnson as a Field Appraiser in the assessment office, effective Aug. 25.

Alexander Novack, of Aston, was hired to replace Johnson, with a start date to be determined by Chief Assessor Rick Kamansky.

Ruth Smith, of Great Bend, was hired as a clerk/typist in Children and Youth as of Aug. 30. Also in the Department of Children and Youth, Chad Weaver was promoted from the Caseworker I level to Caseworker II, effective Sept. 2.

The commissioners also acknowledged the hiring of people in several other county offices.

Betty Phillips, Hallstead, was hired by Register and Recorder Mary Evans to a part time position, effective Sept. 20.

Phillips plans to retire from her full time post in that office but stay on temporarily on a part time basis.

Erika Canfield, Montrose, was hired to a temporary, part time, clerk/typist position by Prothonotary Susan Eddleston, effective Sept. 7. The position is slated to end no later than Feb. 28, 2011.

Rebecca White, Brackney, was hired by District Judge Jeffrey Hollister as a full time, clerk/typist in the magistrate’s Montrose office, effective Aug. 30.

In addition to staffing issues, the commissioners also appointed four people to the Lackawanna-Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs Advisory Board for a one-year term beginning Sept. 8.

Appointees include: John Lester, Beverly Bennett, Beverly Griffiths and Carolyn Warner.

The Tax Claim Bureau was exonerated from collecting taxes on two trailers. One parcel, a trailer in Hart’s Trailer Court, Bridgewater, was exonerated as gone by Assessment in June. And a trailer in Springville was exonerated by Assessment as razed in August.

Following the commissioners meeting, the retirement board met with representatives from The Seneca Group to discuss the county pension fund.

The retirement board is comprised of the three commissioners, County Treasurer Cathy Benedict and Chief Clerk Sylvia Beamer. Commissioner Michael Giangrieco was not present for the Sept. 8 retirement board meeting.

The pension fund handlers said the portfolio is performing the way they advise did not advise the board to make any changes to the county fund. The fund remains overweighted in fixed income and alternative investments and underweighted in equities.

The value of the pension plan is over the $11 million mark and is in good shape said Seneca Group reps.