Accuracy of courthouse time questioned

BY STACI WILSON

The 9 a.m. start time the commissioners’ meeting was questioned last week by one audience member.

Craig Stevens, of Silver Lake, said that because the meeting was advertised as starting at 9 a.m., that is the exact time the meeting should commence.
The commissioners, however, use the clock on the courthouse phone system to determine the time, Commissioner Michael Giangrieco said, adding his watch said it was five minutes after the hour by the time the meeting began.

Stevens said the meeting was not supposed to start until the appointed hour and said that checking a cell phone for the time would be more accurate.

As the commissioners began moving through the meeting agenda, audience member Vera Scroggins, who was videotaping the meeting, asked the elected officials to read the motions in consideration of the people who watch the meeting videos on the internet.

Commissioner Alan Hall replied “no” to the request.

The county signed the 2013 grant agreement between Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the commissioners for $1,150,000 to be allocated to the rental assistance program ($150,000); New Milford Creekside Apartments ($700,000); and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program ($300,000).

Hall explained that state grants support those initiatives and the county was handling the pass-through funds.

The commissioners also approved a $36,261.93 transfer from the Marcellus Legacy Fund to the Ag Easement program.

Hall explained the Conservation District administers the Ag Easement program and that the Legacy Fund was one of the Act 13 funds and the money allocated goes to agricultural preservation.

Taxes were exonerated for the years 1981-1983 on a parcel that went through the 1983 Upset Tax Sale with no bid and notation on the sale list made of a former Benson Bros. property as being sold to the county at that time.

There was no record the property was processed though a judicial sale for the discharge of taxes.

The exoneration of the taxes by the county was to establish a corrected record in the tax claim office.

The commissioners signed a funding option with the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Cooperative establishing a separate fund to cover the claims corridor for the plan year beginning Jan. 1, 2014.

Room tax grants for the 2013 grant cycle were approved.

The county is accepting bids for a Harder Electri-Spread salt speader; Glidden 16 hp pressure washer; Pramac 3100 volt generator; Troybuilt Cycle-bar mower. The items will be sold as a lot, not individually. Projected value of the lot is under $1,000.

The resignation of Nicole Welmon, Children & Youth, was accepted with regret; and the resignation of Alicia Sturdevant, 2nd Deputy Clerk of Courts was accepted per the recommendation of Prothonotary Susan Eddleston.
David Freendall, Montrose, was hired as a full-time custodian.

The commissioners approved the 2014 holiday schedule for the county – an approval normally given by the salary board.

In the salary board meeting, an agenda item was added seeking approval by the board for the 2014 holiday schedule.

The board also created one additional, full-time 9-1-1 dispatcher position.

The starting wage for the Chief Deputy position in the Sheriff’s office was also adjusted from $11.50 per hour to a range of $13-$19 per hour, depending on experience. The change to the starting salary was made at the recommendation of Sheriff Lance Benedict.