Hall gives up commissioner chair seat

Susquehanna County Commissioner Alan Hall had been working late Tuesday night, when he decided, “Something has to change,” he said following public comment at Wednesday’s meeting.
Hall said that after spending the day in Harrisburg advocating for the guaranteed minimum royalty bill, additional county work needed to be dealt with upon his return. In his remarks, he bullet-pointed federal, state and county issues, “some beyond our control” that are being handled by the commissioners. Items noted by Hall included the ongoing, complicated construction projects at the Courthouse Complex and the critical need to upgrade the county’s 9-1-1 center.
Hall – the commissioner chair – said he believed the chairmanship role needed to be moved around among the three elected commissioners and relinquished his role as chair. That, he said, would allow him to focus more on county work, and less on the conducting of the two business meetings held each month.
Commissioners Elizabeth Arnold and MaryAnn Warren were visibly surprised at Hall’s announcement.
Warren motioned that Arnold, the current vice-chair, serve as the chairwoman. A move seconded by Hall. Arnold objected, casting a “no” vote to Hall and Warren affirming the change.
Warren then motioned for Hall to serve as the vice-chair, which Hall seconded. All three commissioners voted in favor of that move.
At the adjournment, Arnold promptly left the meeting room, offering no comment on the change. Following the meeting, Warren expressed her shock and surprise at Hall’s announcement.
Before announcing he planned to step down from the chairmanship, Hall cited numerous issues the county is currently facing, identifying disarray not typically discussed at commissioner meetings.
Hall said there had been an error in the state funding for the Housing Authority’s project in Forest City that could leave the county on the hook for about $500,000;
*The Tiffany Pines housing development is looking for tax forgiveness because with the price of the property and construction, project investors are not happy with the money they are making;
*Municipalities are asking for the county to fund projects with Act 13 revenue, while sitting on their own Act 13 funds.
And the, Hall said, there are issues within the courthouse itself.
Hall said nothing had been done with the structure for years. The timbers in the attic had pulled apart and engineers wondered how it was even still staying in place.
He also said that because it was not maintained, the fire escape on the building needed to be replaced and brought up to code.
“The costs are astronomical,” he said. “The issues are astronomical.”
Hall also took aim at those who say county officials “invited” the developers looking to build an incinerator in New Milford Twp.
“The people who invited them are the one who wanted the bag of gold,” Hall said. “In 2007 and 2008 when the landmen came, all people saw was a bag of money. They didn’t care that it might bring an incinerator in.”
“We need to start to think five to 10 years down the road,” Hall said.
The commissioner said the county’s 9-1-1 center shut down for a portion of time last month because of a failure in the electronics system. Parts for the out-of-date system are nearly impossible to find, he said.
The pricetag to build a new 9-1-1 center is about $8-9 million, he said. “We are at a critical stage.”