Search for chief clerk continues

The county is still looking for a Chief Clerk.
Stephen Kaneski, who started in the dual role of Chief Clerk/Director of Public Safety on March 27, stayed only one day before courthouse sources say he left for another job offer.
With the resignation, the salary board – in a special meeting held April 6 – once again revised positions. A position of Chief Clerk was created, with an annual salary of $55,000.
R.S. Stoud, who was tapped to begin working in the District Attorney’s office as the Chief County Detective, will now take on that role, as well as retain his position as Director of Public Safety.
That position was also created in the special salary board meeting.
Commissioner Alan Hall said that 80 percent of Stoud’s salary will be paid from the district attorney’s budget, with the remaining 20 percent coming from the public safety budget.
Several other changes, additions and subtractions in job titles, duties and positions were also made at the April 12 commissioners’ meeting, including the hiring of Stephanie DeFronzo of Union Dale, as an Administrative Assistant/Grant Coordinator.
In the salary board meeting, Commissioner Elizabeth Arnold opposed the creation of the position.
Richard Ely is stepping back from his dual role as Director of Veterans’ Affairs/Human Resources Support to take on the single title of Director of Veterans’ Affairs.
In other business, the commissioners signed the Municipal Waste Planning Grant Agreement with the Dept. of Environmental Protection to reimburse the county 80 percent of costs associated with preparing the county’s Solid Waste Plan in 2016.
*Carol Carpenter, of Jackson Twp., was appointed to serve as a trustee to the Susquehanna County Historical Society & Library Board of Directors for the remainder of the term which ends Dec. 31.
*The commissioners enacted a countywide burn ban which goes into effect on Saturday, April 22, 12:01 a.m. through Monday, May 21, at 12:01 a.m. See page 2 for more information on the burn ban.
During public comment, Hall noted the county co-hosted an energy summit during the recent CCAP (County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania) conference.
Hall said the effort is to bring rural counties together to talk about common issues, including the effects of the natural gas industry; as well as guaranteed minimum royalty issues.
“(We) are trying to get the rural counties together as a coalition to have a voice in Harrisburg and Washington (DC),” Hall said.
Following the meeting, Hall also said some additional and unplanned work is needed on the courthouse. During a check of the clock tower, it was discovered that a portion of the roof is collapsing and needs to be fixed.