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Although funding was found by the Lycoming County commissioners to support the Mobile Agriculture Education Science Lab this year, the commissioners cautioned that the money will not be there next year for the lab to visit area schools.
A few weeks ago a constituent had spoken at the commissioners meeting urging them to continue support of the program.
“There was a parent stressing that this program was going away and there was no funding to take care of the Ag mobile,” said Commissioner Scott Metzger.
“So we sat down and we paid a bill for $1,700 for three previous classes,” he continued.
The commissioners then discussed providing the $6,000 more needed for the Ag lab to visit classes that had already been scheduled for this spring.
“There were other entities helping out also. So by everybody working together as a partnership, we put together a plan to make sure that the kids that were scheduled for this program were not going to be denied,” he said.
“However, going into the next year, there’s no money available from these funds, so if they want to continue the Ag mobile, they’re going to have to continue to look for further resources to pay for it,” he added.
To fund the lab, the commissioners approved a cooperative agreement with Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture for $13,800.
At the request of the Public Defender’s Office, the commissioners approved a slate of conflict attorneys at their meeting this week. They included: Lauren Appolonia Boux, Brian Ulmer, Johanna Berta, Riane Aichner, Elizabeth White, Tyler Calkins, Howard Gold, Krista Deats and Matthew Diemer. These attorneys would be part of a pool that would be used when there is a conflict of interest in the Public Defender’s office. They would be paid $90 an hour if their services are needed.
In other business, the commissioners approved: a proposal from CCAP Travelers with the Hartman Group for the Lycoming Tax Collector Program in the amount of $42,842 for four years for bonding of county tax collectors; a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lycoming County Prison Board and 29th Judicial District in order to allow the adult probation to assist the prison regarding inmate medical transport and any inmate hospital duties when available;
Awarding the prison uniform clothing bid to Rogers Uniforms for $621; the subrecipient monitoring agreement with Lycoming County United Way of North Central PA in the amount of $195,505; the Retail Advertising Agreement with the Sun-Gazette, LLC; an amendment to extend the timeline of the RACP (Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program) grant for the levee relief wells; a resolution appointing Shannon Barnes as the Environmental Review Certifying Officer; a resolution updating the banking signatures; a quote from ABS Building System Integrators, LLC for $647.27 to move a modem from the Williamsport Hospital to the DUI Center and will be paid by the District Attorney’s Office; and an intergovernmental agreement with RVTA (River Valley Transit Authority) in the amount of $100,000 as the county’s portion to provide transportation services to municipalities in the county.
An update to a human resources policy regarding the county’s providing tools for county employees. Shannon Barnes, county director of management operations said that the update lowers the amount allotted for tools for employees. Barnes noted that the change will provide more accountability.
An amendment to the Lycoming-Clinton County Joinder Board’s PCCD (PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency) co-responder grant extending the timeline for hiring a qualified co-responder.
Under personnel, the commissioners approved the following items: Riley Shaffer, as a full-time public defender investigator, grant funded at $25 per hour; Sara Dalton, full-time administrative coordinator at the Public Safety/ Communications Center, $37,856.a year; and Makenzy LeFever as a full-time correctional officer at the Prison, a union position, $20 per hour.
The next commissioners’ meeting will be held at 10 a.m., Feb. 19, in the Commissioner’s Board Room, 3rd Floor, Third Street Plaza, 33 W. Third St.
