CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Clarion County Commissioners — Ted Tharan, Wayne Brosius, and Ed Heasley — recently approved an agreement for a $286,004.00 grant from the 2016 State Homeland Security Grant Program.
Clarion County Office of Emergency Services (OES) operates the agreement with the State Emergency Management Agency and Northwest Central Pennsylvania Emergency Response Group. Clarion and four other counties can use the grant in case of terrorism or natural disaster. The grant agreement is from September 1 to August 31, 2019.
“After 9-11, Act 327 was passed that established a terrorism task force in Pennsylvania,” said Stahlman. “There are nine of them. FEMA acts as the go-between for the hand down from the Homeland Security Fund, and FEMA distributes it to the task forces. The grant money covers our expenses of operation and equipment purchases for the task force. It’s a reimbursement grant.”
Funding has dropped drastically.
“I think in 2005 or 2006, our task force got a little more than $1 million,” continued Stahlman. “We were lucky to get the same amount we got last year. Federal money is drying up.”
Human Services Building Update
Tharan presented an update on activity at the county-owned Human Services Building on Seventh Avenue, noting that work continues in filling the building.
“The middle floor on the west wing is now pretty much completed with the exception of phone wiring and Internet hookups,” said Tharan. “We signed a lease with Justus Works and part of it is rented to them, Soil Conservation is moving down next week, and Kay (Rupert) and part of her staff will be occupying the rest of it. We’re in negotiations with another company for the floor below them.”
“Also, on that floor is going to be a large conference room that they will be starting to work on in a week, and it will end of being the county’s largest conference room.”
Tharan complemented county workers for their work on the project.
Asked if the additional parking was going to be available to the additional occupants, Tharan outlined plans for additional parking.
“We’re going to get about three spots on a grassy area,” said Tharan. “We’ve met with the Borough, and currently they have no parking on the street (Seventh Avenue) out there, and they agreed to let us park horizontally there, providing six or seven more spots. We’re going down to the back lot where county vehicles are parked and widen it out to get more there, and down by the back door, we’re going to be able to park four cars down there. We’re also going to sealcoat the driveway and parking area and re-line it.”
Brosius noted that some of these new agencies in the building are out in the field a good part of the time and not at the Human Resources Building.
Contracts Approved
Commissioners approved a contract amendment on behalf of CYS with Pope, Drayer, French, & Heeter P.C. of Clarion for solicitor services from July 1 to June 30, 2016, at a cost of $46,154.06 with a county match of $9,230.81.
Commissioners approved the purchase of a new 12-passenger bus for Clarion County Transportation Department at a cost of $59,900.70 with a County portion of $853.70.
Commissioners approved the permanent relocation of a polling location, Clarion Borough First at the former Liberty Street Church of God to Clarion Area High School.
Contract renewals were approved on behalf of Children and Youth Services (CYS), from July 1 to June 30, 2017, with:
• Joe B. and Bonnie J. Ferguson of Summerville for independent living apartments at a cost of $3,290.00/month; County portion: $345.45 per month.
• Clarion Vocation Services of Clarion for office cleaning services at a cost of $130.00 per week with the County portion at $26.00 per week.
• Avanco International, Inc. of Fairfax, VA, for CAPS (Child Accounting and Profile System) provider agreement at a cost of $27,925.70 with the County match of $9,383.04.
• Avanco International, Inc., of Fairfax, VA, for CAPS consulting services at a maximum cost of $10,000.00 with a County match of $3,360.00.
ALF Request Approved
Various requests concerning the 2016 Autumn Leaf Festival by the Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry for use of Clarion County Courthouse and Veterans Memorial Park were approved. Permissions included:
• Place picnic tables on the western lawn of Memorial Park from Monday, September 19, through Tuesday, October 4
• Use of Memorial Park for food concessions and amusement company from Friday September 23, through Sunday, October 2
• Use of courthouse employee parking lot, next to the courthouse, for the amusement company, from 5 p.m. on Friday, September 23, through Sunday, October 2
• Use of basement electric power source from the Courthouse to an electric panel box in the Chamber sign area
• Use of the eastern side of the Courthouse lawn used for sponsor tents or tables and picnic tables; no food concessions will be placed in the middle of Memorial Park
• Use of the sidewalk area in front of the Courthouse for food concessions
• Use of the Courthouse outside water hook-ups for food concessions placed on the of Courthouse side of Main Street
• Use of the Courthouse entrance sidewalk, from the Courthouse main entrance steps to the Main Street sidewalk for Cultural Nights, Monday through Thursday (September 26 to 29), from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
• Use of the Courthouse entrance sidewalk from the Courthouse main entrance steps to the Main Street sidewalk for the post Tournament of Leaves parade concert on Saturday, October 1, from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Find a suitable location for the Courthouse dumpster, coordinated with Bob Smith, so as not to interfere with the business of the County and to provide a positive impact on the overall appearance of the amusement company. The Chamber will have the garbage service provider, Advanced Disposal Services, collect the waste from the county’s dumpster as part of their nightly service
• Request for David Dunn, Clarion County’s OES Planner, to serve as Chair for the Emergency Preparedness Committee.
