CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Clarion County Commissioners Ted Tharan, Wayne Brosius, and Ed Heasley are looking at making some changes in the heart of the courthouse.
“These are things that need to be addressed and haven’t been addressed since the end of World War II,” said Tharan after he outlined what the commissioners are considering at this point.
No decisions have been made, but the three commissioners are gathering information.
“We’re looking to possibly do a request for proposals on heating at the courthouse,” explained Tharan. “We’re meeting with our attorney this afternoon. The boilers are really old, and there’s one boiler in the courthouse now, and we would like to go (to) a series because if that boiler blows up — it was ‘48 or ‘49 when that boiler was put in — and if it would happen to blow up and we couldn’t get it fixed immediately, everything in the courthouse would freeze in the winter.”
“With a series of boilers, if one goes down, you have backup, and we’re possible looking at including air conditioning in that system. Technology is so advanced now that they can take an old steam system and turn it into a hot water heated cooling system possibly using heat pumps and things like that.”
“If you want to do it, you need to do it in the summertime because there’s only one boiler.”
Tharan also said they are going to look at the Human Services Building on Seventh Avenue. The building has eight boilers, but only six work. Tharan said he has been told that high-efficiency boilers would pay for themselves in five years.
The only thing that may get in the way of the needed repairs would be money, and like other counties in Pennsylvania, the possibility of dramatic cuts in the Commonwealth budget — a preliminary budget approved by the House of Representatives — are of concern.
Heasley proposed a resolution against the proposed budget (House Bill 218) because of cuts for key services in criminal justice programs and human services. Commissioners approved a resolution that will be fine-tuned to send.
“Hopefully, the senate will look at this and try to take the concerns into consideration when it revises the budget. If they don’t deal with the cuts, I’d like to see them cut the mandates.”
In other business:
• Commissioners approved a request from the Bureau of Forestry to treat the four ash trees remaining in Memorial Park. Brosius explained that trees must be treated every two years to prevent the emerald ash borer.
• Commissioners approved a new contract on behalf of the County Jail with ABC Heating, Cooling & Plumbing with a yearly inspection cost of $1,200.00.
• Approved a new agreement on behalf of 911 Communications for the St. Petersburg Tower for 36 months at a cost of $750.00 per month.
• Approved WCCR/WWCH Radio in Clarion to use Clarion Memorial Park on July 7 from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for its annual Family Fun program.
• Approved Tri-County Animal Rescue Center to use Memorial Park August 19 from noon to 9:00 p.m. for the 5th Annual International Homeless Animals Day Event.
