CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – A lot is going on inside the old Goodwill Building at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Liberty Street behind the plywood sheets covering the front window.
Commissioner Ted Tharan said Tuesday morning that county maintenance staff is working on the renovations that will create a likely new home for the county probation office now located at the corner of Main Street in rented space and an office for District Justice Duane Quinn, now in rented space at 14 Grant Street.
Clarion County purchased the former Goodwill/Golden Dawn/A&P for offices that the county rents from private owners.
“We have a good crew down there, and we’ll be dry walling there in a couple of weeks,” said Tharan. “It’s progressing right along.”
Asked for a likely date for the county offices to move, Tharan was reluctant to give an actual date because of his knowledge of construction and acknowledged that Murphy’s Law can always influence construction.
Following dry walling, the county crew will paint the new offices.
”We’re painting it mauvette, and if you stay with one color you could spray paint that building in a day or two,” said Tharan.
Beyond painting and finishing work, the county also needs various governmental approvals. For instance, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (APOC) must approve the offices because of the work relating to the court system.
Commissioners Tharan, Wayne Brosius, and Ed Heasley approved an agreement with Clarion-Limestone School District for a police resource officer contingent on approval by the county and school district solicitors.
“It’s not completely resolved at this point, and this way they will be able to have a resource officer by the start of school, and we can approve it again at our September meeting if it is acceptable to all parties,” said Tharan.
A new UHF Med 5 antenna was also approved. The antenna will operate within the existing Medic Command format in Clarion County and will be installed on an existing standoff located at Trinity Point tower site.
“About a year ago we decided to move from the way that things used to be on the radio stations to a dedicated Med 5 radio down at Trinity Point,” said Ron Wolbert, 911 Director. “With ambulances, we didn’t have to turn repeaters on and off at the towers, so that stations are constantly open for them to use. When we did that, we actually had to widen out the bandwidth on the other antennas and the other system. By putting this antenna in, we’re able to narrow those bandwidths down so that it creates better communication.”
Commissioner approved the following three proclamations:
• September is Foodstock Month in Clarion County.
• Clarion University is celebrating 150th Anniversary on September 10, 2017.
• Craig E. Fleming American Legion Unit 66 Auxiliary is celebrating its 90th Anniversary.
In other business:
• Appointed former Clarion County Commissioner and local business owner Ted Reddinger to a three-year term on the Hotel Tax Committee, effective September 1, 2017. There are currently four vacancies on the committee.
• Approved a grant renewal on behalf of Juvenile Probation with the Juvenile Court Judge’s Commission effective July 1, 2017, at a cost of $111,504.00, but no country match is required.
