CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Costs for transferring prisoners to an approved State Correctional Institution (SCI) are increasing, and the Clarion County Commissioners would like to see a closer SCI approved to accept transfer prisoners.

The closing of SCI Pittsburgh now requires the sheriff’s office to transfer designated prisoner to SCI Greene, increasing the time for transportation, deputy time, and other costs. Commissioners wrote to Governor Tom Wolf and his Secretary of Corrections to review the additional costs.  They also met with State Representative Donna Oberlander about the situation.

“The taxpayers of Clarion County absorbed approximately $3,554.00 in additional costs to transport inmates for processing and to a state correctional facility during the 2017 calendar year from the Clarion County Jail,” reported Commissioners Ted Tharan, Wayne Brosius, and Ed Heasley at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Clarion’s cost to SCI Pittsburgh would have been approximately $6,370.00 and to SCI Greene it was $9,924.00.

The Clarion County Sheriff’s Department must now travel approximately 120 more miles, increasing travel time approximately two hours per trip, depending on the weather, traffic, and wait time at SCI Greene, that may be 15 minutes to two hours. Add the additional cost all the other northwest counties had to pay, and it’s a significant financial impact to all.

“The Harrisburg-elected official employees should consider the possibility of making SCI Mercer, SCI Albion, and preferably SCI Forest intake facility for northwest Pennsylvania,” said Heasley.

“I once was told the facility had to be a maximum security facility to accept new inmates. If true, that’s interesting since all the inmates are coming from a county prison.”

Heasley continued, “Northwest County Commissioners are fiscally responsible and operate with limited revenues and under budgetary control and would like the Governor’s Secretary of Corrections to allow us to continue to operate efficiently without these new significant costs arising from not having a reasonably close SCI.”

Commissioners approved the following contracts, consulting contract, and appointed two new members to the Hotel Tax Committee:

• Renewed a contract for mowing renewal with Jason Fyock for summer maintenance at Helen Furnace from May to October. The contract is $145.00 biweekly for mowing, trimming, clean up, pre mowing, etc.
• Approved leases on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department with Clarion Ford for an AWD Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles. The vehicle is a 2017 model with a new radio, four payments of $10,344.97.  At the end of the lease, the county can purchase the car for $1.00.
• Approved a contract on behalf of Clarion County District Attorney’s Office with PA District Attorney’s Institute for SAVIN (Pennsylvania Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification) maintenance and service agreement from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, with no fee for 2018.
• Approved a contract with Eileen Gruver Consulting for the remainder of 2018 at a cost of $18.47 as needed. Gruver, the assistant director of human relations, is leaving her position for another job.  Commissioners are still discussing the department and how to best provide services.  Tharan said there will likely be an interim appointment in HR.
• Appointed two new members of the Hotel Tax Committee, Mike Vereb as a public member at large and Karina Libecco from Holiday Inn Express as a lodging member.

Commissioners also offered four informational items:

Marcellus Legacy Fund

Act 13 of 2012 establishes the Marcellus Legacy Fund and allocates impact fee monies to the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to fund well-plugging projects through the Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging Program (OAWP). Competitive grants awarded under the program may be used to plug orphan and abandoned wells for which no responsible party exists.

2018 Multimodal Transportation Fund – Call for Applications

PennDOT will open the next round of Multimodal Transportation Fund applications on February 26, 2018, with applications due on March 30, 2018.

For more information about the program, including the application form, visit www.penndot.gov and click on Multimodal Transportation under the “Projects & Programs” button.

Greenways, Trails Recreation Program

Applications are being accepted from February 1^st to May 31^st for planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation, and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks, and beautification projects.

Clarion Hosting Western PA Election Meeting

Clarion County will be hosting the Western PA Election Personnel Association spring meeting.