Repairs Continue, Clarion County Probation & Magistrate Offices Return

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published September 18, 2019 4:35 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion County Commissioners do not yet have a report on the cause of the fire that recently caused the evacuation of the probation offices and District Magistrate Duane Quinn’s office and courtroom; however, Commissioners Ted Tharan and Wayne Brosius reported on progress that has been made on building repairs.

Tharan and Brosius commented on the repair at Tuesday’s work session. The State Fire Marshal has inspected the building but has not yet issued a report.

“Probation is back there and in operation and so is District Magistrate Quinn’s office,” said Tharan. “Entrance for those two offices is at the rear of the building. Probation clients wait on chairs near the back door until and officer comes and escorts to their appointment. However, they’re not going to have any court in there for the next week and a half because they are scheduled at Magistrate Schill’s office in the Clarion County Jail for the next week, and Judge Quinn is at a conference the next week.”

Cleaning was a top priority because of smoke damage.

“They got everything cleaned all the furnaces and put the new duct work and that was what we were waiting on; we had to go for air quality,” Tharan continued. “They haven’t touched any of the stuff upfront yet as far as construction. They’re just cleaning everything. They sucked the insulation out of the entire attic and going to blow in new insulation. There was a lot of smoke smell, and a year from now get a hot day the whole building with smell.”

New glass doors will be ordered this week for the entrance because they take longer to arrive.

“As soon as they get done cleaning and out of the road, we’ll continue to move forward.”

Asked if the Commissioners will be doing anything different to the building’s entrance and the possibility that smokers may have started the fire, Tharan said the Commissioners will look at their policy.

“Smoking has to be a certain distance away from the door. They need to be further away from the building.”

Tharan also attended a PA CO-STARS meeting in Harrisburg and also visited a federal procurement center and took note of all the things the County could purchase from the federal government.

“They have a ‘boat load’ of generators at reduced prices,” Tharan said. “There were these 10K generators, and some of them had different hours of use on them. Instead of costing us $700.00, we could buy this type of generators for $350. Callensburg in the past has asked the Commissioners if there is any grant money for generators. We’re going to get in touch with the fire companies and see if anyone wants a generator, and we could use Marcellus money to go down and buy these generators from $300.00 to $1,000.00 and give them to the fire companies so they can be prepared.”

In other discussion:

  • A marijuana medical impairment in the workplace forum will be held Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at Clarion University. The program will center on employer and employee rights and the law. Several members of Clarion County management plan to attend the free program. Clarion County does have a workforce impairment policy in place. The policy varies depending on the employee’s position and type of work.
  • Other business scheduled for next Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Commissioners, the resignation of Brian Huwar from the Board of Assessment Appeals effective September 11 will likely be accepted. The appointment of Sal Mazzocchi to the board of assessment appeals effective September 17 is also on the schedule for action.
  • County Planner Kristi Amato is scheduled to be appointed as the Section 504 officer per CDBG regulations. It is an annual appointment, and Amato deals with reviewing any discrimination due to disability in the CDBG projects.

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