Commissioners Contemplate Moving Domestic Relations to Third Floor of Courthouse

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published June 24, 2020 4:50 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion County Commissioners are working on plans to move the offices of Domestic Relations from rented space into the third floor of the Clarion County Courthouse.

(PHOTO: Clarion County Commissioners Ed Heasley, Wayne Brosius, and Ted Tharan review lease renewals.)

Commissioner Ted Tharan identified some changes being considered in the courthouse for Domestic Relations.  Judge Sara Seidle Patton suggested moving the offices that are under the direct supervision of the judge.

Rent is now paid for use of the offices now located at Fourth Avenue as part of the Smathers Building. Since security issues require Clarion County Sheriff deputies at the fourth avenue location, a third-floor office complex in the courthouse could also provide savings because security is also provided by the sheriff’s office for the secure courthouse entrance.

“We’ve had some consultants review different possibilities, and there is a fairly easy way that we can get the space on the third floor, rearranging offices,” said Tharan. “Two front corner rooms on the third floor are vacant right now. The auditors have an office, and there’s a jury deliberation room, a conference room, and the senior judge has an office. So, we’re going to rework some stuff there and look at that.”

Tharan noted there will also be space in the basement once EMA finds a permanent home. Commissioners are also considering new space for 9-1-1 operations that could also include space for Emergency Management and Public Safety.

“There is no progress in securing a new 9-1-1 building,” said Tharan.

One of the keynotes of the current administration is to move county offices out of privately owned buildings into buildings owned by Clarion County.  Examples of this are: court and probation offices at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Liberty Street and District Attorney Offices near the Clarion Municipal Parking Lot.

Remaining offices owned by private businesses are the public defender’s office, Penn State Extension, and two district magistrate offices.

Clarion County also considers itself as a landlord and charges rent to agencies occupying the Clarion Human Services Building on Seventh Avenue. In some cases, the rent is an expense charged to state funding. Rents collected help decrease the county debt level.

Commissioners approved the following lease renewals from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, for the Human Services Building at Tuesday morning’s meeting, including the following:

  • CYS – Rent: $11,100/month ($133,200/year), county match 0%
  • Clarion Vocational Services — Rent: $1,814/month ($21,768/year)
  • Center for Community Resources – Rent: $491/month ($5,892/year) MH/DD/EI – Rent: $2,364/month ($28,368/year), county match 0%
  • Community Guidance Center – Rent: $1,526/month ($18,312/year)
  • Roads to Recovery – Rent: $964/month ($11,568/year)
  • Center for Community Resources – Rent: $2,326/month ($27,912/year)
  • Human Services Department– Rent $624/month ($7,488/year), county match 0%
  • Clarion County Promise – Rent: $911/month ($10,932/year).

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