CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A Clarion County Committee that meets only two times a year could be a partial funding source for moving historic Clarion County official records from the old jail to a new county building/warehouse in Shippenville.
(Pictured: Warehouse shelving at the new county building in Shippenville.)
“We get money through the register recorder and prothonotary offices from fees that are to be set aside for records improvement that was legislated, and that’s what this fund is meant to do,” explained Clarion County Commissioner Wayne Brosius at a Zoom meeting of the Records Improvement Committee last week.
“Record improvement can include either storage devices or what-have-you, whatever the committee sees necessary to improve the storage of records of the county,” Brosius added.
The committee has approximately $44,300.00 generated from fees.
Members of the committee include Commissioners Brosius, Ted Tharan, and Ed Heasley; Coroner Dan Shingledecker; District Attorney Drew Walsh; Information and Technology (IT) Chad Johnston; Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Jeffrey Himes; Director of Public Safety Jeff Smathers; Register and Recorder Greg Mortimer; Sheriff Rex Munsee; and Treasurer Karyn Montana.
Meetings in 2021 are scheduled for May 13 and November 11.
Old cells at the jail are used for record storage, but the move to the warehouse is going to require particular security, fireproof safes, and the construction of restricted storage areas.
Asked if the committee resources could be used to remodel the new storage area, Tharan urged the committee members to consider using the funds and declare their unique needs for the new records space.
“We need to be thinking about that before the next meeting,” Tharan said. “Once we complete a section at the warehouse and get Emergency Management Vehicles inside, records storage will be the next project that we start over there.
“Looking at climate-controlled equipment for heating and air conditioning and humidity control, we’re going to need steel shelving, and we’re going to need to build the room inside there.
“So what does everybody think about using some of that money to help offset the cost somewhat?” Tharan asked.
“It won’t pay for it all,” he added.
The committee’s consensus was that it would be a fair use of record storage in improvement money, and several felt that a safe would be needed for some areas.
“it’s important that they’re protected and preserved,” said Himes. “So, I’m all in favor of using whatever money we have at the time to implement the new storage facility.”
“I get what you’re saying, Jeff. When we get ready to start laying it out, and you can show me how much space you think you’ll probably need, we could build a section in there because you had a key if they’re sealed by the court, and no one’s allowed to see them,” Tharan replied.
“When we get ready, I’ll get ahold of you, and then we (will get) with everybody that’s going to have records there and see how much space they do need.”
The possibility of converting all paper records to digital formats would likely be too costly because of legal requirements as to what format should be used and copying documents. While some forms are scanned now, the law would not regard those as official copies.
Register recorder Greg Mortimer noted their records might fit the requirements because their records are also available online.
Prothonotary Jeff Himes also has court records sealed, some for life, and security concerns would be required for electronic documents, just as they are for the paper copies.
“There’s going to have to be some security for some of my records. Not anybody can get into them except my staff or me. Unfortunately, for our county, because of the cost, I think that we need to concentrate on what we have right now and then maybe look into the future,” Himes said.
“We do scan things right now, but the Historical Society does not approve our scanning method. So we do have a backup of that’s why we’re doing it is just for a backup. It’s not for storage purposes.”
Tharan addressed the historical angle of records.
“We also have a lot of historical stuff that would probably need to be somewhere safer. That’s exactly what I would want to do over at the Sorce building,” said Tharan. “We could have a safe, climate-controlled environment where these records can all be preserved and not worry about mold and everything else. I don’t think we want to throw away. I don’t think we should throw out a lot of stuff that happened back in the 1800s or even the 1900s now.”
Committee members will be asked how much space is needed, looking at the present storage amount and future space and equipment needed, so the storage area can be built appropriately.
“If we need to move earlier than our May 13 meeting on anything or any purchases,” Brosius said, “we do have a form over here at the chief clerk’s office that people can fill out for a request for this money so that we could do an e-mail vote. It could just be a matter of reimbursing the general fund if we wait till May.”
