CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Mary Lutz (pictured above) was supposed to retire May 3rd from her job as an administrative officer for Clarion County, but her replacement took another job.
A 23-year employee, Mary agreed to return and train her second replacement and help keep the MH/DD/EI office running.
“I guess I can’t just walk away,” said Mary on Friday. “We’re going to interview a couple of people today for the position, and then I will train and will come back until we get somebody just to make sure everything’s running and take care of billing. I’ve worked on this transportation project from Day One when it was privatized.”
“I worked up at the Sawmill Art Center as the office manager and their bookkeeper for about nine years before the switchboard. Before that, I also worked at the Wayside Inn while all my kids were little.”
Mary has witnessed many changes since starting with Clarion County in January of 1998. Starting as the switchboard operator for the current Human Services building, her desk and office were in the hallway. Back then, the Seventh Avenue building and former Clarion Hospital was rented from the Ganoe Brothers before it was purchased by Clarion County.
Her hallway location wasn’t quite an office, but as a switchboard operator, she had connections with a hundred employees.
“We had children’s services and a whole children’s service department and counseling center,” said Mary. “We had psychiatrists on staff and a psychiatric nurse.”
Those were the days before many of the human services were privatized, changing some employees from county employees to employees for contracted non-profits.
Mary worked at the switchboard for two years until she was promoted to confidential secretary to Evan Dittman. She was later promoted to her current position as an administrative officer.
About ten years ago transportation was added when transportation was privatized. Transportation is considered a human service.
“As an administrative officer, my main time is used for transportation. I do all the reports, grants, billing, complaints, and anything else associated with transportation,” continued Mary. “I also do some fiscal work for mental health and developmental disabilities, the billing portions, and I work closely with the fiscal officer.”
Clarion County contracts with Medical Transportation Management (MTM) as part of the privatization. MTM provides the services, hires the drivers, is in charge of scheduling, and other related activities.
“They’re the transportation provider and then I’m the oversight. I make sure that everything in the billing is correct. Clarion County owns all of the vehicles and all the computer and office equipment.”
All funding for the contacted services and purchasing vehicles comes from grants, and Mary must deal with PennDOT.
“The county does not put in any money and that covers any expenses for transportation. We must have an audit done every year by an outside auditing firm.”
There are 20 to 22 vehicles in the transportation system and Lutz prepares the bids.
“PennDOT has a program called the Capital Planning Tool program, and we must enter new vehicles and take out the old ones and update the condition of the vehicles. The program then tells you what vehicles you’re going to get: buses are five years, 150,000 miles; minivans and transit vans are four years and 100,000 miles.
Retirement Plans
“My husband Jerry has been retired for several years and all three of our adult children live away, so we’re planning on traveling some to visit them. One of our daughters lives in Denver and the other is out by Harrisburg.
“Our son, who is a Major in the U.S. Army and deployed to Kuwait, will return at the end of August to his home base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.”
Even with Mary’s traveling plans on her agenda, as a dedicated employee of the county, she can’t just walk away.
