Engineering contract, borough paving, curbing receive local thumbs up
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Each Monday, the Sun-Gazette summarizes major votes of the past week and, more specifically, how our locally elected and appointed officials voted on each matter. Watch for it each Monday in the Sun-Gazette.)
Locally elected and appointed officials voted on the following matters in the past week:
Federal
• The U.S. Senate approved a $4 trillion budget on a 51-49 vote Thursday. U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Zionsville, voted yes while U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, voted no.
• The U.S. Senate adopted a resolution to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to protect Medicare and Medicaid. Toomey and Casey both voted yes.
• The U.S. Senate confirmed David Trachtenberg as a deputy under secretary of defense Tuesday on a 79-17 vote. Toomey and Casey both voted yes.
• The U.S. Senate confirmed Callista Gingrich as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Monday on a 70-23 vote. Toomey and Casey both voted yes.
• The U.S. House of Representatives didn’t take any votes during the past week.
State
• The Senate voted 49-0 to amend the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program Act to exempt Schedule V epilepsy drugs in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program querying requirement. State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalock Township voted yes.
• The Senate voted 49-0 to approve a bill that puts a seven-day cap on prescriptions for individuals for controlled substances containing opioids unless there exists a medical emergency jeopardizing their health or safety. State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township voted yes.
County
• The Lycoming County commissioners awarded an engineering contract to RK Webster, of Montoursville, to elevate between eight and 12 homes total in the northern end of Muncy Borough and Heshbon Park area of Loyalsock Township for the price of $14,340 per home, to be paid with Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief funds. Work will take place over the winter and the county will go out to bid for construction in the spring, to be complete by the end of 2018. The commissioners also approved an agreement with the financial advisory company three+one in the amount of $9,900 which will only be owed if the company can find at least $50,000 of savings or new revenue for the county. Voting were Jack McKernan, Tony Mussare and Rick Mirabito.
Municipal
• Montoursville Borough Council voted 4-0 to advertise for bids for a 2018 paving and curbing project along North Arch Street and North Loyalsock Avenue. The vote to advertise for the project was 4-0. Voting yes were Mark Tillson, Tina Kline, Eric Greenway and Christopher Lucas. Ted Haines and Rosemary Holmes were absent.
• By a vote of 5-1, Muncy Borough Council this week agreed to execute the sub-recipient monitoring agreement between the county and the borough. Councilwoman Karen Richards cast the lone no vote.
• Muncy Borough Council voted to accept a petition by Brelsford Motors, 37 N. Main St., to vacate an unnamed alley between North Main Street to Green Alley, running west to east. Council okayed the request with the stipulation that the petitioner pay any legal fees which might occur.
School District
• General maintenance employees in the Williamsport Area School District are in line to receive a $1 an hour pay raise, should the Williamsport Area Education Support Professionals Association accept an agreement approved this week by the city school board. The district has five general maintenance employees. The base pay for the position is $18 an hour but would increase to $19 an hour, should the agreement be accepted. The agreement would be in effect through the 2021-22 school year. Present were members Lori Baer, Jerene Milliken, Patrick Dixon, Dr. Nancy Story Somers, Dr. Jane Penman, Scott Williams and Dr. Robin Knauth. Members Spencer Sweeting and Jennifer Lake were absent.