LOCK HAVEN - Clinton County Commissioners Joel Long and Pete Smeltz offered a brief report Thursday, following their trip to Harrisburg for the 126th annual conference of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
Commissioner Jeff Snyder "held down the fort" locally Monday through Wednesday while the two attended the conference.
Smeltz and Long both noted the event included numerous training seminars and break-out sessions to discuss county government issues.
Both of them also said the best part of the conference was the informal talks with other county commissioners to determine what innovations or techniques those elected officials have developed to resolve problems in county government.
The commissioners also participated in viewing and voting upon association policy positions and developing a platform that is frequently reviewed by state officials when developing legislation.
Resolutions included this year focused on such varied topics as transportation, land-use planning, veterans affairs, pension funds, tax fairness, human services block grants and gas issues, among others.
The platform is also used by counties to lobby the state Legislature about local community issues and the residents impacted by them.
Counties are a primary service provider on behalf of the state, administering human services, judicial services, corrections, elections, emergency management and 911, planning, economic development and job training, record keeping and other programs.
The association is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. The membership includes the county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators, chief clerks and solicitors.
In other matters:
Chief Assessor Keith Yearick said two days of assessment appeals hearings have been scheduled for Aug. 16 and 17, mostly involving residential camp, land and rental properties, with no industrial sites listed. He said area residents have until Sept. 1 to file for an appeal of their 2013 assessment.
The commissioners expressed an interest in encouraging local contractors to pick up bid specifications for the proposed handicapped access ramp at the Clinton County Courthouse at Jay and Main streets in Lock Haven.
Snyder reported that "things are moving ahead nicely" with the project for a handicapped fishing pier and he expects the facility to be up and running by next fishing season.
The commissioners said the board will be moving ahead with gradual renovations of the Mill Hall District Court, with the assistance and recommendations of the personnel working at that location.
