Trending
The Lycoming County Commissioners are seeking projects to include in the 2023 Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) fund applications to the state.
The projects are to address affordable housing, such as housing preservation and rehabilitation, rental housing creation, homeless prevention, homeownership, housing counseling and tax credit projects, according to Jenny Picciano, Community Development/lead planner for the county's Department of Planning and Community Development.
Funds are not available for individuals, Picciano said at the commissioners' weekly meeting.
The county is soliciting projects on a competitive basis to include in the application. They are requesting approximately $70,000 in funds for the selected projects. The PHARE funds are generated from Marcellus shale drilling in the county.
In order to respond to the growing interest in the community and secure these dollars on behalf of project and programs around the county, the commissioners have developed an application process to receive formal requests from agencies interested in securing the PHARE funds for the financial needs of the agency's project or program, according to information from the county.
Applications are due at the county by Oct. 19. Materials and instructions for applying can be found on the county's website: www.lyco.org/Grants.
Under personnel, the commissioners approved hiring the following persons for the positions and rates of pay listed: David Fox, full-time replacement resident supervisor I at the Pre-Release Center, $18.10 per hour; Andy Miller, full-time replacement truck driver/floater at Resource Management Services, $21.05 per hour; Robert Geise, full-time replacement recycling laborer at Resource Management Services, $14.50 per hour; Allison Dieckmann, full-time replacement licensed practical nurse at the prison, $30 per hour; and Benjamin Saar and Matthew Walker, full-time replacement correctional officers I at the prison, $20 per hour each.
Other actions taken by the commissioners included approving: an amendment to a subrecipient agreement with STEP, Inc., for the Homes-in-Need program, extending the date; an amendment to a professional and administrative service agreement with the SEDA Council of Government in regards to the environmental review that would be added to the contract and enforcement of the Davis-Bacon Act that will remove the $2,700 fee from the Lairdsville lateral installation project; an electronic monitoring services agreement with GEO Reentry Services, LLC; a 904 performance grant application related to commercial and residential recycling; a Memorandum of Understanding with the Muncy Borough and Muncy Bank & Trust Co. and an amendment to a letter of agreement with the Department of the Army, both related to the greater Muncy area study being done by the Army Corps of Engineers; and an amendment to an agreement with Transitional Living Centers, Inc. for the 2021 PHARE funds for the master leasing program.
The next meeting will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Commissioners' Board Room, first floor Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.