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Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) funds totaling $1 million benefitting several agencies and nonprofits in the area were approved by the Lycoming County commissioners at their meeting this week.
The funds will go to: STEP's Homes in Need project, $200,000 and their supportive housing project, $200,000. The remaining $600,000 will be divided among eight programs.
They are: STEP's urgent need program, $50,000; STEP's master leasing program, $200,000; Greater Habitat for Humanity's Scott Street build, $25,000; Habitat's home preservation program, $25,000; YWCA Northcentral PA, Liberty House program, $100,000; the American Rescue Workers rental assistance program, $100,000; Lycoming-Clinton Joinder Board's interim housing program, $32,000; and the Asbury Foundation Albright LIFE Center, $48,000.
In other business, the commissioners approved: an amendment to a subrecipient agreement with the Lycoming Water and Sewer Authority in the amount of $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds; a resolution approving a plan of financing by the Lycoming County Authority to undertake a project for the benefit of Lycoming College; the purchase and installation of garage door openers for the new Coroner's Office Building from MR Garage in the amount of $11,378; upfit costs for a task force vehicle used by Emergency Management Services in the amount of $33,214.62; an amendment to an agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc. for a change order in the amount of a $104,736.90; a revised pay schedule for County polling place facilities due to the county now using some school facilities for polling sites; the 2024 CAP Coordinator and Implementation Grant to Department of Environmental Protection in the amount of $300,000.
A price quote from EFORCE for the data conversion of Lycoming Regional Police which includes the Montoursville, South Williamsport, Muncy and Hughesville Police departments in the amount of $125,000 in ARPA funds.
"This is a good program in the sense that it's helping six police departments across the county provide officer safety because they're getting real-time information," said Commissioner Scott Metzger.
"It saves time because they download their information, they're on the street longer and spend less time doing paperwork back at the station," he added.
The system will allow sharing and distribution of information immediately between departments.
An agreement with Jersey Shore Borough and the Citizens Hose Fire Company was approved to assist them in the construction of a public safety building in the borough. The MOU outlines the funding commitments and also the county's funding commitments towards helping assist the county's needs with a District Justice office at that location.
Under personnel, the commissioners approved filling the following positions at the pay rates listed: Emmalynn Gillen, full-time replacement clerk III in assessment office, $15.88 per hour; Gary Evans, full-time replacement equipment operator at Resource Management Services, $20.09 per hour Carissa Seals, full-time replacement comptroller/business manager at Resource Management Services, $78,400 per year; Alyssa Fenoy, full-time replacement assistant public defender, $60,500 per year; Andrew Arnold and Megan Helminiak, full-time replacement juvenile probation officers II, $23.82 per hour each; and Kaitlin Lunger, full-time replacement juvenile probation officer II, $24.53 per hour.
The next commissioners' meeting will be at 10 a.m., Oct. 26 at the commissioners' board room, 1st floor Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.