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The Lycoming County Commissioners finished the year by tackling a full agenda which not only included some major decisions, but also a number of items to keep the county running smoothly into the new year.
After approving the 2024 budget, an agreement with Arctaris Impact Investors LLC and a county-wide reassessment, the commissioners moved on to approve the allocation of $8,900 to the DuBoistown Fire Department for a training they are planning on how to deal with lithium ion batteries.
"The funds that we're requesting money for is to bring instructors down from FDNY out of New York to teach the fire service in this county and probably some out of this county on how to deal with lithium ion batteries," Curtis Walters, a representative of the DuBoistown Fire Department, told the commissioners.
"It's a hot topic that's been everywhere over the U.S. It ranges anywhere from cell phone batteries to cars. We're seeing it more and more...I know we've had a couple minor issues locally. It's already been at the landfill that we've been dealing with it. The problem is, it's new. Not everybody knows how to deal with these in mass quantities," he said.
The local fire department decided to tap into resources from the New York department because of the experience they have with dealing with the batteries. Walters noted that FDNY has invested a lot of time and money due to the loss of whole city blocks from fires caused by the batteries.
"They've had some of them, like the scooter and the bicycle shops that are catching fire due to improper use or anything like that. They've invested a lot of time and money throughout the last couple years. That's where the knowledge is coming from. We'd like to bring that here to benefit the residents here so hopefully we can stop stuff before it becomes a city block," Walters said.
One of the problems with fires started by lithium ion batteries is that they burn extremely hot and tend to rekindle.
"Typically your average fire truck or engine with 500 to 750 gallons, they average around 10 to put out an average car fire fully involved. If you're talking a fully electric with the whole face of it being a lithium ion battery, you're looking at probably five to seven tankers of anywhere from 1,500 to 2,500 gallons of water like with vehicles alone," Walters said.
California is in the process of passing a law that in the event of an electric vehicle catching fire, companies have to put them in a dumpster and submerge them in water for days in order to prevent rekindling, Walters noted.
Lithium ion batteries are everywhere, in cars, cell phones, kids' toys, to name just some of the items that present a hazard.
"It's not just vehicles. How many people bought their kids and grandkids the electric power scooters and bicycles and they're being used in their homes and everything else. Once they get damaged or an improper charge or anything like that you overheat them. That's where the problem arises and that's where your fire can come from -- improper use, disposal," he added.
"It's just a small price to pay to save lives," Commissioner Tony Mussare said of the funds the board approved for the fire department.
In other business, the commissioners approved two agreements in relation to expert medical witnesses for the District Attorney's Office. They are with Dr. John S. O'Brien II, not to exceed $50,000 and Geisinger Clinic, not to exceed $25,000.
Other actions taken by the commissioners included approving the following: Dr. Shawn McLaughlin as the prison's medical director at $6,725 per month; an Act 13 grant of $20,000 to the Pennsylvania College of Technology/Community Arts Center; an emergency resolution for the purchase of chemicals to resolve a biological issue in the wells and pumps at the landfill from Kroff Landfill Technologies Inc. for $18,762; an amendment to an agreement with ATC Group, doing business as BCM Engineers in the amount of $34,585; an amendment to an agreement with McCormick Law Firm, serving as tax claim solicitors; an amendment to a lease agreement with Verizon Pennsylvania LLC; an amendment to Inter-county Cooperative Communications agreement with Sullivan County; the 2024 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) County-wide Action Plan (CAP) coordinator and CAP implementation grant award for $205,466; a Memorandum of Understanding with Columbia, Montour, Union and Snyder counties for the Regional Solid Waste Plan update; an amendment to an agreement with WSP USA Corporation for $11,325 for the annual flyover of the landfill for DEP; the repair of RMS Stone Crusher at the landfill and replace toggle seat from Groff for $12,527; an agreement with Delta Development not to exceed $100,000 for consulting services; an amendment to an agreement for the Bridge Bundling Program with Bassett Engineering for $74,366 from liquid fuels funds; and an hourly services agreement from 2024-2026 with a networking company at a rate of $205 per hour as needed.
The commissioners approved the following appointments and reappointments to the board or commission listed: John Gramlin and James Carpenter, five-year terms on the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority Board; Jeffrey Stroehmann and Joseph Reighard, four-year terms on the Lycoming County Planning Commission; Howard Fry, alternate from 2024-26 and Leslie Whitehill, five-year term, both on the county's Zoning Hearing Board.
The following subrecipient monitoring agreements for 2023 Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement funds were approved: YWCA Northcentral PA, $100,000; Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity home preservation, $25,000; Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity Scott Street, $25,000; Lycoming-Clinton Joinder Board, $52,000; American Rescue Workers, $100,000; STEP Inc, master leasing, $200,000; and STEP Inc., supportive housing, $200,000.
Under personnel, the board approved hiring full-time replacements for the following positions at the rate of pay listed: Angela Lockridge and Matthew Hutchinson as clerk III in the District Attorney's Office, $16.61 per hour each; David Fox, resident supervisor I and Michelle Probst, resident supervisor I/cook at the Pre-Release Center, $18.10 each; Shawn Meskell and Tiffany Miler, correctional officers at the prison $20 per hour; Emily Snyder, accountant I for the courts, $49,237; Caitlin Solomon, administrative specialist for the courts, $16.85 per hour; and Scott Young, transfer station driver for Resource Management Services, $19.98 per hour.
Kayla Mull was also approved as a part-time replacement correctional office I at the prison at $20 per hour.
The next commissioners' meeting will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 4 in the Commissioners' Board Room, first floor Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.