Lycoming County commissioners dole out American Rescue Plan Act funding to local fire companies

The Lycoming County commissioners approved awarding almost $99,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to local volunteer fire departments.

The funds will assist the fire companies with cost overruns and their local cost share for a $900,000 grant they had received for radio upgrades.

The fire departments and the amount they were awarded are Independent Hose, $20,285; Waterville Volunteer Fire Company, $36,357; Antes Fort Volunteer Fire Company, $7,114; Brown Township Volunteer Fire Company, $5334; Black Forest Volunteer Fire Company, $3,809; and Citizens Hose/Jersey Shore EMS, $25,875.

The Eastern Lycoming YMCA also received $100,000 in ARPA funds for their expansion project.

The commissioners also approved funds for the following outside agencies, a 2024 budgeted item: Lycoming County Airport, $163,000; Lycoming County Library System, $1,386,387; Law Enforcement Association, $25,000; Historical Society, $20,000; Ready Rosie Program, $16,684; Camp Cadet, $3,000; Lycoming County Senior Citizens, $10,000; American Rescue Workers, $20,000; Firetree Place, $60,000; Industrial Development Authority, $3,000 and the Community Arts Center, $30,000.

Work on the Third Street Plaza is moving ahead and is expected to be done around April, according to Ken George, the county's facilities management director.

In relation to the work at the site, the commissioners approved four change orders with J&M Construction Specialty Inc. They are $95,100, which is for work specific to the electronic security or the access control system; $3,019, to install vinyl flooring on the first floor; and $12,250, which is the result of some of the transition between the budget and finance office to the controller's office. There was also a change order which was a credit of $18,700, because of canceling the installation of wall coverings and painting instead.

Under personnel, the commissioners approved: Emily Snyder, accountant II in the controller's office, $50,714 per year; Kalen Barnes, payroll/AP specialist in the controller's office, $19.78 per hour; Zoey Stauffenbert, clerk III in the District Attorney's office, $14.58 per hour; Autumn Shoemaker, resident supervisor I at the Pre-Release Center, $18.64 per hour; Heather Harvey and Eric Shiels, correctional officers I at the Prison, $20 per hour; Caleb Blank, bail release officer at the prison, $27 per hour, a 1% compensation increase due to receiving a certification; and Andrew Weaver, equipment operator in Resource Management Services, $20.70 per hour.

Commissioners approved the lateral transfer of Lori Weston, lead payroll/AP specialist at the controller's office, $27.39 per hour.

Other actions included approving: a budget revision certification for $50 in 2019 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds; a subrecipient agreement with Montoursville Borough in the amount of $81,970 in 2022 CDBG funds; and an amendment to a subrecipient agreement with Montoursville Borough to extend the agreement to October 2024; and a $40 million line of credit proposal from Citizens & Northern Bank for the Department of Environmental Protection post-closure requirements in the event that the landfill would close.

The next meeting of the commissioners will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Commissioners' Board Room, first floor Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.