A request from the District Attorney’s office to replace a part-time victim/witness coordinator with a full-time position was tabled “until further notice,” according to Commissioner Scott Metzger, during the salary board portion of the commissioners’ weekly meeting.

Metzger, along with commissioners Marc Sortman and Mark Mussina and Controller Nicki Gottschall serve as the salary board.

A similar request at the commissioners Jan. 23 meeting to delete one part-time Victim Witness Coordinator – adult and then add one full-time Victim Witness Coordinator – adult had also been tabled at that time when it was learned that the county had not received formal notification of a grant to offset the costs of the position. The request at this week’s meeting sought to eliminate two part-time victim witness coordinator positions.

In recommending that the action be tabled, Gottschall said that the grant, which the county has received, would only fund a portion of the salary for the position.

“We did receive the grant award. However, the grant does not cover the entire cost, and we should discuss this further,” Gottschall told the commissioners.

“I believe it covers 72 percent and then you also have the fringe benefits and legacy costs that would be associated with it and it’s not budgeted for 2025,” Metzger said.

“So we have questions for the district attorney on how those monies would be covered going forward.

In conjunction with this, the commissioners tabled approval of a grant award for the Lycoming County Victim Witness Services from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency in the amount of $122,201.

Following a discussion with Mya Toon, director of financial management, concerning the fact that the grant award was partially for the victim witness manager position, but the rest was for the juvenile witness coordinator and then also for the new adult witness coordinator, a position which had been tabled by the salary board.

Toon had suggested a possible partial approval of the funding for the current positions, but on the advice of the board’s solicitor, Christopher Kenyon, the item was tabled until next week.

In other actions, the board approved: an amendment to a contract with Palmetto Posting to extend their contract until Dec. 31, 2028 with a $2.50 increase each year; an agreement with BCS Mechanical, Inc. for preventative maintenance for the boilers and water heaters at the prison; an agreement with Lexis Nexis to provide the law library and adequate legal assistance for inmates at the prison; an agreement with William Miele, Esq. to increase his fee from $20,000 to $70,000 for the Troy Bailey trial; an agreement with Bruce Levy, MD, CPE for the Public Defender’s Office also for the Bailey trial; an agreement with ECC Technologies, Inc. to provide Broadband Consulting Services for $98,900, with $50,000 grant funded and the remainder from American Rescue Plan Act monies; business rental preferred rate agreement with Penrac, LLC (Enterprise) for business travel needs; the sixth amendment to the agreement with Citizens & Northern Bank; an agreement with Monitronics International in the amount of $695 monthly for professional services for Judge Dieter’s office; an agreement with Port Elevator in the amount of $3,600 for testing of elevators at the Courthouse; an agreement with Port Elevator in the amount of $1,200 for testing of elevators at Lysock; an amendment to the agreement with DCNR for the Greater Williamsport Area Wayfinding Plan to extend the agreement through December 31, 2025; accepting funding for the Lycoming County Chesapeake Bay Countywide Action Plan Implementation Grant in the amount of $592,447; an amendment to the Agreement with McNerney, Page, Vanderlin and Hall to extend the agreement to appear as the Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor for six months; the Home Show Exhibitor’s contract with the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association; the appointment of Garth Womer to the Lycoming County Planning Commission for a 4-year term effective 1/1/2025 to 12/31/2028; the Agreement with Shiloh Paving & Excavating Inc in the amount of $4,311,129 for the Williamsport Cross Pipes Phase 2 Rehabilitation Project; the annual renewal with Proofpoint in the amount of $20,852 for spam filtering service; an Agreement with Schuylkill Mobile Fone in the amount of $150 for a pager for the Juvenile Probation Office;. the Purchase of Firewall Refresh 401F from Integra One in the amount of $123,849; and a Fortinet Renewal software Purchase and Support from Integra One in the amount of $5,131.

The commissioners also approved an agreement with Josh Keister for professional services to include, but not limited to, Crop Specialist, for the County Farm in the amount of $2,500 annually and the bill of sale for the tractor and wagon being purchased from Larry Beach in the amount of $14,500 for the County Farm.

Under personnel, the commissioners approved filling the following positions at the rates of pay listed: Riley Hoy, full-time resident supervisor at the Pre-Release Center, a union position, $19.20 per hour; Joseph Brought, full-time correctional officer at the Prison, a union position, $20 per hour; and Christopher Lavallee, full-time adult probation officer, a union position, $24.53 per hour.

The next commissioners’ meeting will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 13 in the Commissioners’ Board Room, 3rd floor Third Street Plaza, 33 W. Third St.