Two agenda items approved at a recent Lycoming County Commissioners’ meeting relate to initiatives of the County Farm Committee, which was established to oversee the property which is located in Loyalsock Township.

The first item to be approved was an agreement for Crop Management Services for the County Farm with Whitmoyer Cattle, LLC.

The second item was an agreement with Larson Design Group for professional survey services in the amount of $7,850. This refers to work done for subdividing approximately 1.5 acres of the property, according to John Lavelle, deputy director at the county’s Planning and Community Development department.

The plot cited for subdivision is located just south of the barn on Beach Road. There is also a house located on the site which will be part of the subdivision, Lavelle said.

When questioned by one of the commissioners about the cost, if it was just for surveying, Lavelle explained that Larson Design would be not only surveying the property, but also doing field work computations, staking it out and just getting the site ready for sale.

Other items approved by the commissioners included: an amendment to the agreement with Luminaire Health Installation in the amount of $421,035.65 due to change in verbiage, but not the cost; ratification of the State Homeland Security Grant Program Agreement with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in the amount of $459,736.00; a payment to State Chemical Solutions for a 330-gallon tote of CS Control for carbonate scale in the amount of $25,656 for the Landfill; an agreement with ALS Global for Professional Services, for a schedule of services available on an as needed basis; an amendment to the agreement with Field Tec Services/Best line extending the Agreement through March 31; an amendment to the agreement with Cogan House Pest Solutions for pest control at LCRMS locations;

the repair of the 2013 Mack Tri-axle Roll Off Truck from Bergey’s Truck Center in the amount of $15,828; and the repair for the Transfer Station Compactor by Sebright Products, Inc. in the amount of $17,027.

Ratification of the signature of the current commissioners’ board for the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act (LERTA) that supports the city of Williamsport efforts to improve deteriorated commercial properties in LERTA Zones #1, #2, and #3 and residential properties in determined deteriorated areas was approved. The city and the Williamsport Area School District had previously approved this.

Jason Fink, president and CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Congress, explained that there has already been significant investment in some of the areas covered by the LERTA.

He stressed that there is no “giving up” of existing taxes under LERTA.

“What it does is it helps the developer, whether it be the building owner or a developer within the community that wants to take on a project, it gives them some assistance in being able to address the taxes for the assessed value of the improvements to the property,” Fink said.

“Given that this is not only on the industrial side of it, but also on the resident side of it, let’s say you have a home and it’s assessed at $200,000, you do a $50,000 expansion to your home, what that does is it abates the new values of the home for a period of time. It doesn’t abate all of the taxes,” he said.

He noted that the LERTA goes through Dec. 31, 2026.

The board also approved an agreement with Lisa Glick, Esquire, to provide legal representation in guardianship proceedings.

Under personnel, the commissioners approved hiring the following persons for the positions and pay rates listed: Ed Frame, transfer to full-time adult probation officer, $27.53 per hour; Pelle Forman, full-time pre-trial probation officer, $24.53 per hour; Erik Suiker, software specialist in management information, $23.08 per hour; Sarah Wallich and Robert Geyer, full-time correctional officers at the Prison, union positions, Union, $20 per hour; Samuel Miller, emergency management specialist – training in the Public Safety department, $39,994 per year.

The next commissioners’ meeting will be at 10 a.m. March 20, at the Commissioners’ Board Room, 3rd floor Third Street Plaza, 33 West Third St.