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David A. Huffman, Register and Recorder and Clerk of the Orphan's Court in Lycoming County, filed a civil action this week against the three Lycoming County commissioners and Lycoming County.
The suit centers on what Huffman claimed was a "pressure campaign" that started in April last year, that continues, for him to relocate the county court house-based office to the Third Street Plaza building.
Through his attorney, Justin K. Houser, Huffman filed the lawsuit that includes a preliminary injunction request. The county is being represented by Attorney J. Michael Wiley, county solicitor at McCormick Law.
Huffman contends commissioners determined his office would be relocated to the first floor of the Third Street Plaza, 33 W. Third St.
The suit contends Huffman would be provided with 1,000 more square feet of room, on one floor, without customers having to go through the security measures at the courthouse.
Huffman contends the following numerous unresolved issues exist with respect to the proposed relocation:
• The new space is 400 square feet less than the existing office space and will not hold the current contents of the office, much less expanded space, and includes a vault that is of little or not practical use.
• Commissioners are unwilling to provide adjacent, unused, naturally-lit space, which could be used for this purpose.
• No provision has been made for appropriate security for the office.
• The county has been unwilling to jointly involve the relevant stakeholders in a meeting to provide input into how any proposed office could be designed and constructed to meet the needs of the Orphan's Court and the public.
• A new sprinkler system installed is not a clean agent type, and not appropriate for the preservation of documents.
• No planning regarding the logistics of any planned move to ensure that sensitive documents (such as confidential adoption papers, military discharge papers, and the like) are not inadvertently exposed to unauthorized access and/or lost.
• Such documents will need to be taken out of the office and potentially be exposed to all kinds of weather.
• No preparation has been made for the safety of the enhanced pedestrian traffic crossing on Third Street.
• The plaza has been plagued with plumbing problems involving a sewage leak, which upon information and belief, has not been resolved.
• No study has been done on the plaza to determine whether the flooring is appropriate to bear the weight of all the books and material of the Register and Recorder's office.
Meanwhile, county President Judge Nancy L. Butts said all county judges are recused in the matter.