Two resolutions pertaining to the county’s commercial LERTA ((Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) program were approved by the Lycoming County Commissioners this week.

One resolution approved the ratification of the county’s commercial LERTA which was voted on Oct. 5, 2023 and then the second resolution approved repealing the county’s commercial LERTA.

According to Brooke Wright, the county’s chief assessor, the following properties will be the only ones allowed unless the commissioners approve another LERTA in the future: JMD Portfolio LLC – 613 E. Third St., construct a 64-by-94 building; 315 W. Third St. LLC – 315 W Third St., remodel; Famvest XVI – 164 Maynard St., WAWA; Famvest XVIII – 835 First St., Chick Fil A; and Thaddeus Stevens Properties – 1150 Louisa St., old school to be turned into multi-housing.

The LERTA program offers property owners tax breaks on new construction or improvements in order to encourage development in certain areas. During the life of the LERTA property owners only pay taxes on the existing structure while increasing property taxes on the improvements on a graduated basis.

Three items related to voter services were approved. All three were proposals with Clear Ballot., the company that makes the county’s electronic voting system. Included was an agreement with Clear Ballot to provide on-site Election Day support for the primary election on May 19 and the general election on Nov. 3 at a cost of $12,600.

Referring to Clear Ballot, Forrest Lehman, director of Voter Services said, “they are our backstop if we run into a challenge that we didn’t anticipate with the administration of the election and the voting system.” He noted that the county has always had someone from the company on-site for elections.

Another agreement with Clear Ballot, provides for the county obtaining back-up batteries for the scanners at the precincts. Lehman said that the scanners had been purchased in 2019 and that the batteries are beginning to fail and that Clear Ballot was suggesting that all needed to be replaced. The cost for replacement batteries is $2,450.

The third item presented by Lehman was the purchase of ballot bags from Clear Ballot at a cost of $1,430. These are used to transport unused ballots.

“These bags are proprietary to the voting system. They also have an emergency ballot slot so if there was a problem with the scanners, these can be used as a temporary container for voted ballots,” Lehman said.

In other actions, the commissioners approved: a subrecipient monitoring agreement with West Branch Drug & Alcohol Abuse Commission; an agreement with Delta Development Group for state funding support for the planning department in the amount of $50,000; the third amendment to the agreement with Kleinfelder for stormwater and development engineering in the planning department; a renewal agreement with Infocon Corporation in the amount of $20,693 for the Treasurer’s office to be paid monthly;an agreement with Hunter & Lomison to provide preventative maintenance on the county’s back-up generators; and payment of two invoices, each for $5,750 from GEO Reentry for November and December 2025.

Under personnel, the following were approved:Consolidated Services – Taylor Pearson, Consolidated Services Printer at $20.54 per hour; Prison – Camden Smith and Johannah DeVore, union, correctional officers, $20 per hour; Meredith Manchester, Assistant Public Defender, PD, Full-Time, $62,315 annually; Sharon Mull, part-time weighmaster at Resource Management, $20.51 per hour; and Steven Trate, part-time electrician at Resource Management at $35.96 per hour.

The next commissioners’ meeting will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 22 at the Commissioners’ Board Room, 3rd floor Third Street Plaza, 33 West Third St.