In order to deal with a backlog in the court system of people needing fingerprinted, the Lycoming County Commissioners approved a request from the District Attorney’s Office for a central processing center to be opened at 435 Hepburn St. in the Hepburn Plaza.

Citing the need for more space, County Detective Tom Ungard said that the new site is more centrally located and is more spacious than the current center located at DuBoistown.

“The building is adapted really well for our needs and then we’d have a dual purpose for that,” Ungard said.

He explained that the plan is to cordon off the space so that central processing would be in the front and the back half would be utilized by county detectives for their processing area when they take people into custody.

District Attorney Tom Marino, who was at the commissioner’s meeting this week, explained that the county has been looking for some time for a larger space for central processing that was convenient for the public to access.

“What’s nice for the public is if the public has to be fingerprinted for one reason or another-the courts order them to be fingerprinted-they can drive their car right into the parking lot…then you’ll see a sign saying central processing. They can walk right in there and we can get them fingerprinted,” Marino explained. He noted that the back portion of the space would not be accessible through the front door and would be used only for people being taken into custody.

“We are very, very behind in fingerprinting with the state, concerning for the most part, criminal violations,” he said.

Marino noted that it would probably take time for the county to catch up with other counties with processing.

Commissioner Scott Metzger explained the importance of having fingerprint records in the system.

“If a person is not fingerprinted and they commit a future crime, it doesn’t show up on their rap sheet. Then they show up in front of a judge and each crime is assigned an offense gravity score and they’re assigned a prior record score,” Metzger said.

Those correlate with the sentencing guidelines for the judge.

“If the prior record score is inaccurate because the crime wasn’t reported, because it wasn’t fingerprinted, then the judge is sitting there looking at inadequate sentencing guidelines,” Metzger said.

“This is the first step to solving a long-time, decade-long problem,” he added.

Ungard indicated that they are also looking for funding in order to have the center staffed 24/7.

The lease agreement with Danko Holdings, Inc. for the Hepburn St. office, will be $1,974, which includes a $375.64 maintenance fee for such things as taking care of the parking lot, snow and garbage removal. Act 81 funds are being used for the costs.

The commissioners also approved two requests from Voter Services related to the voting system used for elections. The first purchase from Clear Ballot Group, Inc. in the amount of $13,350 is to replace two outdated work stations and the second from Clear Ballot for $10,500 is for a security update to the voting system. Both are eligible expenditures under the Election Integrity Grant Program.

In other actions, the commissioners approved: an amendment to an agreement with Barton & Loguidice which would result in cost savings for Resource Management Services; the 2025 audit engagement letter from Baker Tilly; the agreement with Comcast in the amount of $1,447.90 monthly with an installation fee of $308.95 to replace the Department of Public Safety’s phone service that had been with Windstream; the 2025-26 grant award from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency in the amount of $380,000; the grant application for the West Branch Drug and Alcohol with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency in the amount of $110,622; and a grant award for the State Food Purchase Program for the SFY 2025.

Under personnel, the board approved: Carey Entz-Rine as a full-time interim conservation district manager / watershed specialist at the Conservation District at $60,376. Per year; and Micah Morgret, as a full-time customer service administrative specialist/floater in Domestic Relations at $14.87 per hour.

Elected officials personnel actions included in Magisterial District Justice Biichle’s office: Julie Morelock as a full-time Magisterial District Court Administrative Specialist, $17.95 per hour; and Bruce Campell, full-time Magisterial District Court administrative specialist, $17.64 per hour.

The next commissioners’ meeting will be at 10 a.m., April 30 in the Commissioners’ Board Room, 3rd floor, Third Street Plaza, 33 West Third St.