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Exemption requests by seven county properties were approved by the Lycoming County commissioners, acting as the Board of Assessments, at last week's meeting, including one for an unusual reason.
The owner of the former Lycoming Presbyterian Church property on Arch Street, Alysia Fischer, applied for exemption for a cemetery which has been located on the property.
According to Brooke Wright, the county's chief assessor, when the property was purchased, during the final walkthrough, old headstones had been discovered in the basement, but the new owners were told that the bodies had been moved from the lot.
"The original deed and new survey does note that this is a cemetery, so the owners reached out to Susquehanna University and students came and used ground detecting equipment and discovered rows of graves without headstones on them," Wright explained to the board.
So Wright said, it is still a cemetery even though it is privately owned, which is why she recommended exempting it from the $105.56 in taxes. The remainder of the former church property is taxable because it is privately owned now.
Other properties receiving exemptions, and the amount, include: 5558 Warrensville Road where Eldred Township is converting a house to offices for the township, $507.99; three properties, two along Lycoming Creek Road and one on Route 14, owned by Camp Susque, which are used for charitable purposes for recreation for campers from the parent camp, $83.44, $39.97 and $155.75; Muncy Borough for a lot at 15 New St. which is used to store borough equipment, $210; and a parking lot utilized by the First Community Foundation of PA on William Street, $97.37.
In other actions, the commissioners approved: an agreement with Spartan LTC for additional nursing coverage at the Prison and Pre-Release Center as needed to be paid out of operating expenses; an amendment to a subrecipient agreement with the YWCA Northcentral, PA for $27,590 in 2023-24 PHARE (Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement) funds; the software support subscription renewal with Nuologix in the amount of $4,043 to be paid out of IT department operating expenses; a three-year software security subscription renewal with Carahsoft in the amount of $4,597 to be paid out of IT department operating expenses; a change order with Larson Design Group for the Lawshee Run Culvert Replacement Project to reallocate funds and extend the contract end date to be paid out of Act 13 funds; the 20-year no-fee license agreement with Little Fawn Hunting Club, Inc. for the Matthews safety tower; the appointments of Colton Hajicek and Travis Johnson to the Local Emergency Planning Committee: Lycoming County to serve as the local Emergency Watershed Protection Project Program Sponsor for damages from the SeptemberThe 2026 storm; an amendment to the agreement with Old Lycoming Township Volunteer Fire Company for Act 13 funds for a training center; and an agreement with Carl H. Freis for sign language interpretation for the Public Defender's Office.
The board approved the grant application for the 904 Recycling Performance Grant for CY 2025. Lauren Strausser, recycling coordinator at the Landfill said that the county had recycled 29 million pounds of materials last year. The commissioners also approved second amendments to drop off recycling service agreements with Union and Penn Township in Snyder County.
Under personnel, the following internal change was approved in Planning and Community Development: Garrett Russell, full-time subdivision and land development administrator, $44,970 per year.
New hires approved included: Latonya Harley, full-time correctional officer at the Prison, a union position, $21.50 per hour and James Slotterback, full-time communications center manager in Public Safety, $59,696 annually.
Elected officials' personnel internal changes included: Annah Krol, full-time assistant District Attorney, a union position, $64,184 per year; and Rebecca Evans, full-time civil processing clerk in the Prothonotary's office, $18.88 per hour.
Theodora Farah, a new hire as a full-time law clerk in the courts, $57,310 annually.
The next commissioners' meeting will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 5 in the Commissioners' Board Room, 3rd floor, Third Street Plaza, 33 W. Third St.