Trending
LOCK HAVEN -- The Clinton County Board of Commissioners will have a number of items to vote on during its voting session this week.
The board heard from various department heads during its work session on Monday morning. Each item will be formally brought to the board at its voting session Thursday morning.
Jason Foltz, chief probation officer, told the board his office is looking for signatures to OK a contract between the county and Central Counties Youth Center for 2024.
According to Foltz, this year's contract cost has increased significantly due to a larger number of days the county utilized the facility.
"There is a significant increase in price this year compared to last year. Last year our allocation was $114,890. This year we're at $178,915," he said, noting 60 percent of this cost is reimbursed.
The reason, Foltz said, is because the county used the juvenile facility 454 days in 2023 -- by comparison, the county used it 181 days in 2022 and 110 days in 2021.
Foltz said the county saw, "an increase in high risk juveniles that were contained for a significant amount of time at the facility."
"That's the reason for the increase," he said. "Two females, to be specific, stayed there for extended days, while trying to find long term placements for them."
Foltz said the office is hopeful that in 2024, it won't have to use the facility as much.
The contract has already been sent to the county's temporary solicitor -- Coploff, Ryan & Houser -- for review.
It was noted by Board Chair James "Jim" Russo the board would be looking to approve the placement of a new solicitor at its Thursday meeting. No further information as given on who the board is expected to tap for the job. The position was previously held by Attorney Larry Coploff who resigned in 2023.
The board also heard from county Engineer/Planner Steve Gibson about a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant for continued work on the Bald Eagle Valley Trail.
Gibson said Phase 5 -- which connects the trail into Lycoming County and its Pine Creek Rail Trail -- is in the design step and Phase 6 -- which would connect the trail head in Castanea to the city of Lock Haven -- is having designs finalized.
"We have this piece in the middle called Phase 3," he said.
Gibson said Phase 3 is a piece between between Katie's Crossing in Wayne Township and Phase Five which goes into Pine Creek Township.
"Phase 3 is the missing piece between those two," Gibson said. "If we get this funding we should have a complete project end to end through bike route G that connects to the Pine Creek Rail Trail."
The cost to complete this portion is about $1,684,859, he said.
"That's a 50/50 match, so about $842,000 would be required to match that fund," he said. "That match can be through federal funds or local funds... not state."
Gibson noted the county has a $1 million federal funded grant for Phase 5 that could potentially be put towards this project.
"Kari Kepler has been in contact with the governor's action team about this grant and what we can and can't match," he said. "We're assembling scenarios where the match funding is the minimal amount and what we can and can't match."
Gibson said his office is looking for signatures from the commissioners on Thursday.
Commissioner Angela Harding encouraged those looking for employment to visit the county's website -- www.clintoncountypa.gov.
"We will have some openings coming up," Harding said.
Harding also noted the county and commissioners' office is planning its first-ever Municipal Workshop on Jan. 17.
"We invited all of our municipalities and townships to come in and meet with county staff and departments as well as federal and state agencies in an effort to get everybody at the table and better improve intergovernmental communications," Harding said.
Commissioner Jeff Snyder was absent from Monday's work session.
The board will hold its voting session at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11 in the second floor meeting room of the Piper Building, 2 Piper Way, Lock Haven. The meeting is also live streamed through the county's Facebook page -- Clinton County Government.