POTTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING

August 31, 2006

CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting of the Potter County Commissioners was called to order
at 11:05 a.m., Thursday, August 31, 2006 in the office of the Commissioners,
Potter County Courthouse, One East Second Street, Coudersport, PA 16915.

Present were Commissioners Kenneth Wingo, John Torok and Catherine Bowers.
Also present were Prothonotary Amy Moshier, Treasurer Krista Miller, Chief
Clerk Cora Thompson, Recording Secretary Lucinda Weakland.

MOMENT OF SILENCE

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL
Commissioner Wingo gave a roll call of those present: Commissioner Bowers –
present; Commissioner Torok – present; Commissioner Wingo – present;
Recording Secretary Lucinda Weakland – present; Chief Clerk Cora Thompson –
present.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There was none.

MINUTES – (08/18/06)
Commissioner Bowers made a motion to approve the minutes as presented.
Commissioner Torok seconded the motion. There was no discussion.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

OLD BUSINESS

There was none.

NEW BUSINESS

· SAFETY AND SECURITY POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Commissioner Torok made a motion to adopt the policies and procedures.
Commissioner Bowers seconded the motion.

Discussion: Commissioner Bowers noted that the Safety and Security Policies
& Procedures are guidelines to follow when the access cards are issued and
the courthouse security system is activated. Commissioner Bowers further
noted that after this is executed, the plan is to send it out to all
department heads and row officers with instructions that they go over it
with the personnel in their offices. Additionally, Commissioner Bowers
stated that she hopes that prior to the activation of the system when the
access cards are ready, small groups can be taken through and given
instructions on how to use them, what they do and what they cannot do. She
further noted that a cheat sheet would be done to summarize the “do’s and
don’t’s” such as not sharing access cards.

Commissioner Bowers explained that this is not the most elaborate system but
they got what they could afford with the available funding. She further
explained that it could be expanded upon in the future but it’s better that
what we currently have in place.

Commissioner Wingo suggested that prior to activating the system, a meeting
of all employees could be called to go over the highlights. Commissioner
Bowers agreed and further stated that it would be up to the department heads
and row officers to stress the procedures. She stated that things would not
be as they were before. The security is not a tight as Tioga County and our
fire alarm system is much better than we’ve ever had in the history of the
courthouse. Commissioner Bowers further stated that as far as security for
the court system, knowing what has happened in other places, she believes
that the commissioners have done the best they could with the Title IV-D
monies that were available.

Commissioner Wingo agreed that this was a great step forward. He noted that
in many other places, there is much more involved security procedures and
that what is being implemented here will be minimally invasive.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS

· LEASE AGREEMENT – Between Potter County EMA and Clifton and Shirley
Saulter for extension of lease for communication tower easements through
September 30, 2007.

Commissioner Torok made a motion to approve. Commissioner Wingo seconded the
motion.

Discussion: Commissioner Bowers asked if this was a renewal of a previous
lease or an extension of one the county already has. Commissioner Wingo
responded that it was an extension of the current contract at the cost of
$1.00 per year and that the Saulters are very gracious to allow the county
to use their land under these terms.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

· PCHS CONTRACT

MENTAL RETARDATION 05/06 06/07
Jessica Ransom
Respite/Family Aid
Minimal Care $40.00 same
Intermediate Care $50.00 same
Maximum Care $55.00 same
Family Aid/Training $5.64 same
Mileage $ .31 same
7/1/06 to 6/30/07

Commissioner Bowers made a motion to approve as presented. Commissioner
Torok seconded the motion. There was no discussion.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

TRAININGS

· Crystal Thomas – PACNET 6th Annual Conference, October 4 – 6, 2006, State
College, PA. Request for meals, mileage, lodging ($309.24) and registration
($200.00) expenses.
Purpose: Annual Conference

· Debbie Lincoln – Fall Early Intervention Leadership Meeting, October 16 –
18, 2006, State College, PA. Request for meals, mileage and lodging
($201.82) expenses. There is no registration fee.
Purpose: Mandatory meeting

· Mary Morris – Juvenile Rules Training, September 14 – 15, 2006, Carlisle,
PA. Request for meals and registration fee ($165.00) expenses. The PA
District Attorney’s Institute will fund lodging and mileage expenses. Meals
and registration costs will be funded through the JAIBG grant.
Purpose: Mandatory training to fulfill continuing legal education
requirements

· Jim Boothby and Melissa Gee – Planning and Partnering for Disaster
Response and Recovery, September 26 – 28, 2006, State College, PA. Request
for meals, mileage and lodging ($429.66) expenses. There is no registration
fee.
Purpose: Necessary for ongoing preparedness for emergency response in case
of disaster

· Dawn Fink – Basic Prosecutor’s Course, December 4 – 7, 2006, Harrisburg,
PA. Request for some meals, all mileage, one night’s lodging and
registration fee ($275.00) expenses. The PA District Attorney’s Association
will pay for all other lodging and meal expenses.
Purpose: Mandatory training to fulfill continuing legal education
requirements

· Irene North – PA WNV Program Adult Mosquito Control: ULV & Barrier
Product/Application Seminar, August 30, 2006, Snyder County. Retroactive
request for mileage expenses only.
Purpose: 4 Core Credits and 1 Category Pesticide Credit

· Donna Foust – Elder Law & Estate Planning Update, October 3, 2006, Dubois,
PA. Request for meals, mileage and registration fee ($25.00) expenses.
Purpose: Important information will be provided on Elder Law issues and
estate planning. Also updates on new changes in Medicare laws.

· Loretta Landon and Marilyn Jestes – Ethics for Effective COD Practice,
October 11, 2006, Warren State Hospital. Request for meals, mileage and
registration ($150.00) expenses.
Purpose: Important training for working with consumers who are experiencing
multiple problems i.e., Mental illness and substance abuse

· Melissa Gee – Certified Peer Specialist Training, September 14 – 15, 2006,
State College, PA. Request for meals, mileage and lodging ($308.14)
expenses. There is no registration fee.
Purpose: Mandatory Certified Peer Specialist Supervisory Training

Commissioner Wingo noted that the training for Irene North is a retroactive
approval since the training was on August 30th and made a motion to approve
the above listed trainings as presented. Commissioner Torok seconded the
motion. There was no discussion.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

· PCHS – Reclassification of Nila Gerner from Clerk Typist 2 to Clerk Typist
3 effective August 22, 2006 with a salary increase from the current rate of
$18,688.00 to $20,570.00 pending Salary Board approval. This
reclassification is requested due to an increase in program and job
responsibilities.

Commissioner Wingo made a motion to approve as presented. Commissioner Torok
seconded the motion.

Discussion: Commissioner Bowers verified with Chief Clerk Thompson that
these positions are Civil Service positions. She further inquired as to
whether or not this was a new job description. Chief Clerk Thompson stated
that it was not. Commissioner Bowers further inquired as to whether this
meant that a Clerk Typist 2 position would now be open. Chief Clerk Thompson
stated that she was not sure but that she would clarify this with PCHS
Administrator Jim Kockler. Commissioner Bowers further noted that she needed
clarification based on the wording of the personnel request.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

· SHERIFF – Hiring of the following as Part-time Security Guards for the
Potter County Courthouse effective September 14, 2006 at an hourly rate of
$8.20 pending Salary Board approval:

o Garth Clark
o John D. Little III
o William B. Powers
o Philip Seeley

These positions are appointed under the authority of the County Code,
Section 2326.

Commissioner Bowers made a motion to approve as presented. Commissioner
Torok seconded the motion.

Discussion: Commissioner Bowers stated for the record that the reason why
these four individuals will be starting on September 14th was to allow them
to have a couple of days of orientation. She further explained that their
normal shifts would begin on the 18th of September.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD

Prothonotary Amy Moshier gave the commissioners an update on her efforts to
secure a grant to assist with the preservation of courthouse historic
records. She had originally asked for a little over $8,000.00 and they have
been approved for almost all of that amount.

Commissioner Bowers asked if this was the continuation of an existing grant
or a new grant. Ms. Moshier responded that this was a new grant.

On Friday, August 25, 2006, she received official notice that her 2006-2007
Archives and Records Management grant application had been reviewed and the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission had approved a grant award in
the amount of $6,186.00. This is a matching funds grants and the
Prothonotary’s Office had previously set aside automation fund money to
provide for the balance of the project cost.

This grant will provide durable back up copies of Potter County’s Treasurer
and Sheriff’s Deed Poll books and indexes on microfiche. A copy will be
available for use by the public in the Office of the Prothonotary, copies
will be provided to the Potter County Historical Society and to the State
Archives, and a copy will be securely stored in the underground storage
facility at Iron Mountain, PA.

Once the county receives the grant funds from the state, the books and
indexes in question will be picked up by Infocon, Inc. of Ebensburg, PA, who
will be in charge of the microfiche process. Once the process is completed
Infocon will return the books, indexes, and microfiche to Potter County. (No
new county personnel will be required for this grant.)

The Treasurer (tax sale) and Sheriff (mortgage foreclosure) Deed Poll books
are the official court record of tax sales and sheriff’s sales that were
acknowledged in open court. These records are used on a daily basis by real
estate abstractors/title searchers and are occasionally used by genealogical
researchers and the general public. There is no backup to these important
records as in Potter County only approximately 15%-20% of the corresponding
deeds were ever recorded in the Recorder of Deeds office. If these records
were ever lost, the consequences could be devastating for the citizens of
Potter County, underscoring the importance of creating a backup for them

Commissioner Bowers reiterated that this grant money would not create any
new positions. She also applauded Ms. Moshier for her efforts and recognized
how crucial the preservation of these records is to the county as a former
abstractor and title insurance agent.

Prothonotary Moshier went over the documentation that the commissioners
would need to sign and return to her.

CHIEF CLERK REPORT

· Applications for allocation of County Liquid Fuels Tax Funds as follows:

o Coudersport Borough, $4,435.00
o Hector Township, $2,650.00

Commissioner Bowers made a motion to approve the liquid fuel applications as
presented by the Chief Clerk. Commissioner Wingo seconded the motion. There
was no discussion.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

BILLS

Potter County Human Services
Payroll Checks #2340-2357 Total: $ 7,446.84
Payroll Direct Deposit Total: $137,137.58*
Payroll Christmas Club Deposits Total: $ 1,542.50
Payroll Tax Transfers Total: $ 19,090.49
State Tax Witholdings Transfers Total: $ 2,441.09
Accounts Payable Checks 20901-21039 Total: $136,493.05
Voided Checks – none

*$91,335.18 from prior 2 pay periods
Total: $304,151.55
Potter County Courthouse
Payroll Checks 74416 - 74487
Accounts Payable Checks 85566-85684
Manual Checks – none
Voided Checks - none
Total: $223,673.99
LEPC
Voided Checks – none
Checks 1109-1113
Total: $ 7,783.55
911
Voided Checks - none
Checks 2462-2470 Total: $ 72,226.01

911 Wireless Funds
Voided Checks – none
Checks 1062-1064
Total: $ 9,974.78
Automation Fund – Fund 18
Voided Checks – none
Checks 85685 - 85686
Total: $ 4,047.74
Liquid Fuels
Checks #1066-1067 Total: $ 3,885.00

Commissioner Wingo made a motion to approve payment of the bills as
presented. Commissioner Torok seconded the motion.

Discussion: Commissioner Bowers wanted to know about the amount with the
asterick noted with the PCHS bills. Treasurer Krista Miller responded that
the account was overdrawn for those pay periods.

Commissioner Wingo noted that he had spoken to Jim Kockler prior to the
meeting and that the PCHS Fiscal Department would like to be able to
electronically transfer funds and that Mr. Kockler has submitted a request
to the commissioners to authorize this capability.

Commissioner Torok asked if the expected funding has started to come in to
PCHS. Chief Clerk Thompson responded that it was coming in. Commissioner
Torok asked if they had started to pay down their line of credit loan. Chief
Clerk Thompson responded that they had paid $50,000.00 during the last pay
cycle, another $50,000.00 during this cycle and will continue to pay it
down.

Roll call: Commissioner Bowers – yes; Commissioner Torok – yes: Commissioner
Wingo – yes.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Wingo issued a call for any further business to come before the
board. Hearing none, the meeting was adjourned at 11:23 a.m.

Prepared by Lucinda Weakland