County Commissioners Make Plans for Winter

BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — Winter was on the minds of the Jefferson County Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting in Brookville.

Commissioners Jack Matson and Jeff Pisarcik voted to approve two agreements for snow removal.

Commissioner Herb Bullers was not present since he was attending a Community Advisory Board meeting at Jeff Tech.

One of the agreements is with Pinecreek Township for removing snow at Service Center Road in the amount of $4,000. The other was with BWB Landscaping for snow removal at the County Jail parking lot and 911 Center in the amount of $800.

In other business, the county saved about $80,000 when it was decided to retrofit the old elevator at the county courthouse. $100,000 was budgeted for the work, but it cost considerably less. The elevator is currently working.

Also, the Commissioners approved awarding a contract to Mountain View Planning of Willsboro, N.Y. for $30,000 to update the Hazard Mitigation Plan.

FEMA approved a grant request from the county for $45,000, but the low bid, from Mountain View, was for $30,000. The county will be reimbursed for the expense.

Federal regulations require the plan be updated every five years, according to Tracy Zents, county Department of Emergency Services Director.

“We needed to use an outside group to do this because the guidelines are very strict, very stringent,” Zents said. “It would have taken us countless hours to do it, so we’re saving the county money this way.”

Zents said he didn’t believe there would be too many changes in the plan.

The Commissioners also approved three requests for funding as presented by the Hotel Tax Committee. They included $2,000 to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club for the 2017 Groundhog Day Guide, $2,000 to Visit Punxsutawney for marketing and $1,312.50 to the Jefferson County Historical Society’s Welcome Visitors Guide.

Also, Phase I of the county jail project is nearly finished and is expected to be done by Nov. 18.

County Development Director Bill Setree said the plan is to have inmates moved by Dec. 6.

The next Commissioners meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 10:30 a.m.

All county offices will be open that day, which is also Election Day.