BY STACI WILSON

Staffing changes dominated the June 27 county commissioners meeting.

The office coordinator position in the Natural Resources Conservation Service was eliminated by thecountySalaryBoard, at the end of business on June 29.

The elimination of the position was due to a termination of an NRCS contract, explained the commissioners.

Without the contract, the commissioners voted to terminate Marlene Bailey, with regret. Bailey was a county employee who worked for NRCS and with Soil Conservation programs.

The contract was set to expire on June 22 but the deadline was changed to June 29, which added an additional $832 from NRCS to the county to cover the salary and benefit for the additional week.

The commissioners also ratified the hiring of a Fiscal Officer for the Children & Youth Department.

Mark Phillips, Clifford Twp., will take the slot, replacing a retiring Kenneth Zahora.

Zahora has agreed to act as a consultant for Children & Youth for the next year and will help train Phillips in the department’s various programs, budgets and grants.

The commissioners also acknowledged the acceptance, with regret, of the retirement of Robert Collins from the Domestic Relations department, effective July 31.

Three people were hired as dispatcher trainees in the 911 Department.

The resignation of Todd Donohue, effective June 25, was also accepted, with regret.

Commissioner Alan Hall received authorization to sign the New Milford Senior Housing payment in lieu of taxes agreement. A tax abatement resolution regarding the senior housing project was adopted in January.

The county also voted to purchase a Chevrolet one-ton pickup truck for the maintenance department, at a cost of $24,871 from Fairway Motors, Hazelton.

Hall said the dealership was the closest PA Co-Stars dealer he could find.

The new vehicle will replace a 2000 Ford F150, which the commissioners voted to put out for bid.

Library board member Toby Anderson questioned the commissioners about how they intended to spend the county’s portion of the Impact Fee revenue it received this year.

Commissioner Michael Giangrieco said that would be figured out when the county finds out how much revenue will be received.

Vera Scroggins and Craig Stevens spoke about county residents who have experienced problems with their water in the wake of natural gas development. Scroggins also spoke about compressor station noise and air quality issues and asked how the commissioners were advocating for affected residents.

Giangrieco said that while he was very concerned, the Oil & Gas Act limited county power of the industry.

Commissioner MaryAnn Warren said she has spoken to the Marcellus Shale Commission about the industry’s impacts.

Hall said that anytime the commissioners speak to officials, they are advocating for county residents. And, he said, there are state agencies the county emergency management department brings in, like DEP and the EPA, when necessary.

Bruce Paskoff asked the commissioner whether or not the comments from Scroggins and Stevens would be considered official testimony and thereby included in the meeting minutes.

Paskoff has been asking the commissioners to include public comment discussions in the official meeting minutes for several months.

Scroggins and Stevens both asked that their statements be included in the minutes.

Hall said the statements given were not being accepted as “testimony” but would be considered “public comment.”

Paskoff said that policy is “excluding people from the process.”

Hall said it the understanding of the commissioners, through county solicitor Thomas Meagher, that public comment does not need to be recorded in the meeting minutes.

The county commissioners meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in the commissioners’ meeting room,9 a.m., in the courthouse, Montrose. The next meeting will be held July 11.