BY STACI WILSON

The county commissioners proclaimed Nov. 15 as “America Recycles Day” in Susquehanna County prompting questions at the Nov. 12 meeting about the status of the recycling facility.

The commissioners looked to privatize the facility earlier this year – offering it up for bid in February. The county again solicited quotes in August with no takers.

“It’s a dead end at this point,” Commissioner Alan Hall said. “No one wants to buy it.”

The center was put out to bid for sale based on recommendations made by the consultant, Nestor Resources Inc., hired in 2013 to look into the feasibility of the county maintaining its recycling center.

In previous meetings, the commissioners have maintained that the center loses over $100,000 each year – and has cost the county nearly $1 million since it was built in the 1990s.

The commissioners had cited equipment failures, building repairs, mounting financial losses and cuts in state funding as reasons to move the facility from public to private ownership.

But Hall said the county recycling center is “holding its own for now.”

He said the facility director has been working on some initiatives to increase revenue for the operation.

WPX announcement
The county commissioners were questioned at the meeting about whether a severance tax and Act 13 could simultaneously be in effect in the state.

Hall answered, “The only way for there to be both is to do away with it (Act 13) and pass new legislation.”

“At this point, the county will still get Act 13 funds,” Hall said.

Those funds, however, won’t be generated by the drilling company WPX.

WPX spokesperson Susan Oliver told the commissioners that the company plans to divest its Marcellus assets in favor of concentrating its efforts in Colorado.

She said the company would remain in the area and servicing its existing wells until an offer is accepted.

“There will be no drilling of new wells (by WPX),” she told the commissioners.

Contracts, Resolutions
The commissioner approved county’s 2015 contract with Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission, with an allocation of $14,700.

Hall said the county receives about 10 times the cost back from services provided by NTRPDC. Programs administered by the group includes the managing the TIP program for roads and bridges; and as an economic development funding source for businesses.

Hall said that three to four businesses used NTRPDC services in the past year which aided in job growth and business development in the county.

He also said that by using NTRPDC, the county does not have to create a department to administer those programs. “We couldn’t create a department to administer all the programs they do (at the $14,700 cost),” Hall said.

Moving ahead with its phone system and technology upgrades in the courthouse, the commissioners accepted a loan offer of $96,383 from Peoples Security Bank & Trust for 30 days at 1.5 percent interest, and $100 in bank fees for the phone system.

The commissioners then signed the software license agreement with Evaluator Service and Technology for the purchase of software to be used in the Assessment Office, at a cost of $191,191, to be paid using Act 13 (Impact Fee) money.

Annual resolutions required to filed for Dept. of Community and Economic Development block grants were adopted by the county.

Personnel
A number of personnel items were also handled by the commissioners.

*George Conner was reappointed to the Susquehanna County Economic Advisory Board for the term ending Dec. 31, 2016;

*Mary Noldy was hired to the non-union position of Assistant Chief Assessor, effective Nov. 13;
*Jeffery Oleniacz and Timothy Ransom were hired as dispatcher trainees for the county 911 department.
Resignations were accepted from:
*Michelle Hinds, Second Deputy Clerk of Courts, effective Nov. 13;
*Denise Sellers, conference officer/court liaison, effective Nov. 13;
*Dane Sorenson, 911 Telecommunicator, effective Nov. 16.

Salary board
In the salary board meeting, several new positions were created at the Susquehanna County Correctional Facility based on recommendations from the jail board.

The board created a part-time kitchen steward position; a full-time sergeant/training officer position; and five part-time correction officer positions.

The position of Second Deputy Warden was eliminated by the board.