BY STACI WILSON

Susquehanna County Democratic Party Chair Rick Ainey requested the use of the large courthouse courtroom for a candidates’ forum prior to the November election.

His request to the county was denied.

At the June 24 commissioners’ meeting, he said he had been told that is was the “policy” that the courthouse was to be used only for official proceedings. Ainey also offered that Commissioner MaryAnn Warren told him that no such policy existed.

Four years ago, the courtroom was used as the venue to host a commissioner race candidate night prior to the 2011 election.

The courtroom had also been used as a venue for Susquehanna County Reads “To Kill a Mockingbird” in a dramatic staging of the book’s courtroom scene.

Commissioner Michael Giangrieco then motioned that the facilities were to only be used by county agencies. Commissioner Alan Hall offered the second.

After some debate over the term “facilities,” and whether or not that included the Green, Monument Street, and other county-owned properties, Giangrieco changed his wording to “buildings.”

Hall said that anytime the courthouse is open, the county must provide security personnel – leading to overtime costs for the deputy sheriffs that would be on duty.

Hall and Giangrieco voted in favor of the closed-door policy, while Warren sounded the lone “no” vote.

The county is forming the Susquehanna County Tick Borne Diseases Task Force as a county committee.

Commissioner Alan Hall said the state and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania both supported the start of the committee.

According to recent reports, Pennsylvania has reported the most Lyme Disease cases in the country in the past five years.

The commissioners did not say who would be appointed to the committee. Hall did say the focus of the committee would likely be education.

Giangrieco voted against the formation of the county committee.

The commissioners opened proposals from companies interested in replacing the old camera system with an IP Camera System.

The county received three proposals, ranging from just under $50,000 to $86,000, with available add-ons included with the base bids.

The accounts payable/payroll check processing position was transferred from the commissioners’ office to the treasurer’s office by the salary board. The transfer of Sharon DePew, who has held that position, was also approved.

The Tax Claim Bureau was exonerated from collecting delinquent taxes on a Gibson Twp. parcel, consisting of a trailer assessed at $1,000. The Assessment office deleted the trailer June 16 as unlivable. Tax Claim was exonerated from the collection of 2012-2014 taxes in the amount of $548.80.

The commissioners signed the one-year maintenance agreement with TOPP Copy for the copier at the jail, at a cost of $.0123 for black and white copies.
The county commissioners meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 9 a.m. in the Commissioners’ meeting room in the Susquehanna County Courthouse, Maple St., Montrose.