Lycoming County commissioners approve invoices, contracts, hires and DEP bonding at March meeting

Lycoming County commissioners on March 5 approved a slate of routine and budgeted items including vendor renewals, personnel actions and two agenda additions that included bonding for a transfer station permit and an engagement with a gas‑field valuation consultant.

The meeting ratified invoices due through March 12 totaling $1,096,557.66, with funding sources identified by the presenter as 62.42% from the general fund, 26.78% from grants, 7.87% from RMS and 2.93% from escrow. Commissioners also accepted a credit card report covering purchases from Jan. 27 through Feb. 26 totaling $10,943.39.

Commissioners approved multiple vendor agreements and renewals that were described as budgeted items for 2025: a contract renewal with Tyler Technologies for assessment software ($36,344.27); the addition of a production printer to the county print shop contract (previously approved at $34,553.25 to be paid from Act 13 funds); a Cellebrite digital forensics software renewal for the district attorney’s office ($18,804.11); and a pager purchase for pretrial services ($150). The county approved a yearly generator service agreement with Hunter & Lamasson Inc. described as not to exceed $300 annually and extended the lease/amendment with BNB Holdings (formerly identified as Julie’s) through June 30, 2027 with reduced rent for improvements and modifications.

On personnel and salary‑board matters, commissioners approved salary‑board minutes and several staffing actions. The salary board added one full‑time nurse position at the county prison and reclassified an administrative assistant support position in the controller’s office to office manager. The board approved conditional offers of employment subject to background checks for multiple positions (examples announced during the meeting included a licensed practical nurse at $30.00 per hour and a deputy public defender at $90,000 per year). The meeting transcript identified anticipated start dates and pay grades for the hires.

Other approvals included agreements for conflict counsel and forensic services for the public defender’s office, appointment of Sandra Manibal to the housing authority for a five‑year term, continuation of county participation in opioid litigation, and a three‑year contract with S & J Recycling. Commissioners added two items to the agenda during the meeting: approval of DEP bonding CDs for the transfer station permit (two certificates totaling $27,108.11) and an engagement letter with Hickman Consulting Services LLC (budgeted for 2025) to provide gas‑field interest valuations.

Most motions were moved and seconded during the meeting without a recorded roll‑call; the clerk recorded voice “Aye” across items and the meeting record did not list individual roll‑call tallies for each vote in the transcript. A previously posted agenda item concerning an extension related to the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) Act was removed for further work and will return at a later date, the director said.

Commissioners closed the meeting after a brief public comment period in which a resident urged the county to oppose legalization of marijuana.