Susquehanna County commissioners approve routine personnel moves, proclamations, burn ban and several contracts

Susquehanna County Board of Commissioners on March 7, 2025, approved a slate of routine personnel actions, proclamations and contract awards, and enacted a temporary countywide burn ban.

The actions taken included personnel transfers and a termination, reappointments to a county board, proclamations recognizing Colon (colorectal) cancer awareness, social work month and an employee appreciation day, the award of a vehicle sale bid, and preliminary approval to award landscaping and exercise-planning contracts pending solicitor review.

The approvals mattered to county operations because they affect staffing in the district attorney’s and children-and-youth offices, county emergency preparedness and training contracts, and public-safety restrictions during dry weather.

Most motions were moved by Commissioner McNamara and seconded by Commissioner Hall; routine votes were taken by voice.

Key approvals and outcomes (votes at a glance)

- Item 1: Motion to approve (agenda/procedural item). Motion carried by voice vote.

- Item 2: Held. The agenda listed item 2 as on hold because two commissioners (Mister McNamara was not at the prior meeting and Mister Darrow was absent from this meeting for a family matter). No formal action taken.

- Item 3: Approved ratification of cash disbursements/electronic payments. Motion carried.

- Item 4: Approved a request described as a "stated semi request and travel request" (not otherwise specified in the transcript). Motion carried.

- Item 5: Approved a contract between Susquehanna County Children & Youth Services and Gillum's Psychological and Counseling Services of Williamsport. Motion carried.

- Item 6: Approved a contract with Harrington On-Site Drug Testing of Clarks Summit, Pa., for random quarterly drug screening. Motion carried.

- Item 7: Reappointed Barry Cyril of Clifford to the Susquehanna County Promotion and Tourism Board of Directors. Motion carried.

- Item 8: Ratified the transfer of Lorraine Depew from Administrative Assistant (Grants/County) to the open full-time nonunion Office Manager position in the District Attorney’s Office; the motion noted no change in salary and that the transfer was recommended by District Attorney Mary O’Malley. Motion carried.

- Item 9: Ratified and approved the transfer of Indiana Waskow from Caseworker 2 to the open full-time nonunion position of Caseworker Supervisor, grade S-11, at the same rate of pay; the motion noted the recommendation of Susan Swart, director of Children & Youth. Motion carried.

- Item 10: Ratified and approved the termination of Melanie Jones from the position of 9-1-1 telecommunicator (effective date stated in the transcript as "January February 14"; not otherwise clarified on the record). Motion carried.

- Item 11: Approved Proclamation 25-04 proclaiming March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Susquehanna County. Motion carried.

- Item 12: Approved Proclamation 25-05 proclaiming March as Social Work Month in Susquehanna County. Motion carried.

- Item 13: Approved Proclamation 25-06 proclaiming March 7, 2025, as Employee Appreciation Day in Susquehanna County; the board noted an annual employee barbecue scheduled for June 19. Motion carried.

- Item 14: Approved Resolution 25-03 enacting a burn ban in Susquehanna County effective March 2025 through April 13, 2025. Motion carried.

- Item 15: Awarded the bid for a 2018 Dodge van to a bidder listed in the record as Shag Merja for $13,008.27. Motion carried.

- Item 16: Moved to proceed toward awarding a contract for front gardens and the County Green triangle landscape project after solicitor review; the transcript shows a single bid from Brancot's Nursery with line-item prices and a $5,265 total for the work plus optional concrete planters at $3.30 each. The board directed solicitor review and said the award would be finalized at a future meeting pending that review.

- Item 17: Motion to close the meeting; the board adjourned at 9:07 a.m.

Discussion vs. decisions

Most items were routine approvals with no extended public debate recorded in the transcript. Item 2 was explicitly placed on hold because specified commissioners were not present. Item 16 (landscape project) was not finally awarded at the meeting; the board moved the single bid forward for solicitor review before final award. The transcript also records that the HazMat/full-scale train-derailment exercise contract with MCM Consulting for $29,007.65 had been opened at a prior meeting; that award was noted as having been handled earlier and not re-voted at this session.

Who was referenced in the meeting

District Attorney Mary O’Malley recommended the personnel change in the DA’s office. Susan Swart, director of Children & Youth, was cited as recommending the promotion in item 9. Named staff affected by personnel actions included Lorraine Depew and Indiana Waskow; a termination affected Melanie Jones. Barry Cyril was reappointed to the Promotion and Tourism Board.

Next steps

The board instructed the solicitor to review certain bids (notably the landscaping project) before a final award; the board said it would notify and, if appropriate, finalize the award at the next meeting. The burn ban and proclamations take effect as stated in the respective resolution/proclamations.

The meeting adjourned at 9:07 a.m.