Susquehanna County commissioners approve routine contracts, appointments and purchases; vote list released

The Susquehanna County Board of Commissioners approved a series of routine contracts, appointments, purchases and personnel actions at a commissioners meeting. The agenda items included agreements for 9-1-1 communications equipment and maintenance, a countywide commodity-flow study paid with a HMEP grant, the purchase of a command response vehicle, and an intergovernmental inmate housing agreement with Wayne County.

The meeting opened with recognition of Anthony Bartox for five years in probation, and a public comment period in which a representative of the county Master Gardener program described upcoming outreach: “Poison Prevention Week is coming up in March” and the Seed of Supper seven-week gardening program will begin in March, the commenter said. A second commenter described a FEMA-certified Youth Preparedness for Emergencies course, saying, “It costs approximately $150 per student to put through,” and that a five-day intensive summer camp and disaster simulation are planned.

The motions approved by the board were largely unanimous and administrative in nature. Key items included an intergovernmental agreement to house Susquehanna County inmates at the Wayne County Correctional Facility; a $471,798 contract with Tower Services Unlimited for a communications tower paid with PEMA and Act 13 funds; a contract amendment for P25 radio upgrade language with no price change; and a $13,001.58 countywide commodity flow study funded by the HMEP grant. The commissioners also approved the purchase of a 2024 Chevy Tahoe command/response vehicle and awarded contracts and leases for new 9-1-1 tower construction and console support.

Personnel actions approved included hiring listed candidates, a transfer of a corrections officer to a union position, the reinstatement of a fiscal office manager effective Feb. 12, approval of a list of terminations, and acceptance of several resignations including the retirement of Kathy Raygard after 28 years of county service. The board approved appointments to the Susquehanna County Economic Development Committee and volunteers to the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Votes at a glance

- Item 2: Approve minutes of Jan. 22. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 3: Approve payment of bills. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 4: Approve seminar/travel request. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 5: Enter contract for services with Bree Riley, Psych DS (South Abington, PA). Motion by Commissioner Adair; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 6: Enter contract (Children Youth Services / Experimental Education entity named in minutes). Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner (Hall). Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 7: Agreement with 2 Way Mobile Communications (Bethlehem, PA) for CPE and EZNET maintenance for 9-1-1 GIS. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 8: Changeover to MotorRoad Solutions for 9-1-1 dispatch console support, add consoles at backup center, contract end date changed to 12/31/2028. Motion by Commissioner O'Darrell; second by Commissioner (unnamed in transcript). Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 9: Appoint listed volunteers to the Local Emergency Planning Committee through 01/28/2026. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 10: Appoint Fred Cicillone to the Susquehanna County Economic Development Committee effective Feb. 12. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 11: Enter intergovernmental agreement with Wayne County Correctional Facility for housing Susquehanna County inmates. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Alta. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 12: Enter agreement with Thomson Reuters/West Publishing for library/legal services at the Correctional Facility (transcript: “Thomas Reuters and West Publishing Corp”). Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 13: Contract with Tower Services Unlimited for Weber communications site, total cost $471,798 paid with PEMA and Act 13 funding. Motion by Commissioner Dale; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 14: Contract with BiPath Technologies (Falls Church, VA) for MA telephone services and IP-enabled tablets. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 15: Purchase 2024 Chevy Tahoe command/response vehicle from Utilec (transcript: “Utiltec Ridgeway, PA”) including radio/command center installation and P25 digital radio. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 16: Hazardous materials response agreement with legal response services for spills and hazardous incidents, cost not to exceed $10,000 per incident with responsible party billed. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner (Hall). Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 17: Lease agreement with Weber Delivering Trust (Lansdale, PA) to construct a 9-1-1 tower at 1965 Liberty Park Road in Hallstead (transcript: “Halston”), PA. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 18: Contract with MCM Consulting Group (State College) for a countywide commodity flow study, total cost $13,001.58 paid with the HMEP grant. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 19: Approve change order no. 1 to Susquehanna County P25 upgrade project to revise termination clause language with no change in price. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 20: Approve hiring of listed candidates (personnel hires). Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 21: Approve transfer of Carol Stroll from full-time corrections officer to full-time union corrections officer cook. Motion by Commissioner Deo; second by Commissioner (Hall). Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 22: Reinstate Elizabeth Carpool to full-time nonunion fiscal office manager effective Feb. 12, 2025, per recommendation of Susan Swart. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 23: Approve attached list of employee terminations. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 24: Accept listed resignations; singled-out retirement of Kathy Raygard after 28 years of county service. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 25: Approve Resolution 25-2 naming Commissioner Hall (twice named in motion text) as authorized signer for Commonwealth Financing Authority documents for bridal painting grant applicants. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 26: Request proposals for Susquehanna County Courthouse front gardens and County Green Triangle landscape project; proposals due Feb. 25, 2025. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 27: Advertise municipal bid to sell a 2018 Dodge van with ~86,000 miles. Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Item 28: Open award file and forward proposals for full-scale train derailment HAZMAT exercise to the LEPC and the solicitor for review (several bidders named in transcript). Motion by Commissioner Gasser; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous); bidder recommendation to follow after review. - Item 29: Adjourn meeting at 9:15 a.m. Motion by Commissioner Dale; second by Commissioner Hall. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

Discussion, direction and next steps noted in the meeting included staff follow-up to review HAZMAT exercise bids with the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the county solicitor before public award notification; and a stated intent by the Youth Preparedness program presenter to seek local funding to cover approximately $150 per student going forward. The transcript shows most motions were approved without recorded dissent.

The board closed the meeting after routine business. The meeting record contains contract names and local project deadlines that the clerk’s office can provide on request for anyone seeking full procurement or contract documents.