Elk County commissioners approve contracts, reappointment and service renewals

Elk County commissioners on Jan. 2 approved a package of routine items including a reappointment, two service renewals, consultant authorization for bridge inspections, and a site-preparation contract for a planned emergency communications tower.

The board voted to adopt Resolution No. 2025-22 to reappoint Kathy McColland as Elk County’s 2025 Fair Housing Officer for Elk County and on behalf of Ridgeway Borough. The resolution was presented by county staff and carried on a voice vote.

Commissioners also approved a one-year renewal with Avertip Corporation for preventive maintenance and 24/7 support of the county’s 9-1-1 systems, listed in the meeting packet as covering Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, at an amount stated in the meeting as "$17,009.32 and 19¢." The contract was described as payable from the county’s E-911 wireless fund, the regional fund for which Elk County serves as fiduciary.

The board authorized county staff to move forward with an agreement with PennDOT to select a consultant to inspect the county’s bridges for a six-year period (three two-year inspection cycles). County planning staff said the work covers bridges with spans 20 feet or greater and that the contract is expected to include 35 bridges. Planning staff told commissioners the inspection costs are paid 80% by PennDOT, with the remaining 20% taken from municipal liquid fuels allocations — and that the letter of authorization being approved was intended only to begin the procurement process.

Children and Youth services received approval to add New Life Adolescents LLC to the county’s placement roster under a service agreement covering July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, at a rate shown in the packet as $416.06 per day. County Children and Youth staff said the facility is in Hillsdale in neighboring Indiana County, is a 15-bed program for females and that one youth had been placed there as of the previous Thursday.

The board approved a probation department renewal for residential treatment space at the Potter County Women’s Recovery Center at a daily rate listed as $90 (an increase of $5 per day). County staff said that placements to this program are typically funded from PRC/IP grant funds (probation-restrictive-conditions/intermediate punishment) and, in some cases, from opioid-settlement funds when eligible.

Finally, commissioners approved a $7,000 contract with Thomas Cooney Logging for clearing and road-building at a county-owned lot in Jones Township to prepare a site for a new emergency communications tower. County staff said the vendor expects to use on-site stone for roadwork if available but that an extra charge could apply if additional rock must be hauled in. Staff also said the clearing work is time sensitive and noted a target completion date included in procurement paperwork of March 2025.

All motions listed above passed on voice votes (recorded in the meeting as "aye"; no roll-call vote totals were provided in the transcript).