Susquehanna County commissioners approve 911 staffing changes, contracts and lease for new tower

Susquehanna County commissioners approved a series of personnel changes, contracts and a property lease affecting the county's 911 operations and other services during their meeting.

The panel created two new full-time, nonunion 9-1-1 positions — a QA manager (grade 11) effective May 14, 2025, and a deputy director/training manager (grade 10) — and approved the elimination of several unspecified positions. Commissioners also accepted resignations and carried a termination related to 9-1-1 staffing: John Collins resigned as 9-1-1 coordinator effective May 15; Tamara Buryat resigned as a full-time telecommunicator effective May 25; and Quinta Peterson was terminated from a 9-1-1 position. The meeting record shows each of these personnel items was approved by motion without further discussion.

Commissioners approved multiple contracts and agreements. The board ratified a professional services agreement with T&M Associates (Philadelphia) to implement Esri parcel fabric and address data-management solutions; approved renewal of a service agreement with Johnson Controls Fire Protection (Aurora, California); ratified an agreement with Capillary Communications (Harrisburg) for services at the Liberty Park 9-1-1 tower; and approved a lease with Bennett Living Trust for a portion of property at 303 Taylor Road (transcript spelling: “Hot Bottom, PA”) to allow construction of a new 9-1-1 tower. The board also approved the purchase and installation of underground electrical work for the Liberty Park tower from Penelac and ratified a contract for call-taking simulation training software with a vendor listed as "this gen 9-1-1." Where the transcript provided vendor names, those names are used; no technical or procurement details beyond the contract purposes were specified in the record.

The commissioners approved an updated Susquehanna County Agricultural Land Preservation Guide (the meeting record notes a language change to remove a reference to “bylaws”) and a nonexclusive video-sharing license agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The board extended an existing grant agreement with the Lackawanna and Susquehanna County drug-and-alcohol programs through Dec. 31, 2025, and approved routine items including bills, travel requests, and polling-place arrangements (an agreement with Latham Union Garage Grange for Latham Township elections).

The board issued a proclamation recognizing Emergency Medical Services Week in Susquehanna County; the proclamation number was recorded in the transcript, but the meeting record did not provide a clear, correctly spelled date range for the week (the dates in the transcript were unclear and are therefore not specified here). Commissioners publicly thanked EMS personnel and urged local residents to consider volunteering or otherwise supporting emergency services.

Most motions were moved and seconded by named commissioners and were approved with the customary “all in favor” votes recorded in the minutes. The meeting also opened and closed the county salary board and approved elimination and transfer of positions associated with agenda items.

The meeting record contains no extended debate on these items; most passed by unanimous voice vote following motion and second. Several employees and contractors named in the record may be referenced in subsequent administrative paperwork; the transcript supplied the actions above but did not include contract amounts, staffing counts for eliminated positions, nor full addresses or standard spellings for some place names. Those details were marked as not specified in the meeting record.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting transcript) - Approve minutes of April 23 meeting — Motion by Commissioner Darryl; second Commissioner McNamara; outcome: approved. - Open/close salary board and approve salary-board minutes of April 23 — Motion by Commissioner McEntire/MacPherson (as recorded); outcome: approved. - Eliminate listed positions (unspecified in transcript) — Motion by Commissioner McNamara; second Commissioner Darrow; outcome: approved. - Create one full-time nonunion 9-1-1 QA manager (grade 11), effective 05/14/2025 — Motion by Commissioner Daryl; second Commissioner McNamara; outcome: approved. - Create one full-time nonunion deputy director/9-1-1 training manager (grade 10) — Motion by Commissioner McNamara; second Commissioner Darrow; outcome: approved. - Approve updated Susquehanna County Agricultural Land Preservation Guide (language change removing word “bylaws”) — Motion by Commissioner McNamara; second Commissioner Darryl; outcome: approved. - Approve nonexclusive video-sharing license agreement with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation — Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second Commissioner McNamara; outcome: approved. - Ratify professional services agreement with T&M Associates for Esri parcel/address solutions — Motion by Commissioner Macquarie; second Commissioner Dyer; outcome: approved. - Renew service agreement with Johnson Controls Fire Protection (Aurora, CA) — Motion by Commissioner Darrow; second Commissioner MacKinnon; outcome: approved. - Approve agreement with Latham Union Garage Grange for Latham Township polling location — Motion by Commissioner MacKinnon; second Commissioner Darrow; outcome: approved. - Ratify agreement with Capillary Communications for Liberty Park 9-1-1 tower services — Motion by Commissioner Darryl; second Commissioner Mc (as recorded); outcome: approved. - Enter lease with Bennett Living Trust for portion of 303 Taylor Road for new 9-1-1 tower — Motion by Commissioner McNamara; second Commissioner Darrow; outcome: approved. - Extend grant agreement with Lackawanna and Susquehanna County drug-and-alcohol programs through 12/31/2025 — Motion by Commissioner Daryl; second Commissioner McTore; outcome: approved. - Ratify contract for 9-1-1 call-taking simulation training software — Motion by Commissioner Macquarie; second Commissioner Darryl; outcome: approved. - Ratify purchase/installation of underground electrical for Liberty Park 9-1-1 tower from Penelac — Motion by Commissioner Daryl; second Commissioner McNamara; outcome: approved. - Approve associated employee transfers listed on agenda — Motion by Commissioner Mac; second Commissioner Darryl; outcome: approved. - Accept resignation of John Collins, 9-1-1 coordinator, effective May 15 — Motion by Commissioner Darryl; second Commissioner McNamara; outcome: accepted. - Accept resignation of Tamara Buryat, full-time telecommunicator, effective May 25 — Motion by Commissioner McNamara; second Commissioner Dillard; outcome: accepted. - Terminate Quinta Peterson from a 9-1-1 position — Motion by Commissioner Darryl; second Commissioner McHenry; outcome: approved. - Approve proclamation recognizing Emergency Medical Services Week (proclamation listed; date range not clearly specified in transcript) — Motion by Commissioner McDonough; second Commissioner Dillard; outcome: approved.

Ending The meeting record shows routine approval of the county’s agenda items with limited discussion. Several items affect the county’s 9-1-1 system — new positions, a lease for a tower site, tower electrical work and vendor agreements — and the board acknowledged EMS personnel in attendance. The transcript did not include contract values, the full list or counts of eliminated positions, nor verified spellings for some place names and vendors; those details were not specified in the record and would appear in the signed contracts and personnel paperwork.