Lycoming County commissioners approve salary-board personnel changes, contracts and appointments; golf course returns $165,260 to county

Lycoming County commissioners met Dec. 11 and approved a series of personnel actions, contract amendments and appointments while hearing a seasonal update from the county-owned golf course and discussing landfill finances.

A presentation from golf course representatives reported a busy season ‘‘just over 64,000 rounds’’ and said the operation produced surplus revenue. Speaker 1 presented a $165,260 check to the county, money the commissioners said reflects recent improvements and repayments from the course. "We did just over 64,000 rounds," Speaker 7 said, describing a year that allowed equipment purchases and extra cart payments.

The meeting recessed to the Salary Board for a sequence of staffing votes. The board approved restoring a criminal processing clerk position in the prothonotary’s office (pay grade 5) to help courts pursue what commissioners described as roughly $40,000,000 in uncollected fines. The Salary Board also approved adult probation staffing changes, including an administrative case officer (pay grade 7) and a state-funded regional field coordinator shared with neighboring counties.

Several internal title changes and hires were approved. Commissioners agreed to convert a trained administrative/paralegal role to a paralegal (pay grade 7) and to add an administrative coordinator (pay grade 6) effective Jan. 4, 2026. They removed a deputy director position in facilities management effective Jan. 1, 2026. A motion to add a VA assistant position in the military affairs office (pay grade 6) failed after commissioners expressed concern about adding staff while other departments had been cut.

On public-safety staffing, the board approved a revised telecommunicator pay scale to improve 9-1-1 recruitment and retention. Speaker 5 said the plan would increase the trainee starting rate to $20 an hour and adjust steps up to Telecommunicator 3, while reducing a previous $5,000 milestone bonus to $1,000 to offset wage increases.

The commissioners approved a range of contract actions and grant items: an amendment with PharmChem for probation substance-abuse testing (retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025); an MOU with regional mental-health partners for services to seriously mentally ill individuals incarcerated in the county prison; an amendment with Restorative Behavioral Health extending term and changing pay terms as recorded in the agreement documents; a Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice for up to $25,000; and a short-term extension with DSC Solutions to maintain janitorial services at the Partnership Health facility while new bids are solicited. Speaker 12 presented and the board approved an amendment with ALS Global to add phenolic testing under the county’s 2025 budget.

The board approved multiple appointments and reappointments to county boards, including Jason Vogel and Denise Rice to the Lycoming County Planning Commission; Brett Taylor, Thomas Murphy and Scott Metzger to the Conservation District Board; Dean Busler and Dan Dorman to the Agricultural Land Board; and Ken Young and Rick Armstead to the Housing Authority Board.

Commissioners also approved several routine budgeted purchases and software renewals, including coroner software, sheriff’s office and court administration software items, and a telephone server replacement for the coroner’s office with three years of support.

Public comment touched on cybersecurity scams and returned to questions about county finances. An online commenter asked whether the golf course had repaid a $1,000,000 loan from the landfill and whether county money had been used to cover shortfalls. Commissioners responded that the landfill has operated at a loss in recent years, that the landfill carries roughly $27,000,000 in bond debt recorded in county records, and that changes to host-fee accounting and recent rate increases had been necessary to stabilize operations. Speaker 3 emphasized the county is pursuing permits and other steps to extend landfill life and address the debt position.

The meeting closed with an economic-development update on the Chance Aluminum project: commissioners said the county has sold the land to the developer and that site work and municipal approvals remain before construction; they estimated ground activity could begin in the 2026 timeframe but noted the developer must still complete municipal and PennDOT reviews.

Votes at a glance

- Ratified invoices due through 12/17/2025 totaling $1,356,625.55 (approved). - Salary Board: approved 12/04/2025 minutes and multiple personnel actions including the prothonotary clerk reinstatement and telecommunicator pay-scale changes (approved); VA assistant position did not carry (failed); assistant public defender position tabled for cost review (tabled). - Approved amendment with PharmChem for substance-abuse testing (approved). - Approved MOU with regional MH/ID partners for prison services (approved). - Approved amendment with Restorative Behavioral Health (approved as presented in meeting documents). - Approved DOJ Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant application up to $25,000 (approved). - Approved short extension with DSC Solutions for janitorial services at Partnership Health (approved). - Approved ALS Global amendment to add phenolic testing (approved). - Approved multiple board appointments and reappointments (approved). - Approved emergency plumbing repair invoice to R & J Erl, $4,963.75 after a $1,000 reduction (approved).

What’s next

Commissioners said they will continue to evaluate staffing needs, pursue landfill permitting to extend capacity, finalize the county budget in the coming week and monitor progress on the Chance Aluminum site. The board adjourned to meet again Dec. 18, 2025.

Sources: Lycoming County commissioners’ public meeting transcript, Dec. 11, 2025 (presentations, motions and public comments).