Commissioners address website funding
BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF
Wyoming County Press Examiner
TUNKHANNOCK - The Wyoming County Commissioners met with other officials on Thursday discussing how to fund upgrades to the county's website.
The Internet access was just one topic the commissioners brought up with the county's Records Improvement Committee at the work session.
That committee consists of several row officers as well as the commissioners. It is charged with disbursing funds brought in from fees collected by several county offices from records transactions.
The commissioners wanted to use some of that money to improve the website. That would include public access to meeting minutes, budget documents and other records.
"We have the ability to post a lot more on the website," said Commissioner Judy Meade.
Some committee members were concerned that a website upgrade was not eligible for records improvement funds, since it was not a project that made records handling within the offices easier.
Members said they would have to consider what type of records were being considered and how it would impact the various offices before releasing funds.
The commissioners said they plan to make the upgrades no matter what. Commissioner Tony Litwin said he would prefer the money come from the records fees, although it could be taken from the general fund if records money was deemed an inappropriate use.
"We're going to do it. It's just a matter of where the money would come from," Litwin said.
According to county treasurer Darlene Marshall, the Records Improvements Committee has about $78,000 available for its work.
Mead noted that the county's website is currently not online because the contract with the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania - which maintained the site - has expired.
According to Mead, the county is looking at working with an independent company to manage the website for the county. She said the commissioners have an estimate of $7,500 for the website to be designed, plus a monthly maintenance fee.
Also on Thursday, the commissioners discussed security concerns with Judge Russell Shurtleff, sheriff Richard Montross, and emergency management director Gene Dziak.
Gaylord noted that the county received quotes for a motion detector system at the Human Services Building in Eaton Township. The cost would be around $5,200, he said.
Dziak explained the new procedure for access to the county Emergency Operations Center in Tunkhannock Township during off-hours. Because the building is used for many functions, some policies had to be put in place.
For example, he said if a group is holding an evening meeting there, the main entrance to the building will be unlocked for one hour prior to the meeting, and a group representative must be at the entrance to check people in.
Thursday's work session also included a public hearing on this year's Community Development Block Grant funds.
There are five applications for the grant money this year, in addition to the annual allocation sought by the county housing and redevelopment authority for housing rehabilitation.
The figures have been adjusted slightly since the original presentation in January. The requests now total $300,692, noted Nancy Loyd of of the Wyoming County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. That includes $46,542 in administrative and audit expenses.
Loyd noted that last year the county received $258,571 in CDBG money.
* Factoryville Borough, $31,000 to improve stormwater management at the borough's maintenance yard.
* Noxen Township, $75,150 for storm drain work in the Hill Street neighborhood.
* Meshoppen Borough and Meshoppen Fire Company, $39,000 to extend a water line to the fire company's building, and add a hydrant.
* Mehoopany Township, $19,000 to make the sidewalk at its municipal building compliant with the Americans with Disabililties Act.
* Interfaith Friends, $30,000 to continue funding its dental program for low- to moderate-income families.
Making up the balance of the grant request was $60,000 from the housing authority to provide housing rehabilitation for low- to moderate-income families.
