Chris Rossetti
WARREN, Pa. – The Warren County Prison earned full compliance from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC), according to a letter received by the county from the DOC.
“That’s cool stuff,” Warren County Commissioner chairwoman Tricia Durbin said.
Durbin read from part of the letter received by the county.
“The Warren County Prison earned full compliance during 2022,” Durbin read. “The staff at Warren County Prison should be proud of their accomplishments and are encouraged to maintain.”
Durbin said as a result of receiving full compliance, the Prison is exempt from the normal one-year inspection cycle.
“They can go another year without having the Department of Corrections come and audit them,” Durbin said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
• Presented a plaque to the Sheriff’s department that has a picture of former Warren County Sheriff Larry Kopko, who died Nov. 17 after a battle with cancer. The commissioners presented the plaque to current Sheriff Brian Zeybel and asked that the department find a place to display it, which Zeybel said it would.
• Approved a contract with Momentum, Inc. in the amount of $12,500 for a content management system that will track the progress of county contracts (track the workflow). Commissioner Ben Kafferlin and Director of Finance/Administration Lisa Hagberg met with Momentum via a Zoom call and presented what they learned at a previous meeting. At that meeting, Durbin asked that the proposal be tabled until Momentum could come and present in Warren. It is unknown if that presentation happened.
• Approved a contract for $3,966 with Johnson Fire Control for a system that activates the sprinklers, smoke decorators, and panic buttons in the county. According to Chief Clerk Pam Matve the current system is obsolete and needed to be replaced.
• Put two used police vehicles up for sale. One was a 2014 Ford Explorer and the other a 2013 Ford Explorer. They were put up for online auction on the “govdeals” website, according to Durbin, and were also going to be advertised in the local print newspaper. “We know the value equals to or exceeds $1,000 collectively,” Durbin said.
• Amended the C-Pace Program to expand it to include other properties, one of which is a multi-dwelling unit where there are at least 5 units in one particular location. Kafferlin said he is not aware of anyone who has actually utilized the C-Pace Program yet. C-Pace stands for Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE). According to www.pennsylvaniacpace.org, C-Pace is a financial tool for property owners to obtain low-cost, long-term financing for energy-efficient equipment, renewable energy, and water conservation projects. C-PACE can provide up to 100% funding of total project costs by placing a special voluntary assessment on the property that repays the costs of the upgrades including equipment, labor, and soft costs. Because C-PACE is attached to a property assessment, it is a very secure form of financing. C-PACE financing is a voluntary program. Once a county or municipality passes a resolution, the program guidelines are finalized and approved by the county/municipality. At that time, commercial and agricultural property owners may develop a clean energy project and secure a capital provider to finance the project. The loan payment is added to the property tax bill and collected as an assessment by the county/municipality.
• Entered into a contract with EATON UPS Service for a public safety building battery backup system. The contract was for $6,944.
• Approved a USDA grant application for the purchase of a new sheriff’s vehicle. The vehicle would cost about $38,000 with additional add-on items running about $6,000 according to Hagberg.
• Matve was appointed as the interim Veterans Affairs Director replacing Delores Stec. The position will be posted.
•The next commissioner’s meeting is set for Noon Wednesday, Dec. 28, in the Jackson Courtroom of the Warren County Courthouse. All meetings are open to the public.
Editor’s Note: This meeting was covered remotely via Warren County’s YouTube video of the meeting
