MIFFLINTOWN - The Juniata County Commissioners took action Tuesday to address more problems that a week of heavy rain caused at both the county library and prison.
In July, the county took action to fix water leaks and drainage issues in the Juniata County Library basement; but after the rain last week, the maintenance department identified another spot where water should be directed away from the walls, Commissioner Dale Shelley said.
The commissioners approved Mike Cleck Paving to build an additional curb in the blacktop to drain the water at a cost of $525.
Commissioner Chairman Jeffrey Zimmerman said this final curb should solve the drainage issue.
"What work has been done seems to be effective," Zimmerman said. "It just needs to be extended a bit."
The recent rain also caused water damage and leaks at the Juniata County Prison, Commissioner Teresa O'Neal said. The prison board is researching the issue and pursuing estimates, she said.
O'Neal cautioned that the situation "may need to be addressed pretty quickly," however, the commissioners did not receive any requests for action Tuesday.
Sheriff Tom Lyter said a local construction company did walk through the building, but he has not received an
estimate yet.
Also during the meeting, Lyter requested four additional security cameras for the prison laundry room, visitor's foyer and outside. Currently, these areas are not under surveillance, he said.
The additional cameras also would require a new digital video recorder, because the capacity of the prison's present system is not large enough, Lyter said. The new DVR would be an added benefit because it offers the ability to zoom and pan the camera views, which now are stationary, he said.
The cost per camera is between $225 and $245, depending on the type, and the DVR will cost $6,285 plus installation, Lyter said.
Shelley said recent security incidents at the prison prompted the request for additional cameras.
"We need to give our officers the security they need," Shelley said. "I'm 100-percent for it."
O'Neal said the prison budget does not have the funds to pay for the cameras, and she suggested that the county pay for the additional security equipment through the building improvement fund.
The commissioners approved the request, not to exceed four cameras, the DVR and installation costs.
In other business:
The commissioners tabled an agreement to make the public inquiry assessment information available on the INFOCON County Access System.
O'Neal requested more information about the proposal and asked if the agreement would duplicate a service already offered through an agreement with L. Robert Kimball and Associates.
Chief Assessor Jeff Haines said the Kimball agreement only provides computer access to the assessment maps. The INFOCON agreement would provide computer access to all the data in the assessment office, Haines said.
For a monthly fee, realtors, attorneys and other local companies would be able to access the data from their office computers rather than the courthouse, Haines said. The information still will be free to the public at the assessment office, he said.
SEDA-Council of Governments Transportation Planner Steve Herman presented information about a new long-range transportation plan that the agency is developing for the counties it represents. The plan will fulfill federal transportation requirements, he said.
The plan will project out 25 years and prioritize projects based on need and cost, with help from a steering committee of county representatives, Herman said. The public will have an opportunity to review the plan and comment prior to its adoption, he said.
Herman said he also is working on a supplemental study to inventory bridges and prioritize the needs for repair or replacement.
Bridges less than 20 feet are not required to be inspected, and repairs to the small structures often slip through the cracks, Herman said. SEDA-COG will make an inventory of the county bridges and assess their conditions, but the agency does not plan to complete full inspections for every bridge, he said.
The commissioners ratified a contract with Champion Energy Services to provide electrical services to the county beginning Sept. 1 through December.
The change in electricity providers will save the county about 3 cents per kilowatt, or $3,000 per year, Shelley said. Many other Central Pennsylvania counties already use the service, he said.
Administrator Chris Wysocki from the Tri-County MH/MR gave an update on the program's current budget situation.
While the agency did receive its quarterly payments, it does not yet know its budget allocations from the state, Wysocki said. The agency expects to receive the state allocation letter by the end of the week, he said.
