Meeting recap: Washington County commissioners
• Date: Feb. 5
• Action: Several people representing organizations that were included on the list to receive allocations from the Local Share Account of gambling revenues from The Meadows Casino thanked the commissioners in advance of their voting to approve $6.5 million worth of projects.
The board also adopted a resolution approving an addition to last year’s list, Mid-Mon Valley Water Pollution Control Authority. This project, with a budget of $294,174, includes construction of a new sanitary sewage pump station in Allenport and repairs to the authority’s sewer interceptor and force main to provide adequate service to Mon Valley Industrial Park.
At the request of the Planning Commission, the board OK’d a $23,095 increase in the costs associated with the of replacement of the Mingo Creek No. 10 bridge in Mingo Creek County Park by ClearWater Construction Inc. of Mercer, Mercer County, to be paid by state taxpayers; and contracted with Suburban Propane LP to deliver fuel to the maintenance shed at Cross Creek County Park at a cost of about $3,600 in each of three years.
At the request of Children and Youth Services, the commissioners approved a $75,000 contract for Summit School, doing business as Summit Academy, and $100,000 for Community Specialist Corp., doing business as The Academy, for placement services through June 30; made agreements with attorneys Bruce Ferguson and Zachary Mesher through June 30 to provide legal service and counsel to children at a rate of $50 per hour; contracted with Cornell Abraxas for $600,000 worth of placement services through June 30; and increased the allocations to Bethesda Children’s Home to $175,000 from $80,000 and to the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, doing business as Project Star, to $200,000 from $100,000.
The county extended its lease with the Redevelopment Authority for office space at the Courthouse Square building through Feb. 28, 2016, at the rate of $14.50 per square foot and 19 parking spaces at $22 per month. The monthly rent continues to be $10,064. The board adopted a resolution to execute the 2014 Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund grant agreement for the Washington City Mission homeless voucher program for $50,000 and the Claysville patio home project for $750,000.
Under a state contract that does not require bidding, the commissioners approved the purchase of two 2015 Ford Interceptor all-wheel-drive utility vehicles at a cost of $35,623 from Day Ford in Monroeville.
At the request of the elections office, the commissioners approved travel for Wes Parry, assistant director of elections, to attend a seminar in Tampa, Fla. Travel costs are estimated at $1,200.
• Announcement: County offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 16, for Presidents Day.
• Next meeting: 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in the public meeting room of the Courthouse Square office building.