BY PAT FARNELLI

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK – A grant for the registration and enrollment of sexual offenders in Wyoming County was received for PA Act 111-2011 in the amount of $3,000, it was announced at the Nov. 1 Wyoming County Commissioners meeting.

The meeting had been rescheduled as the courthouse was closed that Tuesday (Oct. 30) due to Hurricane Sandy.

County clerk William Gaylord said that the Pennsylvania Justice Assistance Compliance Program’s sexual offender registration program may cost the county quite a bit more than the amount of the grant.

The commissioners meeting was briefly adjourned for a meeting of the salary board, which approved the salary for the new deputy warden position at $42,000 per year with benefits.

During the salary board meeting, Commissioner Tom Henry moved to set the salary for task force planner and manager at $29,000, to be paid with grant money only from the task force,  at no cost to taxpayers. When the funding stops, the position will be eliminated. The motion carried.

There was some discussion as to whether the position would include a pension or benefits. It was decided that the position would not include a pension, as it is a temporary position, but that benefits would be included, as they would be covered by the grant funding. The benefits will be determined at a later date, as the exact amount of funding was not yet available.

Henry moved to hire Keith Howard to the EMA task force planner commission, and this was approved.

After their meeting was re-convened, commissioners approved the hiring of Gordon L. Traveny Jr. of Falls for the new deputy warden position at the Wyoming County Correctional Facility.

The commissioners approved and signed the Wyoming County tax claim authorization to address stale checks for 2011.

A bill was approved for $454 for the Iroquois Trail project, which will be paid out of the Siltax fund, which is for environmental projects.

A motion was approved for the commissioners to sign for tax claim checks, which will be coming in.

A purchase of a software program and maintenance agreement with Esri Inc. for the 911 mapping and addressing office was approved. Two Children and Youth purchase order agreements, one for Lycoming County Children and Youth and another for a consultant contract, were also approved.

Several tax appeals were discussed briefly. One by Geisinger, which was appealed four years ago, will probably go to a hearing, Solicitor James Davis said.

The commissioners discussed the possible remodeling of President Judge Russell Shurtleff’s offices, and said that they would like to have some alternative plans drawn.

The project will be re-advertised for bids.