SMETHPORT – The McKean County Commissioners will be taking an
early look at budget projections in what appears to be a tight year
for finances.

On Tuesday, Commissioner Al Pingie said the commissioners will
be asking Finance Director Dustin Laurie to provide them with a
breakdown of the projected money saved this year on salaries and
benefits after several administrative positions were cut.

Among the positions that saw the chopping block were the county
administrator’s post, along with some human resources jobs which
were created by the former board of commissioners.

The current board is also facing rising energy costs along with
wage and insurance hikes. The county has begun preliminary
discussions with its major labor unions in the hopes of hammering
out new deals this year.

“October comes pretty quickly, so we thought we better get
started and see where we stand,” Pingie said. “The upcoming year
will be very difficult.”

As it stands, the county can no longer rely on the funding
received from the sales of the county landfill and of Sena-Kean
Manor to help out, but must find new ways in which to save.

One such effort is currently under way – the commissioners
looking at ways to reduce the county’s costs for electricity and
heating, particularly with the winter months approaching. As such,
the county is looking at having an energy audit conducted on
county-owned buildings to see where a savings can occur.

The commissioners have also been toying with the idea of closing
county-owned buildings on Fridays, but that idea appears to have
been put on the back burner for now.

Additional help could come in the future, with the possibility
of leasing county-owned land for oil and natural gas drilling and
the expansion of the landfill, which could include an increase in
tipping fees.

“I think in a year or so, we could offset our additional costs
with the oil and gas drilling and if the landfill expansion comes
through,” Pingie said.

The county hasn’t seen a tax increase in the last four
years.

In other news, the commissioners announced the front of the
county courthouse will become a little more bare in the coming
months.

A total of five trees will be cut down that are either dying or
have a disease, including three maple trees and two spruce trees.
Another tree – a linden tree on the corner of the courthouse
property – will be saved for the time being. The tree currently
obscures the view of the large Bucktail monument from being seen
from the street.

The county is working with the Smethport Shade Tree Commission
in regards to the trees.

Commissioner Chairman Joe DeMott said two of the maple trees are
owned by Smethport Borough, which has a right-of-way through the
courthouse property. Those trees will be removed at the borough’s
expense.

Meanwhile, the three other trees – two large spruce trees and a
maple – are the county’s responsibility.

The commissioners approved a motion paving the way to cut down
the trees that are the county’s responsibility.

Also, the commissioners will look to rebid the cleaning of the
front of the courthouse, along with upgrading the electrical system
at the 911 Center.

In regards to the courthouse cleaning work, there were questions
regarding bid specifications; for the 911 Center project there was
a significant difference in the amount of the alternate bids.

The commissioners received two bids for each project.

Meanwhile, the commissioners announced they were extending the
deadline to receive requests for federal Title III funds from
timber receipts on the Allegheny National Forest.

The original deadline to receive the applications was Monday;
the new deadline is July 8.

“We had a number of potential applicants call within the past
few days that indicated they had missed the original advertisement
and wouldn’t have time to get their applications together,” DeMott
said.

All told, more than ,250,000 is available for municipalities and
school districts with land in the forest; the money is restricted
to use in one of six categories.

The commissioners also announced that Brenda Goodwill will be
the human resources benefits coordinator. Goodwill is currently an
assistant in the elections department.

The change was approved during a salary board meeting.

DeMott said in her new role, Goodwill will be the liaison person
with the insurance companies, along with processing forms and other
duties.

Commissioner Judy Church said Goodwill will receive ,13.16 an
hour and work a 35-hour week.