COUDERSPORT — Potter County will receive a grant through the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to assist in the purchase of new voting machines for local precincts.
At Thursday’s meeting, the county commissioners said the HAVA Election Grant of $17,785.99 will be used to replace voting machines in all 30 of Potter County’s voting precincts, as mandated by the Commonwealth. While the funds will help support the purchase, the anticipated cost of Potter County’s new voting machines has been estimated at about $400,000. The new machines are expected to last for about ten years, if regulations and changing technology do not require them to be updated sooner. Options to lease the machines are also available.
Commissioners reported that county elections and voting director Sandra Lewis has been in contact with three or four certified companies that provide voting technology. The new systems have a lot of redundancy built into them. The vote is recorded electronically on a machine, then a paper ballot is printed. The paper ballot is scanned, creating another electronic copy, and then a final vote count is printed for use by the county elections board.
Commissioner Paul Heimel discussed efforts begun during the Data-Driven Justice national initiative conference held recently. A barrier to effective data collection and use has been identified as related to HIPAA regulations aimed at protecting patients’ information. Proposed legislation could develop ways to share information and still protect individual’s confidentiality.
“Having all the necessary data in one place at one time could really help improve outcomes,” said Heimel, who stated he believes the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) will likely push for the change.
Commissioner Susan Kefover attended a recent meeting of state officials from different agencies that are partnering to address issues and create more opportunities for residents. One of the biggest issues raised is a state law requiring all ambulance drivers to be certified in several emergency medical areas. This has been a problem, as it has cut down on the number of individuals able to volunteer to drive an ambulance. In the past, volunteers could just drive the ambulance without certification while certified individuals addressed patient needs in the back section. Drivers are not asked to perform any medical duties, but must be certified nonetheless. Pilot programs have been suggested as a way to reintroduce volunteer drivers to volunteer drivers and make sure additional issues will not arise from the changes.
Commissioners approved authorizing an application for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for fiscal year 2018. Two projects will receive funds from the CDBG allocation. A new backup generator will be funded with a $60,000 allocation to the Austin Borough. A wastewater treatment improvement project in the Galeton Borough will receive $121,928, though funding was requested in the amount of $181,928. Anticipated savings from the ongoing Genesee Water Project will be utilized in the Galeton project, with approval expected in February when funds become available.
The CDBG application was open for public comment from Oct. 11 through the meeting date, with Commissioner Doug Morley stating that no public feedback was received on any of the proposed projects.
A new policy concerning complaints and grievances related to the CDBG program was approved. The new policy establishes a formal complaint procedure for citizens, including instructions on how to file complaints and grievances, a form for use for that purpose, and a mandated review process and timeline. The policy brings the county’s CDBG program into compliance with recent mandates from the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Commissioners accepted the 2018 Emergency Management Performance Grant in the amount of $90,589, following the grant performance period running from October 2017 through September of 2018. The grant is meant to serve as a 50-percent salary match for mandated emergency services positions and is received annually.
A settlement agreement and mutual limited release was approved. The agreement with Avenco, which provides a child accounting service negotiated through CCAP, settled a class action lawsuit filed due to a release of confidential information from Children and Youth Services. Though Potter County is not believed to have been directly affected through the release, Avenco will pay the county, as part of the class action suit, the sum of $2,865.96.
The next meeting of the Potter County Commissioners will be held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 8 at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport.
