SMETHPORT — The McKean County commissioners approved a resolution Wednesday amending the inmate telephone service agreement to add two years to the existing contract with no additional expense, until March 31, 2023.
Sheriff Dan Woods told The Era that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual two weekly in-person visits to inmates have been cancelled since March 16, 2020. Instead, the contracted phone company has given every inmate two free video visits per week until further notice. For any additional visits, there would be a fee, but not to the county.
The contractor has also furnished the sheriff’s office with a portable cart, which allows isolated inmates to get video visits as well, Woods added.
Also getting the OK were two resolutions with the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission for the Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance agreements.
The modification to the subcontract includes additional funding of $9,511 for a new subcontract total of $13,031. The additional funding includes $1,300 for office expenses and supplies and $11,731 for contractual expenses. The second one is under the 2020-21 cost reimbursement agreement pertaining to mini grants in the amount of $1,620 for the McKean County Market Study/Leakage Analysis Project. Penn State Extension will conduct this analysis to identify what residents are spending outside the county and determine if there are any related opportunities within the county, said Bob Veilleux, the county’s economic development coordinator.
In a report to the commissioners, Jeremy Morey, director of the McKean County Planning Department and chairman of the county’s Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census, said the committee’s efforts, such as use of volunteers, high telephone response rate and advertising messages on behalf of the county, have been recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a certificate.
In a personnel matter, Commission Chairman Thomas Kreiner announced that new county employees are Aaron Meserole, a part-time correctional officer at the jail, and Julia Greenman, a part-time dispatcher at the 911 Emergency Operations Center.
In other matters, the commissioners signed two proclamations, one proclaiming March as Women’s History Month and April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The Women’s History Month proclamation reflects on the significant contributions to science, history, society, government and social change.
In the proclamation about preventing child abuse, it was noted that “the future success of our county, state and country is bound to our present actions toward the safety and well-being of our children.”
The commissioners will meet again in a public session at 10 a. m., April 13.
