 | 12/17/98 Approved a $2500 study to calculate benefits if an early
retirement incentive is offered for employees age 55 with 10 years of service
or 30 years of service at any age. By law, this offer can only be made once
every five years. |
| Hay Benefit group will prepare employee benefits statements. the
cost-of-living index will be paid at 90%. Because of the excellent condition
of the retirement fund, a vote was taken to move to the 1/70th class when
figuring final salary, years of service, and class. |
| 12/16/98 Tabled a decision to reduce multi-denominational church services
at prison to twice per month. Will look into multiple services each Sunday. |
| Approved a medical user fee of $4 for each prison inmate requesting to see
the psychiatrist/psychologist or any mental health/mental retardation
physician. |
| Approved permission to charge prison inmates the same fee as the
commissary supplier charge for over the counter medications (aspirin,
Tylenol...). |
| 12/11/98 A court order was received from President Judge Eby to have 7
year old inactive Adult Probation Files destroyed on an annual basis. |
| 12/10/98 In the event of a Y2K disaster, discussed the County's emergency
plan to provide shelter for needy area residents at 67 sites. |
| Approved a Tax Increment Financing District for the Lebanon Valley
Economic Development Corporation on the Union Township tract where Ingram
Micro will build a computer distribution center. |
| Heard an update on the Area Agency on Aging's data concerning a new bus
for the Senior Centers. Also accepted a $20,000 grant for improvement to the
Myerstown Senior Activity Center. |
| Added Lincoln 5th for inclusion in the Keystone Opportunity Zone. |
| 12/3/98 A Keystone Opportunity Zone was approved designating 5 properties
totaling around 100 acres in the City of Lebanon for a once and done 12 year
tax-abatement program. Based on economic conditions, the City is eligible.
This is the first tangible project proposed by the South Central Regional
Assembly on Governance. Properties may not have outstanding taxes or code
violations, and the owner must occupy the site. These same properties must be
approved by the City, school district, and State. They include: the steel
foundry (Lehman St.), Smutzy/HACM (across from Coleman's Park), Aspens (Lehman
St.), Printed Terry (7th St.), & Colonial Theater (Cumberland St.). The grant
is issued through the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED).
|
| In an effort to be sure employees are fairly compensated, the first
reading of the budget includes a $15,000 study by the Pennsylvania Economy
League to review wages for about 525 non-union positions. |
| The MHMR budget was amended for Bill Mentzer at Mental Health/Mental
Retardation to allow the purchase of a van for Susquehanna Development
Services from Ladd Motors, the lowest bidder, at $17,269. |
| Phyllis Holtry presented two additional bridge houses, at 319 and 329 S
10th St., Lebanon, for purchase by the County. |
| 11/25/98 Norma Bigham, Kaj Skov, and Jason Scheaffer from the Pennsylvania
Rainbow Region Vacation Bureau informed the commissioner's of an upcoming
fundraising effort to erect a new tourist bureau in front of the Lantern Lodge
along Route 422 in Myerstown. Administrative offices will remain at the
Quality Inn. |
| Jim Thorpe was approved as a juvenile placement service at a rate of
$129.50 per day. |
| 11/18/98 Commissioner Litz requested that the Warden seek suggestions
from his staff for ways to save money on the operation of the Lebanon County
Correctional Facility. |
| Declared an emergency to replace the Nurse Call Bell System on the second
floor of "F" Wing at Cedar Haven. |
| 11/19/98 Agreed to consider a Resolution on December 10, 1998 for the
creation of the Tax Increment Financing District in Union Township. |
| Agreed to purchase a property at 539 N 7th St., Lebanon for transitional
housing for homeless persons with grant funds from the PA Department of
Community and Economic Development. |
| 11/12/98 Signed a contract to upgrade accounting software in preparation
for the year 2000. |
| Hired Spagnola & Cosack for advise in investing County's retirement funds. |
| Released a fixed allocation of Liquid Fuels funds to North Cornwall
Township in the amount of $9,335. |
| Detective Zechman received a grant for $6,195 to operate the DARE program
at Northern Lebanon High School. |
| Jim Earnshaw, director of the county's data processing department, will
head a committee to oversee Y2K compliance and another committee to
standardize computer equipment purchases. In addition, he requested and
received a name change for his department to MIS--Management Information
Systems. |
| 11/5/98 Effective January 1, 2000, a 1,326 square foot Adult Day Care
Site will open at the Lebanon Valley Brethren Home, Palmyra, to care for 14 to
21 clients per day at a suggested donation of $15 per client per day. This
facility will join two other Lebanon County sites, one at Cedar Haven and the
other at Messiah Lutheran Church which are at capacity with 62 active
different users. |
| 10/21/98 Effective November 1, 1998, all levels of nursing home care at
Cedar Haven will cost $135 per day, excluding per diem charges like tobacco,
prescription medications, and other personal expenses which will be billed to
each resident. |
| 10/15/98 A grant application in the amount of $48,034 was approved for
submission to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation,
for continuation of the Sobriety Checkpoint program for the year 1999. |
| 10/8/98 The following municipalities liquid fuel payments were approved
for payment: South Lebanon Township $18,614; Myerstown Borough $6,000; Bethel
Township $13,000 and $4861. |
