Lycoming County Commissioners approve personnel changes, multiple CDBG grants, HR code of conduct and pay $2,500 to DEP after landfill reporting lapse

The Lycoming County Commissioners approved a series of routine and policy items at a public meeting that included personnel actions, grant agreements, contract amendments and an enforcement-related payment to the Department of Environmental Protection.

Nikki presented invoices for ratification totaling $791,079.53, which the board approved by voice vote. The board then recessed for the Salary Board, which approved several position changes: additions of a part-time law clerk and a part-time county investigator in the District Attorney’s Office, a temporary part-time executive secretary in Courts to cover Judge Linhart’s vacancy, a full-time custodial position in Facilities Management, a part-time clerk III in the Treasurer’s Office, and elimination of the full-time director of financial management position. The board subsequently reconvened as a fiscal court and approved conditional offers of employment for several positions (examples announced by staff included Thomas Tamborelli as a part-time resident supervisor at the pre-release center and Ty Nixon as a part-time correction officer). All personnel items were moved, seconded and approved by voice votes.

The board approved an amendment to the Rapid Financial Solutions contract that will raise the price per jury payment card by $0.07 under a three-year agreement, and authorized an agreement described as a 2026 budgeted operating expense with Robert Mitchum that was presented on behalf of Adrian Stall. Kim presented a new contract with Guardian Protection Services for $8,760 as an operating expense for the prison; staff said the contract terms improve service even if immediate cost savings are not large.

Commissioners approved several Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) subrecipient agreements: Jersey Shore for $70,649, Montoursville Borough for $84,578, South Williamsport Borough for $98,454, an FY23 amendment with South Williamsport for $100,330, and a subrecipient agreement with American Rescue Workers for $24,385. The board also approved a $100,000 fair subrecipient monitoring agreement with the Lycoming–Clinton Joint Board to cover 2024–2025 monitoring obligations.

Gary reported that a required quarterly surface scan of the county landfill recorded an exceedance at a penetration (the trigger noted was 500 parts per million), that corrective steps were taken, but that staff missed the required 24-hour reporting window. "We did report it ... we just didn't get reported in the 24 hours. So, unfortunately we received an NOV for that," Gary said. The commission approved a $2,500 payment to the DEP in connection with the notice and discussed steps to ensure timely reporting in the future.

On policy matters, the board adopted an updated employee protection whistleblower policy (renumbered from HR policy 106 to HR policy 104) aligned more closely with federal guidance. Commissioners also voted to add HR policy 101, a new Lycoming County code of conduct; the board discussed a plan to review county policies at least every three years and to require annual training and onboarding for the code of conduct.

Commissioner Thompson closed with brief community remarks about local nonprofits and the YMCA; there were no public comments on agenda items. The meeting was adjourned and the next session was scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in Newberry.

Votes at a glance (voice votes recorded in the meeting):
- Ratify invoices totaling $791,079.53 — approved by voice vote.
- Salary Board minutes (March 5, 2026) — approved by voice vote.
- Multiple Salary Board personnel additions/eliminations (DA law clerk, DA investigator, courts secretary, custodial position, treasurer clerk III; eliminate director of financial management) — approved by voice votes.
- Conditional employment offers for several county positions — approved by voice votes.
- Amendment No. 1 to Rapid Financial Solutions contract (jury payment cards; +$0.07 per card) — approved by voice vote.
- Agreement with Robert Mitchum (2026 budgeted operating expense) — approved by voice vote.
- Payment to DEP, $2,500, regarding landfill NOV — approved by voice vote.
- Service Pro license waiver (reduce licenses 23→18; estimated savings ~$2,000 over three years) — approved by voice vote.
- Guardian Protection Services contract, $8,760 — approved by voice vote.
- Fair subrecipient monitoring agreement with Lycoming–Clinton Joint Board, $100,000 — approved by voice vote.
- CDBG subrecipient agreements: Jersey Shore ($70,649); Montoursville ($84,578); South Williamsport ($98,454); South Williamsport amendment ($100,330); American Rescue Workers ($24,385) — all approved by voice votes.
- Adoption of updated whistleblower policy (HR policy 104) and new Lycoming County code of conduct (HR policy 101) — approved by voice votes.

The meeting record indicates voice approvals for each listed item; the transcript does not record roll-call tallies or individual recorded nay/abstain votes for these motions.