County tables security contract

SUNBURY - Employee livelihoods in Northumberland County may be winning out over cost savings.

A week after announcing their intent to hire a national firm to provide security services at various county buildings, while terminating the county employment of eight security guards, Northumberland County commissioners tabled a motion Tuesday afternoon to enter into a contract with AlliedBarton Security Services that was expected to become effective April 1.

Commissioners Kurt Masser, Frank Sawicki and Vinny Clausi tabled the matter to consider other options and variables involved with the security issue.

After their public meeting, the commissioners confirmed the proposed contract with AlliedBarton won't be approved by April 1, if at all. Clausi said the board is attempting to keep as many county security guards employed as possible through an outside security firm despite the fact that the proposal by AlliedBarton was expected to save the county approximately $60,000 per year.

When asked what changed their minds about approving the contract Tuesday, the commissioners said they just wanted more time to explore other options regarding security.

On March 10, the commissioners said they planned to enter into a contract with AlliedBarton Security Services. The firm has its headquarters in Conshohocken, near Philadelphia.

If the contract is approved, it will mark the first time an outside firm has been hired to provide security in the county.

Currently, there are nine security guards, including Director of Security Ronald Yeager, who provide services at the county courthouse, administration center, the American Legion building that houses the domestic relations office, coroner's office, board of elections office and Magisterial District Judge Carl Rice's office, two buildings in the Human Services Complex, which are all in Sunbury, and the Career and Arts Center in Shamokin.

Under the proposal, Yeager would be retained by the county as security director and serve as a liasion between the county and the security firm. Yeager is the only non-union employee on the security staff.

The other eight security guards, who are members of the International Union of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America, could have applied for positions with AlliedBarton, but weren't guaranteed to retain their jobs. Five of those employees are full time, while the remaining three work part time.

According to county budget director Jeff McClintock, the county paid approximately $253,000 for security services in 2009. Under the proposed contract with AlliedBarton, the county will pay approximately $193,000.

McClintock said all overtime for additional shifts would be eliminated under AlliedBarton's proposal.

County Human Resources Director Joseph Picarelli issued a letter dated March 1 to the eight union members informing them of the county's intent to contract the services of the security guards to an outside source due to budgetary constraints. The letter served as an official notice to the employees that the new contract would take effect April 1 and that employees' positions with the county would be terminated at that time.

Picarelli said the county is required to notify the union at least 30 days in advance of taking such an action.

In other business

The commissioners adopted a resolution read by Solicitor Vincent V. Rovito Jr. that states the occupation assessment of unemployed workers who are collecting unemployment compensation benefits and are permanently unemployed, shall be labeled unemployed on occupation tax rolls until they are able to report to permanent employment, labeled such at the discretion of the chief assessor of Northumberland County.

Assessor Al Bressi, who strongly endorses the resolution, pointed out that the new policy, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2010, is much fairer for unemployed people.

He believes the occupation tax is the worst tax in the state in terms of fairness, and that the lack of assessors countywide has caused major problems for his office.

Bressi said an occupation tax should be based on a person's earned income rather than the classification their profession falls under.

He said Warrior Run, Milton Area, Danville Area and Southern Columbia Area school districts currently assess occupation taxes based on earned income. The remaining school districts in the county - Shamokin Area, Mount Carmel Area, Line Mountain and Shikellamy - assess occupation taxes based on profession classification rather than earned income.

Bressi said, "Unemployed people shouldn't be assessed an occupation tax."

The commissioners also entered into an agreement with Portnoff Law Associates Ltd. to assist the county's tax claim bureau in collecting delinquent real estate taxes for the former Kmart property in Coal Township.

Sawicki said ownership of the property remains unclear because it remains in bankruptcy.

The board also ratified an agreement with Liberty Power Holdings LLC to supply electricity to county facilities for one year, beginning March 1, 2010. The move is expected to save the county between $60,000 and $70,000 per year.

The commissioners, at the recommendation of the county prison board, entered into an agreement with PrimeCare Medical Inc., Harrisburg, to provide comprehensive health care services at the prison.

The commissioners approved the lease of the Jay Bacon farming site to R.C. Snyder Farms Inc. of Northumberland at its bid price of $65 per acre, and the Four Seasons farming site to Hilbish Farms of Northumberland at its bid price of $102 per acre.

Patrick Mack of Shamokin was appointed to the county recreation committee for a term beginning March 16, 2010, and ending Dec. 31, 2012. Steve Minker of Coal Township was reappointed to a three-year term on the recreation committee, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2010.

Masser said he plans to resign as a member of the county salary board because he is running for state representative in the 107th District.