Northumberland County plans to contract out for security; 8 jobs at risk

By Mark Gilger (Staff Writer mark_g@newsitem.com)
Published: March 11, 2010

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SUNBURY - Northumberland County commissioners expect to save approximately $60,000 per year by hiring a national firm to provide security services at various county buildings.

Commissioners plan to enter into a contract Tuesday with AlliedBarton Security Services that will become effective April 1. 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, 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.

Yeager will be retained as security director by AlliedBarton 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, can apply for positions with AlliedBarton, but are not 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.

He said negotiations are continuing with the union to discuss the guards' options.

Commissioners Vinny Clausi, Frank Sawicki and Kurt Masser said they are in favor of reducing expenses for security and believe hiring AlliedBarton is the best option.

"The bottom line is the savings we will realize in the general fund at the courthouse and human services departments," Sawicki said Wednesday. "Now we will be able to put more money into those departments to help such agencies as Mental Health/Mental Retardation, Adult Services, Area Agency on Aging and Children and Youth Services. Of course, we realize that some employees will lose their jobs with the new contract and that is the drawback to this decision that we did not take lightly. But we couldn't overlook the savings involved in hiring an outside security firm."

A few security guards contacted by The News-Item on Wednesday declined to comment on the situation.

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