Commission hires engineers for work on new sewer line

MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County commissioners have accepted a proposal to hire L. Robert Kimball and Associates, Ebensburg, to engineer the construction of approximately 2,400 feet of sewer line from the new county jail to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections disposal plant.
Kimball will charge $17,540 for the job and was the lower of two proposals obtained by the county, officials said.
Juvenile detention
Also Thursday, commissioners entered an agreement with Allencrest Juvenile Detention Center in Beaver County for juvenile detention services, to be provided as needed, for $205 per day. They reappointed four people to the West Central Workforce Investment Board for terms to run until Aug. 31, 2005. They include Gordon Davis of Hermitage, representing the private sector; Charles Rice, of Sharpsville, representing labor; Angeli Lenzi, of Sharon, representing labor and industry; and Mark Wasser, Hermitage, representing the Department of Public Welfare.
Appointments
Two new appointments were also made. They are Paul Puleo of Hermitage and Brian Durniok of Greenville, both representing the private sector.
Elliott Lengel of Mercer was appointed a farmer director on the Mercer County Conservation District Board.
Commissioners also learned, in the quarterly meeting of the Mercer County Retirement Board, that the county will not have to make any contribution this quarter to the retirement fund, which has $27,367,000 in assets.
Controller Tom Amundsen reported that the rate of return was minus 14 percent for the last quarter, but he said the loss was less than the benchmark and in line with the allowable standard.
He said that "we actually came through quite well," in spite of the poor economy, because of a diversified portfolio. In addition to commissioners, Amundsen and Treasurer Ginny Richardson make up the retirement board.