MERCER COUNTY Officials to make offer for building

The officials also approved a proposal to put security cameras at all courthouse entrances.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County commissioners voted to make an offer to buy the Primary Health Care Building at 601 Roemer Blvd., Farrell, for a district justice's office.
Commissioner Olivia Lazor abstained from the vote, saying she had not known about it before the meeting and needed more information.
Commissioners have been discussing options for a new district justice office in Farrell but the item was a surprise addition to the agenda late in the meeting.
Commissioners Gene Brenneman and Kenneth Seamans voted to make the offer. The two said they also were informed just Wednesday that a formal motion was needed to make the offer. Brenneman said he had no further details.
After the meeting Commissioner Kenneth Seamans said the property has been under consideration for some time, but commissioners were unaware until yesterday that formal action was needed during the meeting in order for commissioners to make the offer.
He said purchase of the building is just one option commissioners are considering to replace the current district justice's office, which is in poor condition. He wouldn't divulge the county's offer to Primary Health but said the county needs to know just what that agency will accept for the building. If the county's offer isn't acceptable, that option for the new district justice office may be dropped, he said.
Construction costs
Seamans said commissioners are also considering building an office on land owned by the city of Farrell at Roemer Boulevard and Spearman Avenue. But he said commissioners just received drawings back on the project and were surprised at the high cost of site preparation.
The original cost for a new building was $550,000 but the architect was able to cut that down to $280,000. However, site work at the location would add $80,000 to the cost, Seamans said.
They are also considering having a developer build a building, then lease it to the county, but Seamans said that proposal would have the county paying a total of $500,000 in rental payments over 10 years, a cost the county thinks is too high.
Thursday's action, Seamans said, was taken in order to keep all options open.
He said the county will meet with Farrell city officials before making any final decision.
Also Thursday, commissioners approved a proposal from Cattron Communications, Sharpsville, which will put security cameras at all courthouse entrances. The $7,048 purchase will include three cameras on the first floor, two in the basement, a color monitor and color videocassette recorder, according to Administrative Services Director Bill Boyle, who said Cattron submitted the lower of two proposals obtained by the county.
Communications equipment
In other business, commissioners agreed to buy various radio communications equipment through a state general services contract from Cattron Communications for $46,089, plus $7,602 to install the equipment. Competitive bidding is not needed in the state program.
The regular renewal of the county's 911 telephone access plan and contribution rate was also approved as required every three years. Commissioner Olivia Lazor commented that the $1.25 per month charged county residents for the service falls about $268,000 short of covering the annual cost. The shortfall is made up with county funds derived from property taxes. She said that the state county commissioner's association is trying to get the fee applied to cell phone users to take some of the burden off property owners.
The effort has been going on for five years, although there is significant resistance from cell phone companies, she said, and technical, bookkeeping and collection issues must still be resolved. Brenneman commented that a large percentage of calls to 911 centers come from cell phones and that 27 separate cell phone callers notified the 911 center after a recent accident on Interstate 80.
Commissioners also approved an agreement with Diagnostic Imaging Consultants at UPMC Horizon Hospital, Farrell, to provide radiology services to the inmates at the Mercer County Jail.
XContributor: Harold Gwin of the Sharon Bureau