Officials want to recoup legal fees

The county has spent $120,000 in legal wrangling for a bridge.
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County Controller Thomas Amundsen told county commissioners that the county has spent $120,000 in legal fees on the Oakland Avenue Viaduct project.
The county is trying to get reimbursement from the state for that money. The bridge was being rebuilt, but a halt was ordered because of a problem with the structure. It has been in limbo since 2001 as legal wrangling continues between the county, the state and the contractor over what to do.
Other business
In other business at their meeting Thursday, commissioners approved purchase of a new bus that will make it possible for the Mercer County Transit Agency to haul six wheelchairs and four additional passengers at a time.
Transit manager Bill Jones said current buses can haul only two wheelchairs and that the new purchase will make a difference in projects where large numbers of the wheelchair-bound must be transported to an event.
The successful bidder was Myers Equipment Corp., Canfield, Ohio, which offered the small transit bus for $77,386. Other bidders included Shepard Brothers Inc., Canandiagua, N.Y., $86,859; and Brightbill Bodyworks, Lebanon, Pa., $85,663.
Commissioners also approved a $29,400 feasibility study on an anaerobic digester project to be done by Stearns and Wheeler LLC, Cazenovia, N.Y. Tom Wilson of the county Agricultural Extension Office said the study will try to determine whether certain agricultural and food wastes can be used to generate energy instead of having to be sent to a landfill.
Former Commission Chief Clerk Ken Ammann said he intends to continue attending commissioner's meetings and speaking up despite, he said, being told by one commissioner after their last meeting that if he continues to attend the meetings, the sheriff would "take care of" him if he "got out of line." Ammann said he has no intention of threatening anyone. Ammann was fired several months ago by a 2-1 vote of commissioners.