EMPORIUM — The Cameron County Commissioners on Thursday discussed progress on this year’s judicial tax sale, set to be held around the third week of May.
Currently, there are 22 properties likely to be included in the sale, which county solicitor Tommy Tompkins stated were the remainder of the properties that have been seriously delinquent since sales quit being held annually more than 17 years ago.
Two or three of those properties will likely have their back taxes paid off by banks that hold liens against them. Four properties have already been removed from the list by owners or banks that have sent funds to bring back taxes up to date.
Many of the properties that county representatives had difficulties in serving paperwork on last year have been served for this sale. Nearly all of the 22 properties still on the list have been fully served, meaning all owners and lien-holders have been contacted.
Tompkins also offered information on the upcoming demolition of the former Jasper Harris building on East Fourth Street in Emporium.
An interested buyer proposed purchasing the property after the county had secured it from the repository. A number of conditions were set that had to be met prior to that individual taking possession of the building.
Those conditions included that bid price must be at least $3,482.17, representing costs to the county for judicial sale proceedings and the cost of inspections incurred while working to demolish it; the buyer needed to undertake structural and cost assessments to determine feasibility of rehabilitating the building up to the standards of the code enforcement officer; a performance bond would have to be posted to ensure completion of work in a negotiated period of months. Failure to complete work in the specified time frame would forfeit the bond and return the property to the county repository.
A timeline released by the county shows the building was condemned by building code officer Russ Braun in April of 2011, and went unsold in the judicial sale held in May of 2014.
In October of 2014, “Engineering and Asbestos Removal inspections are performed in the building. Inspectors conclude that the collapsed interior and other structural defects render the building incapable of rehabilitation.” In November of 2014, the State Historical Preservation Office ruled that “the building no longer has any historic value and issues (a) clearance certificate for proposed razing.”
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding will used to demolish the building, so that no local tax money or funds will be used for removal.
The buyer opted not to purchase the building after reviewing all of the information provided by the commissioners as to the building’s condition. It was deemed that a full rehabilitation would be too costly and time consuming to be feasible.
In other news, a notice was received from Grove Township advising that Walt Sipe has been appointed as of Feb. 2 to fill the position of township supervisor vacated through the resignation of Jeffrey Geist. Brandy Sherry was appointed as the new township secretary as of Feb. 11 to fill the position vacated by LaDonna Ross.
Meanwhile, Shippen Township notified the county that William H. Hopwood III was appointed to fill the township supervisor vacancy left by the resignation of Jerry Crosby, effective Feb. 3.
Cliff Clark, Tina Johns-Solak and Steve Manginell were reappointed to the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Community and Economic Development Strategy Committee to serve two-year terms. One seat is still vacant and the commissioners are looking for an interested person to serve on that board on behalf of Cameron County.
Nomination petitions are available at the commissioners/election office at the courthouse through this coming Tuesday. To appear on the ballot, petitions must be completed and turned in by that date.
Minor political party (independent, etc.) nomination forms are available beginning March 11 and must be returned by Aug. 3 for candidates to appear on the November municipal election ballot. Anyone wishing to run as an Independent or another minor party must change their political affiliation by April 20.
The next commissioners’ meeting will be held at noon March 19 at the courthouse in Emporium.
