COUDERSPORT — At Thursday’s meeting, Potter County commissioners said officials are working to revive the Natural Gas Resource Center, which has been recognized at the state and federal levels for providing up-to-date, in-depth information on local gas development.

The center was previously overseen by the Potter County Education Council. This new iteration of the resource will be administered jointly by the county’s Planning/GIS and Development departments, and overseen by commissioners.

“We’re going to work on this very consistently over the next several months,” said Commissioner Paul Heimel. “There’s been a resurgence in the area; 21 new wells have been drilled in Potter County since the beginning of last year.”

Heimel stated that resource center has been inactive for some time due to a slow-down in Shale Gas development across the region. Companies have been working to install a distribution center, which is now closer to completion and can be accessed by more wells in more areas than it was previously. That fact is bringing more development to the area, despite the fact that gas prices are still quite low.

The resource center website has been relaunched, and additional information and resources will continue to be added incrementally. All previous board members were willing to return to center, including county personnel, gas company representatives, and staff from several governmental agencies including the Potter County Conservation District and CareerLink. A seat will be filled by Penn State Extension’s new water resources educator when that position is filled.

One of the first tasks for resource center members will be to set the agendas and secure speakers for upcoming quarterly meetings. The meetings were well-organized and well-attended when held several years ago, and members will work to create the same caliber events in the future.

More information is available on the new website at naturalgasresourcecenter.com.

The Rural Regional Community College is beginning to offer summer courses to students in some locations. According to Commissioner Doug Morley, the headquarters site is open in Warren, and the board is beginning to hire staff to get courses ready for students. The college will have 15 satellite locations across northcentral and northwestern Pennsylvania, with courses to continue to be provided through Gannon University until students can officially be accepted this fall. The community college now has a website to provide more information on the school’s formation and classes that will be offered.

Volunteers from AmeriCorps were treated to a picnic this week after visiting the county for some time to work on improvement projects in Ulysses and Austin. The volunteers completed a number of beautification projects identified by officials in the two boroughs. Many community members and organizations donated time, money, or effort to house the group and provide meals.

Commissioner Susan Kefover announced that commissioners across the United States are to be welcomed to the White House on July 13 to meet with the secretaries of a number of federal agencies and to have their concerns heard by representatives in Washington.

One bid was received for blacktopping at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport. All three parking areas will be paved as part of the bid, which was accepted pending certification that the placed bid met all identified specifications. Wayne Gravel Products entered the lone bid of $52,850 to resurface the side lot, rear lot and separate parking area, including drainage work and construction to bring an exterior entryway up to ADA compliance standards.

A bid was also approved for work at the Oswayo Valley Senior Center in Shinglehouse. A number of kitchen appliances, new carpeting, tables, phones, and electronic equipment will be installed at a cost of $22,095. A grant was received from the state to cover $20,000 of the cost, while the senior center will contribute the additional $2,000-plus from its own funding.

The next meeting of the Potter County Commissioners will be held at 11 a.m. July 6 at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport.