COUDERSPORT — Potter County commissioners discussed efforts aimed at strengthening the county’s farming industry during a meeting held Thursday in Coudersport.
Commissioner Susan Kefover attended a recent meeting of the North Eastern Potter Economic Development Association (NEPEDA) that included a variety of state and regional agency employees, including the Department of Agriculture, Penn State Extension, Future Farmers of America (FFA), North Central’s Workforce Solutions and Northern Potter schools.
Along with discussion into what area farmers need and what issues are affecting them, Kefover stated that the group toured five farms in the area.
“We toured area farms and talked to the owners to see if there is anything that can be done to strengthen their economic situation,” Kefover said. “Some farmers are making changes now due to the loss of dairy contracts.”
One of the topics up for discussion was food hubs, similar to ones created recently in Wayne County and in the Pittsburgh area. Food hubs are created to give farmers a place to supply their produce to a large number of consumers. The biggest problem with the Pittsburgh-area food hub is that there is not enough food being presented. That is where Potter County could come in. That hub has identified “local” produce as coming from within 200 miles of the hub, an area that includes Potter County.
“Pittsburgh has a food hub. They need more crops and Potter County could be considered ‘local’ by their parameters,” said Kefover. “We had great discussions on what is happening in other areas of the state and what can Potter County’s unique niche be.”
Commissioner Paul Heimel has been in attendance at recent focus-group meetings aimed at developing Potter County’s portion of the tri-county comprehensive plan being compiled along with McKean and Cameron counties.
“The meetings have been very well attended,” Heimel said. “There has been a lot of lively discussion to try and shape our destiny over the next 10 years.”
Representatives of the county and a number of agencies and groups, including emergency services, agriculture, the conservation district, environmental and conservation interest groups, state land management, employers and educators, have been involved in the process so far, and Heimel indicated that other partners will be brought in or will involve themselves as they begin to open the process up to the public.
“There are other sectors of the community who will want to be engaged and we hope to see them as this opens up,” Heimel said. “We’re trying to determine our destiny as a county instead of just being a victim of our future.”
Heimel stated that the effort is being spearheaded by Will Hunt, director of the county’s planning department, who has done a very thorough job of engaging the many people and agencies needed to create a good plan that can be useful over the next decade.
Commissioners heard a brief presentation from acting interim director of the North Central Regional Planning Commission, Jim Chorney. He previously served as the agency’s fiscal director for more than two decades, and has an understanding of the agency’s programs and inner-workings.
“We’re making an effort to get out into the communities we serve and see if there is anything we can do to provide information or help,” said Chorney.
Chorney stated that the agency will begin holding meetings concerning the recently-released agriculture report, which indicated that the northeast will increasingly become an optimal place for growing produce and crops that traditionally grew in more southern climates. Potter County was actually identified as having one of the biggest growth potentials related to the availability of land and fresh water.
North Central is involved in the tri-county plan, and typically assists communities they serve in the areas of transportation, WIC services, community and economic development, broadband IT services for industry, exporting goods, grants and loan funding for industry.
Commissioners approved the 2019 holiday schedule and the 2019 commissioners’ meeting schedule. Meetings will be held at 11 a.m. on alternating Thursdays, except for one meeting in July that coincides with the Independence Day holiday and will be held on Wednesday, July 3. Meetings are open to the public and are held at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport.
A proposal from Infocon Corp for Security Prevention File was approved. Initial setup and software license will cost $6,000, with ongoing software support fees at $1,900 per year.
A maintenance contract renewal was approved with Potter County Human Services (PCHS) for utilization of county maintenance services for building, grounds and snow removal and contract through 3D Facilities for HVAC services at a monthly cost of $3,035 through December 2019.
Maintenance agreements were approved with KOS Inc. for maintenance services on the copier in the Potter County Voter Registration office at a rate of $0.0085 per copy, and for the copier in the Potter County Domestic Relations office at a rate of $342 per year.
An agreement with Cholin Corp. Inc. was approved for preventative maintenance of the fire alarm equipment at the Potter County Jail at a cost of $1,950 annually through October 2019.
James Simms, a driver for PCHS Coordinated Services, resigned, effective Oct. 26.
One municipality applied for 2018 County Liquid Fuels funding. Keating Township requested $2,060.66.
The next meeting of the Potter County Commissioners will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 21 at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport. The meeting was moved from Thursday to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday.
