By RANDY BARTLEY
Staff writer
There was some re-shuffling at the Jan. 4 reorganizational meeting of the Clarion County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Ed Heasley nominated Ted Tharan to serve as chairman of the board heading into 2021. Tharan seconded the motion.
Commissioner Wayne Brosius, who served as chair of the board of commissioners in 2020, voted no on the motion, citing the local precedent that he received the highest number of votes in the last election.
The motion to elect Tharan as chairman passed two to one.
Tharan said the board had observed the tradition for the first year of their four-year term. Tharan had served as the chairman during the board’s first four-year term in office.
Heasley then nominated Brosius as vice-chair. The motion passed unanimously. Tharan nominated Heasley to be the board secretary. The motion passed unanimously.
Meeting schedule changes for 2021
The commissioners changed the schedule for the their slate of regular meetings in 2021.
In 2020 the commissioners met weekly either for a business session or for a work session.
In 2021 the commissioners will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The work session will be held one half hour before the business meeting at 9:30 a.m. the commissioner’s meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the county administration building.
The Jail Inspection Board will meet on the second Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the county administration building unless otherwise noted.
Jillian Fisher was unanimously appointed as the chief clerk and county administrator. Fisher was appointed to the county administrator in 2020.
Christopher Gabriel of the law firm of Carfardi, Ferguson, Wyrick, Weis and Gabriel, LLC., in Sewickley was named as the county’s legal counsel.
Committee assignments for 2021
The board also assigned boards and committee for each of the commissioners.
In 2021 Commissioner Brosius will serve on the Salary Board, Retirement Board, Prison Board of Inspectors, Board of Elections, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Records Improvement Committee, Safety Committee, Airport Authority, Armstrong, Indiana, Clarion (AIC) D&A Commission, Conservation District, Hotel Tax Committee, Clarion County Housing Authority, Library Association, Penn State Extension, Transportation Advisory Committee, TAC (Northwest Planning), Workforce Investment Act Board and Penn Soil Council.
Commissioner Tharan will serve on: Salary Board, Retirement Board, Prison Board of Inspectors, Board of Elections, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Records Improvement Committee, Safety Committee, Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Communications and Emergency management, Economic Development, Clarion County Fair Board and Northwest Commission.
Commissioner Heasley will serve on the Salary Board, Retirement Board, Prison Board of Inspectors, Board of Elections, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Records Improvement Committee, Safety Committee, Child Death Review Team, Emergency Food and Shelter Board, Family Net Advisory Board (Clarion County Promise), Mental Health Advisory Board and the county Planning Commission.
The county will use the following banks and institutions for deposits: S&T Bank, Clarion County Community Bank, Farmers National Bank, First United National Bank, Northwest Savings Bank, NC Bank, Clarion Federal Credit Union and PLGIT (Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust).
Election Days for 2021will be May 18 for the primary election and Nov. 5 for the general election.
The commissioners’ first business meeting of 2021 will be held at 9:30 a.m. Jan 12.