By NATASHA BRENNEMAN
Staff writer
Clarion County will bring in an estimated $64,000 in additional revenue after a contract renegotiation between Clarion County Transportation and Medical Transportation Management.
Clarion County commissioners approved the renewal at their bimonthly meeting Tuesday morning.
The three-year contract will run from July 1 to June 30, 2020, with gradual rate increases, bringing more revenue each year for the county.
Medical Transportation Management provides transportation to medical appointments, day programming and senior centers for qualified Clarion County residents.
Starting in July, Medical Transportation Management will pay the county $2.25 per resident per ride. The rate will increase to $2.50 per resident per ride next year, and will bump to $2.75 the following year.
The previous rate was $1.50 per resident per ride.
Commissioner Ted Tharan estimates that the program will make $16,000 this year, $21,000 next year and $27,000 the following year.
“We are the only ones in the state that have their transportation set up this way,” Tharan said.
The commissioners also approved the awarding of an $800 tourism grant to the Clarion River Bluegrass Festival.
The festival, which will run Friday and Saturday at the Park Inn by Radisson of Clarion, will feature continuous Bluegrass and Newgrass music by regional musicians. Admission to the event is free.
Tharan said that the commissioners had more money to award, which is likely happen at the next meeting March 29.
The commissioners also approved an amendment to the Northern Tier Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement to establish a regional 911 system project.
Commissioner Ed Heasley said the change was only in the language used to describe the project.
The Northern Tier counties amended the agreement to call it a “regional 911 system project,” which could include possible training opportunities.
The amendment to the agreement encompasses the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean and Warren.
The agreement was established in 2012 when the counties agreed to establish the Northern Tier Regional Telecommunications Project. The term “regional telecommunications project” is too narrow in scope so far as what the counties intend to accomplish, according to Heasley.