Funding, Fossils, and Fire Safety: Key Highlights from the County Commissioner’s Meeting
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN— The Clinton County Commissioners convened for their work session on Monday, March 10, 2025, tackling an agenda centered around community funding initiatives, public safety advisories, and emergency services grant funding. Additionally, Commissioner Angela Harding put a spotlight on Jessica Stroup, a former EMT, for her recent commendable actions to help a person experiencing cardiac arrest in the Ollie’s parking lot in Mill Hall, which led to a discussion about the PulsePoint app that residents can download and use to enhance Clinton County’s emergency response strategy.
Elizabeth Whitty, Community Development and Housing Coordinator, kicked off the meeting, presenting the details of two key sub-recipient grant agreements aimed at bolstering local housing efforts and supporting some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.
The first grant, valued at $250,000 and sourced from the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (FAIR), is funded by the Marcellus Shale Gas fund and impact fees. This grant is intended to support the county’s three emergency shelters— the Merit House, the Life Center, and the Returning Citizens Program (RCP), which provides housing for individuals returning to the community after incarceration without a place to live. The grant funds will be used to provide rent, meals, and services, aiding residents as they transition into permanent housing. Additionally, the grant will support the Hope Mitchell House project, which will have six one-bedroom units specifically for chronically homeless individuals.
Whitty also discussed additional financial support via the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), a COVID-19 relief effort. “This money was actually collected from other counties that didn’t use it,” Whitty explained. “The state collected it back and decided to reallocate it. Our Clinton County Housing Coalition did such a good job at running our ERAP program that we were mentioned in several statewide meetings—that we did so well at helping our residents, they allocated this money back to us.” Whitty emphasized that the state designated these funds specifically for the Hope Mitchell House project.
Shifting to a different topic, Commissioner Jeff Snyder asked Whitty for updates on the Bucktail Area High School ecology students’ fossil project. The students had advocated for changing Pennsylvania’s state fossil from the trilobite to the more locally significant Hynerpeton Bassetti, otherwise known as the Hynerpeton, during the February 10 commissioner’s meeting.
The students gave the commissioners a presentation about the Hynerpeton fossil, which was discovered in 1993 at the Red Hill Fossil Site in Hyner and is unique to Pennsylvania. They also presented their plan to pursue legislative change by sharing information about both fossils and sought the commissioners’ support in presenting their case to state representatives.
Whitty shared that the students are expanding their advocacy by reaching out to state senators, PA State Representative Stephanie Borowicz, and Governor Josh Shapiro. Moreover, Whitty noted that several elementary schools have contacted the Bucktail students, and they are planning a tour of the county’s elementary schools to educate young learners about the Hynerpeton fossil.
Focusing on community safety, Scott Kemmerer, Emergency Management Coordinator, addressed key funding initiatives and emphasized the importance of safety measures as the region deals with both wildfire season and persistent icy conditions in rural, mountainous areas.
Kemmerer updated the board on the status of two critical grants. The Hazardous Material Response Fund grant, typically used for supplies and equipment essential for responding to incidents involving hazardous materials in the county, has provided varying amounts of funding in prior years, according to Kemmerer. “Last year, we received $4,432,” he noted. The expected grant award for this year remains unclear. A certification letter, required to secure this funding, is pending a swift signature from the commissioners to submit the grant application.
The second grant Kemmerer discussed was for funds from the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG), a pass-through from FEMA, which is used to supplement salaries for personnel within the department. Kemmerer reported that last year, the department received $45,891 to go towards salary and benefits.
While addressing the board, Kemmerer issued a few important announcements, beginning with a warning about the onset of wildfire season. He urged residents to exercise caution when burning debris during their spring property clean-ups, despite recent rain. “It may not seem like it with the moisture that we’ve had, but with the winds that we’ve had as well, the tops of the vegetation and things are dry, so we’ve had a few wildfires already; small ones,” he said. He emphasized the critical importance of never leaving fires unattended and encouraged the public to watch for forestry postings and updates on the Clinton County Department of Emergency Services Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ccdes35/.
Kemmerer also reported that the 911 Center has recently received numerous calls from individuals who are stuck or stranded on icy forestry roads in the region, and he stressed the need for caution. “There’s a lot of ice out there yet, and it’s going to be a while until that melts off. The first time the temperature hits 50 degrees does not do away with that ice, and it’s very smooth ice. Keep in mind that you’re dealing with your own safety and the responders’ safety,” he cautioned.
Lastly, Kemmerer announced that private landowners can begin to schedule spraying for springtime spongy moths by contacting the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). “If you are a private landowner, now is the time to schedule spraying for the spongy moths, formerly known as the gypsy moth. They did not put a spraying schedule out yet for the state ground, but that will be coming out soon I’m sure,” he advised.
The DCNR website provides a list of aerial applicators, a suppression guide, and expert foresters in each county to help landowners plan and schedule treatment for their properties. For more information on spongy moth treatment this spring, visit the PA DCNR website at www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr.
Commissioner Angela Harding took a moment to spotlight a recent act of heroism by Jessica Stroup, an employee at Ollie’s in Mill Hall. Stroup, a former Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), used her CPR training to help a woman experiencing a cardiac emergency in the parking lot at Ollie’s while she was at work. The discussion about this commendable act led Harding to ask Kemmerer to elaborate on the PulsePoint app to remind Clinton County residents of its availability and purpose.
PulsePoint is a free app that enables users to offer crucial aid to cardiac patients before emergency responders arrive on the scene. The app connects to the county’s 911 call center and sends emergency alerts to CPR-trained individuals who are willing to assist a person experiencing a cardiac event until emergency responders arrive. The app also provides users with the location of the person in need of help and the nearest automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
The PulsePoint app is free and available to download from the Apple Store and Android Store on any smartphone. Once the app is downloaded, users should select “Clinton County DES” as their primary monitoring company to receive a notification if a nearby individual experiences cardiac arrest.
Before adjournment, Commissioner Jim Russo briefly mentioned upcoming agenda items for the board’s Thursday morning voting session, including discussions about Pennsylvania 4-H Week and amendments to the food service agreements at the Clinton County Correctional Facility.
The next meeting of the Clinton County Commissioners will be on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Meetings are held in person at the Piper Building in the second-floor conference room located at 2 Piper Way in Lock Haven. Meetings are also available via livestream on the “Clinton County Government” Facebook page.
