County building emergency center

A county-owned building at the former Maple View lot along Rt. 872, east of Coudersport, is being converted to an emergency communications center.

At the final business meeting of their term last Thursday, Potter County Commissioners Ken Wingo, John Torok and Cathy Bowers approved a $304,000 contract with Larry Hamilton Construction of Ulysses to renovate the former mental health-mental retardation group home.

John Hetrick, 911 deployment coordinator for the county's Emergency Services Department, had reviewed Hamilton's low bid and recommended its acceptance.

Commissioner Wingo said the county will continue to pay Tioga County about $75,000 annually for 'round-the-clock professional dispatching services. All 911 calls are fielded at the center in Wellsboro.

In other business Thursday, the commissioners approved an agreement with UGI Energy Services/GASMARK to lock in natural gas prices for the Gunzburger Annex at $9.91 per DTH through March.

The commissioners also ratified an agreement with attorney Thomas A. Walrath Jr. of Wellsboro to represent income-eligible juveniles and their parents, at a cost of $7,763 for criminal cases and $5,877 for non-criminal cases.