DRAKE HOME FATE IN LIMBO
Buyer pulls out; Potter commissioners seek buyer
By Travis Moshier Endeavor News

The fate of the Drake's Personal Care Home in Galeton is back in limbo, the Potter County Board of Commissioners announced during their regular meeting Thursday afternoon.

The original buyer had pulled out and was not interested, said Commissioner Susan Kefover. The county is once again looking for interested buyers.

"The Department of Public Welfare has been very understanding," Kefover said, later adding that they had allowed an extension to the closing.

"Our goal is when a Potter County person needs a personal care home they will be able to stay in Potter County," Kefover said.

"Although the outcome is unknown," Chairman Doug Morley said, "it will not be closed because of a lack of Kefover's effort."

The board unanimously approved an amended 2008 county budget, which Morley had previously said contained only minor changes and did not increase taxes.

The board tabled the management raises. Morley said the information had only come across his desk Tuesday and he had not had enough time to review it.

County Auditor Mike Fowler's resignation was approved effective Feb. 22.

Fowler is leaving the auditor position to take a newly created job with Veterans Affairs. Judge John Leete would be appointing a new auditor, but did not know if anyone had been chosen yet, Morley said.

The board approved a professional service contract with Tom Leete for general mapping services provided for the assessment office. The monthly rate of $1,000 for 2008 is the same as his 2007 rate.

A human services contract with Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Wellsboro for short term inpatient psychiatric care was amended. Effective Jan.1 2008, the daily rate rose from $630.63 per day to $642.25 per day and will remain until the contract expires June 30.

Another human services contract was approved for the hiring of Dawn Dovensky to the Teen Screen program. Under a Youth Suicide Prevention and Mentoring Grant Dovensky will receive $40 per hour until the hours are used up, Morley explained, adding that the contract was subject to the availability of funds through the grant.

The board approved a pair of cleaning contracts. The first contract was with Cheryl Ianson for cleaning the domestic relations office at $30 per cleaning. The second was with Debbie Simpson for cleaning the probation office in the annex at $60 per cleaning. Both contracts are on an as-needed basis with cleaning to be done during non-working hours.

The Austin School will host the first town meeting April 7 at an undetermined time, Morley said, explaining that the meetings will not be formal but more of an open forum for citizens to express their concerns and needs to the board.

Morley said the plan is to have meetings at the other four schools by the end of the school year, with a second round of meetings being held in the fall.

The board also heard presentations from Life and Independence For Today (LIFT) and human services.

Ken Davis, advocacy coordinator, presented a brief synopsis and history of LIFT and what it has done in Potter County.

Davis said two years ago the previous board had established a committee for persons with disabilities with a goal of trying to "bring together different agencies that were struggling with the same problems."

LIFT conducted a survey and found that persons with disabilities in the county were most concerned with housing, Davis explained. A lack of available low income housing has become one of the organizations main concerns, as over 90 percent of persons with disabilities are low income, he said.

LIFT has worked with persons with disabilities in the six-county range - Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties - to help find or remodel existing housing, Davis explained.

"We've got a good foundation," he said, "but we're far away from where we would like to be," adding later that he would like Potter County to be an example.

The current committee meets bimonthly, with funding coming from the Development Disability Council, a state program. Brian Jacobs, executive director of LIFT, said that the organization is pushing to have the funding renewed in June.

The committee had been running on $70,000 that was awarded for two years, Jacobs said. The money has allowed the agency to assess the needs of each individual county, rather than creating a one-sizefits-all plan, he added.

"It's no coincidence that we're here today," Jacobs said, pointing out that he was just in Galeton assisting a family.

"Most citizens just don't know where to turn for help," he said. "We have people who know (disability services) inside and out."Joy Glassmire presented a summary of 10 of the programs that human services is involved with.

The programs include transportation to doctor's appointments for expecting mothers, parent education and support groups and mentor programs.

Human services has also received a grant to provide voluntary Columbia University computerized screenings to assess students for depression or undiagnosed mental illness.

Voluntary screenings, which were in Potter County previously, require a consent form signed by the parents and an assent form signed by the student, Glassmire explained.

Screenings will be administered in March and April to students in seventh and eleventh grades with the possibility of additional tests next school year if grant money remains.

Human services also has a school-based intensive care management program, which has one case worker in each school district, with the exception of two in Coudersport, who sits on Yellow Ribbon, busted, SADD and other student and community organizations.

One of the other major projects that human services is involved in is the 21st Century Community Learning Center program, which will provide $128,000 per year for three years for after-school programs and activities in Potter County schools.

The programs, planned to start March 1 but awaiting approval from the state, will be located in Galeton, Northern Potter and Oswayo Valley schools and were based on PSSA scores, Glassmire said.