RIDGWAY--It was a full house on Tuesday at the Elk County Commissioners Meeting as 911 employees and managers joined the meeting to be honored for their performance during last week's storm and the awarding of the contract to repair the driveway to the 911 facility in Ridgway.
The Commissioners approved a paving project, on a pro-rated basis per user, with North Central RP&DC, Penn Highlands, and the 911 Center that will see Elk County contribute $42,551.17 towards the repair and repaving of the road that all the organizations use off Ridgmont Avenue in Ridgway. St. Mary's Paving was the successful bidder for the project, which hopefully will begin within the next month or so.
Elk County 911 performed "above and beyond" according to the Commissioners last week during the massive storm in the area on Thursday, which saw over 200 calls for service during the four-hour event. To avoid tying up 911 lines, Mark Greenthaner, the 911 Coordinator for the Elk County Office of Emergency Services, and Elk County 911 Director Mike McAllister requested that residents not call 911 during power outages unless they require power for medical devices such as oxygen-generating equipment. Callers are asked to call local Power companies or the quick and easy 1-888-LIGHTSS (with two S's) to report their homes or neighborhoods experiencing power outages.
Elk County is interested in improving its broadband service for residents. Identifying areas within the County that are underserved by access or low Internet speeds will significantly assist their efforts. Residents can help by completing a broadband survey on the Elk County website at co.elk.pa.us and providing insight on the current issues with broadband service in the area. All residents are asked to fill out the survey even if they currently do not have problems with service. Scott Neal, Vice President of Wireless Operations, will be at the next Commissioners meeting on July 5 for a complete presentation of the Strategic Broadband Review Project and will be available for Q&A for anyone in attendance in person or through the Zoom platform broadcast.
The Elk County Commissioners have partnered with the Elk County Community Foundation in pledging $250,000 in 2022 towards the assistance of 501(c)3 groups in the County. By joining a portion of Elk County's American Rescue Act Plan funds with the Community Foundation, the Commissioners can leverage these federal dollars to provide a more significant benefit. Organizations should apply on the Elk County Community Foundation website at elkcountyfoundation.org under the Open Grants tab. The maximum grant request is $10,000. The second round of applications will be due July 1, 2022, with a review time four to six weeks after the due date.
Elk County Director of Elections Kimberley Frey received permission from the Commissioners to apply for $2,519.65 in a grant to provide updated election security and voter registration verification through the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020, which awards the funding.
The next meeting of the Elk County Commissioners will take place on July 5, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Courthouse Annex located at 300 Center Street in Ridgway, Conference Room 2. Residents are welcome to attend in person or through the Zoom platform link on the Elk County website at co.elk.pa.us.
