2008 News

October 17, 2008

A Special Day of Appreciation
Commissioners Honor Bucks County Ambulance STRIKE Teams during Bi-Monthly Meeting at Emergency Services Center

While reaching out to the local paramedic/EMT community with a chord of gratitude on the morning of Oct. 15, the bi-monthly meeting of the Bucks County Commissioners featured Letters of Commendation to 33 members of the Bucks County ambulance STRIKE teams who traveled to Louisiana to help in evacuation and recovery efforts involving Hurricane Gustav. The honored first-responders represented the Bensalem Rescue Squad, Central Bucks Ambulance, St. Luke’s Quakertown, Tri-Hampton Rescue Squad, Warminster Ambulance and the Bucks County Rescue Squad.

The commendation ceremony was a fitting follow up to the ribbon cutting for the county’s new 911 Communications Center, which took place immediately prior to the meeting. The commissioners conducted their session inside the giant five-bay area in the county Emergency Operations Center, which features a super-sized parking space for Emergency Management’s mobile-command vehicle, the CP-800.

While the 911 Communications Center was under construction, county officials received a generous assist from the Northampton and Warminster Fire Departments, which housed the county’s hazardous materials (Hazmat) vehicles for approximately one year. The commissioners presented both fire departments with a certificate of appreciation for their services.

During the resolution portion of the agenda, the commissioners unanimously approved contracts for 11 departments, including a pair of significant agricultural/parkland preservations. Agricultural Preservation Director Rich Harvey presented the 86.67 Geissinger farm on Rosedale Rd. in Milford Twp. The corn and hay farm, which boasts a 97-percent production rate, is the 120th farm preserved by the commissioners since 1990, and the fifth preserved in Milford Twp. The county assumed 25 percent of the easement cost of $11,500 per acre, or $249,176. In addition, the commissioners approved the acquisition of 23 acres adjacent to the Bucks County Horse Park in Nockamixon Twp. “Through this acquisition, you will be adding to the Bucks County park system,” noted Executive Director of Parks and Recreation Bill Mitchell.

For the Board of Elections, the commissioners approved the rental of 80 additional machines for the Nov. 4 General Election, lifting the total number of Danaher machines available for deployment to county precincts to 845. According to Board of Elections Director Deena Dean, Bucks County has recorded 20,046 new voter registrations since April 23, lifting the county’s total of registered voters to 444,761 as of Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Chairman Cawley praised county Grants Coordinator Fonta Reilly for securing a $398,715 Federal Safe Havens grant award to provide supervised visitation and safe exchange options for families. The three-year grant, which originated through the U.S. Sept. of Justice, will be administered in part by the Jamison-based Network of Victim Assistance, Inc. (NOVA).

The commissioners also approved a $550,000 one-year management agreement with Bucks County Community College to continue overseeing services at the county Public Safety Training Center in Doylestown Twp.

As a miscellaneous action, the commissioners approved Ordinance 134, which authorizes and directs the incurring of up to $69.9 million of “Electoral and Nonelectoral debt” for the construction of certain county facilities and various other projects and improvements. According to Finance Director Brian Hessenthaler, the ordinance will be dependent on market conditions but gives county officials the “flexibility to enter into a transaction when it makes sense to do so.” Hessenthaler detailed several of the project amounts, including $25 million for open-space acquisitions and $14 million for the parking garage (phase I of the new justice complex).

During his bi-weekly Chief Operating Officer report, David Sanko addressed an increase in federal funding for the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). On Tuesday, Oct. 14, county Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Director Brian Duke attended the 2008 Stay Warm PA meeting at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia. To learn more about tips, financial aid and resource on staying warm and saving up this winter, please visit the Web site www.TurnSealSave.org, or call 1-866-550-4355.

In addition to the STRIKE team recognition ceremony, Commissioner Marseglia presented a proclamation to the Bucks County Covered Bridges Society in recognition of this weekend’s Second Annual Bucks County Covered Bridges Festival (Oct. 18-19). Bucks County once boasted more than 50 covered bridges, also known as kissing or wishing bridges. Today, the Covered Bridges Society follows a mission to protect and preserve the 12 remaining structures throughout the county through fire-retardant coating, surveillance cameras and other security-outreach measures.

Commissioner Martin read a proclamation celebrating the 17th annual Pumpkinfest, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26, in Doylestown. With over 450 volunteers and 25,000 in attendance, it is the largest two-day alcohol- and other drug-free prevention activity in Pennsylvania.

The commissioners also made a special commendation to county Security Officer Roy Hendricks, who helped prevent a potential tragedy outside the Domestic Relations building at 30 E. Court St. on the morning of Sept. 18, 2008. Officer Hendricks successfully stopped a moving minivan from running over Trevose resident Filomena Nico. Mrs. Nico and her husband attended the meeting to express their gratitude to Officer Hendricks personally. “I want to thank you so very much for saving my life,” Ms. Nico wrote in a letter shortly following the incident. “You are my angel and my hero, and I will never forget you.”

For a full audio account of the October 15 meeting, please go to www.BucksCounty.org and click on the link on the commissioners’ meeting page.