2011 News

December 7, 2011

Commissioners Bid Fond Farewell to Retiring County Solicitor Glenn D. Hains, Esq.

Returning to the familiar confines of the Bucks County Courthouse Community Room following another year of roving business meetings, the Board of Commissioners approved a large slate of contract resolutions on the morning of December 7. Commissioners Charles H. Martin, chairman, Robert G. Loughery and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW also celebrated the retirement of a valued member of their administrative team.

Solicitor Glenn D. Hains, Esq., the second full-time solicitor in Bucks County annals, will be leaving county service on January 3, 2012. This meeting was his last in the capacity of solicitor, however. The commissioners thanked him for three-and-a-half years of legal expertise by reading a commendation and presenting him a plaque inlaid with the Commissioners’ Special Edition tile from the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works.

Chairman Martin read the commendation, wishing Mr. Hains all the best in his upcoming move to North Carolina. “Glenn has been a pleasure to work with,” Chief Operating Officer Brian Hessenthaler stated during his bi-weekly report. “He is the walking definition of a gentleman.” Mr. Hains, who previously served as Mayor of Newtown Borough and as solicitor for the county Clerk of Courts, cited his county experience as “wonderful because of the people.” “I will miss all of you very much,” he added.

The commissioners will conduct a search for Mr. Hains’ successor. During that search, Assistant Solicitor Michael A. Klimpl, Esq. will assume the role of acting solicitor.

The meeting agenda featured the approval of 83 contract resolutions involving 18 different county departments. It also included 33 budget adjustments. For the Area Agency on Aging (AAA), the board approved a $26.194 million Cooperative Grant to provide federal and state funding for services and an $8.745 million Medicaid Services Agreement. Both grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Aging cover the period from January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2016. Area Agency on Aging Director Najja Orr expressed concern about flat funding from the state. At Commissioner Marseglia’s request, he reported that waiting lists for AAA services have increased from 150 to approximately 375 over the last several years.

For Human Resources, the commissioners approved a $34.694 million contract for hospitalization, medical, prescription and vision coverage to county employees through Independence Blue Cross. The one-year contract represents a 0-percent increase over 2011, a fact county Human Resources Director Meredith Dolan attributes to hard work and dramatic changes to the plan made in early 2011.

For the Planning Commission, the board unanimously approved a $103,537 contract with Dell to provide equipment for the county-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) program. According to Planning Commission Executive Director Lynn Bush, the system will utilize “supercharged’ computer to performance ambulance routing, 9-1-1 emergency communications mapping and Board of Assessment work. “It is based on a long-term plan,” Ms. Bush added.

For the Recorder of Deeds office, the commissioners approved purchase of a second data card system for the Veterans ID Discount Card program. In the first five weeks of the program, 1,051 cards were issued to veterans. Recorder of Deeds Joseph Szafran explained that a second system will allow his employees to take the program on the road to events such as senior expos, government services centers, American Legions and VFW’s, and even the Grange Fair. Currently, all cards are produced in the Recorder of Deeds office on the second floor of the county Courthouse.

Commissioner Marseglia voted against two items for the Voting Machines office, one a $98,685 warranty extension for the county’s Danaher electronic voting machines, the other payment of a $72,675 software license fee for the Guardian Election Management Software.

The meeting began with a pair of proclamations. Commissioner Marseglia introduced Yardley’s Corie Feiner as the county’s 2011 Poet Laureate. Now in its 35th year, the program is the longest running in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Feiner read a pair of her works, one about the towpath along the Delaware River and one about subways in New York City. “I am really excited and honored to be the Poet Laureate of Bucks County,” she told the commissioners.

Commissioner Loughery read a proclamation about the “Tree of Hope,” which is the county’s official symbol of support for recovery. Sponsored by the Council of Southeast PA, Inc., it will kick off with a dedication ceremony featuring music, awards of recognition, and personal testimonials will be held December 14, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. in the first floor lobby of the Courthouse. This ceremony will promote the positive message that long-term recovery from addiction is possible and benefits everyone.

The meeting also featured an update from Doug Hill, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). The organization is celebrating its 125th anniversary of seeking to “find that common ground” amongst Pennsylvania’s 67 disparate counties. CCAP will release its legislative priorities for 2012 at the beginning of the year, and Hill hinted that one of them will be the restructuring of Human Services provision in the Commonwealth.

The next meeting of the Board of Bucks County Commissioners will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, in the auditorium of the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, 3207 Street Rd., Bensalem, PA 19020. For a complete audio account of the December 7 meeting, please visit the official county website, www.BucksCounty.org, and click on the “Audio from Last Mtg” link on the home page.