The commissioners then awarded the bid to Clarion Ford in the amount of $24,658 for the van.

County Mental Health will only have enough money to purchase one of the three Ford Fusions it had originally intended to buy. The car will come from Clarion Ford at a $16,902 price tag. MH will trade in a 1998 Dodge Stratus for $300.

County Mental Retardation will be purchasing three Fusions at the $16,902 price and will be trading a 2003 Ford Escape for $6,000. MR had originally intended to trade in a pair of 2006 Ford Explorers, but those vehicles will now be added to the county fleet with the anticipation of the vehicles being purchased for another county department, Commissioner Donna Oberlander told the Clarion News.

The commissioners also opened bids for a seven-passenger minivan for the Area Agency on Aging/Transportation. Clarion Ford was the only company to submit a bid at $20,711 for a 2008 Dodge Caravan. A three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and lifetime power train warranty for the van will cost an additional $1,050.

The commissioners awarded the bid to Clarion Ford, pending acceptance by PennDOT.

Radio project

The commissioners said they had received a letter from U.S. senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey announcing the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved funding for several Pennsylvania projects under the fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill.

According to a press release the bill includes $500,000 for Clarion County “to implement, enhance, and sustain an interoperable communications network among local, regional, and State public safety entities. The investment in radio communications technology and equipment will help meet the needs of first responder agencies in natural, man-made, or terror-related incidents, while providing a direct link to all first responder agencies in the county and other counties in the region.”

In other business the commissioners :

Approved a memorandum of understanding by and between Forest and Clarion counties regarding provision of 9-1-1 and Emergency Dispatch Services. Forest County is to submit quarterly payments of $6,500 for the first year and to increase that amount by three percent for each succeeding year from July 1 for a period of five years.

Approved the Liberty Street Church of God to use the Clarion County Memorial Park on Dec. 5 and 6 for the annual live nativity.

Approved a maintenance agreement with SimplexGrinnell for the prison’s annual fire alarm system test and inspection for the period May 1 to April 30, 2009 at an annual cost of $2,578.

At the salary board meeting, the board:

Approved hiring Anthony R. Beers as special deputy on call as needed, at a wage of $9.46 per hour.

Approved hiring Caraline Mowry as treatment court probation officer at a salary of $23,306. Mowry will replace Curtis Drake while he is serving a year with the National Guard in Iraq .

Approved hiring Ruthie A. Trillizio as children and youth visitation aide (county social services aide 2) at a salary of $15,246. This is a new position in the county.