FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Venango County has received some inquiries about a random survey that has recently been sent out.

The County’s Human Services department recently distributed a public survey related to hoarding after various human services programs and community partners in 2016 identified several individuals/families living in unsafe conditions due to hoarding.

According to a media release from the County, this type of surveying customarily involves a variety of stakeholders which assess needs when potential gaps are identified.

“In an effort to conserve taxpayer dollars, Venango County Human Services partnered, at zero cost, with Allegheny College in Meadville, who recommended the sampling and survey methodology,” a release from Human Services said. “These recommendations included securing a 10 percent response rate from random sampling.”

The County Geographic Information System (GIS) was utilized for random address selections and survey questions were adapted from the Steketee and Frost’s Hoarding Inventory and the Oxford Clinical Psychology Saving Inventory, according to the County’s release.

To pay for the survey, funds were secured from various sources including grants, community partners and discretionary monies maintained by Venango County Community Support Services.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 11, approximately 2,000 surveys had been returned, and the County release said the information provided will be essential in determining the need for increased hoarding supports and services, the life-stages most affected and the community’s ideas and suggestions to address the potential needs. A detailed report of the survey results and analysis will be available to the public by December 2018.

For more information or questions regarding the survey, people are asked to contact Maria Plumer at 814-432-9163.

Commissioner Vincent Witherup believes the survey is a good thing, but he has gotten some negative feedback from the community.

“They have said it is none of our business,” Witherup said. “Some people believe it is an invasion of privacy and wants to know why we are using taxpayer money for it. No taxpayer money was used, and we are doing it as an effort to save money.”

Witherup said the surveys went out randomly using the GIS.

“No one is being targeted,” Witherup said.

HOME GRANT RESOLUTION PASSED

At Tuesday’s commissioner’s meeting, the commissioners passed a DCED Home Grant resolution in which the county will work with the City of Franklin on a $300,000.00 grant program that would allow owner-occupants to rehab their houses, and if they stay in the house for at least five years they wouldn’t have to repay the grant.

RECYCLING STUDY TO BE CONDUCTED

The county entered into a contract with Nestor Resources, Inc. to have Nestor conduct a study about the potential recycling center the county would like to open.

The contract with Nestor is not to exceed $31,675 and is being paid for with a DEP grant that was applied for specifically for his purpose.

ELECTIONEERING ON COUNTY PROPERTY POLICY UPDATED

The Venango County Election Board updated the County’s Electioneering on County Property Policy. The policy now says that the wearing of buttons, hats, shirts, etc, will not be considered electioneering, and it also updates the wording for where electioneering is prohibited. It will now be prohibited in interior county offices during regular business hours, which are generally 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business the commissioners:

• Approved Oil City’s Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) changes.
• Agreed to allow the Oil Regional Alliance to have a mural on the Veterans Bridge in Oil City.
• Declared September “National Recovery Month” in Venango County.
• Ratified a contract with Paris Uniform Services for carpet cleaning. The contract, which will run until Sept. 1, 2021, is for $7,656.00
• Approved a contract with CFWW+S as the county’s labor attorney with retainers of $32,500.00 for 2019, $34,000.00 for 20200 and $35,500.00 for 2021.
• Approved a contract with UPMC for Life for Health Coverage for the county’s retirees.
• Were informed that the dam inspection at Two Mile Run County Park will take place Oct. 25 and the campground at the park will most likely close either the third or fourth week of October depending on the weather (when the weather would cause the pipes to freeze then the campground needs to close)
• Approved a hangar contract at the airport in the amount of $138.01 per month with Sanjay Kansara, Blue Sky Services, LLC.
• Renewed its contract with Southern Airways for hanger and counter space at the airport
• Approved a contract from Priority Dispatch to provide medical question response codes. The cost of the contract is $3,937.50, an increase of $17.50 over the last contract.