2009 News

July 16, 2009

The “Dog” Days of Summer
Commissioners Crown Hamilton from Quakertown “Cutest County Canine” during Annual Picnic at Peace Valley Park

Each July, in an ongoing tradition, the Board of Bucks County Commissioners celebrates the beauty of summer by conducting an evening meeting at one of the county’s many scenic parks. Last night, framed by Lake Galena and a gently sloping portion of Peace Valley Park in New Britain Township, Commissioners’ Chairman Charles H. Martin, James F. Cawley, Esq. and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW enjoyed a picnic supper and a business agenda that included approval of 21 contract resolutions involving 10 county departments.

After dining on a spread of burgers, chicken, hot dogs and a variety of salads, the Commissioners feted county Security Guard Dave Howell and his three-year-old Maltese/Poodle mix, Hamilton. During a recent county employee “Cutest County Canine Contest” that produced nearly 700 votes, Hamilton prevailed by a small margin over nearly 200 of county-employee owned colleagues – including Chairman Martin’s English bulldogs Maggie and Sophie and Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia’s trio of four-legged friends, Joey, Kandi and Lola.

The Cutest County Canine Contest, which was sponsored by Doggie Deli in Doylestown Borough, dovetailed with a monetary donation to the Bucks County SPCA and a pair of commendations to Upper Makefield Police Officers Harry Vitello and Lee Crawford. On March 28, 2009, Officers Vitello and Crawford rescued 46 abused Yorshire puppies from an abandoned home with no running water in Upper Makefield Township. Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia subsequently adopted one of the puppies, Joey. Officer Vitello, whose family has owned Yorkies for decades, also adopted two of the rescued puppies.

“I’d like to thank the Bucks County Commissioners for recognizing us for something that was a very bad situation for the dogs,” Officer Vitello told the meeting attendees, who included Upper Makefield Township Police Chief Mark Schmidt. “Seeing those dogs in this condition was something that was very devastating. But the true unsung heroes are the people at the SPCA who deal with abuse cases and neglect constantly. My heart goes out to them.”

Moving to the business portion of the agenda, the board unanimously approved a $28,000 contract with the Bucks County Opportunity Council to provide assistance to low-income households in the senior community, a trio of vehicle maintenance and repair contracts that will be supervised by the General Services department, a two-year, $114,100 contract with Franc Environmental in New Britain to remove waste from the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Doylestown Township, a two-year, $24,000 contract with Warminster’s A. Mastrocco Jr. Moving & Storage to house Points of Dispensing (POD) supplies for the Health Department, and a $76,172 revenue item with the Northampton Municipal Authority for the sale of an easement for a sewer line rehabilitation.

By a 2-1 margin – with Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia dissenting- the board passed a $224,491 amendment to the CDBG, HOME and Emergency Shelter Grant funding grant increase from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a pair of insurance policies, one to cover the flood policy and one for excess workers compensation. Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia also abstained from voting on a court-ordered settlement involving Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MH/MR).

Also by a 2-1 vote, Chairman Martin and Commissioner Cawley approved 44 personnel items through the Human Resources department. During a lengthy discussion about job postings and hiring philosophy, Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia objected to a pair of proposed hires. Subsequently, she voted “no” regarding all 44 individuals on the list.

During his Chief Operating Officer’s report, David Sanko reminded residents that the third of the county’s five 2009 Household Hazardous Waste and Computer Recycling events will take place on Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Warwick Township’s Middle Bucks Institute of Technology (MBIT). For information about eligible materials, please visit the recycling link on the official county Web site, www.BucksCounty.org. Mr. Sanko also touched upon the Commissioners’ scheduled July 24 signing of a “21st Century Alliance” with the mayor of the Republic of Korea’s Namdong District. The public signing of the alliance will take place at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of Pearl S. Buck International in Dublin.

Mr. Sanko also announced the distribution of a request for proposal (RFP) regarding the county’s bike recreation plan, and provided an update on the ongoing Commonwealth of Pennsylvania budget impasse that is currently in its third week.

The meeting also included the Commissioners’ proclamation of August, 2009 as “Child Support Enforcement Month.” Accepting the proclamation was county Domestic Relations Director Laura LoBianco. Last year, her office established paternity for more than 740 children, scheduled more than 8,400 support conferences and 5,200 contempt hearings, and collected $85 million for the support and welfare of 38,000 children. For a full audio account of the meeting and a copy of the business agenda, please visit www.BucksCounty.org. The next meeting of the Bucks County Commissioners will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12 at the Middletown Grange Fair, Penns Park Rd., Wrightstown.