Feb 12, 2003 By Paul Sunyak 3 min read

With Fayette County losing 911 operating subsidy as telephone customers switch from land lines to cell phones, Fayette County Commissioner Sean M. Cavanagh called Tuesday for state legislation imposing the $1.25 per month surcharge on all cell phones. Cell phone users escape the monthly fee even though they can access 911 in an emergency. Cavanagh said this means that cell phone users are getting a free ride on the backs of those whose homes are serviced by traditional phone lines.

Roy “Barney” Shipley, the county’s Emergency Management Agency director, said the most recent attempt to tack the fee on cell phones was blocked in the state legislature. However, Shipley noted that the proposal would be revived in the upcoming legislative session.

Illustrating the trend, Shipley said that 18 to 20 percent of calls to 911 used to come from cell phones, but that number is now 30 to 33 percent and climbing.

Cavanagh said the matter is so fundamental that he doesn’t understand why anyone in Harrisburg would oppose legislation to correct the imbalance. Cavanagh added that he would like to know which parties or individuals were responsible for scuttling the most recent proposal to bring cell phones into the fold.

Without enough operating subsidy from the $1.25 fee, Cavanagh warned that county taxpayers might have to start subsidizing the 911 operation, through general fund revenues gleaned predominantly from property taxes.

Also at Tuesday’s agenda meeting, the commissioners agreed to vote Thursday on:

? Extending the 2 percent discount period for 2003 per capita tax bills by two weeks, to coincide with the April 15 end of the discount period for county real estate tax bills. James A. Hercik, CPE, the county’s chief assessor, said tax collectors would insert some type of notice of the new deadline when bills are mailed in February.

? Soliciting bids for replacing a second section of retaining wall at Nemacolin Castle, a move that county manager Warren Hughes said is possible because money was left over from the Phase 1 wall replacement.

? Approving a $250,000 state Enterprise Zone grant application to help build a 40,000-square-foot building for Advanced Acoustic Concepts in the Route 119 technology park being constructed by Fay-Penn Economic Development Council. Total project cost is estimated at $2.8 million.

? Approving a $50,000 basic grant application for the Fayette County Enterprise Zone, which represents the seventh year of such funding for Fay-Penn.

? Advertising for requests for proposals for an energy conservation and facility renovation program for the county courthouse and prison, working with PPL Energy Services. Hughes said preliminary study shows potential energy cost savings.

In another matter, the commissioners heard a report from Vicites that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wants a support letter from the county in its quest to obtain “additional federal funding” for constructing the Brownsville-to-Uniontown stretch of the Mon-Fayette Expressway.

Also, Vicites questioned the county Mental Health/Mental Retardation Agency’s termination of a parking lot maintenance contract. Vicites said he believed that the commissioners are responsible for approving and terminating all contracts for MH/MH, as the agency falls under their jurisdiction.

“I was under the understanding that any contracts have to be approved by the commissioners,” said Vicites, referring to a practice followed by other county departments, such as Children & Youth Services and Human Services.

Lisa Ferris-Kusniar, director of MH/MR, said that while the commissioners have historically approved contracts for her agency, they have not approved lease agreements. “It’s a good point,” said Ferris-Kusniar, who agreed with Vicites that a clarification is warranted.