County commissioners name new COO
Board commit $1.2M to farmland preservation
NORRISTOWN » The Montgomery County commissioners kicked off their Jan. 18 meeting by welcoming Lee Soltysiak as the county’s new chief clerk and chief operating officer.
Soltysiak served as deputy COO since January of 2012, and is replacing outgoing COO Lauren Lambrugo, who accepted a position as chief operating officer of Public Health Management Corporation in Philadelphia.
In a press release announcing Soltysiak’s promotion, the commissioners, who voted unanimously to approve his appointment, said he was the best person for the job and would make a seamless transition into the position. They also praised his work under Lambrugo for the past six years and expressed their confidence in his leadership abilities.
Before the meeting began in earnest, Commissioner Val Arkoosh took a moment to acknowledge the recently publicized news that the Philadelphia region had made it to a list of 20 remaining locations vying to become Amazon’s eastern hub.
Arkoosh said it was wonderful to see that southeastern Pennsylvania has made it — along with cross-state candidate Pittsburgh — to the list which was whittled down form 238 applicants.
“We don’t know what the next steps will be but we look forward to working with our Commerce Department and all of our colleagues in the city of Philadelphia and with colleagues in our surrounding counties, to make sure Amazon knows what a great place the region would be for their second headquarters,” Arkoosh said.
In the meeting’s first order of business, Montgomery County Occupational Safety and Risk Manager Megan Brown addressed the commissioners regarding the 2018 County Employee Health and Wellness Program, dubbed “Live Well.”
The free program developed by Independence Blue Cross consists of monthly communications to all county employees highlighting various topics as they relate to physical and mental well-being, and aims to educate employees about programs made available to them through their insurance, such as smoking cessation, weight loss assistance and fitness center reimbursement.
The program also features a calendar highlighting health-related events including National Walk at Lunch Day and the Great American Smokeout.
Following Brown’s presentation, the commissioners unanimously approved a resolution, presented by Executive Planning Commission Director Jody Holton, to commit $1,196,169 in county funds to the Farmland Preservation Program — a restricted account in which $1 million comes from county revenues, with an additional $196,169 derived from interest on properties that were previously in the county’s Clean and Green Program. The resolution also set aside $4,000 to assist with farm inspections.
Since its inception, the Farmland Preservation Program has supported county farms with approximately $35.9 million, Holton said.
There are currently 160 farms on 9,300 acres of preserved land in Montgomery County.
In other business, the commissioners approved five contracts for the Community Planning Assistance program, a 50/50, county/municipal cost sharing arrangement for technical services provided by the planning commission for board-approved projects.
Authorization for municipal planning assistance contracts were approved for:
• Ambler Borough for a total cost of $74,088 to update the borough’s open space plans, pocket park designs and parking assistance;
• Jenkintown Borough for a total of $67,914 for rezoning of subdivisions and updating of land development ordinances;
• Lower Pottsgrove Township for general services in the amount of $43,218;
• Schwenksville Borough for $49,392 for revitalization planning, including the borough’s continuing streetscape program and preservation of historic properties;
• Souderton for $55,566 for the industrial zoning district and revision of the revitalization plan.
Several requests for advertisements of RFPs and contract renewals were also approved.
A contract for $230,000 was awarded to three contracting firms for leadbased paint and hazardous control services for 19 homes in Norristown funded through a Housing and Urban Development Grant disbursed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
And an $85,0000 contract was awarded Maillie LLC of Mont Clare for controller’s office accounting and auditing services. An RFP for that contract was sent to 53 firms with three responding, and the county selecting the highest rated firm for a 1 year contract with two optional one-year renewals.
Other contract renewals were for outside counsel for the solicitor’s office to provide legal support for the county, three contract renewals and one contract amendment for the Office of Youth and Juvenile Probation, and an IT services contract for voice over internet services for two satellite trailers run by the department of general services.
Commissioners’ notebook
At the salary board meeting following the official commissioners meeting, Arkoosh gave a special acknowledgement to Montgomery County Planning Commission Assistant Director Michael Stokes, who is retiring after 29 years. Arkoosh touted his extensive historical knowledge of the counties various tracts of land including significant sites, parks, trails and farmland.
In closing commissioner’ comments, Arkoosh touted the success of the county’s fledgling Eviction Prevention and Intervention Coalition, an extension of the Your Way Home program, which is a public/private partnership with the goal of eradicating homelessness in Montgomery County.
Announced late last year and launched Jan. 9, the EPIC program earned its first victory Jan. 10, when lawyers, working pro bono, secured a favorable judgment for a family of six that was being sued for $5,000 in back rent by their former landlord despite previously being forced to vacate the property due to unsafe living conditions.
Arkoosh thanked the Montgomery County Office of Housing and Community Development, Your Way Home, the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Montgomery Bar Foundation, the Montgomery County Courts, the Montgomery County Foundation, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities and Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania for their participation in and support of the program.