CLEARFIELD – While it was called to their attention by members of the public, the Clearfield commissioners wanted to clarify the “facts and figures” of their decision to move county offices into the new administrative building on East Locust Street.
Commissioner Joan Robinson-McMillen said it has always been the county’s goal to bring its offices into closer proximity to the courthouse. She said it was hard for them all to have employees “on the other side of town.”
In addition, she said they had “outgrown” the courthouse annex. She noted the District Attorney’s and the Public Defender’s Offices and the Geographical Information System Department didn’t have sufficient space for them to effectively operate.
She said the Children, Youth and Family Services offices were “spread all over” the second floor of the Multi-Service Center. She said it not only created difficulties for supervisors to meet with the staff, but it also resulted in staff transporting confidential files from Leonard Street to the courthouse.
Robinson-McMillen said it’s important for the commissioners to meet regularly about grant applications with representatives from the Clearfield County Planning and Solid Waste.
“It’s important to stay up to speed,” she said. She said past boards have discussed the possibility of moving county offices downtown. But she said the current board “took the bull by the horns” and planned and executed the move.
Robinson-McMillen said the county borrowed $1.9 for renovations to what became its current administrative building. In the end, she said they came in about $18,000 under budget.
“We refurbished a building that sat empty for years. We brought people and employees to the downtown. Most importantly, we have increased the morale of our greatest asset – our employees,” she said.
Commissioner Chairman John Sobel said concerns still exist about the available parking downtown. He said the Grice family has purchased and leased 22 parking spaces for use by county employees next to the Catalano Cycle Center Inc., Clearfield, on North Third Street and Healy Avenue.
Sobel said these spaces were in addition to the other 18 that would become available with the demolition of the former WQYX/WCPA radio building on Healy Avenue. He said they had not yet set a date for the demolition of the building.
According to prior GantDaily reports, the county purchased the Gray building, now the Clearfield County Administrative Offices, for $183,000 with plans to relocate offices into the same from the Multi-Service Center and the courthouse annex.
At a February meeting, Jerry Bankovich Jr. of KTH Architects gave a presentation, stating a study had been done in 2000 on the Multi-Service Center building.
He said the study indicated the Multi-Service Center was among the worse county buildings. At the time of the study, he said they estimated it would cost $2 million over a 10-year period for maintenance and upkeep of the building. To build a comparable structure, he said it would cost the county $5 million.
“Ultimately, the Gray building was the best option,” said Bankovich at the February meeting. “The building itself is basically a shell.” He continued, stating that the building is structurally sound.
Bankovich said the building’s first floor would house the Clearfield County Commissioners’ offices, County Election’s office, Veteran’s Affairs office and Controller’s office and the Clearfield County Planning Department. He said the second floor would house Clearfield County Children, Youth and Family Services.
