Chapter 10 - Communi.. - Potter County Pennsylvania

Potter County Comprehensive Plan –

Preserving and Enhancing the Quality of Life for Current and Future Residents of Potter County

Chapter 10 – Community Facilities

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Introduction

Numerous public services and facilities serve the daily or specialized needs of the county’s residents. The need for these services and the degree to which they can be provided depends to a great extent on the types and density of development in the community, the composition and distribution of the population, and the financial resources to support the range of facilities that are needed. The purpose of this planning element is to discuss the scope of the county’s existing community and public service facilities. Such a study is primarily concerned with the physical characteristics and functional adequacy of these facilities. Based on several factors, including the population and housing projections, evaluations will be made for the purpose of determining their ability to meet present and anticipated future needs. The adequacy and availability of these services and facilities are extremely important to all county residents since they reflect the quality, convenience, and general character of the county as a place in which to live.

Public Schools

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is charged by the State Constitution to provide “for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.” School boards are provided broad authority by the Pennsylvania School Code to establish, equip, furnish, and maintain the public schools in the district. To support these activities school boards are provided authority to levy taxes, borrow funds, obtain grants and expend funds as outlined in the Pennsylvania School Code and other state and federal laws. School Board members are elected by local citizens to serve for four years, and serve without pay. Minimum qualifications for election or appointment to a school board include having good moral character, being eighteen years of age, and having been a resident of the school district for one year. School board meetings are usually held once or twice each month and are open to the public. The school board employs a superintendent who serves as the chief executive of the school district. Potter County is divided into the following five different public school districts:

1. Austin Area School District 2. Coudersport School District 3. Galeton School District 4. Northern Potter School District 5. Oswayo Valley School District

Map 10-1 graphically shows the geographic location of each school district. Countywide Enrollment The county had a total 2004-2005 enrollment of 2,987 students, down from 3,037 in the 2003 – 2004 school year. A review of the county’s student body population from 1998 – 2005 shows a negative trend in total enrollment. Since 1999, the student population has decreased by 327 students from 3,314 to 2,987 in 2005. Enrollment projections prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Education show a continued downward trend through the 2007 – 2008 school year, and a fluctuating population from the 2008 – 2009 school year to 2013. The projected 2012 – 2013 school year student population

is 332 students less than the 2004 – 2005 student population. This trend is significant because the need for additional classrooms and teachers and new programs is predicated on the growth of the student population. However, a closer look at the actual student population shows an overall negative trend from 1998-2005; therefore, the Department of Education’s projections must be tempered with this knowledge. Table 10-1 provides the statistical breakdown of the county’s student body. Local School Districts As identified previously, there are five public school districts that serve Potter County. The following is an overview of each of the five districts: 1. Austin Area School District The Austin Area School District is located in Austin Borough and serves the following communities:

a. Austin Borough b. Keating Township c. Portage Township d. Wharton Township e. Sylvania Township

The District operates two schools, the Austin Area Elementary School and the Austin Area Junior and Senior High School. Both schools are located on a single campus at 138 Costello Avenue in Austin. The elementary school supports grades K4 through Grade 6, and had a 2004 – 2005 student enrollment of 126 students. The school is classified as a rural facility. The junior and senior high school supports grades 7 through 12 and had a 2004 – 2005 school enrollment of 125 students. Similar to the elementary school, the junior and senior high school is classified as a rural facility. In total, the Austin Area School District had a total 2004 - 2005 student population of 251 students. The schools were constructed in 1958 and 1975 and have a total enrollment capacity of 400 students. Table 10-2 shows existing and projected student enrollment for the Austin Area School District. The 1998 – 1999 student population totaled 246 students. Over the last six years, the district experienced a fluctuating population; however, over that period, the district experienced an increase of five new students. Student enrollment is projected to fluctuate in a negative trend over the next five years through 2008. The negative trend reverses itself starting in 2009 through 2013, but the district’s total population never returns to the same level as in 2002. The 2004 – 2005 enrollment of 251 students is well below the total student capacity of the school buildings, and the projected 2013 enrollment will not adversely affect overall facility capacities.




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2. Galeton Area School District The Galeton Area School District is located in Galeton Borough and serves the following communities:

a. Gaines Township b. Galeton Borough c. Abbott Township d. West Branch Township e. Hector Township f. Elk Township

The Galeton Area School District operates one school with grades K5 through grade 12. In total there are 395 students in the District and all attend the school located on Bridge Street in Galeton Borough. The school is classified as a rural facility. According to the school district, the school was constructed in 1954 and has a total enrollment capacity of 600 plus students. Renovations occurred at the school in 2003 and 2004. Table 10-3 shows existing and projected student enrollment for the Galeton Area School District. The 1998-1999 school enrollments totaled 531 students. The district has been in a negative growth trend through the 2004 and 2005 school year. In total, the district’s student population decreased by 136 students over the six year period. This trend is projected to continue through year 2013 when it is projected that the district will have a student population of 344 students, well below the high of 531 in 1998. The 2004 – 2005 enrollment of 395 students is well below the total student capacity of the school, and the projected 2013 enrollment will not adversely affect overall facility capacities. Facility needs identified by the district include construction of a new administration building to replace the existing one that has been converted to classroom space for pre kindergarten classes. 3. Northern Potter School District The Northern Potter School District is located on SR 49 in Ulysses and serves the following communities:

a. Harrison Township b. Bingham Township c. Genesee Township d. Ulysses Township e. Ulysses Borough f. ½ Allegany Township g. ½ Hector Township

The Northern Potter School District operates two schools. The Northern Potter Childrens School supports grades K5 through 6, and had a student enrollment of 336 in the 2004 – 2005 school year.

The school is classified as a rural facility. The other school operated by the district is the Northern Potter Junior/Senior High School, which has grades 7 through 12, and had a 2004 – 2005 student enrollment of 341 students. In total the district has a student population of 677 students. The high school was originally constructed in 1957 and major remodeling occurred in 1966 when a classroom wing was extended and 1992 when a 600 seat auditorium was added. The Children’s School was constructed in 1977 and was scheduled for renovation in April of 2005, to increase its enrollment capacity from 463 to 569. The project includes five new classrooms, a new gym, and administration area. Table 10-4 shows existing and projected student enrollment for the Northern Potter School District. The district is experiencing a similar declining population trend as Galeton School District. In 1998 – 1999 the District had an enrollment of 843 students. In the 2004 – 2005 school year, the district’s student enrollment decreased to 677 students. The negative growth is expected to continue through the 2012 – 2013 school year when the projected student population will be 646. The 2004 – 2005 enrollment of 677 students is well below the total student capacity of the schools, and the projected 2013 enrollment will not adversely affect overall facility capacities. Facility needs include construction of a garage for storage needs. A booster building for sports was constructed in 2004. 4. Oswayo Valley School District The Oswayo Valley School District serves the following communities:

a. Sharon Township b. Clara Township c. Oswayo Township d. Shinglehouse Borough e. Oswayo Borough f. Part of Ceres Township, McKean County

The district operates three schools in two buildings. The Oswayo Valley Elementary School is in one building and the Oswayo Valley Middle School and the Oswayo Valley High School are in another building. Student enrollment at the elementary school totaled 308 students in 2004 – 2005. The middle school and high school had a student population of 284 students for a district wide total of 592 students in the same school year. The elementary school supports grades K through 5, the middle school supports grades 6 through 8, and the high school includes grades 9-12. Both schools are classified as rural facilities. The elementary school was constructed in 1953. An addition was constructed in 1961 and a renovation occurred in 2001. The building that houses the middle and high schools was constructed in 1976. A renovation occurred in 2001 which added a garage. The elementary school has a capacity of 543 students, and the building housing the middle school and high schools has a capacity of 443 students.




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Table 10-5 shows existing and projected student enrollment for the Oswayo Valley School District. The Oswayo Valley School District is experiencing a similar downward trend in overall student enrollment; however, the district is expected to maintain a stable enrollment overall, which is evident by reviewing the existing and projected student enrollment in Table 10-5. The district is projected to lose only twenty-eight students over the ten year period from 2003 to 2013. The 2002 – 2003 enrollment of 647 students is well below the total student capacity of the school, and the projected 2013 enrollment will not adversely affect overall facility capacities. The district identified the following additional facility needs: update emergency generator in the middle/high school building; update or enhance security video surveillance in the elementary and middle/high schools; renovate track facilities in the elementary school and repair the roof; and additional district recreation areas, playgrounds and athletic fields. A long term goal of the district is to build an auditorium facility. 5. Coudersport Area School District The Coudersport Area School District serves the following communities:

a. Coudersport Borough b. Homer Township c. Summit Township d. Eulalia Township e. Sweden Township f. Hebron Township g. ½ Allegany Township

The Coudersport School District is the largest of the five districts in the county. The student population in 2004 – 2005 school year totaled 952 students. The student body is distributed in two schools that include the Coudersport Area Elementary School and the Coudersport Area Junior/Senior High School. The elementary school supports grades K5 through 6. Grades 7 through 12 are located at the junior/senior high school. Both schools are classified as rural facilities. The elementary school was constructed in 1989 and has an enrollment capacity of 500 students. The junior/senior high school was constructed in 1959 and renovated in 1997, and also has an enrollment capacity of 500 students. Table 10-6 shows existing and projected student enrollment for the Coudersport Area School District. Enrollment patterns from 1998 to 2004 show a negative trend. During that time period, the district’s enrollment declined from 1,070 students to 952. That negative trend is expected to continue through 2009, at which time enrollment is projected to rebound to its 2003 levels and continue in a positive trend through 2013. Over the next eight years, the district is projected to increase its total enrollment by 49 students.

The 2004 – 2005 elementary school enrollment of 482 students is nearing the school’s capacity limits. The junior/senior high school has a similar enrollment of 470 students in the same school year. Similar to the elementary school, the junior/senior high school is also nearing capacity limits. The projected 2012 – 2013 enrollments will exceed the elementary school’s capacity by 160 students. The junior/senior high school has adequate capacity to meet the 2012 – 2013 projected enrollments. To offset the capacity issues at the elementary school, the district is considering adding two portable trailer classrooms. In addition, the district noted that it is in need of a storage building. Cameron/McKean/Potter Unit for Penn State Cooperative Extension Strategic Plan The Cameron-McKean-Potter Unit is comprised of three counties in the northern tier of Pennsylvania. The mission of the unit is to explore, integrate, and share research-based knowledge, to improve the lives of people in Pennsylvania, especially the residents of the three counties it serves. The unit is a non-biased educational organization, providing leadership to facilitate collaborative partnerships and address identified community needs. The unit has six extension educators and five program assistants that provide leadership in program areas of agriculture, forestry, natural resources, children, youth and families, and community and economic development. The unit’s strategic plan includes seven goals, performance measures, and implementation strategies. These goals are in line with the county’s goals and are mutually supportive of each other.




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Table 10-1

Actual and Projected School Enrollment

Potter County 1998-2013

Grades

Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total

Actual

1998-1999 285 226 251 227 237 266 289 269 286 247 261 263 236 3,343

1999-2000 249 253 226 245 229 246 270 316 271 284 241 238 246 3,314

2000-2001 255 220 249 226 236 231 248 273 316 271 272 244 221 3,262

2001-2002 274 199 232 257 225 247 242 262 282 311 253 267 237 3,279

2002-2003 265 205 196 219 252 225 252 235 255 264 295 251 258 3,172

2003-2004 247 194 200 192 210 240 217 244 223 234 243 268 222 3,037

2004-2005 238 188 183 191 189 211 245 216 246 230 228 243 259 2,987

Projections

2005-2006 270 226 205 206 200 196 225 270 237 254 218 230 231 2,889

2006-2007 285 215 225 204 203 204 200 233 270 231 242 212 218 2,839

2007-2008 301 227 214 224 201 207 208 206 233 264 220 235 201 2,826

2008-2009 303 240 226 213 221 205 211 214 206 227 251 214 223 2,790

2009-2010 306 242 238 225 210 226 209 217 214 201 216 244 203 2,740

2010-2011 309 244 240 237 222 214 231 215 217 209 191 210 231 2,720

2011-2012 311 246 242 239 233 227 218 238 215 212 199 186 199 2,674

2012-2013 314 248 244 241 235 238 232 225 238 210 202 193 176 2,655

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Oswayo Valley School District




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Table 10-2

Actual and Projected School Enrollment Austin Area School District

1998-2013

Grades

Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total

Actual

1998-1999 32 15 19 22 18 19 14 19 17 19 13 19 10 246

1999-2000 29 19 13 21 21 21 22 21 24 29 20 11 21 272

2000-2001 36 14 16 12 18 23 20 22 23 25 28 19 11 267

2001-2002 39 16 15 15 14 21 23 20 21 20 21 28 15 278

2002-2003 34 22 18 15 14 15 18 25 28 20 15 18 24 266

*2003-2004 26 28 24 17 14 15 14 22 23 26 15 13 14 253

2004-2005 32 14 18 16 15 14 17 18 30 25 23 16 13 248

Projections

2005-2006 24 22 16 28 21 18 14 17 16 19 16 18 10 228

2006-2007 35 13 24 15 27 23 17 17 16 15 15 14 14 229

2007-2008 35 20 14 22 14 30 22 17 16 15 11 13 11 223

2008-2009 35 20 21 13 21 15 29 27 19 15 11 10 10 224

2009-2010 35 20 21 20 12 23 14 36 25 18 11 10 8 225

2010-2011 35 20 21 20 19 13 22 17 33 23 14 10 8 227

2011-2012 35 20 21 20 19 21 12 27 16 31 18 12 8 231

2012-2013 35 20 21 20 19 21 20 15 25 15 24 16 9 232

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Austin Area School District, Oswayo Valley School District * - Pennsylvania Department of Education – District could not provide information




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Table 10-3

Actual and Projected School Enrollment Galeton Area School District

1998-2013

Grades

Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total

Actual

1998-1999 24 38 29 24 41 41 47 41 49 44 55 50 48 531

1999-2000 28 32 31 26 24 38 48 53 39 46 37 53 47 502

2000-2001 34 26 35 31 28 25 39 50 55 43 46 44 46 502

2001-2002 51 29 30 37 28 30 28 41 55 53 30 44 47 503

2002-2003 49 33 26 29 41 28 29 28 44 41 44 33 45 470

2003-2004 28 21 31 26 28 37 31 27 28 44 45 30 30 451

2004-2005 25 25 20 29 26 27 41 31 27 28 38 43 35 362

Projections

2005-2006 55 35 33 20 31 25 31 45 32 28 21 33 34 443

2006-2007 47 28 34 32 20 31 26 32 48 28 23 22 32 406

2007-2008 47 24 27 33 32 20 33 27 34 42 23 24 21 403

2008-2009 47 24 23 26 33 32 21 34 28 30 35 24 23 405

2009-2010 47 24 23 22 26 33 34 22 36 24 25 36 23 411

2010-2011 47 24 23 22 22 26 25 35 23 31 20 26 35 412

2011-2012 47 24 23 22 22 22 27 36 37 20 26 21 25 405

2012-2013 47 24 23 22 22 22 23 28 38 32 16 27 20 406

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Galeton Area School District, Oswayo Valley School District




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Table 10-4

Actual and Projected School Enrollment Northern Potter School District

1998-2013

Grades Total

Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Actual

1998-1999 64 50 61 58 59 67 86 56 76 58 68 79 61 843

1999-2000 60 66 53 58 59 55 66 90 72 75 61 60 70 845

2000-2001 43 59 62 48 54 51 57 58 77 61 60 49 50 729

2001-2002 52 45 61 57 48 53 57 58 61 73 60 62 44 731

2002-2003 48 43 45 60 53 50 57 55 62 63 77 63 59 735

2003-2004 47 46 41 43 58 55 51 57 54 53 57 70 54 703

2004-2005 46 46 44 41 43 57 59 44 54 58 57 59 69 677

Projections

2005-2006 50 43 54 46 38 39 60 52 53 57 58 64 58 643

2006-2007 59 48 43 50 44 37 41 58 55 52 58 60 57 633

2007-2008 59 57 48 40 48 43 38 40 61 54 53 60 53 615

2008-2009 60 57 57 45 38 47 45 37 42 60 55 55 53 599

2009-2010 61 58 57 53 43 37 49 43 39 41 61 57 49 581

2010-2011 62 59 58 53 51 42 38 47 45 38 42 63 50 570

2011-2012 63 60 59 54 51 50 44 37 49 44 39 43 56 552

2012-2013 64 61 60 55 52 50 52 42 39 48 45 40 38 527

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Northern Potter School District, Oswayo Valley School District




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Table 10-5

Actual and Projected School Enrollment Oswayo Valley School District

1998-2013

Grades

Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total

Actual

1998-1999 97 41 55 39 38 55 52 60 50 50 39 44 25 645

1999-2000 60 63 41 55 37 55 54 62 53 52 50 34 45 661

2000-2001 73 41 54 42 54 37 45 58 61 59 51 52 38 665

2001-2002 67 41 33 55 40 55 40 47 59 65 55 51 46 654

2002-2003 78 42 37 38 55 38 55 43 45 58 59 53 46 647

2003-2004 72 46 39 40 37 53 38 56 39 43 53 56 48 637

2004-2005 55 45 44 37 42 38 47 41 55 39 42 53 54 615

Projections

2005-2006 84 41 39 38 36 39 37 61 36 57 39 40 44 607

2006-2007 91 50 36 40 36 39 37 39 58 37 51 37 35 604

2007-2008 91 55 44 37 38 39 37 39 37 60 33 49 33 594

2008-2009 91 55 49 46 35 41 37 39 37 38 54 31 43 593

2009-2010 91 55 49 51 44 38 39 39 37 38 34 52 27 580

2010-2011 91 55 49 51 49 48 36 41 37 38 34 32 46 581

2011-2012 91 55 49 51 49 54 46 38 39 38 34 32 28 570

2012-2013 91 55 49 51 49 54 52 48 36 40 34 32 28 574

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education and Oswayo Valley School District




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Table 10-6

Actual and Projected School Enrollment Coudersport Area School District

1998-2013

Grades

Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total

Actual

1998-1999 68 81 86 85 81 81 89 93 84 77 85 69 91 1,070

1999-2000 72 73 87 85 87 75 77 90 80 81 72 78 63 1,020

2000-2001 69 78 80 91 80 92 86 81 98 83 86 77 75 1,076

2001-2002 65 68 82 90 93 86 92 80 80 98 87 81 83 1,085

2002-2003 55 65 70 77 89 94 93 83 75 80 99 84 84 1,048

2003-2004 64 53 65 66 73 80 83 82 79 68 73 99 76 983

2004-2005 80 58 57 68 63 75 81 82 80 80 68 72 88 949

Projections

2005-2006 81 77 83 73 69 71 80 89 85 81 78 73 79 909

2006-2007 78 90 81 85 72 70 74 75 82 85 82 75 74 886

2007-2008 79 87 95 82 84 73 73 70 69 82 86 79 76 861

2008-2009 80 88 92 97 81 85 76 69 64 69 83 83 81 833

2009-2010 81 89 93 94 96 82 88 72 64 64 69 80 85 865

2010-2011 83 90 94 95 93 97 85 83 66 64 64 67 82 783

2011-2012 84 92 95 96 94 94 101 80 77 66 64 62 68 760

2012-2013 85 93 97 97 95 95 98 95 74 77 66 62 63 738

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Coudersport Area School District, Oswayo Valley School District




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Private Schools

Private schools play an important role in educating children. They provide an alternative to the public school system. A review of the 2002 – 2003 private school enrollments for Potter County reveals a total private school enrollment of 105 students, 87 classified as elementary age and 18 as secondary. The 2002 - 2003 private school enrollment is up by 56 students over 1999 - 2000 enrollments. During this time period the two Amish schools were established, which is the primary reason for the growth in total private school enrollment. The following private schools are located in the county: 1. Hebron Center Christina School – The school is located on SR 44 and serves the central part

of the county. The school has a Baptist religious affiliation, and offers grades K5 through 12. The school’s 2002 – 2003 enrollments totaled 44 students, 26 classified as elementary and 18 as secondary. Total enrollment is down by five students from the school’s 1999 – 2000 student population.

2. Musto Hollow Amish School – The school is located in Ulysses Township and serves the

burgeoning Amish population in the Northern Potter School District. The school has an Amish religious affiliation and offers grades 1 through 8. The school’s 2002 – 2003 enrollments totaled 33 students, all classified as elementary.

3. Ulysses Amish Parochial School – The school is located on Loucks Mills Road in Ulysses, and

similar to the Musto Hollow Amish School, serves the burgeoning Amish population in the district. The school’s 2002 – 2003 enrollments totaled 26 students, all classified as elementary.

As indicated above, the two Amish schools were not part of the private school system in the 1999 – 2000 school year. The establishment of these schools is an indicator of a burgeoning Amish population in the area of the county closely related to agricultural production. Table 10-7 provides the statistical breakdown of the county’s private school enrollment.

Table 10-7

Private School Enrollments Potter County

School Name

1999 – 2000

Total Enrollment

2002 – 2003

Total Enrollment

Year

Established

Hebron Christian School 49 44 1975

Musto Hollow Amish School * 33 2002

Ulysses Amish Parochial School * 26 2002 Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

* - Not established

Colleges, Universities, and Trade Schools

There are no colleges or universities within Potter County. Continuing education is important to ensure an educated workforce, develop productive members of society, and to reach one’s full economic potential. The following colleges and universities are located within a 100 mile radius of Coudersport Borough.

1. Alfred State College, Allegany County, NY 2. Alfred University, Allegany County, NY 3. Bucknell University, Union County, PA 4. Houghton College, Allegany County, NY 5. Keuka College, Yates County, NY 6. Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, Clinton County, PA 7. Lycoming College, Lycoming County, PA 8. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, Tioga County, PA

9. Penn State Dubois, Clearfield County, PA 10. Pennsylvania College of Technology, Lycoming County, PA 11. Saint Bonaventure University, Cattaraugus County, NY 12. University of Pittsburgh - Bradford, McKean County, PA

Source: PODUNK Libraries Community libraries are great sources of cultural, historical, technical, and practical information. In addition to the school libraries, there are seven public libraries in the county. Accessibility to these libraries is essential for success and convenience for the residents they serve. All of the public libraries in the county are located in population centers or clusters. Table 10-8 identifies the name of the library, location, and map reference number.

Table 10-8 Public Libraries

Potter County

Name Location

Map Reference

Coudersport Public Library Coudersport Borough 1

Galeton Public Library Galeton Borough 2

Genesee Area Library Genesee 3

Oswayo Valley Memorial Library

Shinglehouse Borough 4

Harrison Township Community Library

Harrison Township 5

Ulysses Library Ulysses Borough 6

L.L. Smith Public Library Roulette 7 Source: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation




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The Potter County Public Libraries were the recipients of the Gates Foundation, Libraries and Public Access to Information Program. Each library received computers and printers. Also, Microsoft donated a software package for each computer which includes: Encarta Encyclopedia, World Atlas, Researcher, Dictionary, Street and Trips, Frontpage, Photo Draw, Word, Excel, and 3 Magic School Bus programs. This translates into the following number of computers for public access:

Coudersport Library - 2 Galeton Library - 2 Genesee Library - 4 Shinglehouse Library - 4 Ulysses Library - 4

As one of the oldest libraries in Potter County, the Coudersport Public Library was established in 1850, and has been serving the information and recreational reading needs of Coudersport area residents for nearly 150 years. In addition to the 27,000 books and 150 videos in circulation, the Coudersport Library has a small collection of historical data and census records.

A new library was constructed in Galeton Borough at the Galeton Recreation Area. The new library will serve the needs of the community well into the future by providing access to over 10,000 books and 274 videos and 280 videos geared towards children. The library also contains geneology and the Galeton cemetery listings.

The Genesee Public Library is a small rural library located in the former Genesee Bank Building in northern Potter County. The library offers outreach services, story sessions and summer reading programs. The library is also in the process of developing a historical and genealogical section to complement its general circulation resources. The library has plenty of small town charm, friendliness and helpfulness. In total, the Genesee Library has 7,000 book in circulation and approximately 150

videos.

The Oswayo Valley Memorial Library is located in North Central Pennsylvania in the town of Shinglehouse, approximately 4 miles south of the New York state border. The library was organized in 1915 by the Women's Club. The current building was built as a memorial for the servicemen of the area that served in World War I. The library has a strong collection of local history, including census records from 1850-1920, as well as cemetery listings, which include the immediate NY state border towns. It also has 3 public access computers (with internet), videos, and books on tape, and offers a variety of programs free of charge to the public. The collection consists of approximately 19,000 books, 200 videos, and an assortment of periodicals. It also has a rotating collection of videos, DVDs, CDs, books on tape, and large print books.

The library in Ulysses was built in 1918 with a bequest as a memorial to Willis I. Lewis, a descendant of a Ulysses founding family. Previously, the ladies of the community had struggled to maintain an inadequately housed collection of books. The building was 550 square feet and was designed to house 4,000 volumes.

In 1989 Laura Lewis bequeathed a sum of money to the Library Association. In 1999 a building committee was formed, and on August 3, 2001, a contract for $196,000 was signed to construct the new 2,800 square foot building. In April of 2002 the library moved into its new building. As of December 2003 the building and furnishings are paid.

Since moving into the new building, the library has found that circulation has increased by over 30%. In 2001 the total circulation was 7,324, and in 2002 it had increased to 17,000 books and videos in 2005. Past records show that in 1983 the total circulation was 3,294.

Mission Statement

The purpose and major responsibility of the Board of Trustees is the maintenance of a free, public, nonsectarian library. It serves the informational, educational and recreational needs of all the residents of the area for which the board is responsible by providing free access: (1) to an organized and currently useful collection of printed items and other materials, and (2) to the services of a staff trained to recognize and provide for those needs.

It shall be the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to meet those standards for public libraries as established by borough, county, state, or other governmental bodies, in order that the Ulysses Library be recognized as a free, public library, registered with the state as a charitable institution; and as a free and independent institution for the public welfare.

Map 10-1 graphically shows the location of the county’s libraries.




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Health Care Facilities and Hospitals

Accessibility to health care facilities, including hospital care, is important for county residents of all ages. The Charles Cole Memorial Hospital is centrally located to all residents and easily accessible on Route 6. The hospital was originally known as Potter County Memorial Hospital and was located in Coudersport Borough. The hospital was constructed in 1967, with major additions constructed in 1976 and 1977. The Hospital has 70 acute care beds, a 55-bed nursing home, and a 10-bed short-stay in-patient geriatric behavioral health unit. Cole Manor, a residential care facility located in downtown Coudersport, is a subsidiary of the hospital. These facilities, combined with the satellite health centers, make Charles Cole Memorial Hospital the premier healthcare provider for the region. The following is a list of departments, in-patient services, and out-patient services available through the Hospital.

24-Hour Emergency Department

Cardiac / Intensive Care Unit

Pediatrics

Medical-Surgical Units

An inpatient care for medical, surgical and pediatric patients, specializing in general medical conditions and postoperative patient care.

Obstetrics / Gynecology

Private Labor-Delivery-Recovery rooms with individual bathrooms with whirlpool tubs. Mother and baby then move to private postpartum rooms. Gynecological Surgery patients are also treated in this area.

Surgical Services

Inpatient and outpatient surgeries and diagnostic procedures are performed in the modern surgical suite, minor surgery room, or the endoscopy suite. Surgical services include:

• Same Day Surgery (Short Procedure Unit) • Laparoscopic Surgery • Laser Surgery • Cosmetic Laser Treatments • Same Day Surgery • Minor Procedure Room

Radiology

The Radiology Department provides routine and specialized imaging and/or therapeutic procedures for inpatients, outpatients and emergency patients. Radiology services include:

• Diagnostic Radiology • Ultrasound • Spiral CT Scan • PET Scan • Nuclear Medicine • Diagnostic Cardiology Services • X-Ray • Mammography and Breast Imaging

• MRI • DEXA Scan Bone Densitometry • Stress Testing • Dual Head Nuclear Camera

Respiratory Care

Pathology & Laboratory Services • Accredited by the College of American Pathologists

Social Services

Case managers and social workers provide assistance to patients for post-discharge needs, such as home health care, counseling services, medical equipment and nursing home placement. Nutrition Services

Providing food for patients, visitors, and staff. A Registered Dietitian is available to provide medical nutrition therapy to help prevent or treat a wide variety of conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, gastrointestinal disorders, and weight control.

Rehabilitation Services

Occupational Health Services

Outpatient Diabetes Education

• Our ADA Certified Program offers self-management techniques and specialized education and support programs.

Long Term Care Unit

A 55-bed nursing home providing social and medical care on a temporary or permanent basis. The staff works together with the resident and family in developing and implementing a plan to provide for the physical, emotional, spiritual, and recreational needs of the individual. Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit for Seniors

Diagnosis and treatment of the complex problems of older adults in a short-stay residential setting. Treatment teams of medical and clinical professionals work together to pinpoint the nature of the problems and help the patients and families begin the recovery process.

Home Health and Hospice Services

Integrative Medicine

Integrative Medicine incorporates complementary medicine modalities with traditional medical treatment. Acupuncture, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and Massage are all available. A labyrinth, a tool for meditation, is located on the hospital campus, adjacent to the Tranquility Garden at the Patterson Cancer Care Center. Charles Cole Memorial Hospital's Patterson Cancer Care Center now provides radiation oncology in addition to the medical oncology the services available there. The Cancer Center project was completed in 2005.




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The following health care centers are located throughout the populated regions of the county, and in adjoining counties:

Health Centers of Charles Cole Memorial Hospital

Potter County Galeton Health Center - 30 River Street, Galeton Northern Potter Health Center - Academy Street, Ulysses Shinglehouse Health Center - Lyons Street, Shinglehouse Tioga County Westfield Health Center -222 Church Street, Westfield Cameron County Emporium Health Center -Sizerville Road, Emporium McKean County

Port Allegany Health Center -45 Pine Street, Port Allegany Port Allegany Family Practice - 45 Pine Street, Port Allegany Eldred Health Center - 139 Main Street, Eldred Bowman Health Center - 83 S. Marvin Street, Smethport

Map 10-4 shows the location of the Charles Cole Memorial Hospital and the three health care facilities located in Potter County.




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Municipal Parks and Recreation

There are two municipal parks in the county with 31 acres of land. These facilities include tennis courts, picnic areas, baseball fields, swimming pools, basketball courts, and a football field. In addition, there is a Country Club with an eighteen hole golf course, seven state parks and state forest picnic areas with picnicking permitted in all, camping in five, and swimming in three. Table 10-9 lists the municipal parks and recreation facilities in the county, and Map 10-3 graphically shows their locations.

Table 10-9

Municipal Parks and Recreation Facilities

Facility Name Description Coudersport Area Recreation Park Facilities at the park include baseball fields, lighted softball field,

football and track facilities, tennis and basketball courts, sandpit

volleyball, playground equipment, and picnic facilities. Due to the park’s location in the most populated municipality in the county, this park is the most used recreational facility in the county.

Coudersport Area Swimming Pool The pool is located in Coudersport Borough and opens Memorial Day and closes Labor Day. It features standard pool facilities and

has swimming instruction for all age groups throughout the summer.

Facility Name Description Galeton Recreation Area This park currently has picnic facilities, kid’s playground,

band/display area, lighted basketball and tennis courts, and fishing,

and is the location of the new Library.

Potter County Fairgrounds

Hosts the Potter County Fair. The site is located in Millport and equipped with a grandstand and numerous display areas.

Hammersly Wild Area An extremely remote area located just north of Cross Fork. This area is virtually untouched by man and is an excellent area to just get away.

Coudersport Country Club An eighteen hole golf course, with lounge, banquet facility, and locker rooms. The Country Club is available to the public through a rental arrangement with catering services provided by the club.

Roulette Township A one acre lot in the Village of Roulette. This park has playground equipment, basketball court, park benches, and a picnic area.

Baseball fields are located at a dedicated field.

Harrison Valley Lighted softball field. One of two in the county that have lights for

evening games.

North Fork Dam County Park (Proposed Improvements)

Informal multi-purpose field, loop trail, tot/youth play lot, sledding, picnicking, and hiking.

Ulysses Basketball court on Water Street, and baseball field on Grove Street.

Saulter Watershed Preserve The preserve is a mixed pine and hardwood forest encompassing 57 acres. Attractions include a one mile nature trail, with sixteen

stops where you can learn about wetlands, animal tracts, natural fields, and acres of forests. An environmental center is located on the property. The preserve is located on SR 44, north of

Coudersport.

Shinglehouse Memorial Park and Nature Trail

The park has two large pavilions, two small pavilions, playground swings, horseshoe pits, two volleyball courts, restrooms, and a

nature preserve. Source: 1998 Comprehensive Plan and County Planning Commission

North Fork County Park

North Fork Park is a community recreation site located in northern Harrison Township. The park is approximately 150 acres in size and located on the lands of the North Fork flood control project in the White Branch, a tributary to the North Fork of the Cowanesque River. In 2003, the county commissioned a study to determine the recreation value of the park. The study was conducted by Yost, Strodoski, and Mears (YSM). The study identified the following four primary goals:

1. Goal 1 – Protect and preserve the site’s flood control function and natural features. 2. Goal 2 – Develop the site to accommodate a wide variety of users.

3. Goal 3 – Involve Harrison Township residents in the master site of North Fork Park.

4. Goal 4 – Consider the long term maintenance of North Fork Park as part of the planning

process.




10-15

Using the four identified goals as guiding principles, the consultant prepared a Final Master Plan for North Fork Park which calls for a three phase development schedule. Phase 1 improvements include construction of aggregate trails connecting facilities constructed in this phase and encircling the lake, the eastern picnic area and amenities, restroom, and eastern parking area improvements. This phase will provide park facilities that can be enjoyed by a broad cross-section of the community and will create excitement about the park. Phase 2 improvements include construction of aggregate trails and the cleared and compacted earthen trails, the western picnic area with the warming hut/pavilion and amenities, and western parking area improvements. Phase 3 improvements include construction of the playground and trail amenities for the sourthern parcel. Costs estimates are based on year 2003 construction costs. Phase 1 - $406,535 Phase 2 - $229,654 Phase 3 - $ 80,941 Total $717,130 Detailed costs estimates for each phase along with the final master plan and goals and objectives can be found in the North Fork Park Master Site Plan on file with the county planning commission. The park is located in Harrison Township in an area designated as Rural Resource in the Future Land Use Plan. Development in the Rural Resource land classification is non-intensive and should have minimal to no impact on the development of the park. The Potter County Comprehensive Plan encourages development of parks and recreation areas and supports grant funding for the implementation of the recommendations described in the North Fork Park Master Site Plan and municipal park development programs. Emergency Services Quick responses to a medical emergency or fire and assistance from local and state police are services expected by the local residents of the county, and contribute to a high quality of life. Failure of one or more of these services can result in damage to property, and adversely affect overall public heath and safety. Fire Protection and Ambulance Service Fire protection is provided by ten volunteer fire departments and emergency medical care by eight ambulatory centers located throughout county. The fire stations and ambulatory centers are generally located in the developed boroughs and population centers of the county, which ensures adequate response time to a fire or medical emergency; however, a review of the equipment associated with these service providers reveals that the majority of the vehicles are from the mid 1980’s. These vehicles require a tremendous amount of maintenance; however, the age of these vehicles does not appear to be a problem. Table 10-10 lists the fire companies and ambulances and associated coverage. Map 10-4 graphically shows the location of the fire stations along with service areas.

Table 10-10 Fire and Ambulatory Stations

Population Served Company Name

1990 2002

Austin Fire and Ambulance

Austin Borough 569 623

Keating Township 304 307

Portage Township 176 1,348

Summit Township – Southern Half 58 56

Sylvania Township 80 91

Wharton Township 85 114

Total Fire and Ambulance Coverage 1,272 2,509

Coudersport Fire and Ambulance

Allegany Township – Western One-Third 138 134

Coudersport Borough 2,854 2,650

Eulalia Township 686 932

Hebron Township – Southern Half 263 311

Homer Township 216 390

Summit Township – Northern Half 57 56

Sweden Township 581 775


Galeton Fire and Ambulance

Abbott Township (Ambulance Only) 173 226

Galeton Borough 1,370 1,325

Hector Township – Southern One-Third 112 151

Pike Township 252 292

Ulysses Township – Southern Half 279 691

West Branch Township – Fire Company Covers Half of Population

286 392

Total Fire Coverage 2,156 2,851

Total Ambulance Coverage 2,472 2,881

Genesee – Station 37 (Includes Ambulance Service)

Allegany Township – Northern One-Third 138 134

Bingham Township – Northern One-Third 279 229

Genesee Township 830 789


Germania Fire Department

Abbott Township 173 226

West Branch Township – Southern Half 143 196

Total Fire Coverage 316 422

Harrison Township Fire Department

Harrison Township 1,129 1,093

Hector Township – Northern One-Third 112 151





10-16

Kettle Creek Fire and Ambulance

Leidy Township – Clinton County - -

Stewardson Township 66 74

Total Fire and Ambulance Coverage 66 74

Roulette Fire and Ambulance

Clara Township – Southern Half 67 84

Pleasant Valley – Southern Half 39 40

Roulette Township 1,266 1,348


Shinglehouse Fire and Ambulance

Clara Township – Northern Half 67 84

Hebron Township – Northern Half 262 311

Oswayo Township 156 *

Oswayo Borough 214 410

Pleasant Valley Township – Northern Half 39 40

Sharon Township 841 907

Shinglehouse Borough 1,243 1,250

Ceres Township – McKean County - -


Tri-Town Fire and Ambulance

Allegany Township – Eastern One-Third 137 134

Bingham Township – Southern Half 278 229

Harrison Township – Ambulance Only, Fire Covers Western One-Third 565 1,093

Hector Township – Western One-Third 112 151

Ulysses Borough 653 684

Ulysses Township – Northern Half 557 691


Total Ambulance Coverage 2,302 2,982 Source: Potter County 1998 Comprehensive Plan and Potter County Planning Commission * Combined with Oswayo Borough

(1) A portion of Harrison Township is covered by Sabinsville Ambulance Service Fire Companies and Major Equipment Station 44 Austin Volunteer Fire Company, Inc – Fire and Ambulance

Address – 42 Main Street P.0. Box 328 Austin, PA 16720 AVFD covers approximately 222 square miles, the largest fire district in the State of Pennsylvania covered by a single station. Austin Borough is the company’s host municipality and has 35 fire hydrants spaced approximately 500' apart which serves the borough fairly well. The rest of its District is very rural and the company depends on tankers. The company has two tankers: one a

1976 International which carries 1600 gallons and the other a 1971 MACK which carries 3000 gallons. There are two dry hydrants in Keating Township which are well located and the company is working with Wharton Township to install one in their municipality. The rest of company’s coverage area includes Portage, Sylvania and the southern end of Summit Townships. In this area the company relies on streams and ponds and tanker shuttle. AVFD has 22 active firefighters at this time. The company had as many as 75 members and as low as 10 in 1988. Membership interest spiked after the September 11, 2001. AVFD personnel are well trained and do an excellent job; however, it finds itself shorthanded during the day when many members are at work. General Equipment

� 1985 GMC-FMC – 1,000 Pump – 1,000 Water Pump � 1980 Seagraves – 1,000/Minute Watrous Pump, 500 Gallon Tank, and On-board Foam

System � 1979 Chevy 4 x 4 Pickup Truck – Setup for fighting wildfires � 1975 International – 1,800 Gallon Water Tank � 1988 Ford F-350 Type III Ambulance � 1989 ford F-350 Type III Ambulance � 1993 – Dodge D-350 Rescue Unit

HAZ MAT Equipment

� No HAZ MAT Equipment Listed

All units are available for mutual aid depending on availability of personnel or on-going emergency. No Hazardous Material (HAZ MAT) Response capabilities. Station 48 - Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department, Inc and Ambulance Association

Address - P.O. Box 203, West Second Street Coudersport, PA 16915 General Equipment

� 1984 Ambulance Type III � 1987 Ambulance Type III � 1993 KME - 1,500 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) 1,000 Gallon Tanker � 1980GMC E-One 4 x 4 1,000 GPM (FM) 250 GPM (MS) 300 Gallons � 1985 4 x 4 Utility/Wildfire Equipment and Six Wheeler � 1989 Ford 1,000 GPM (FM) 3,500 Gallon Tank with 3,500 Gallon Portable Tank � 1980 E-One 4 x 4 Chevy QRS Certified � 1976 1,250 GPM 300 Gallon, 65’ Pre-Piped Aerial � Polaris 6 x 6 All Terrain Vehicle – Special Rescue Vehicle � 1963 Amberican Lafrance 250 GPM 300 Gallon 85’ Aerial � Foam Capabilities




10-17

HAZ MAT Equipment

� HAZ MAT PIGGS of Absolute Clothes � Shovels � Brooms � 1 Multi-Gas Detector

The Coudersport Fire and Ambulance serves the largest population area of the county, and covers the Route 6 Corridor, which is heavily developed and traveled. As a result of the continuous truck traffic, some of which carries hazardous material, the Coudersport Fire Company has HAZ MAT response capabilities. Station 10 – Galeton Fire and Ambulance

Address - Galeton Ambulance Company P.O. Box 223, West Street Galeton, PA 16922 General Equipment

� 1991 Horton-Ford Type 3 – E-350 � 1999 Horton-Ford Type 1 – E-350 � 1994 Horton-Ford Type 3 – E-350

Goodyear Hose Company Address - 87 Sherman Street Galeton, PA General Equipment

� No equipment listing provided HAZ MAT Equipment


Station 37 – Genesee Fire and Ambulance Address - Genesee Ambulance Association P.O. Box 9 Genesee, PA 16923 General Equipment

� 1980 Ford Type II Ambulance � 1991 Ford Type II Ambulance

Address - Genesee Volunteer Fire Company P.O. Box 235 Genesee, PA 16923 General Equipment

� 1988 1,250 GPM 750 Gallons Engine � 1980 400 GPM 250 Gallon Mini-Pumper � 1977 250 GPM 1,800 Gallon Tanker

HAZ MAT Equipment


Station 19 – Germania Fire Department Address - RR 1, Box 48 Galeton, PA 16922 General Equipment

� 1952 750 GPM 950 Gallon Engine � 1970 1,000 GPM 500 Gallon Engine � 1987 1,000 GPM 200 Gallon Mini-Pumper 150 GPM Mid-Ship Mount � 1978 500 GPM 3,500 Gallon Tanker

No Hazardous Material (HAZ MAT) Response capabilities. Station 20 – Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Company, Inc Address - P.O. Box 96 Harrison Valley, PA 16927 General Equipment

� 1964 750 GPM 500 Gallon Engine � 1964 750 GPM 500 Gallon Engine � 1978 1,250 GPM 500 Gallon Engine � 1984 400 GPM 2,500 Gallon Batch Mix Class A � 1984 QRS Certified Special Rescue Vehicle




10-18

HAZ MAT Equipment

� One Spill Kit Other Equipment

� Downed Aircraft Locator � Various Water Rescue and Underwater Recovery Apparatus

Station 26 – Kettle Creek Fire and Ambulance

Address - P.O. Box 289 Cross Fork, PA 17729

� 1989 Ford Mobile Med – Type III � 26-1 – Engine � 26-2 – Engine � 26-3 Tanker � 26-4 Tanker

HAZ MAT Equipment


Station 46 – Roulette Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Address - P.O. Box 173, River Street Roulette, PA 16756 General Equipment

� 1983 Modular Ford Ambulance � 1979 Ford Van Ambulance � 1967 International 1,000 Gallons 750 GPM � 1995 International 1,000 Gallons 1,250 GPM � 1966 F-800

HAZ MAT Equipment


Station 39 – Shinglehouse Ambulance Association

Address - P.O. Box 98 Shinglehouse, PA 16748

General Equipment

� 1999 Ambulance – Type III – 450 � 1993 Ambulance – Type III

Station 36 – Shinglehouse Fire Company

Address - Shinglehouse Volunteer Fire Department P.O. Box 475 Shinglehouse, PA 16748 General Equipment

� No equipment Listing Provided HAZ MAT Equipment


Station 47 – Tri-Town Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Address - 408 North Water Street Ulysses, PA 16748 General Equipment

� 1998 Ambulance – Type 1 � 1993 Ambulance – Type 1 � Ford Seagrave Engine 1,000 GPM � Ford Hawn Engine 750 GPM � Chevy Mini Pumper 500 GPM � Ford Tanker 4,500 Gallons � Ford Rescue Vehicle

HAZ MAT Equipment





10-19

Emergency Services Needs

Potter County Department of Emergency Services

As part of this analysis, the Potter County Department of Emergency Services was requested to provide a list of future needs and capital outlays. The department recorded the following needs:

� Digital Microwave is needed to replace the outdated analog system currently in place. The department’s Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) is located in Wellsboro; the system would need to extend through both counties. The benefits of the project would be increased with future projects such as: Wireless – Phase I and Phase II, Data Transfer (ie., GIS), E-911 information for Computer Aided Dispatch, and Update back-Up 911 PASP – Potter County.

� Security Systems at all county facilities – With the advent of Homeland Security issues for all

our safety, it is necessary to explore what hardware is necessary to secure government facilities throughout the county.

� Update Emergency Operations Center to meet current standards that apply. Current issues

include security, American with Disabilities Act, Floodplain Issues, Back-Up 911 PSAP to co-locate, current technology needs, and building expansion/space needs.

� High Power Regional Paging – Digital paging to alert resources and personnel. The topography

of the county contributes to the difficulty in using pagers. It is recommended by the county emergency services department to utilize Alpha/Numeric paging.

Austin Volunteer Fire Company Austin Volunteer Fire Co., Inc. (AVFD) is in need of a new engine. The company’s newest engine is a 1985 FMC and its next is a 1980 Seagrave. According to AVFD, both engines run well but require frequent maintenance. Due to budget constraints, the company is unable to buy a new apparatus. Most of its money is spent on maintaining its existing apparatus and equipment, building maintenance, utilities and insurance, not leaving much money for apparatus upgrades or new equipment. AVFD would like to be able to purchase a thermal imaging camera but is unable to afford one at this time. Access to a thermal imaging camera would be through a mutual aid company which is approximately 30 miles away. AVFD would like to be able to upgrade its apparatus, which is aging. Its newest piece of equipment is a 2003 Ford E450 Ambulance. The company’s communications with McKean and Cameron Counties has been getting better; however, AVFD cannot talk with Cameron County Fire Departments with whom AVFD runs mutual aid calls.

Police Protection Similar to many rural counties, local police forces are rare and not the norm in Potter County. Of the 30 local municipalities in the county, only five municipalities have a local police department. These municipalities include Austin Borough, Coudersport Borough, Galeton Borough, Shinglehouse Borough, and Sweden Township. For the most part, these forces are associated with population centers. The Pennsylvania State Police provides coverage in the other twenty-five municipalities from their barracks on Route 6 in Sweden Township. The barracks is centrally located to all municipalities in the county; however, the far reaching ones may experience slower response time, depending on where the patrol officer is at the time of the call. The occurrence and types of crime are important indicators to the quality of life in the county. Table 10-11 provides a breakdown of crime by offense code for a five year period from 2000 – 2004. Crime in the county generally revolves around drug possession, assaults, burglary, theft, and alcohol. This type of crime could be attributed the transient nature of the county and recreation and hunting cabins. Unattended homes, cabins, and recreation structures are ripe for burglaries and vandalism. Alcohol leads to assaults, disorderly conduct, and driving under the influence.

Table 10-11

Crime Statistics (Reported Crimes) 2000 - 2004

Offense Code 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004* Total

01A – Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter 1 1 2

18B – Drug Sale/Mfg – Marijuana 3 2 2 7

18E – Drug Possession – Opium-Cocaine 2 1 3

18F – Drug Possession – Marijuana 18 22 21 15 1 77

18G – Drug Possession – Synthetic 1 2 1 4

18H – Drug Possession - Other 1 2 1 4

020 – Forcible Rape 3 2 2 2 9

040 – Aggravated Assaults 10 13 4 12 3 42

050 – Burglary 11 10 4 11 1 37

060 – Larcency Theft 8 15 15 9 3 50

070 – Motor Vehicle Theft 6 2 3 2 13

080 – Other Assaults 96 88 72 88 28 372

090 – Arson 5 3 2 1 11

100 – Forgery and Counterfeiting 2 2 3 7 14

110 – Fraud 35 34 45 33 34 181

120 – Embezzlement 2 2

130 – Stolen Property – Receiving, Possession, and Buying

2 6 12 1 4 25

140 – Vandalism 6 9 17 15 6 53

150 – Weapons, Carrying, Possession, Etc. 3 5 3 4 15

170 – Sex Offenses – Except 02 & 160 2 7 5 1 15

200 – Offenses Against Family and Children 2 1 4 7




10-20

Offense Code 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004* Total

210 – Driving Under the Influence 203 83 98 121 45 550

220 – Liquor Laws 34 31 21 16 4 106

230 – Drunkenness 7 4 3 5 1 20

240 – Disorderly Conduct 49 41 45 23 10 168

260 – All Other Offenses (Except Traffic) 42 52 56 37 16 203 Source – Uniform Crime Reporting * - Data through May 2004

Policing Needs

The Coudersport Police Department recorded the following needs:

� New Building – The Coudersport Police Department currently employs four full time officers and one part time officer. The department noted that space is inadequate to effectively manage everyday police activities. The department is also equipped with an intoxolizer unit but is unable to use it as the department does not have space to keep it set up. The department also noted that it has no dedicated garage facilities to protect its vehicles.

� Generator – The department noted it has no generator capabilities in case of power outage.

During a power outage, the department cannot run its computer, phone systems, or heat the building.

� Two in car cameras – The department noted that it doesn’t have in car video capabilities.

The purpose of in car video is to establish a video recording that is admissible in court as evidence as well as to resolve complaints filed against officers of the department.

� In-car computers – Installation in car computers will permit officers to check offenders from

the vehicle without having to return to the office.

� Vehicles – The department utilizes two police vehicles; both vehicles have over 90,000 miles on them. One was to be replaced in the spring of 2005; however, the second vehicle will require frequent maintenance, resulting in greater than accepted down time.

� Duty weapons – All full time officers carry department issued side arms that are five years

old. The department noted that those weapons should be replaced with newer, more dependable ones.

� Additional weapons – The department has identified the need for additional weapons to

equalize potential fire power conflicts. The department is requesting two police shotguns and two military style assault rifles.

� Digital camera – The department has requested a digital camera to record evidence as well

as to create mug shots of persons arrested.

Coudersport Borough is identified as the High Growth Area in Potter County. This means that residential and non-residential development will be encouraged in the Coudersport Region. The primary responsibility of the borough is to ensure that the public health safety and welfare of its citizens is protected. This plan supports the upgrading of the department’s facilities, vehicles, equipment, and weaponry as development and population warrants. However, the installation of a generator is of utmost importance to properly serve the citizens and business owners of Coudersport and is recognized as a high priority strategy.

Public Water and Sewage Services

Public Water Systems Dense development, such as what has occurred in the boroughs of the county, is generally driven by the availability of public infrastructure. Such infrastructure primarily should include the availability of highways, access to public water and sewerage facilities, and energy resources. The availability of public water and public sewerage, along with sufficient capacity to serve new development, is essential for enhanced development and in some circumstances to public health and safety. Table 10-12 provides information on each system. Data found in Table 10-12 was obtained from the county’s comprehensive plan and survey/interviews. There are a total of seven public systems operating in the county. They include Shinglehouse Borough, Ulysses Borough, Coudersport Borough, Austin Borough, Galeton Borough, Genesee Township, and Roulette Township. The primary sources of water for these systems are deep wells or springs. System information provided by each operator reveals all but Galeton Borough and Roulette Township have sufficient capacity to meet existing and future demands. The Roulette system is privately operated; however, the township is in the process of purchasing the system. Total systems capacity is 3,658,000 million gallons. Average public water usage countywide is 1,032,000 gallons per day. It was noted in the county’s 1998 draft plan that industries requiring large amounts of water would have difficulty receiving a sufficient supply from the existing systems. In areas of proposed expansions, additional water supply will be required. Detailed information on proposed improvements, management, and operating expenses can be viewed in the Potter County Water and Wellhead Protection Plan currently being prepared.




10-21

Public Sewer Systems The Comprehensive Area Wide Water and Sewer Plan for Potter County was adopted by all county municipalities in 1970 and 1971. The plan is considered the official sewer plan for all communities and addresses such items as future service areas. Since 1971, the following communities have amended the original 1970 plan:

Municipality Amendment Date

Austin Borough January 29, 1992

Harrison Township March 10, 1995 and November 19, 2002

Roulette Township August 25, 1992 and September 28, 1995

Abbott Township June 16, 1994 and November 2, 2000

Austin Borough December 29, 1992

Coudersport Borough May 14, 1999

Ulysses Borough February 1,1999 Source: Department of Environmental Protection

Overall, the current plans for Potter County Sewage Facilities are to sewer all unsewered villages and provide extensions and facilities to support those extensions from the existing public sewer systems into problem areas and potential development areas. A total of eight public sewerage systems are operating in the county. They generally coincide with the boroughs in the county or small populated villages, such as Germania and the Harrison Valley System. Table 10-13 provides information on each system. Data found in Table 10-13 was obtained from the county’s comprehensive plan and survey/interviews with the system operators. All but Shinglehouse Borough and Coudersport Borough are operating within permitted capacity levels. Coudersport Borough is operating at approximately 126% of its permitted normal capacity and Shinglehouse Borough is operating at 116% of its permitted capacity. This is significant because growth management strategies guide new development to areas served by public infrastructure. Coudersport Borough, being the county seat and center of activity in the county, is operating above its permitted capacity; therefore, new connections to this system may be difficult, if not impossible, unless upgrades are made to the system. Improvements to the Coudersport Borough system should be considered a priority since the Borough is classified as the high growth area if the county. Sewage Needs

The Coudersport Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant is new and the borough is not looking at any required improvements to the sewer plant. However, many of the sewer mains are old clay tile lines that were installed in the early 1900’s and many are cracked making the entire system prone to inflow and infiltration problems. This contributes millions of gallons of water into the sewer plant, which causes overloading during certain rain events. The borough indicated that replacement of approximately 50,000 linear feet of piping would significantly correct the inflow and infiltration problem. Coudersport Borough and surrounding areas have been identified as the High Growth Area

in the county on the future land use plan. Corrective measures to reduce inflow and infiltration would allow additional opportunities for growth within Coudersport Region. Bingham Township is currently faced with severe sewage problems in the two small communities of West and North Bingham, The Township’s SEO has found that sewage is leaking into the ground and surrounding small streams and the Genesee River. High levels of bacteria were found in wells and drinking water of both communities. An Act 537 Plan is required to develop corrective actions. West Bingham and North Bingham are identified as rural hamlets on the future land use plan. Rural hamlets generally consist of existing cross road development and do not play a significant role in future development. However, corrective actions to control the discharge of raw sewage are recognized as a priority of this plan. As such, this plan supports the development of an Act 537 Plan for these two communities and the installation of an appropriate sewage treatment facility to address West Bingham and North Bingham proper.

Map 10-2 graphically shows public water and public sewer service areas, associated support facilities, and buffers.




10-22

Table 10-12

Public Water Systems Potter County

Customers

Facility Name

Ownership Type

System Capacity

(MGD)

Average Usage Per

Day (MGD)

Peak Usage Per

Day (MGD)

Peak Usage Exceeds

System Capacity Storage Type Residential

Non-Residential

Shinglehouse Borough

Borough .250 .170 .190 No Storage tanks 444 49

Ulysses Borough Authority .144 .065 .102 No Reservoir and Two Storage Tanks 204 32

Coudersport Borough

Authority 2.8 .400 .500 No Storage Tanks 1,300 Total Customers

Austin Borough Authority .129 .063 .121 No Reservoir and Storage Tanks 250 Total Customers

Galeton Borough Authority .250 .235 .450 Yes Reservoir and Storage Tanks 640 Total Customers

Genesee Water System

Township .010 .002

- No Storage Tank and Spring 150 Total Customers

Roulette Township Township .075 .097 .124 Yes Storage Tanks 414 17

Total - 3.658 1.032 1.487 - - - -

Source: Survey and Interviews – 2002




10-23

Table 10-13

Public Sewer Systems Potter County

Customers

Facility Name Ownership

Type

Permitted

Capacity (MGD)

Average Daily

Load (MGD)

% of Average Daily Load to

Permitted Capacity (MGD)

Low

Load (MGD)

High

Load (MGD) Residential

Non-

Residential

Receiving

Stream

Free Capacity

(MGD)

Shinglehouse Borough Borough .160 .186 116% .106 .436 432 49 Honeoye Creek

0

Ulysses Borough Authority .150 .071 50.6% * * 222 39 Genesee River

.079

Coudersport Borough Authority

.950 Normal 1.8 Wet

4.2 Extreme Wet

1.2 126% .60 1.8 1,200 Total Customers Allegheny River

0

Austin Borough Authority .080 .061 76% .042 .114 250 Total Customers West Branch

Run .019

Galeton Borough Authority .50 .250 50% .10 .80 640 Total Customers Pine Creek .250

Harrison Valley System Township .070 .040

57% .030 .042 221 Total Customers

Cowanesque River

.030

Roulette Township Township Data Not Available

Germania System Township .013 - - - - 56 Total Customers Germania Branch

0

Total 1,926,000 1,808,000 - - - 3,109 Total Customers .378

Source: Survey and Interviews – 2002




10-24

Solid Waste and Recycling The Potter County Solid Waste Management Plan was approved by the Department of Environmental Protection on August 24, 2000, and expires in 2010. The plan requires all waste generated in the county to flow through the Potter County Solid Waste Transfer and Recycling Facility on SR 49 in Ulysses Township for transfer to a landfill located in Angelica, New York. The county has a ten year reserved capacity limit at the landfill. The Waste Transfer and Recycling Facility was constructed in 1989 and handles approximately 7,500 tons per year. Of the thirty municipalities, only Genesee Township provides solid waste weekly pick-up, which is a service of the municipality. All other municipalities allow residents to contract with a licensed hauler or drop the waste off at the solid waste facility. Pike, West Branch, Abbot, and Stewardson Townships have dumpsters at designated drop-off areas for municipal waste disposal. A hauler then picks up the dumpster and delivers the solid waste to the county’s facility. Designated recycling centers are located throughout the county for easy accessibility by county residents. Potter County does not have any active landfills; however, there are numerous closed landfill sites located throughout the county. The locations of the closed landfills are graphically identified on Map 10-2 along with a development restriction buffer of 500’ and 1,000’. Development around these closed facilities should conduct environmental testing to ensure contamination has not crept onto adjoining properties.

Electric Facilities

Electric service is primarily provided in the county by the West Penn Power Company, Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, and the Pennsylvania Electric Company. The expansion of the power grid, specifically, power to local communities and individual homes is generally the responsibility of the developer or property owner. However, the deregulation of the electric industry may lead to other suppliers in the county.

The Department of Energy's Wind Program and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently published a new wind resource map for the state of Pennsylvania. This resource map shows wind speed estimates at 50 meters above the ground and depicts the resource that could be used for utility-scale wind development. Future plans are to provide wind speed estimates at 30 meters, which are useful for identifying small wind turbine opportunities.

As a renewable resource, wind is classified according to wind power classes, which are based on typical wind speeds. These classes range from class 1 (the lowest) to class 7 (the highest). In general, wind power class 4 or higher can be useful for generating wind power with large turbines. Class 4 and above are considered good resources.

This map indicates that Pennsylvania has wind resources consistent with utility-scale production. The good-to-excellent wind resource areas are concentrated on ridge crests in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, located southwest of Altoona and southeast of Pittsburgh.

According to DCNR, wind power might be appropriate for consideration on a few (1 – 3%) state lands based on the wind map of PA. With the exception of the Lake Erie shore, there isn't much of a wind resource in northern Pennsylvania. As a practical matter, the wind industry and local governments have to figure out a way to get along in PA. Once that happens and there's a level of stability to the wind development process in PA, DCNR will engage the environmental community, wind developers and local governments. Another option to wind resource energy is the development of a hydroelectric dam. One potential location for a dam is on the Allegheny River at Burtville. This project is at the concept stage and no formal discussions have taken place; however, concept development of this project would occur over the timeframe of this plan; therefore, it is important to identify the project in this plan. It is recommended that a committee be formed to further consider and develop the concept, and that a feasibility study be conducted on the likelihood of the project moving from the conceptual stage to engineering.




10-25

Potter County Educational Council

The Potter County Educational Council (PCEC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting area residents in their pursuit of higher education, and is one of nine Community Educational Councils originally established to advance higher education opportunities in counties that did not have colleges. The PCEC acts as a liaison between individual needs and area educational resources, and they honor the fact that their success will be measured by their ability to plan and coordinate programs based on the astute assessment of community needs. They carry out their mission by offering college accredited courses, skills training, seminars and workshops as well as career and financial aid counseling, and they work closely with Potter County businesses and industry to create a strong economic base for the county’s communities by providing a skilled and qualified employee base. Information about the many services the PCEC provides can be found at www.pottercountyedcouncil.org/main.htm or by visiting their offices in Coudersport and Galeton Boroughs.

The PCEC was created in 1994 from an idea presented by former State Senator John Peterson. The PCEC provides educational opportunities for rural constituents that are otherwise unavailable. Operational funding comes from the Department of Education. The Coudersport office includes office and classroom space, and a laptop wireless computer lab. In 2004, the PCEC had an enrollment of 1,100 students enrolled in 152 credit courses and 949 non-credit courses. In total, the PCEC had 3,719 intakes in 2004. The growth of the PCEC since it inception is extraordinary - from 100 students in 1994 to 1,100 in 2004. It is expected that the PCEC will continue to play an important role in providing credited classes and life enriching courses as the county continues to reshape its future. The objectives of the PCED include:

� To serve as a catalyst in bringing new education and training options to the area. � To serve as a resource to businesses seeking access to workforce development training and

post-secondary education.

� To serve as a clearinghouse for education and training resources in the area. Services provided by the PCEC include:

� Career/Education Counseling � Customized Job Training

� Exam Proctoring for placement tests, external studies, credit and non-credit courses

� Resume Creation

� Workforce Training and Development

Educational partners include East Stroudsburg University, Indiana University, Northern Tier Educational Initiative, Penn College of Technology, Penn State University, and Pitt Bradford University.

GIS Related Future Activities:

The Potter County Commissioners have, during the last year and a half, taken a pro-active stance with regard to geographic information systems (GIS). To ensure that this technology is available to aid in more informed decision making at all levels of the county, the Commissioners have entered into an agreement with the Tioga County GIS Department to provide mapping services with regard to Emergency Services, Planning, Tax Assessment and the Penn State Extension Office. In looking to the future, the following activities are viewed as necessary to maintain current and accurate information so that the best possible decisions can be made for Potter County: Creation of a Potter County GIS Potter County looks to create and maintain its own GIS data layers and have on staff an educated professional to help make decisions regarding all aspects of GIS, including but not limited to data layer creation, software and hardware purchases, enterprise networking, field data collection, data dissemination, stakeholder relationships with surrounding counties, municipalities, and state agencies, public relations, data and system integration throughout county agencies, and managing other projects where they involve GIS. Future GIS Projects Potter County looks to utilize GIS in the following projects, which look to start in the next 5 years:

1. Countywide readdressing 2. Hazard Mitigation Plan maintenance 3. Comprehensive Plan maintenance 4. PAMAP partnership project 5. Community & Economic Development outreach 6. Integration of additional county departments with GIS 7. Publishing a web mapping service for the public 8. Work with municipalities to integrate GIS into their workflows 9. Maintain current database for farms within county 10. Work with conservation district to catalog preserved farm lands.

In order to meet the needs of the above projects, Potter County will need to either employ a consultant or create a staff position to manage the above projects, as well as purchase the necessary hardware and software. The following is a cost estimate to purchase the hardware and software, and training.




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ITEM COST

Software

ArcInfo floating license $9,405.00

ArcInfo floating license $9,405.00

ArcEditor floating license $6,650.00

ARCGIS 3D Analyst $2,375.00

ARCGIS Spatial Analyst $2,375.00

ArcView concurrent use $2,992.50

ArcView concurrent use $2,992.50

ArcInfo COGO single user floating $2,375.00

ArcSDE (server) $30,000.00

SQL Standard $4,999.00

Software Maintenance

ArcInfo primary license $3,000.00

ArcInfo secondary license $1,200.00

ArcEditor primary license $1,500.00

ArcView primary license $700.00

ArcView secondary license $500.00

ArcGIS 3D Analyst $500.00

ArcGIS Spatial Analyst $500.00

ArcPress Concurrent $200.00

ArcSDE (1st license) $3,000.00

Training

Introduction to ARCGIS I $5,500.00

Introduction to ARCGIS II $8,250.00

ArcSDE administration $7,200.00

GIS for Tax Assessors $100.00

Urban and Regional Planning $200.00

ArcIMS

1st CPU ArcIMS $7,500.00

1st CPU ArcIMS yearly maintenance $1,500.00

Additional CPU ArcIMS $5,000.00

Additional CPU ArcIMS maintenance $1,000.00

Services

ArcIMS/ArcSDE installation/configuration $7,200.00

(doesn't include travel expenses)

Hardware

HP 5000PS 60" Plotter bundle $17,500.00

36" X 48" Digitizer $2,000.00

Total $147,619.00

Pennsylvania Broadband Consortium Pilot Project

The purpose of Pennsylvania Broadband Consortium Pilot Project is to establish a community based platform for delivery of advanced broadband services facilitating an increase in market adoptions and local economic growth through outreach and development. The project is funded through a pooling of federal, state, and local investments, with local contributions from the Potter and McKean County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities. The Potter/McKean County project is only one of three selected throughout Pennsylvania. The other two include Beaver County and Somerset County.

An Executive Report was prepared in December of 2004. The report included an introduction and background, market baseline and research, market factors and opportunity, strategy development, open access and competition, financial analysis and impact, organization strategies, uncertainties and risks, and conclusion and recommendations.

The study concluded that the leadership team is well positioned and respected in moving the initiative to a second stage, there is an ample roster of private industry partners that would respond to a local partnership, the marketplace has responded favorably to the notion of a broadband service offered through a community-centric model, and rural broadband development is becoming a priority of both federal and state agencies with numerous subsidy and incentive programs.

This plan supports moving forward with the creation of a nonprofit organization, under the name of Allegheny Broadband Connections (ABC) to move the project into a second phase, and preparation of any funding applications that could support the entry and expansion of broadband throughout the Potter/McKean County regions.

Council of Government

The communities of Potter County are beginning to recognize the benefits of working together to consolidate purchases and eliminate duplication of services. A COG was formed in Potter County to assist with developing purchasing power and as a way to get municipalities communicating. In total, the Potter County COG has had three meetings with approximately fourteen municipalities attending out of thirty. The following issues will be discussed over the next several meetings:

1. Comprehensive Plans 2. Zoning Ordinances 3. Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance 4. Multi-municipal plans and ordinances 5. Community visioning 6. Capital projects 7. Shared municipal services programs 8. Floodplain Management 9. Regional police assistance grant program 10. Sound land use practices 11. Cooperative purchasing programs

This plan supports the use of the COG to increase purchasing power and to open lines of communications between local municipal officials and the county.




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Food Bundle (Agri-Tourism) Project

The vision of this program is to investigate, promote, and build an economy around the agriculture business in the county. The initial plan is to work in building a strong farmers market in the county that offers a variety of foods and services. Future projects include developing a community kitchen, and food business incubator. The formulation of this project occurred towards the end of the planning process; however, it received a fair amount of attention during the public review process. Elements of Agri-Tourism include a corn maze, hayrides, public access to pumpkin patches, herb farm tours, and developing organic farms to name a few. Elements of the food business incubator include facility development, marketing, education outreach, and meals on wheels.

This plan supports expanding the county’s agricultural market by developing a strong farmers market, food business incubator, and a community kitchen, and applying for the necessary grants to support the project.

Chapter 10 - Communi.. - Potter County Pennsylvania

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