SHAMOKIN - As the June 30 departure of the PA CareerLink from the Shamokin site fast approaches, Northumberland County commissioners are optimistic the Career and Arts Center on Arch and Eighth streets will thrive.
"I'm very positive about the building remaining a viable part of Northumberland County," said Commissioner Frank Sawicki Wednesday.
"I think we're going to do well," said Commissioner Vinny Clausi. "I think we'll have enough money to maintain it."
This is a much more positive assessment from the commissioners' pessimistic attitude only months ago as they - as well as Snyder County commissioners, state representatives and senators and locally elected officials - fought a losing battle to keep the Shamokin and Selinsgrove sites from consolidating into one entity.
The local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and the Local Elected Officials (LEO) board serve as the oversight bodies for the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corp. (CPWDC), which administers the CareerLink program for a nine-county region in Central Pennsylvania. In November, WIB voted not to renew the leases; in April, they voted to relocate in the Sunbury Municipal Building.
The county was worried about several things, including:
- Losing an annual lease of $111,460.
- The possibility that Luzerne County Community College, which was located free of rent in the same building in exchange for reduced tuition, might need to raise its tuition if commissioners charged them.
- The greater Shamokin area is already located in a depressed section of the county, making it difficult for residents to travel to Sunbury.
The good news is there have been solutions to most of these problems.
In February, Central Susquehanna Opportunities, which was originally paying CareerLink for $11.74 a square foot, decided to remain in the building. They will now pay the county for $6.50 a square foot for 4,000 square feet of space, equalling an annual lease of $26,130. This move allows the community college to remain in the building rent-free.
According to county budget director Jeff McClintock, the county promised CSO, as a negotiation tool, a lease that would be equal to the price the CareerLink would pay in Sunbury.
Furthermore, the state Department of Labor and Industry, which was also paying rent to CareerLink, is currently negotiating with the county a lease for roughly 2,189 square feet of space. McClintock said no dollar per square foot has been decided yet.
This still leaves roughly 9,700 square feet and $80,000 to compensate for the loss of revenue from CareerLink, he said, but the county is currently working with several entities to occupy the space.
In fact, the commissioners met with members of the Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Tuesday to discuss how they can assist the county in attracting business into the county-owned building.
"We want to do whatever is right to keep the place full and the college around," said Clausi. "We have to do everything possible to keep it affordable."
The meeting, according to chamber director Sandy Winhofer, was "very informal."
"We want to know what we can do to entice businesses there," she said.
The only problem not currently being addressed is transportation for residents to reach the Sunbury site, which is approximately 30 minutes from the former site.
"We are trying to discuss these matters with other counties. It's all in the early stages. I'm not getting into it right now," said Clausi.
Sawicki acknowledged it was still a problem, but said there was still no alternatives for the county.
CPWDC Executive Director Shannon Miller said transportation has always been problematic for the rural area that encompasses more than 5,000 miles.
"Unfortunately, every part of our budget has been impacted by decreased funding and transportation continues to be an issue," she said.
The organization, however, will continued to work with partnering agencies and other organization to focus on improving the transportation, she said.
Asked to address the rumors of a satellite CareerLink office remaining in Shamokin, Miller said there will be no public services available. However, two CareerLink employees will be housed in the CSO office.
They are "individuals who would be going to provide services such as visiting employers to fill job orders or working within school districts in the southern end of the county," she explained.
The staffing has not yet been finalized because of the proximity to the moving date and missing a critical piece of their budget in the Department of Public Welfare EARN allocation.
McClintock said the county has been discussing with different organizations to provide similar services of the CareerLink at the site, but nothing is permanent yet. Because of contract negotiations, the county would not release any names.
In a press release from the CPWDC Thursday, Penny Hess, the site administrator of the Shamokin location, said the offices will remain open until Tuesday. Staff will continue to be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday in room 406 of the center.
Job seekers will be able to use the computer lab to update resumes, access online job search engines or prepare for WorkKey assessments, said Hess.
They can access the services at any time at www.paCareerLink.state.pa.us from any Internet connection. Those visiting local libraries are reminded that a driver's license or library car may be required for access.
Residents of Shamokin and the surrounding areas may contact or visit the closest PA CareerLink offices in Sunbury or Bloomsburg for services. Services will continued to be offered at the Selinsgrove CareerLink until Aug. 10.
To contact the Shamokin site, call 644-6570. To contact the new office in Sunbury, call 988-7300.