At the Tuesday, October 20 County Commissioners Work Session, a NewsLanc reporter asked how the County might be able to help the Pennsylvania Academy of Music (PAM) continue providing its public services in the midst of a present financial crisis. The Commissioners indicated that the County would not be financially assisting the struggling institution.

The October 17 Intelligencer New Era reported that Union National Community Bank, PAM’s lender, has requested immediate payment of $11.1 million, citing a failure to make debt service payments.

Commissioner Dennis Stuckey said that the County has, in the past, contributed $1 million to PAM. “I think that’s a nice cap,” Stuckey said, based on the precedent of an earlier $1 million contribution to the Fulton Opera House. “I don’t see the County in any position do anything with the Pennsylvania Academy of Music,” Stuckey concluded.

Commissioner Scott Martin noted that difficult economic times have brought a number of budget-strapped human service providers and nonprofits to request County aid. “And, unfortunately,” Martin said, “the County does not have the resources to be everything to all people.”

“We do wish them the best of luck,” Martin added, recognizing the Academy’s recent efforts to creatively increase revenues and support: “I think they definitely have a ‘think-tank’ mentality right now to try to pull themselves out, and are actively reaching out to the community and not just trying to bring it back to the County.”

Also at the Work Session, the Commissioners met with Lancaster City Administrator Patrick Hopkins to discuss the upcoming Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement between the City and County for shared information technology (IT) services. Under the agreement, the City will pay $34,770 in transitional costs and $5,500 each month for Help Desk and Network Support. The agreement, which comes at no cost to the County, will save the City $80-90,000 each year in staff and benefit costs, Hopkins said.

Mary Stehman, Chief Clerk of the Election Office, also met with the Commissioners to discuss polling place changes for approval tomorrow, and to request that the approval of new write-in policy guidelines be further postponed until next week. The delay, Stehman said, is the result of new questions and comments submitted by an area political party. Stehman said that the Election Office will again meet with party representatives tomorrow to discuss the proposed guidelines.