HONESDALE, PA — The Wayne County Commissioners on December 3 approved a request to seek quotes for a $2 million tax anticipation note.

Funding for expenses between the end of the year and the beginning of the county’s receipt of tax payments supporting the new budget routinely call for this interim borrowing.

Chief clerk Vicky Botjer said the $2 million amount is the same as last year’s note, which has been retired.

Three years ago, the county needed to borrow $2.7 million.

In another financial issue, following their review of county reporting, the PA Department of Public Welfare notified the county of an overpayment of fiscal 2013-14 fourth quarter payments for the county medical assistance transportation program (MATP) and requested repayment of $90,496.

Department of Public Works director Tyrone Williams’ letter called for repayment “no later than 30 days from the date (November 17) of this letter.”

A subsequent letter dated the following day, called on the commissioners to authorize the revised fourth-quarter allocation of $532,254. The revised allocation authorization was approved by the commissioners.

PPL Wallenpaupak emergency plan update

In other correspondence, PPL Holtwood LLC notified Wayne that a federally mandated reprint of PPL’s emergency action plan (EAP) for the Wallenpaupack hydroelectric station would be delayed.

The delay, according the PPL letter, was due to ongoing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revisions to their engineering guidelines, which will not be completed until early 2015, after which time a completely new printing of the plan will be prepared.

In the meantime, the PPL letter stated, the utility’s new notification system, Everbridge, is in use, “and allows for faster notification in times of emergency.”

Wayne-Pike adult literacy

The commissioners, who allocate $2,500 to the program, received a copy of the annual report of the Wayne-Pike Adult Literacy Program.

David Sutton, executive director of the program, which has been struggling financially since the loss of state funding, reported that, “We are confident that we will continue in operation until and through 2015, due to the generosity of local individuals, service organizations, corporate sponsors and grants.”

The program functions with three part-time paid staff and 35 volunteer tutors who provide adult basic education, instruction for English language learners and those seeking General Equivalency Diplomas for people in county correctional institutions and among the general public.