MILFORD, PA — Any alternate plans or concerns about county plans for an addition to the Pike County Courthouse should go to the borough’s architectural review board (ARB), Commissioner Karl Wagner said on May 7.

Matt Ebert of Pike Concerned Taxpayers appeared before the commissioners to ask for an agenda spot in July to present a pro-bono alternative plan he has devised.

“I think we’re already past that,” Wagner responded.

Wagner said the county plans have already been presented to the ARB. “It would be a waste of time here. They have to go there anyway.”

In an unusual diversion from the commissioners’ usual public comment period, Ebert then responded to a number of media questions about his architectural and engineering qualifications.

He said his work experience was in art, design and software development at Micro-

soft. He admitted that he had no educational background in these fields, but had acted as an assistant to the chief engineer of a project to build a new structure at the Microsoft campus in Washington in the late ‘90s.

“I work on a farm today, but I’m curious about civic issues, and I’ve seen numerous hurdles in the county plan. Each will cost the county a lot of money in court,” he said.

In other news, Tim Knapp, director of the county emergency training center, reported on first-quarter use of the facility and its programs. Knapp said that in addition to the fire services the facility is being used by other agencies including probation, corrections, children and youth. “Some days all four classrooms are in use throughout the day.”

Knapp said the center has another 160 hours of training scheduled through this year.

Commissioner Rich Caridi noted that pertinent emergency training curriculum additions are being considered by both Delaware Valley and Wallenpaupack Area high schools.

“They’re not far off,” Knapp said.

Wagner said the county’s volunteer emergency services are in “desperate, desperate need of new volunteers.”

In other business Lana Romeo of the Pike County Area Agency on Aging accepted the commissioners’ proclamation of May as Older Pennsylvanians Month.

Pike County Library Board President Kirk Mackey reported that library usage has increased by 20% this year, that the Milford library’s community room, which seats up to 75 persons, has seen a great deal of use, and that the library is considering purchase of a bookmobile to service outlying areas of the county.