Public officials at the county, state and federal levels are pressing UPMC administrators to reverse their decision to discontinue childbirth services at UPMC Cole in Coudersport. Potter County Commissioners Nancy Grupp, Robert Rossman and Paul Heimel have been engaged in the mission ever since the news broke last week. They have researched the complex issues related to the growing number of “maternity deserts” in rural areas and enlisted support from U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, U.S. Representative Glenn Thompson, Governor Josh Shapiro, State Senator Cris Dush and State Representative Martin Causer, among others. Commissioners from Cameron and McKean counties have also joined the mission. All agree on the need for both short-term and long-term public policy changes to ensure that quality health care services are available in the underserved communities of Pennsylvania. Last week, at the request of Rep. Causer, UPMC executives and administrators hosted a meeting to discuss both the discontinuation of childbirth services at UPMC Cole and the broader issues. Rep. Causer issued the following report:
State officials, along with commissioners from Potter, Cameron and McKean counties, and representatives of our federal lawmakers met with UPMC officials regarding their plans to drop labor and delivery services at UPMC Cole. Despite the strong case we laid out, and the deep concerns we shared about the risks to expectant mothers and their babies, UPMC will not reverse course on its decision.
Their actions cause a significant maternity care desert with no labor and delivery services in multiple counties in our region. UPMC insists the reason for the decision is its inability to recruit an OB/GYN physician to Coudersport, along with a shortage of labor and delivery Registered Nurses. UPMC is adamant this is not a financial decision; however, I question that premise because I have heard from area nurses that UPMC Cole pays some of the lowest rates in our region. We have so many exceptionally skilled and talented health care professionals in our region who should be compensated appropriately for their life-saving skills.
I specifically raised concerns about the risk this action poses for our expectant mothers and babies with long travel times to another facility, transportation accessibility challenges and the burden placed on our already fragile EMS system. In response, we were told UPMC was committed to providing 24/7 ambulance transportation for inter-facility transport of patients; personalized coordination of transportation services; and overnight accommodations for expectant mothers and family members, including fuel subsidies.
Legislators have focused a great deal of resources on rural health care over the last several years, but what has become clear to me is our supposedly not-for-profit huge health care companies are failing to live up to their commitment to providing affordable, accessible care in rural communities like ours. We deserve better.
Potter County Emergency Services Department reports that all eligible fire and emergency response organizations in the county successfully completed applications for state grants to help with expenses related to construction or renovation, purchase or repair of equipment, training, and debt reduction. Grants of $15,000 were awarded to the following ambulance associations: Austin, Coudersport, Gale Hose of Galeton, Genesee, Roulette, Shinglehouse, and Tri-Town of Ulysses. Kettle Creek Ambulance of Cross Fork received $4,133. Firefighting organization grants were $12,018 for Genesee, Germania and Kettle Creek of Cross Fork; $12,664 for Goodyear Hose of Galeton and Shinglehouse; Austin, $13,310; Coudersport, $15,461; Harrison Township $13,740; Roulette $12,879; and Tri-Town of Ulysses, $13,309.
Potter County Tax Assessment Office has added more than $1.3 million to the county’s tax base over the past 12 months, due in large part to Chief Assessor Jacob Ostrom’s field work to locate and document new construction and property improvements. The increase in assessed value of $1.3 million computes to another $7.6 million in market value being recorded. The county’s real estate tax base is now $362.7 million (assessed value), which reflects an approximate market value of nearly $2.1 billion. That does not take into account the more than 40 percent of real estate that is tax-exempt, due to ownership by the state or other exemptions. As a result of the field work, school district, municipal and county real estate taxes will yield additional revenue to the respective government bodies.
This year’s increase was lessened from those of recent years due to multiple factors, ranging from building demolition and disabled veterans’ tax exemption to destruction from the remnants of Hurricane Debby last August and a larger amount of acreage being enrolled in the state-mandated “Clean and Green” program, which reduces tax assessments on farmland, forest land, pastures and other open space.
Ostrom’s job grew harder several years ago when the state legislature eliminated the position of township and borough tax assessor. In prior years, these elected officials were responsible for finding and reporting new construction and improvements. Today, the Assessment Office relies primarily on building permit records and visual inspections to update tax records.
Dozens of public offices that have a major impact on life in Potter County will be filled during the 2025 election cycle. Positions on school boards, borough councils, boards of township supervisors and many other influential offices will appear on ballots. Registered Republicans and Democrats will choose their nominees during the Primary Election on May 20. Those who are nominated will appear on the Municipal Election ballot for all registered voters on Nov. 4. A list of all offices on the May 20 Republican and Democratic ballots can be found here. General information on elections and voting is posted on a state-operated website, votespa.com.
Here are some important dates for the May 20 Primary Election:
- March 11— last day to circulate and file nominating petitions
- May 5— last day to register, change party affiliation or report change of address
- May 13— last day to apply for mail-in or civilian absentee ballot
- May 20 (Election Day)– last day for county boards of elections to receive absentee or civilian mail-in ballots (by 8 pm)
Those with questions about petition circulation and the election process can contact the Potter County Elections and Voter Registration Office at 814-274-8467.
Potter County Commissioners Nancy Grupp, Robert Rossman and Paul Heimel have received the findings and recommendations from a consulting firm, Kafferlin Strategies of Warren County, contracted by the county last year to study county operations under the Pa. Dept. of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Strategic Management Planning Program. Much of the funding came from DCED. Kafferlin was chosen from among multiple applicants to:
- Review county fiscal management, administration, operations, policies and staffing.
- Create short- and long-term financial plans and issue recommendations related to budgeting, capital projects, overall efficiency, risk management and opportunities for improvements.
Kafferlin Strategies partners Ben Kafferlin and Lisa Hagberg (below) presented their initial findings in early October. Input they received was incorporated into the final document, which was adopted by the commissioners at their Jan. 23 meeting. A copy of the plan will be posted on the county website. The commissioners plan to review the findings and develop a strategy and timetable for implementation. They are also working with a local government policy specialist at DCED to pursue additional funding.
Potter County’s failing “town clock” atop the historic courthouse will soon be restored to service. Maintenance director Joe Kurtz and his team will install the new clockwork acquired by the county commissioners after the current equipment inside the clock tower was deemed by experts to be beyond repair.
Kurtz has been credited with forging a solution that has reduced the county’s cost to a modest $10,000, just a fraction of what the expense would have been to rebuild and stabilize the malfunctioning clockwork that has served for upwards of a century. He and his employees, Kevin Coates and Dan Foster, expect to start installation sometime in February. In recent years, a patchwork of repairs have been made to the mechanism that moves the four long arms to mark time on four separate clock faces. Kurtz credited long-time caretaker Ed Thompson for selflessly donating his services to maintain the clock. He followed in the footsteps of David Hauber, Willard Hauber, Bill Roberts and others. Kurtz and Thompson weighed multiple options before recommending to the commissioners that they purchase a motorized gearbox and controller, along with new driveshafts, gears, hands and center glass. Total project cost is estimated at $26,000, but Kurtz has secured a $16,000 grant to cushion the financial blow.
Prior to moving forward with the plan, Commissioner Paul Heimel contacted directors of the Potter County Historical Society, who agreed to display the current clockwork in its museum on North Main Street. “Everyone agrees that the original equipment has great historic value,” Heimel said. “The society supports this plan and will show the clockwork next to the original clock mechanism from the 1800s which is already on display at the museum.”
The tower with its functioning clock and bell is one reason the courthouse is listed on National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1851-53, the courthouse was remodeled in 1888 with Victorian and Italian touches added to its Greek Revival motif. Major renovations were done in 1933-34 through the Civil Works Administration. The historic bell was silent for many years. In 2016, then-Coudersport Mayor Brenda Whitman and local machinist Bill Daly spearheaded a successful fundraising campaign to repair it.
(Above — This large and complex clockwork that has controlled the four-panel timepiece will be on display at the Potter County Historical Society museum. Below — In 2018, a crew from Fiske Associates of Erie used its massive lift to rehabilitate the clock tower and steeple at the Potter County Courthouse.)
