Lycoming Co. Commissioners
Left to right:
Vice-Chair Ernie Larson
Chair Rebecca Burke
Secretary Jeff Wheeland

Lycoming County

Lycoming County has retained the services of many ACEC /PA member firms over the past 20 years.

Lycoming County is consistently professional, progressive and fair in its business practices. County personnel commit significant advocacy efforts to important infrastructure investment, planning and development activities extending far beyond the County’s rural borders and small population in north-central Pennsylvania. This makes Lycoming County a strong partner of the engineering industry and the interests ACEC /PA seeks to advance.

Lycoming County understands business costs and recognizes that complex procurement and contracting processes increase cost of government and professional service fees. Their procurement process is kept simple. The county’s three-page professional services agreement (including signature page) has nine terms and contains just 500 words. It does not contain indemnification clauses or other terms that require lengthy negotiation or which raise professional liability concerns.

The County accepts its project risk exposure and discusses risk allocation and change orders directly and openly with consultants and contractors.

Finally, Lycoming County takes pride in prompt payment. They are accountable on state or federal agency grant or reimbursement projects by sending the consultant a transmittal letter copy when each invoice is transmitted to the granting agency for funds disbursement. Their processing time on invoices is commendable.

Lycoming County has developed a partnership with local municipalities, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, PennDOT, County Water and Sewer Authority and consulting engineers to undertake a multi-million dollar investment program to develop four major industrial park sites. Design and construction are underway for sewer, water, transportation, power and telecommunications infrastructure within 2000 acres targeted for new economic growth in the County’s recently adopted Comprehensive Plan update. This development will create job opportunities for citizens across much of north-central Pennsylvania.

In 2007, Lycoming County provided direct advocacy in support of public infrastructure investment and development via the following activities:

● Congressional briefings in Washington, DC regarding FFY 2008 appropriations

● State Legislator briefings for regional priorities for 2007 PA Capital Budget Authorization

● Oral and written testimony for regional priorities for the PENNDOT 12-Year Program Update

● Conducted Transportation Day in Lycoming County on October 20, 2007, to highlight recent major investments in bridge, highway, rail, trail and airport infrastructure

As well, eight Lycoming County personnel serve on 27 different national, state and regional organizational boards and committees related to public infrastructure investment, planning and development.

With its philosophy of selecting firms based on qualifications and project performance, Lycoming County has a long-standing practice of utilizing consulting engineers to provide professional services on challenging projects throughout all departments in county government. In 2007, a total of fifteen engineering firms have been under contract with Lycoming County, five of whom are ACEC/PA members.

Although Lycoming County is rural in nature with only about 120,000 residents, it utilizes industry best practices in its business practices, partnering and advocacy on behalf of the entire consulting engineering industry. Lycoming County, through its various departments, contracts a broad variety of engineering services and provides an excellent example of how the public and private sector can work together to deliver value-added services that benefit not only the county jurisdiction, but the region and state as well.