What would happen to the inmates if the Warren County Jail were damaged and could no longer house them?

This question was pondered by the Warren County Commissioners during their Tuesday meeting as the trio signed a mutual aid agreement.

Commissioner John Bortz called the contract a "reciprocity agreement" and said it would allow Warren County to house its inmates at the jails of the counties that also enter into the agreement.

"It's a door that swings both ways for those entering into this agreement," he said.

Commissioner Terry Hawk said the agreement satisfies a portion of the county's continuity plan.

At the time of the meeting, three counties had agreed to the mutual aid-Elk, Venango and McKean counties.

However, Bortz indicated that jail Warden Gerald Britton expected at least two more counties to sign on.

In other business, the commissioners:

reviewed bids for sidewalk rehabilitation and Brown Avenue Extension reconstruction in Clarendon Borough. M and M Contractors, of Johnstown, came in with the lowest bid at $90,739.15. County grant administer Lorri Dunlap will review the bid and assure compliance with Community Development Block Grant funding before the bid is awarded.

approved the appointment of John Hagberg to the Conservation District Board as Public Director.

approved the re-appointment of the members of Warren County Industrial Development Authority Board. The board members are Tim Huber, Chuck Shrader, Bill Jones, Jeff Lockett and Darryl Pierce.

awarded the bid of a the Tidioute sewer line televising project to Pipe Eye Sewer Services, Inc., of Bradford in the amount of $6,700.

proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Warren County. According to the proclamation read by Commissioner John Eggleston, 876,000 women were victimized by domestic violence in 1998. Terri Allison, executive director of A Safe Place said the facility help 450 domestic violence clients in the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

"We always thought we were immune to these tragedies but we're not," she said.