The county election board Wednesday, May 10, ratified a ballot curing policy that the board approved May 2.

The election board ratification vote was held during the county commissioners’ meeting.

The policy details how the election bureau will address mail-in and absentee ballots that are submitted without the date or voter’s signature on the return envelope.

When a ballot with a deficiency is identified, bureau staff will segregate the ballot, and place the voter’s name and phone number on a list.

During the primary, the list will be made available to the political party committees once a day upon request from the committees.

The committees can contact the voters and tell them about the deficiency, and tell them that they can go to the bureau to correct the problem.

During the general election, the list will be made available to any authorized representative of any recognized party.

Because voters registered as independent do not have authorized party representatives, the bureau will inform all voters that they can check the status of their ballots through the Pennsylvania Department of State website and that curing is available.

To cure a ballot, a voter must appear at the bureau office at 227 W. Cunningham St., in Butler before 8 p.m. on Election Day and sign an attestation that includes the missing or incorrect signature.

The bureau will give voters the opportunity to cure their ballots, but will not cure any ballots on its own.

The bureau will not send the deficient ballots back to voters or issue a new ballots due to deficiencies.

Voters with deficient ballots who can’t go to the bureau to cure ballots will be able to vote using a provisional ballot at their polling place, according to the policy.

Two bids submitted for the Harrisville stormwater and sidewalk project were opened and then tabled for review.

North Rock Construction of Cranberry Township, Venango County, submitted a base bid of $131,445 and Terra Works of Clarion’s base bid was $139,000.

The base bid is for stormwater improvements along Routes 8 and 58, which flood during heavy rains, including replacing a crushed pipe under Route 8. The base bid also includes replacing three concrete inlets, new concrete curbing, connecting the existing storm pipe to a new inlet, milling, paving and restoration.

Both companies also submitted alternative bids for additional work on the project.

Alternative 1 is inlet repairs and upgrades on Route 58. Alternative 2 is a new storm sewer and sidewalk along East Mercer Street. Alternative 3 is new sidewalks along Route 58. Alternative 4 is new sidewalks along Route 8.

North Rock bid $48,060 for alternative 1, $34,400 for alternative 2, $44,232 for alternative 3 and $17,884 for alternative 4.

Terra Works bid $72,560 for alternative 1, $49,975 for alternative 2, $74,265 for alternative 3 and $20,825 for alternative 4.

In addition, the commissioners approved a one-year contract for $18,500 for a cash flow study to determine if some county money can be invested for longer terms to get higher interest rates without hindering cash flow.

The commissioners approved the contract with Cashvest, which is charging $250 per every $1 million in the general fund budget. Treasurer Diane Marburger said the budget contains $74.8 million.

She told the commissioners that the county has 85 accounts with deposits totaling $124.1 million. All the accounts come with 4.3% interest, she said.

With money from the federal American Rescue Plan and the opioid settlement, the county has the most cash that Marburger said she can remember, and all the accounts are liquid.

A decrease in interest rates will impact all of the accounts, she said. The study will determine if placing some county funds in longer-term accounts with higher interest rates will harm cash flow.