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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-08-06 Commissioner MinutesTHURSDAY, August 6, 2026 The Franklin County Commissioners met on Thursday August 6, 2026, with the following members present: Dean A. Horst, John T. Flannery and Robert G. Ziobrowski. Commissioner Horst stated that the meeting was on a Thursday due to C ounty C ommissioners A ssociation of Pennsylvania (CCA P) meetings earlier in the week. While there, County Administrator Carrie Gray was awarded County Administrator and Chief Clerk of the Year. He then presided and after calling the meeting to order, a Moment of Silence, and the Pledge of Allegiance, proceeded with the business of the day. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved to adopt the agenda. Chairman Horst called Prison Board to order at 10:03 a.m. Prison Board was adjourned at 10:0 5 a.m. There was public comment from Austin McDannell who expanded on his concerns from last week regarding Flock Safety license plate readers and government surveillance. Mr. McDannell provided an overview of the Fourth Amendment principles, explaining how government monitoring intersects with privacy rights. He referenced the Katz v. United States Supreme Court decision to illustrate that privacy protections apply even in public spaces when individuals reasonably expect privacy. Mr. McDannell emphasized that while photographing license plates in public is legal, the aggregation of data collected by automated license plate readers, such as vehicle attributes, movement patters over time, and information pulled from NCIC and other public sources, creates a detailed picture of individuals activities. He described theory ieces of data combine to reveal insights an ordinary observer could not obtain. Mr. McDannell argued that this level of surveillance may briefly addr essed recent acts of vandalism in th e c ounty, stating that neither he nor anyone associated with D ef lock Franklin County condones or assists such actions, while noting that acts of property destruction have historical precedence in American history. Valerie Jordan expressed concerns about county budget decisions, noting that revenue challenges stem from cuts to th e G eneral F und. Ms. Jordan highlighted staffing issues and cited the recent departure of the Department of Emergency Service s Director to the private sector, despite accepting lower pay. She urged the Board to increase salaries for county employees, including correctional officers, emphasizing that employees should be valued not only throu gh recognition but through compensation. Ms. Jordan also raised concerns about homelessness in the county, sharing personal experience and stressing that the issue requires greater focus and action. She discussed her past housing instability and referenced her communication with the school board on the topic. Additionally, she challenged statements suggesting the county lacks revenue, pointing to ongoing high value housing development as evidence of a strong tax base. Ms. Jordan asked the Co mmissioners to consider her points carefully and discouraged proceeding to arbitration regarding correctional officers, noting that doing so would likely increase costs. Commissioner Ziobrowski address her broader criticisms about spending but clarified for the record that her description of Ziobrowski stated that the President Judge had delivered a well-reasoned presentation and commended the Judge for adv ocating for court employees. John Jordan raised several concerns intended to help improve budgeting and county services. He stated that while the county has many strengths, recent controversies, particularly involving Flock Safety license plate readers, warrant closer public review before new technologies are adopted. Mr. Jordan noted that although he personally supports camera use, traditional responsibilities already included extensive duties such as building security, warrant service, and coordination with the prison. He suggested that investigative technology may fall more naturally within the scope of other law enforcement agencies. Mr. Jordan voiced concer n s about the cost of the Flock cameras, citing a figure of about $40,000.00 and questioned whether insurance coverage wa s used. He recommended greater public input before future decisions of similar scale. He also raised concerns abou t Mr. Jordan acknowledged the program generates revenue but criticized its impact on the community, noting that individuals who had long contributed locally, including a school janitor and a restaurant worker, were removed at substantial cost to taxpayers. He observed that such controversies create unnecessary public tension and questioned whether these activities align ry dut i es, c ourt secur ity, warrant service, public outreach, and everyday county functions, rather than initiatives that generate public friction. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved to adopt the consent agenda to include: Review and Approval of Minutes from July 15, 2026. Vouchers in the amount of $132,613.39. Agreement between the County of Franklin and International Corporate Training & Marketing, LLC for interpretation services to be provided at a rate of $110.00 per hour. This is a 4% increase from the prior year contract. Funding will be 80% state with a re quired 20% county match paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Kaminski, Hawbaker, & Salawage, P.C. for guardian ad litem services to be provided at a flat rate of $2,735.00 per month and $75.00 an hour for any additional services provided over and above the monthly rate. Funding is 50% state and 50% required county match paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Over the Rainbow Franklin County a required 20% county match paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Salzmann Hughes, P.C. for guardian ad litem services to be provided at a rate of $75.00 per hour. This rate was increased by $10.00 ates. Funding is 50% state with a required 50% county match paid by the General Fund. Election Integrity Grant Program Post-Election Report being submitted to the Department of Community & Economic Development documenting the election expenses funded under the eligible expense categories for the May 19, 2026 General Primary. Act 88 require s that the County submit a report within 90 days following a general, municipal, or primary election. For the period of January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026. The total amount of expenditures that will be covered by this grant is $292,919.96. We will be retu rning $5,051.81 in unused funds to the Department of Community & Economic Development. Amendment to the agreement between the County of Franklin and Transitions Healthcare for a surface parking lease agreement dated August 1, 2025. This is the first amendment to the lease agreement to extend the term of the original contract for an additiona l year through July 31, 2027. Transitions Healthcare will pay the County $6,875.00. Line separation agreement between the County of Franklin and the York Water Company, a public utility providing for the treatment, distribution and sale of water to portions of Franklin County, Pennsylvania including the Franklin County Jail. Lease agreement between the County of Franklin and Guilford Springs Properties LLC for the HUD Permanent Supportive Housing Lease Program that covers total rent plus any landlord-covered utilities at a cost of $8,944.00 for the period of August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. The County holds the lease with the landlord and the participant subleases from the County. Program participants are responsible for any utilities not included in the lease rent, up to 30% of their adjusted gross income. Participan ts are linked with supportive services and case management to assist them with maintaining permanent stable housing. This will be paid from the HUD grant. Lease agreement between the County of Franklin and Guilford Springs Properties LLC for the HUD Permanent Supportive Housing Lease Program that covers total rent plus any landlord-covered utilities at a cost of $8,944.00 for the period of August 1, 2026 thr ough July 31, 2027. The County holds the lease with the landlord and the participant subleases from the County. Program participants are responsible for any utilities not included in the lease rent, up to 30% of their adjusted gross income. Participants are linked with supportive services and case management to assist them with maintaining permanent stable housing. This will be paid from the HUD grant. Amendment to the agreement between the County of Franklin and Sage Holdings, LLC for security system preventative maintenance services at an annual cost of $84,962.28. This will be paid by the Workers Compensation Fund. The Board reviewed regular agenda items. County Administrator Carrie Gray provided a high-level overview of each of the actions. The Commissioners presented a check to Franklin County Coordinator Rachel Young of the Keystone Family Alliance for the employee dress down fundraiser that was held in July. Keri Kenney, HR Coordinator, said this is th e first time the dress-down fundraiser has supported the organization. She explained that the s i o n is to educate, motivate, and equip churches to care for orphans and vulnerable children both locally and globally. The group operate Need Bridge, an online portal that connects community v olunteers with foster, adoptive, Communities, teams of v olunteers who offer ongoing support to foster families through services such as meals, babysitting, housekeeping assistance, laundry help, transportation, and prayer. She noted that launching and maintaining each care community costs roughly $500.00. Th ese care communities also serve kinship and adoptive families. A new care community has recently been established for a foster family in Waynesboro, with several additi onal care communities planned for families throughou t the county. Funds raised locally will directly supp o rt these efforts. The County raised $665.00 from a total of 13 0 employees from 2 2 different departments. Ms. Young expressed appreciation for being honored with the dress down fundraiser. She noted that the contribution is a meaningful gift and emphasized that her organization plans to use it to serve the community. She shared that as the County supports them, they in turn give back to the community and close d by thanking the Commissioners for their support. Mr. Matt Fos c hia, Children and Youth Program Specialist II, shared that Childre n and Youth was contacted by Ms. Young and has worked closely with her for roughly a year. He stated that she has been instrumental in supporting staff, boosting morale, and assisting children in foster care as well as the families ser ved by the agency. He emphasized that their current morale and level of support would not be possible without her, her organization, and th e community partners she collaborates with, including local churches and schools. He concluded by noting that the impact of this support has been overwhelmingly positive. Commissioner Horst noted having met Ms. Young approximately two ye a rs ago and commended her mi s sion, particularly the work her organization does with churches to build care communities. He praised her vision and dedication in moving that mission forw ard. Additionally, he reiterated appreciation for county employees, acknowledging their generosity, and extended gratitude for the support provided by Children and Youth as well as the contributions made by Ms. Youn g and her team to the community. Commissioner Flannery a great service they provide to the community and thanked Ms. Young. Commissioner Ziobrowski highlighted that while employee fundraising is valuable, the increased awareness it generates is equally, if no t more, important. He expressed sincere appreciation for the work being done and thanked Ms. Youn g for her contributions. Ms. Gray introduced Chief Financial Officer Teresa Beckner and Fiscal Director Janelle Friese to present the 2027 Budget Revenue Forecast: General Fund. Their presentation was made a part of these minutes. Ms. Beckner stated that this was the first public update on the Franklin County 2027 budget process. She noted that although this was the initial discussion with the Commissioners, the fiscal department had already been working for approximately six weeks on planning the process and schedule, updating forms and procedures, beginning outreach to departments, and developing the revenue forecast being presented. She explained that the focus of the presentation was on estimating recurring general fund revenue, an essential early step in building the budget. The general fund supported core county services that did not have dedicated funding sources. Ms. Beckner reviewed the target based budgeting approach, which was implemented in the 2026 budget and continued into 2027. The approach began by determining expected revenue and then establishing spending targets for departments to maintain core services within those limits. She added that once core services and fixed costs were addressed, the county could evaluate whether funding was available for new initiatives through a supplemental funding process. This method supported a responsible and sustainable budget grounded in ava ilable taxpayer resources. She concluded by noting that the presentation covered only recurring general fund revenue and excluded one time or legally restricted funding. Ms. Friese noted that the 2027 General Fund revenue forecast totaled $56.8 million, representing only recurring general fund operating revenue and excluding one time or legally restricted funding. She highlighted that this amount reflected an increase of approximately $700,000.00, or 1.2%, compared to the 2026 budget. Commissioner Ziobrow ski responded to comments regarding new construction in the county, noting that while the assessment base typically grew by about 1% per year, population increases occurred at a similar rate. As a result, the financial impact was largely offset. He emphasized that although new construction added assets, corresponding expenses rose as well often more than 1%meaning that growth from construction alone did not significantly expand available resources. Ms. Friese reported that property taxes were e xpected to remain the largest revenue source for the 2027 General Fund. Property tax revenue was forecasted at $42.1 million, representing approximately 74% of all General Fund revenue. Additional major revenue sources included $8.2 million from charges for services, $1.7 million from state and federal sources, and $4.7 million from interest income and other miscellaneous revenue. She explained that while no property tax increase was planned for 2027, revenue was still projected to rise by about 0.7% compared to the 2026 budget due to growth in the tax base from new construction, contributing approximately $290,000.00. Charges for s ervices were forecasted to grow by 1.7%, adding around $140,000.00. Recurring federal and state revenue was expected to increase by 4.9%, adding about $80,000.00. Interest and other revenue were forecasted to increase by roughly $150,000.00, reflecting stronger than budgeted performance in prior reviews. All changes were measured against the 2026 budget. Ms. Beckner noted that the 2027 General Fund revenue forecast reflected modest growth over the 2026 budget and established the foundation f or the next phase of the budget process. The fiscal team would identify fixed costs and develop spending targets for each department. Departments would use these targets to build line item budgets that sustained core operations. She explained that the next budget presentation would compare projected revenue with fixed costs and departmental targets, offering the Board and the public a clearer understanding of overall funding needs and informing decisions regarding supplemental fun ding requests. Ms. Beckner added that updates would continue throughout the 2027 budget process. There were no questions from the Board. Ms. Gray introduced PFM Director John Frey to explain the e ngagement l etter confirming the agreement between the County of Franklin and PFM Financial Advisors LLC to issue, which was intended to refinance a portion of the 2018 bonds. PF M would coordinate the purchase of U.S. Treasury SLGS securities, prepare the required escrow calculations, and manage the escrow settlement process. The engagement i s limited to the establishment of the escrow and carried a fee of $3,500.00, which would be paid from the bond proceeds. This was a standard engagement associated with the bond issuance process. Mr. Frey then introduced Ordinance 2026 03, Parameters Ordinance County of Franklin, General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2026. He explain ed that this ordinance related to participate in a credit rating call with S tandard & P later in the afternoon. He highlighted that the County held a strong AA credit rating from S&P and that the finance team consistently performed well in presenting financial information during these reviews. Mr. Frey explained that once the rating call was completed and all supporting documents were prepared, the County would be positioned to enter the market, when conditions were favorable, to lock in interest rate savings on the designated portion of the debt. He further reported that the ordinance had been prepared by b ond c ounsel and reviewed by the County s olicitor. The ordinance authorized the finance team to proceed with the refinancing transaction at the appropriate time. V oting separately on a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski the engagement letter was approved as well as the 2026-03 ordinance. Commissioner Horst stated that this did not extend the time of the bonds and saved the County money. Planning Director Quentin Clapper explained the a greement between the County of Franklin and Department of Community and Economic Development for the 2026 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) in the amount of $241,376.00. Funds will be utilized for Emergency Shelter, Rapid Rehousing, and Homelessness Preventi on. Funds will also assist in covering the cost to enter information into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and provide for a 3.75% administrative cost allowance. South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) and Waynesboro Community and Human Services (WCHS) are t he subrecipients requesting funding for the 2026 ESG program. Each subrecipient will provide the dollar-for- dollar match for their grant request. Commissioner Horst stated he thought it was important for in the community to help the community. O n a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski the agreement was approved. Before entering executive session, Commissioner Horst stated that following recent discussions on Flock cameras, staff had been instructed to schedule a presentation on the topic for the evening meeting on August 19. He reported that the Sheriff will attend to provide a presentation on Flock cameras and that efforts were underway to include additional legal representatives. The District Attorney will also participate to address the legal aspects of the system, and the County may secure one more representative from the legal field. Commissioner Horst noted that the August 19 evening meeting would include this presentation and encouraged members of the community, whether in agreement or disagreement, to attend and hear the information directly, emphasizing the importance of public inp ut. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski the Board unanimously approved to enter an executive session at 10:51 a.m. for the purpose of reviewing personnel matters. There will be a vote required after the executive session. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski;the Board unanimously approved to exit an executive session at 1 1:0 5 a.m. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously approved the a uthorization for Jennifer Ruth to administer a settlement agreement with a former employee in the amount of $37,000.00. During New Business Commissioner Flannery remarked on a comment made during the P ublic C omment period. He referenced a comment made by a member of the public suggesting that homelessness in the county was getting out of control. Commissioner Flannery stated that he had received an email updating the PIT (Point in Time) count from Misty Connor. He reported that the summe r PIT count for 2025 was 93 and the count for 2026 was 75. Based on this information, he noted that homelessness had actually declined, contrary to the claim made earlier, and he wanted this clarification entered into the record. The meeting was adjourned at 1 1:07 a.m. on a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski. Carrie E. Gray County Administrator/Chief Clerk FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ____________________________________ Dean A. Horst, Chairman ____________________________________ John T. Flannery ___________________________________ Robert G. Ziobrowski *May be assisted by Copilot