HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-24 Commissioner Minutes
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2023
The Franklin County Commissioners met Wednesday, May 24, 2023, with the following
members present: David S. Keller, John T. Flannery and Robert G. Ziobrowski. Chairman
Keller presided and after calling the meeting to order, a Moment of Silence, and the Pledge of
Allegiance, proceeded with the business of the day.
The meeting was live streamed.
On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously
approved to adopt the agenda.
There was no public comment.
On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously
approved all bills presented and ordered paid.
The minutes of the May 17, 2023 meeting were reviewed. On a motion by John T.
Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously approved the minutes.
The Board reviewed Agreements, Contracts and Reports. Chairman Keller asked for
more information on the two board action items. Carrie Gray, County Administrator, asked
Sheena Baker, Communications Director, to provide information on item #1, the agreement with
website was developed in 2015 and the lifespan of a website is about three years. She
explained that last summer they started the RFP process and received 20 proposals and 16
were responsive. The committee narrowed them down to five candidates and conducted
interviews of various firms across the country with various prices and options. They selected
Planeteria which had the staffing, management and past experience with municipalities and
county government. The pricing was under what the County budgeted for the project.
Chairman Keller asked about the new website being a more smartphone friendly website. Ms.
Baker said that the new website will be more mobile friendly and it will be easier for in-house
staff to make upgrades which will save time and frustration. Planeteria sold themselves that any
important information that residents or anyone using the website will be no more than two clicks
away, which anyone who knows our website knows you have to dig deep to find what you are
looking for. They pride themselves on creating a virtual city hall approach to presenting
information to residents and making information readily available to residents and citizens that
the county serves. Commissioner Ziobrowski said that the $80,000 price tag is sticker shock so
can she talk about people getting more information from our website like applying for jobs or
getting a dog license that would be more robust and these may make the website more
expensive. Ms. Baker responded that the new website will have fillable forms instead of having
to print a PDF; it will be ADA accessible and have more social media integration. Ms. Gray said
that board action #2 for the Guardian Radio Frequency Identification (RFDI) will be summarized
by the Jail staff. Tammy Zook, Business Manager, explained that the Jail acquired the guardian
system in 2017 and it was purchased with a grant from PCoRP and the only additional costs
began in year three when they had to pay a yearly license fee. The original contract needed to
be revised to the new system, in the best interest of the county; they wanted to be proactive with
replacing the expired technology. They would like to replace the devices the officers use to
identify their checks and inmate locations while moving throughout the jail. Lieutenant Spencer
Long explained the officers
paper. This system helps speed that process up and they can check in on inmates more
frequently. Ms. Zook explained that this system also provides reports so from a legal
perspective if they have an inmate acting out or on suicide check, the device records everything
and it takes pictures. She stated the reports are phenomenal. The inmates wear a device that
is used to track them. It protects them and the Jail has better ways to conduct investigations.
Commissioner Ziobrowski asked if there is training involved. Ms. Zook responded that this
Continued on page 2
system is currently being used and the contract includes training. Some of the devices need to
be replaced and there is the need to have yearly maintenance on them. They will be
purchasing 20 devices that will be used by the officers and supervisors as well as floating
officers. Ms. Zook and Lt. Long provided more information and answered more questions from
the Board. The items will be decided upon in the afternoon session.
Dr. Kim Eaton, Community Connections Division Director, provided information on the
following IMPACT! Grant recipients who were present to thank the County for receiving their
funds through the grant process and have a picture taken with the Commissioners: Kristen
Fisher representing Family Care Services that received $38,000 for outdoor space upgrades;
and Linda Miller representing The House of Grace that received $25,000 for purchase of
computer equipment. Chairman Keller invited the recipients to provide information on their
programs and how they will use the IMPACT funds. Kristen Fisher thanked the Commissioners
for the grant money. They plan on using it to enhance a pavilion they built during the pandemic
so they could hold trainings, meetings and visits in an outdoor space. They realized they
needed to add items to enhance the space that would include tables, chairs, security system
and make it more comfortable. They have 25 staff members and 30 to 40 families that they
contract with for the lifesharing and foster care programs. Lifesharing is for individuals in the
community that have developmental disabilities and they get waiver slots and have families that
open their homes and help them to provide life support. Commissioner Ziobrowski asked about
their primary sources of funding. Ms. Fisher responded that most of their funds are from the
Federal Government and from county human services. Linda Miller stated on behalf of the
House of Grace board members, volunteers and clients she thanked the Commissioners for
considering their program for the grant. They are a love based, faith based house for those who
need that and they have a mentoring program. House of Grace has one paid staff member, the
Director Barbara Johns, and everyone else is volunteers that they depend on to mentor the
ladies. They depend totally on contributions from private citizens and congregations to help
support them. Ms. Miller continued that the grant will help put air conditioning on the first floor of
the house since there is no air conditioning in the house. They will also use the funds for
computers for classes, classroom curriculum and copiers. Chairman Keller said he recalls a
service project at the facility many years ago and he helped to screen the front porch. Are the
ladies they help mostly coming from a bad relationship? Ms. Miller said they have some ladies
with special needs, in the past they had some that had domestic violence, but they are not
en.
They have bible studies every week. They are Christ centered. They do have a gently used
clothing store on King Street called Dressed to a Tea where they receive funds also.
Commissioner Ziobrowski asked who was the couple that donated the house. Ms. Miller said
Lewis and her husband Jim. The original director was Janet Johnson who felt that God spoke
to her and that women needed a place to go to feel love
could be 16 ladies around for crafts and lunch today. Commissioner Flannery asked if the
house is open 7 days a week and she said no but they are open to clients on Wednesday and
Thursdays. The house is open, Monday through Thursday but right now they do not offer any
programs however they are looking to have new programs start soon on Tuesdays. Chairman
Keller said the Board appreciates the mission and/or ministry that they are providing for the
community and the Board is thrilled to be able to help out in some small way. He thanked them
for being here today.
On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously
approved to enter an executive session at 11:37 a.m. for the purpose of reviewing pending
litigation matters. On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski;
unanimously approved to reconvene into regular session at 12:20 p.m. No action was required
after the executive session.
The Board recessed and will reconvene at 2:00 p.m. for final approval of the items that
were reviewed.
Continued on page 3
The Board reconvened at 2:00 p.m.
There was no public comment.
The Board reviewed Commissioners Office matters. On a motion by John T. Flannery,
seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously approved the contract between the County of
Franklin and Planeteria Media for the redevelopment and design of the county's website at a
cost of $80,892.50 and an annual cost of $7,500 for website maintenance and hosting services.
This contract is for the period of May 24, 2023 through May 24, 2024.
The Board reviewed Jail matters. On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert
G. Ziobrowski; unanimously approved for the Chairman of the Board to execute the Lease
Agreement between the County of Franklin and Guardian RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
to provide automatic inmate identification, real-time data sharing, OMS integration and most
importantly it provides a guard system at a cost of $94,667.50. It's a multi-purpose hand held
mobile device. This agreement is for the period of June 1, 2023 through August 31, 2027.
Dr. Kim Eaton, Community Connections Division Director, provided information on the
following IMPACT! Grant recipients who were present to thank the County for receiving their
funds through the grant process and have a picture taken with the Commissioners: Mike Ross
and Patti Nitterhouse representing Leg Up Farm that received $250,000 to construct a new
facility; and Holly Miller representing Waynesboro Summer Jubilee that received $7,500 for the
cost of Summer Jubilee 5K race. Chairman Keller said the Board appreciates the wonderful
things they do in the community and they are happy to have the opportunity to support them in
this small but meaningful way. Chairman Keller invited the recipients to provide information on
their programs and how they will use the IMPACT funds. Mike Ross said on behalf of Leg Up
Farm, he thanked the Commissioners for this grant. The commitment they are making to this
project brings it one step closer to fruition. He continued that Leg Up Farm will be providing
high quality therapeutic services to children with special needs and it will have a county wide
impact because there are ma
this on line and the Commissioners support is very instrumental in doing that. Patti Nitterhouse
thanked the Commissioners. The Leg Up farm project here in Franklin County is going to make
a difference to families that have special needs children but it will also make a difference to our
greater community. When we think about infrastructure we often think about utilities and roads
and high speed internet but having these services for families in the community under one roof
will support businesses, employers, existing medical facilities who need places to refer people
and the uniqueness of Leg up having multiple services for speech, hearing, physical and
behavioral services under one roof, will make it so much better for families to get their kids the
services that they need. She thanked them for their broad vision and understanding what this
means for our county. Chairman Keller said that they know that Penn National has contributed
and donated the property to make this happen and a lot of the residents are looking forward to
th
volunteering there and making this happen. Holly Miller said this is the 27 year for the
FireCracker 5K and the
usual attendance is around 3,000 a year and one of her biggest initiatives is our kids and they
are the future. Ms. Miller continued that one of the biggest things when she took this on was
don't have the money. So the funding that the IMPACT grant provided will go for the kids to
get to sell handcrafted items and that will help teach them about commerce and the many
programs that day. The Jubilee is on the 4th of July. She thanked them.
Continued on page 4
The Board reviewed information regarding Emergency Medical Services Week. Bill
Little, Local Emergency Planning Committee/Emergency Health Services Federation said that
Emergency Management Services (EMS) is not getting any easier, the streets are getting
meaner and volunteers are not forthcoming as they were years ago. He continued that the
ommissioners on behalf of
all the providers assembled here and in the rest of the county for their recognition of this
important mission. He also thanked them for their support of the Local Emergency Planning
Committee. Chairman Keller read the proclamation. On a motion by John T. Flannery,
seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously approved to sign Franklin County
Proclamation #2023-17 proclaiming the week of May 21-27, 2023 as Emergency Medical
Services Week and that the attached proclamation be made a part of these minutes. Chairman
Keller said the Board appreciates everything the guys and gals do. He knows a lot of them do
EMS and they also run with the engines when a house is on fire and many of them volunteer in
other ways in the community. Th
Bitner, President of Franklin County Emergency Medical Services Council, said that EMS Week
is May 21-
some jest and sarcasm because across his life he has decreased the emphasis the world
places on specific dates and increased the focus we put on every day. All too often their
patients do not get the gift of another day. He believes people need to live and breathe life, with
their family and their God given and chosen career every day, not on a selected day. He has
evaded the alternative on several occasions and he praises God for protecting him each time
that has happened. His comments are not meant to take away from this week for Emergency
Medical Responders. Actually, he hopes that his comments do the exact opposite. He wants
everyone to realize the commitment a person takes on to become involved. The true level of
servitude it takes to be involved in emergency services. Many of our brother and sister agencies
carry this sam
leaders. What they do is so much bigger than any or each of us; please give it the respect it
deserves. He stated that in 2022 Franklin County Emergency Medical Services handled
day. On
average, every 18 minutes there is a 911 call for a medical need. On average each of those
911 calls takes the responders 60-90 minutes until the call is completed plus the related patient
care documentation. In 2022, 17 Franklin County responders received special commendations
from the Emergency Health Services Federation for Clinical Save which is where a patient was
found or witnessed to become apneic or pulseless and was resuscitated to life and discharged
to live a life without neurological impalement or they delivered a baby. He named those first
responders that were recognized. He also named the first responders that will be recognized
tomorrow at the State Capital for receiving a Star of Life award for being certified by the
Department of Health for 25 more years of service. In closing he mentioned the following
ired
for some to imagine working the same job, at the same agency, in the same location for over 40
years, if you do something you love, you never truly work a day i
Laird, "At the end of the day, no one goes into EMS to get rich; we chose this field because we
wanted to make a difference in peo
accomplishments of those individuals to their attention. He said it was very humbling and
inspiring at the same time.
Continued on page 5
Chairman Keller said that next is our presentation on how to deploy the dollars that the
County is receiving from the various opioid lawsuit settlements that are being presented by our
Franklin/Fulton County Drug and Alcohol Administrator James Eagler. Mr. Eagler wanted to
give a shout out to the EMS workers that were just here addressing the brunt of the opioid
health crisis. They have saved hundreds of lives of Franklin County residents and there are
hundreds of individuals that are in recovery because of that so he does hope that some of the
recommendations that he will mention would be able to support some of their efforts. Mr. Eagler
said that this presentation has 10 slides and tomorrow there will be a press release that will
have a slide that will include a more in-depth overview when it comes to the history of the
County. There will also be a survey that will allow individuals in the community to have public
comment on the recommendations and they would also be able to provide comments on
anything that they may have missed in the recommendations that they are providing today. Mr.
Eagler continued that exhibit E is part of the national settlement, the court order of approved use
and core strategies that will also be a part of the press release as well. He provided information
on the Opioid Settlement Committee that was selected that needed to include individuals that
had professional or lived experience. Seven individuals on the committee had a substance use
disorder or had a family member with substance use disorder and four individuals on the
committee actually lost a loved one due to an overdose in Franklin County. Mr. Eagler provided
the slide presentation that is attached and made a part of these minutes. Chairman Keller said
r 18 years and
explained that Johnson and Johnson which is a manufacturer and their settlement is for the first
nine years and the two distributors they are for 18 years and the second wave which is the
pharmacies they may be a period of 15 years but there may be a couple pharmacies that may
be front loading and may be giving out more the first couple of years. There will be settlement
dollars that will fluctuate from year to year. Chairman Keller said that it may be tempting to say
mburse ourselves or the community for the cost that the opioid crisis had on
us during the time period that the settlements addressed. He thinks the requirements of the
settlement are that a large majority of the funds are to be used prospectively to continue to
forward and do what we are doing better and fill some other gaps that James talked about.
A Trust and the guidance they
have provided so far in their frequently asked questions it looks like supplanting and taking the
dollars and putting into programs that we currently have is not permitted. The way it was
explained by the National Trust is to look at this as your wish list of all these things that will be
able to save lives but a lot of the federal funds which are a lot of the funds that the Single
County Authority receives and a lot of our Human Services programming have all sorts of
regulations what we can and cannot spend our dollars on. Chairman Keller said the plan that
he laid out underscores the complexity of the problem. The County over the last five to 10 years
has implemented and put into action over a dozen best management practices to address the
opioid crisis and yet there is still more that we can be doing. The County deserves credit for
it but we reached out to the municipalities and all those who were eligible to participate agreed
to participate which allowed us to recoup the maximum award from the settlement so we wish it
for as much success as we can. Commissioner Flannery said this was a great presentation and
next 18 years. James said that there is one more piece he wanted to mention that once we
receive the deposits we have 18 months to spend the funds which is unique in Pennsylvania.
None of the other states have that requirement. Commissioner Ziobrowski said he concurs with
to make sure they have
details James mentioned, along with the link to the survey which will be open for two to three
ng the likelihood of public participation. At that time,
Continued on page 6
we will come back to the commissioners to review any public comments received, recommend
changes to the plan as needed before asking for final approval. This additional public comment
period is something that staff has decided to do and thought it would be best practice.
Commissioner Ziobrowski said to pass on thanks to the members of the committee since they
really put in a lot of heavy lifting. Mr. Eagler said that when fentanyl came into our communities
around 2016 and 2017 the county's interventions, our overdose rates per 10,000, did not go up,
they actually went down and we have one of the lowest rates within the state of PA. As our
drug supply got more dangerous and poisonous our rates remained the same, even lowered,,
so he believes that what Franklin County has done over the past five years has saved lives.
On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously
approved to enter an executive session at 2:46 p.m. for the purpose of reviewing real estate
matters. On a motion by John T. Flannery, seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; unanimously
approved to reconvene into regular session at 3:07 p.m. No action was required after the
executive session.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:07 p.m. with a motion by John T. Flannery; seconded
by Robert G. Ziobrowski.
Carrie E. Gray
County Administrator/Chief Clerk
FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
____________________________________
David S. Keller, Chairman
____________________________________
John T. Flannery
___________________________________
Robert G. Ziobrowski
Franklin/Fulton Drug and Alcohol AdministratorMay 2023
Presented by: James Eagler, CRS
Opioid Settlement
●●●●●●DA/Prosecuting OfficeCourts/Adult ProbationMental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities/Early InterventionPerson in recovery/ReTreatment Provider1st Responder-Entry
involvement/Opioid Use Disorder
●●●●●PreventionMedicine/Addiction SpecialistCoroner OfficeChildren and Youth ServicesRecovery House/Women with Children/Opioid Use Disorder
Opioid Settlement Committee
Developing Recommendations
●●●●●Meetings one hour in lengthPollingQuestionnaires (Identify Specific Needs within Franklin County) Surveys (Exhibit E Core Strategies and Approved Uses)Open Discussion
●Four Virtual Meetings (March 13th, March 20th, March 27th, and April 4th)
•••••••Single County Authority 2021 Treatment Needs AssessmentChambersburg Cares Coalition Priorities Criminal Justice Advisory Board Behavioral Health Work Group PrioritiesFranklin
County Criminal Justice Advisory Board Strategic PlanFranklin Together Reentry Coalition Strategic PlanFranklin County Overdose Task Force Strategic PlanSingle County Authority Prevention
Needs Assessment
Identifying Priorities
Priorities Identified by the Committee
•••Recovery/Treatment Related SupportsPregnant Women/Women with ChildrenCommunity Harm Reduction/Naloxone Distribution
•Prevention Efforts
●●●●FamilyEvidence Based Interventions preventing Substance/Opioid Use in YouthPrograms)Schoolorganizations and Community Based OrganizationsEvidence Based Prevention Programs at a wide
range of youthDisorder/Co--Based Services for Children and Caregivers Affected by Opioid Use Based Efforts (Cognitive-Occurring Disorders-Behavioral Evidence Based Prevention -serving
Prevention Efforts (75k/15%)
••Post Overdose Response TeamRecovery Community Organization/Recovery InfrastructureHousing
•••Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) SpecialistTransportationExpand Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Licensed Recovery
Recovery/Treatment Related Supports (275k/55%)
●●●●Support EvidenceHarm Reduction Kits for Healthcare Provider DistributionOrganizationsNaloxone Education/Training of 1st Responders and CommunityLeave Behind Kits/1st Responder InterventionsRecove
ry/Community Based Organizations.-Based Harm Reduction Strategies at -Based
Community Harm Reduction/Naloxone Distribution (50k/10%)
●●●●●●●●Eat, Sleep, Console Model (ESC). EvidenceParent support/mentoring groups for reunification effortsFunds for Women with Children basic needs (furniture, car seats, etc.)Emergency
Housing fundingSpecific Recovery/Supportive Housing for Women with ChildrenEarly Intervention programming (HealthCare, Community Based Organizations)Child Care at Outpatient or Recovery
Support settingHomeSyndrome (NAS) infants-Based Wrap Around services-Based Practice for Neonatal Abstinence
Pregnant Women and Women with Children (50k/10%)
●●Creation of Annual ReportsEvaluation
●●●●Guide future spending of Opioid Settlement DollarsTransparency AccountabilityData Gathering and Analysis
Funds to support Data Collection and Research: (50k/10%)