HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-07-08 Commissioner MinutesWEDNESDAY, Ju ly 8, 2026
The Franklin County Commissioners met on Wednesday, Ju ly 8, 2026, with the following
members present: Dean A. Horst and John T. Flannery. Commissioner Horst stated that
Commissioner Ziobrowski would not be here due to a. 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.
County Administrator Carrie Gray asked for Prison Board to be moved to 10:30 AM due
to availability of Prison Board members. She also updated the vouc h er amount due to a payroll
matter to $269,691.64. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Dean A. Horst; the
Board unanimously approved to adopt the amended agenda.
There was public comment from John Jordan who reported that an elderly woman he
recently met while donating items expressed serious concerns about the rabbittransit system
which is causing delays. These delays caused her to arrive late for medical appointments. She
also said some older riders had become upset or even cried after missing appointments, which
she felt was a serious issue. Mr. Jordan stated that the woman ha d not received satisfactory
help from the Aging d epartment and felt her concerns were not taken seriously. Commissioner
Horst asked Ms. Gray to look into the situation and get some answers.
Valerie Jordan
rabbittransit, noting that the elderly woman they spoke with
Commissioners for applying for a grant that would return funds to the county, saying that any
grant money was beneficial. Ms. Jordan reported that she had emailed the office on Aging and
shared an additional concern. She questioned whether the county had moved the
Chambersburg Senior Center to save money and warned that rabb ittransit costs might increase
as a result. She said she was unsure how long the lease for the new building would last and
noted that she had only visited it once. She also mentioned that the YMCA was applying for a
large grant to serve seniors, which could re duce attendance at the current s enior c enter
location. Ms. Jordan continued that she was speaking on behalf of local seniors, noting that
many of them, herself included, had mobility issues that made navigating the long hallway in the
new senior center building difficult. She encouraged the c ommissioners to visit th e building to
see the challenges firsthand. Ms. Jordan reaffirmed her support fo r t he c
decision involving Tran scou r ce, stating that she believed they had made the right choice.
C ommissioner Flannery responded that the c ommissioners had toured the new senior center
approximately two weeks earlier. Durning the visit, he asked Ms. Hurley whether she had
spoken with seniors about how the relocation affected them and how many were impacted. She
told him she had received one complaint since the center opened two weeks prior. He reported
that Ms. Hurley explained the geographic impact, the new location was fa r ther for about half of
the regular attendees but closer for the other half. Commissioner Flannery said he would follow
up on the matter again. Ms. Jordan added that no elected or federal officials should be invited to
speak directly to seniors at the senior center, calling it inappropriate for a select group to receive
such outreach. She said that if a federal official wished to address residents, they should rent a
public venue such as the high school auditorium so all community members could attend.
On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Dean A. Horst; the Board unanimously
approved to adopt the consent agenda to include:
Review and Approval of Minutes from July 1, 2026
Vouchers in the amount of $26 9,691.64
Agreement between the County of Franklin and Waste Connections for a one-time
dumpster for client use at a cost of $255.00. This will be paid for by a Housing Grant with 15%
General Fund County match.
Supplemental Appropriation to provide budget for the Administrative Office of
Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) Security Grant which will be used to cover several security
upgrades for the magisterial District Judges (MDJ) offices. The upgrades include parking lo t
bollards for MDJ Cunningham, Stop the Bleed kits for each MDJ office, and camera upgrades
Grant application to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for
$250,000.00 to support the Franklin County Jail and the District Attorney's Office/Drug Task
Force to promote technology and equipment innovations that are crucial for recruitmen t and
retention of staff and critical for staff safety. There is no County match.
Amendment to the agreement between the County of Franklin and Prime Care Medical,
Inc. is made and entered into in connection with the Comprehensive Health Service Agreement
dated January 11, 2023, and pertains specifically to the Community Treatment Program.
Pursuant to this Addendum, Prime Care Medical shall provide non-Vivitrol medication-assisted
treatment (MAT) services to eligible participants within the Jail through May 31, 2027. These
services shall also be available to other qualifying inmates housed at the Frank lin County Jail.
The services provided under this Addendum include the purchase, administration, and
reimbursement of Buprenorphine in all approved formulations, as well as Methadone, for eligible
inmates. Prime Care Medical shall also provide all medicall y necessary care associated with the
administration and monitoring of non-Vivitrol MAT services. Except as expressly modified by this
Addendum, all terms, conditions, and provisions of the Comprehensive Health Service
Agreement dated January 11, 2023, shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect. Vivitrol
is covered by Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinque ncy (PCCD) grant funding and
non-vivitrol is covered by Opioid Settlement funds.
Agreement between the County of Franklin and PennDOT for approval to begin
preliminary engineering for a bridge replacement project at County Bridge 5, Cornertown Road
over Conococheague Creek in Greene Township at an anticipated cost of $361,000.00. Federal
transportation funds will cover 95% of the costs and the remaining five percent will be paid by
County Act 13 funds.
The Board reviewed regular agenda items. Ms. Gray provided a high-level overview of
each of the actions.
The Board conducted a bid opening for Preventative Maintenance and Service on
Uninterrupted Power Supplies. Ms. Gray stated there are a total of five bids. Procurement
Director Robin Harmon stated that the bid is for 15 uninterruptible po w er supply units throu ghout
the county buildings that protect our equipment in the event of a power surge or po w er outage.
Commissioner Flannery asked if this included Emergency Service s. Ms. Harmon responded
yes. UPS Preventative
Maintenance Bid List Jantech Services, Ode s sa F L a t $36,200.00; DC Group, Minneapolis,
M N a t $23,400.00; Tanner Timmons (ORE Power), Lakewood, CO a t $19,230.00; Genserve,
King of Prussia, PA or Plainview, NY a t $53,865.00; and United Power Systems, Whitehall PA
a t $19,200.00. Commissioner Flannery asked if the current contract ending and are any of these
the incumbent? Ms. Harmon stated the current contract had already ended, and
if any of the current bids were the incumbent. Commissioner Horst asked if staff would need one
week or two. Ms. Gray stated that staff had indicated they could per f orm the due diligence in a
week and there was room on the agenda for consideration of the recommendation next week.
Chairman Horst called Prison Board to order at 10:31 a.m.
Prison Board was adjourned at 10:33 a.m.
Ms. Gray introduced Human Services Administrator Tawnya Hurley and Human
Services Fiscal Director Stacy Rowe to conduct the public hearing on the Human Services
Block Grant (HSBG) for 2026/27. The presentation is attached and made a part of these
minutes. This was the second public hearing before submitting for t he grant. Ms. Hurley
provided the purpose, history and background of the HSBG. She outlined the programs
supported by the block grant: mental health, IDD, Drug & Alcohol services, Homeless
A ssistance, and Human Services Development Funds. She said housing remains a major
c ommunity need, and the plan includes supporting IDD independent living apartments,
expanding safe and affordable housing, and strengthen behavioral health initiatives such as
Move for Mental Health and school-based programs. Ms. Rowe highlighted that the block
in housing, rental assistance, and shelter support. She noted major investments over the years,
incl uding the growth of the Community Co-Responder Program, expansion of the Military Share
Program, and support for seniors through in-home services and senior centers. S h e
summarized ad d itional investments in IDD services, you th progr a m
and concluded with the proposed $6.2 million block grants budget for FY 26-27 across mental
health, IDD, Drug and Alcohol, Homeless assistance, and Human S ervices Development funds.
Commissioner Horst asked why there was a difference in the proposed budget of $6.2 million
when at the beginning they discussed an allotment of $5.7 million. Ms. Rowe explained the $6.2
million included the state funding as well as the required county match. Ms. Rowe report ed that
the proposed budget was projected to serve 9,400 individuals, including 6,250 in mental health
services, 150 in intellectual and developmental disabilities, 1,000 i n drug and alcohol programs,
700 in homeless assistance, and 1,300 through the Human Services Development fund.
Commissioner Flannery asked to clarify which category Aging fell under, a sking if it was Human
Services Development Fund. Ms. Rowe stated that was correct. Commissioner Flannery stated
that we have eight senior centers, even though the state only required one, and he commended
staff for maintaining all eight despite tight budgets in recent years. He acknowledged the earlier
contin ued support of multiple senior facilities reflected significant effort and commitment from
the Human Services team. Ms. Gray stated the presentation was informational only and that the
team were still working through the block grant application process, after which the specific
details would be available.
During new business Commissioner Horst invited Planning Director Quentin Clapper to
speak about and remember Dr. Jack Benhart and his services to the county. Mr. Clapper
acknowledged the passing of Dr. Jack Benhart, noting that Commissioner Ziobrwski was absent
to attend his funeral. He stated that Dr. Benhart had served Franklin County for m ore than 30
years on the Planning Commission, providing steady leadership and long-term vision for the
professor who mentored many students who later worked in planning across Pennsy lvania. Mr.
Clapper shared that colleagues from around the state frequently asked about Dr. Benhart,
friends, and all who knew him, stating that his dedication to Fr anklin C o unty would be long
remembered. Commissioner Horst t ribute and offered his
although he did not know Dr. Benhart
personally, he understood that Dr. Benhart left a lasting legacy in Franklin County. He
encour aged those who had served with Dr. Benhart to honor his memory by continuing the work
that made him proud.
The meeting was adjourned at 1 0:51 a.m. o n a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded
by Dean A. Horst.
Carrie E. Gray
County Administrator/Chief Clerk
FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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Dean A. Horst, Chairman
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John T. Flannery
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Robert G. Ziobrowski
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