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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-08-26 Commissioner MinutesWEDNESDAY, August 26, 2026 The Franklin County Commissioners met on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, with the following members present: Dean A. Horst, John T. Flannery and Robert G. Ziobrowski. Commissioner Horst 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. There was public comment from Valerie Jor dan who stated that on Monday night she had attended the Chambe r sburg Borough meeting. During their executive session, she noted that the b o rough was to discuss reassessment and expressed that although she had previously been willing to support such efforts, the county did not have the funds to proceed. She then emphasiz ed that the needs of the county seat should have been prioritized and that it should not have fallen into blight. S h e highlighted the presence of crime in the area. She discussed the role of migrants and stressed that without migrants many services would be lacking. Ms. Jordan also mentioned her ongoing efforts to track how man y migrants had been removed from the county since March. Ms. Jordan indicated her intention to continue pursuing information, referencing her right to know and requesting updates from Sheriff Sites regarding relevant matters. S h e clarified t h at she was not opposed to Sheriff Sites. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved to adopt the consent agenda to include: Minutes from August 1 9, 2026. Vouchers in the amount of $2,183,944.71. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Family Care Services, Inc. for foster care services provided at an average daily rate of $120.00 per day. Rates increased six percent compared to prior fiscal year contract. Funding will be 80% State with a requ ired County match of 20% paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Theresa M. Yaukey dba Law Offices of Theresa M. Yaukey, LLC for Solicitor services provided at a rate of $85.00 per hour. This is a 13% increase from last year's contract. Funding will be 80% State with a requir ed County match of 20% paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Youth Essential Services, LLC for a placement provider offering therapeutic residential services at a rate of $570.00 per day. Funding will be 60% State with a required County match of 40% paid by the General Fu nd. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) Needs-b ased Budget represents request for child welfare funding based on current service demands and projected needs. It outlines staffing, placement, and program resources required to meet state mandates, support child safety, and maintain essential services for c hildren, youth, and families. This budget ensures funding aligns with actual caseload trends and operational requirements, allowing the County to provide effective, compliant, and responsive child welfare services. Agreement between the County of Franklin and the County of Fulton for the Franklin County Clerk of Courts office to provide training and technical support services to the Fulton County Clerk of Courts office. Fulton County will compensate Franklin County a t the rate of $325.00 per day not to exceed $10,000.00. Master Services Agreement between the County of Franklin and ThirdLine for services that support reporting, data analysis, and decision-making using data from the County's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The ERP system manages the County's financial, human resources, payroll, and project data. The cost of the Thir dLine service is $14,668.00 and will be allocated across County operations, with approximately 65% being paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and the Commonwealth of PA, Bureau of Financial Operations to make a revision to the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Early Intervention Annual Report of Income and Expenditures. Total Fiscal Year 2024-2025 state and federal r evenue was $1,508,666.00 and expenditures were $1,686,990.00. County share, paid with General Funds, was $178,324.00. Unspent revenue of $23,516.00 will be returned to the State when the report is reconciled and certified. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Gettle Inc. to replace the wireless connection between the building number three and Human Services building at a cost of $3,959.00. This will be allocated across County operations, with approximately 65% being paid by the General Fund. Agreement between the County of Franklin and Herbert, Rowland & Grubic (HRG) for the first phase of environmental studies, preliminary engineering, final design, right-of-way acquisition services, utility coordination, and construction consultation for bri dge replacement on Cornertown Road over the Conococheague Creek in Greene Township at a cost of $17,197.57. This will be paid by State and Federal Funds. The Board reviewed regular agenda items. County Administrator Carrie Gray provided a high-level overview of each of the actions. Commissioner Horst read the c itation for Ms. Amy Keifman 100th Birthday. The citation has been made a part of these minutes. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved the citation. Ms. Gray recognized Ms. Teresa Beckner, Franklin County's Chief Financial Officer, for being honored by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) with the Outstanding Public Service Award. This award celebrated GFOA members whose dedication, leadership, and commitment to public service had made a meaningful impact on their organizations, coll eagues, and communities. Ms. Beckner ha s devoted over 20 years to serving Franklin County. S he guide s collaboration, and responsible stewardship of public resources. Sh e worked closely with the county treasurer to implement an investment program that increased interest earnings and supported cash flow management. She also led the co nsolidation of accounting positions across the county, improving the use of federal and state resources and reducing pressure on the local general fund. Her efforts support more coordinated operation and long-term fin ancial planning s a strong focus on d eveloping her staff and fostering professional growth, helping to build the next generation of public finance leaders. S h e consiste ntly applied GFOA best pr a ctices, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and responsible financial management. Her commitment to collaboration, ethical financial management, and sustainable practices advance Frankl operations and benefit the people who support them. On behalf of the Commissioners and the entire C ount y, Ms. Gray congratulated Ms. Beckner and expressed pride and gratitude for her work and leadership, which ben efit s county departments, services and residents. On a personal note, Ms. Gray appreciate s the mentorship and leadership provided by Ms. Beckner, noting th a t she relied on her guidance to learn about county services and funding interactions. Ms. Beckner was described as a role model for continuous improvement. Ms. Gray also expressed daily gratitude for having her as a peer. Ms. Beckner expressed gratitude for the recognition and acknowledged that it had caught her off guard. She prefer s to focus on the work rather than herself and used her time to highlight the achievements of the fiscal depar tment. She noted that she ha s served Franklin C o unty for over 20 years and was proud of the high standards and outstanding team developed during that period. The department took great pride in their work and it s quality. She cred ited the support of various boards, as well as Ms. Gray and Mr. John Hart, for enabling continuous improvement and the development of a strong financial operation for Franklin County. Ms. Beckner believe s this foundation w ill endure for y e ars to come. She also took the opportunity to speak about public finance as a profession, emphasizing its importance and the challenges in attracting new talent to government service. She stated tha t good financial management was fundamental to good government and that public finance allowed individuals to contribute to d ecision-making, protect public resources, and serve the community. Ms. Beckner hoped that her recognition would draw attention to th e work and the people who chose this profession. Sh e felt ho n ored to receive the award and wa s proud that F recognized. She concluded by expressing pride in being part of the team that brought these achievements together. Commissioner Horst congratulated Ms. Beckner on receiving her award. He expressed appreciation for having someone of her caliber in the CFO position, noting that her ideas and information made his job easier. He emphasized that the county was fortunate to have her in that role and thanked her for her contributions. Commissioner Flannery congratulated Ms. Beckner on her award. He reflected that over the past few years, whenever he requested information from her, she consistently provided not only thorough responses but also additional helpful details. He appreciated her follow through and enjoyed sitt ing beside her in meetings, noting her passion for finance. He finance, she was well suited for the role. Commissioner Ziobrowski acknowledged that Ms. Beckner may have been the only person in the room with a longer tenure at th e county than himself. He expressed appreciation for their time shared at the C ounty and commended Ms. Beckn er for skillfully and gracefully guiding the team through the complexities of government finance. Next, Ms. Gray introduced Fiscal Director Janelle Friese and Chief Financial Officer Teresa Beckner There were no questions from the Board. Commissioner Horst tha nk ed the staff and depar tment heads for their hard work and for maintaining control over their budgets. He expressed appreciation for their efforts. Ms. Beckner next spoke about the Bond Sale Results from the morning of August 19th. The results ex c eeded expectations, with savings totaling approximately $935,000.00, about $150,000.00 more than the originally proposed $785,000.00. She explained that the savings depended on market conditions, which had been closely monitored in the weeks leading u p to the sale. The final yield on the 2026 bonds was 2.974%. During the process, th e county engaged with Standard & Poor outlook, which Ms. Beck Commissioner Horst acknowledged the positive financial news and noted that it was preferable to achieve greater savings. For the record, He clarified that the recent bond transaction was a refinancing of existing bonds, not a purchase of new bonds. Ms. Beckner explained that the county refinanced approximately $25,300,00.00 in existing debt. The new bond issue amounted to $24,000,000.00, with the difference attributed to the premium paid by buyers to obtain the Ms. Gray introduced Grants Director Melodie Hoff to present the Grant s Management program to keep everyone well acquainted with the different programs with their emerging Commissioner Horst thanked Ms. Hoff and acknowledged a few lighthearted moments during the presentation. He specifically commended Ms. Hoff for outstanding work in Grants M anageme n t, noting that it was a pleasure to collaborate closely. He remarked that Ms. Hoff consistently made grant work exciting, even though grants can be challenging and rarely humorous. Commissioner Flannery commented that grants were exciting, especially when a large award was received. He then asked whether, in addition to working with county departments, had Ms. Hoff ever received calls or assisted any municipalities in seeking grant funding for their needs. Ms. Hoff confirmed that her team was open to assisting with research for funding and completing grant applications. She stated that they had distributed Local Share Account grant information to local police departments. A l though Franklin County grants team is always available to help fin d funding and provide support in any way possible. Commissioner Flannery stated this was a great resource for the county as a whole. The Board reviewed Personnel matters. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved the job descriptions for Program Specialist II in Children and Youth. Commissioner Horst introduced the Flock Safety discussion as the next agenda item, noting the Commissioner Horst expressed concerns abou t the database aspect of Flock Saf ety, particularly regarding the collection and retention of information. He observed that the retention period had been reduced from 30 days to seven days and learned it might be possible to reduce it further to zero days. He emphasized that a lack of public tru st in the system was a significant concern and questioned whether the B oard should continue the conversation. Commissioner Horst reflected on his personal experience, mentioning his servi c e in the Marin e C o rps and expressing discomfort with the idea of extensive data collection, such as fingerprinting vehicles beyond license plate information. He acknowledged that license plate readers wer e likely to remain in use, but stressed the B possibly deferring to stat e or federal authorities for guidance. He admitted identif ing suitable guardrails could be challenging an d conclud ed by inviting Commissioner Flannery and C o mmissioner Ziobrowski to contribute to the discussion. Commissioner Flannery responded to the Flock Safety discussion by acknowledging the legal framework surrounding license plate readers. He described a scenario where ALPRs could assist law enforcement in ap prehending suspects quickly and safely, emphasizing their value in protecting the community. However, he , noting widespread accusations and reports of abuse in var ious communities. He expressed uncertainty about t h e system s functions and highlighted the importance of setting parameters to prevent misuse, such as limiting data retention and avoiding unnecessary tracking. He stated that, while he trusted the current sheriff, future leadership changes could introduce risks of abuse. He advocated for establishing clear precedents and guardrails, su gg esting that legislative action at the state or federal level would be preferable to inconsistent local policies. He concluded by expressing concerns about the Flock Safety system under its current configuration. Commissioner Ziobrowski recalled having reservations when the contract with Flock was proposed the previous year and requested a delay for further information from the Sheriff. After receiving assurances from Sheriff Sites regarding appropriate use of data, he voted to approve the contract, citing a longstanding trust in the S he noted increased awareness of potential misu se of data recorded by Flock cameras. He highlighted that the database maintained by Flock was a primary reason for t H e expressed concern that the S taxpayers, a concern affirmed by the county solicitor. He referenced H IP A A, emphasizing its strict guidelines and penalties for releasing personal health information, and noted that the District Attorney was prosecuting an individual for such a violation. H e stated that, until similar guideline s for Flock data w ere codified in state and federal law, he could not support renewal of the contract for sharing Fl o ck data with private entities. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved to not renew the Flock contract as it currently stands. There was public comment from Austin McDannell who thanked the B oard for their motion and followed up on the F lock S afety discussion. Mr. McDannell noted that residents expected greater transparency from the Sheriff, suggesting that contractor statistics such as alert counts and total plates recorded should be publicly available, rather than requiring a right- to-know request. He mentioned that flock safety offered a transparency portal used by over 1,500 departments, He observed that a large number of Franklin County residents opposed the technology, specifically the database aspect, while only a small group, mostly government employees, actively supported it. He clarified that scanning plates or vehicle attributes for law enforcement purposes was acce ptable, but logging movements crossed a line for most residents. He acknowledged the B S heriff, who is an elected official, and noted that the board could only cancel the contract between the C ounty and the S heriff. He suggested that if some wanted the technology, they could fund it from their own budget. He commended the B oard for prioritizing constituent concerns over government interests by canceling the contract. He also shared a statement from the Lynnwood W ashington Police Department, which addressed privacy concerns and clarified that unauthorized access to their ALPR data had occurred due to Lynnwood worked with the vendor to r esolve the issue and confirmed no federal agencies accessed their data during the period. He concluded by thanking the board for their attention to the topic. There was also public comment from Valerie Jordan who thanked the Commissioners two adult men struggling with mental health and emphasized the importance of using county savings to support such needs. She advocat ed for increased pay and staffing levels for C ounty Jordan encouraged Sheriff Sites to seek greater authority at the state level, referencing other states where sheriffs had more power. She recounted a conversation with a county taxpayer and law enforcement officer who worked in Cumberland County due to bet ter pay, urging the Commissioners to consider higher salaries in the next budget. She highlighted the disparity in pay for C ounty employees, including attorneys and correctional officers, and expressed willingness to support those in need. She wages and grow departments, rather than solely paying down debt. She concluded by noting population expansion since 2000 and called for action to ensure employees were wages were not sufficient for a living. Sheriff Ben Sites clarified the record regarding Mr. McDan n e l the L yn nwood Police Department article. He stated that the issue was related to the settings controlled by L yn nwood, not immigration searches as portrayed. The search in question was conducted for the United States Marshals Service, and the office responded with all necessary information. He expressed disappointment that the situation continued to be misrepresented. Chief Deputy Dan i e l Foy expressed appreciation for the concerns raised and acknowledged the impact of public opinion and social media. From a public safety perspective, Chief Deputy Foy hoped that no one would become a victim of serious crimes such as rape or murder in the county. If such incidents occurred, he wished for law enforcement to be able to apprehend perpetrators swiftly, utilizing available technology, including license plate readers and cameras on county buildings, to prevent further harm to community members and their families. There was one final public comment from Valer ie Jordan who clarified that law enforcement authority in the county rested with the state police, not Sheriff Sites or Chief Deputy Foy. She reiterated her earlier point that if the sheriff desired greater power, it would need to be pursued at the state level. Ms. Jordan acknowledged Chief Deputy Foy but emphasized that the ultimate authority was with the state and suggested that Sheriff Sites could approach state legislators for changes. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved to enter an executive session at 1 1:11 a.m. for the purpose of reviewing personnel matters. There will be no action required after the executive session. On a motion by John T. Flannery; Seconded by Robert G. Ziobrowski; the Board unanimously approved to reconvene into regular session at 11:58 a.m. The meeting was adjourned at 1 1:59 a.m. o n 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