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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-03 Commissioner Minutes WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2023 The Franklin County Commissioners met Wednesday, May 3, 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 Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved to adopt the agenda. There was no public comment. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved all bills presented and ordered paid. The minutes of the April 28, 2023 meeting were reviewed. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved the minutes. The Board reviewed Agreements, Contracts and Reports. Commissioner Ziobrowski asked for more information on items #1 and 3 and would appreciate Ms. Gray providing a summary of the two contracts. Carrie Gray, County Administrator, explained that item #1 is a contract for services through Hammel and Associates to provide architectural and design services related to exterior construction activities at the historic courthouse. She explained that they first secured Hammel & Associates through a request for proposals in order to make sure that we were selecting an experienced consultant who was meeting the need in a way that was efficient. There were a number of consultants who submitted proposals and we required that they be on the PA State Historic Preservation Office list of consultants that they maintain for purposes like ours. Hammel then developed a needs inventory and took a look at the historic courthouse and developed recommendations on priority needs with respect to the exterior. As the Board knows, we updated the interior so we want to make sure that the building stays in good shape for a long time to come. They did identify needing a new roof as a priority issue. That report itself was funded through the PA Historic and Museum Commission Planning Grant and we were able to use that report and the need for the new roof to apply for a construction grant through that same organization. We were awarded that funding. Ms. Gray continued that it does require a 50% match and they talked about that grant in previous meetings. This contract before them today is for Hammel to engage a structural engineer in order to design the drawings necessary to go out for bids to do the roof work which includes related tasks. Commissioner Ziobrowski thanked her for the information and stated that our Historic Courthouse is a gem. Carrie continued that item #3 is a quote recommending that the board approve in order for us to update our equipment and virtual services environment. She turned it over to Noll Wilt, Information Services Technology Director, and John McCaffrey, new Chief Information Officer with Stellar Services. Mr. McCaffrey stated that he is pleased to be here in the new position and serving the County and the residents of the county. He understands this service very well and the need that as equipment ages and with growth the requirements of more processing power and storage with the growth of the data and the need to stay current in the near future and the long term. He stated that Noll and the ITS team put together a good plan. He reviewed the proposal and had the Stellar Services Network and Server Team review historical context in 2012 the county moved 50 servers into a virtual environment instead of physical servers. Over the years that has expanded to over 100 servers and through the years we upgraded as necessary and added to the system however the 11 year old equipment that still exists is beyond its lifespan so there is the need to remove them and in the process we will also need to upgrade the system so that it has resources to last us for the next several years. Mr. Wilt continued that the reason we are going with CDI is they were with us from the Continued on page 2 beginning and helped design the environment we have now. They have knowledge about how to implement these processes and they are what is called a value added reseller for Dell and in the IT market a lot of those companies like specific vendors to implement these projects. So, Candoris at the time, now CDI was suggested by Dell to help us implement this. They have are responsible enough to make sure that it happens properly and that we experience minimal down time. The most recent project we had with them was our data center move and they were able to complete that in the allotted time and we lost no data in that move and that is why we are going with their professional services. Commissioner Ziobrowski said he is satisfied as to the need and as to the vetting of the particular company. He thanked them. Commissioner Flannery said when they talk about moving to a virtual environment does that mean the data is about physical servers vs. virtual servers, a physical server is one box equals one server and in virtual environments we have an array of storage and about four physical servers that run on one virtual server so the storage handles as many servers as you want and then the host shares resources to run those altogether. Commissioner Flannery asked what happens to the current equipment that is obsolete and Mr. Wilt responded that it will be recycled after they destroy the hard drives. Chairman Keller stated that 11 years seems to be a long time and asked if it is realistic to expect the replacement equipment will last that long. Mr. Wilt responded that he would not expect that. Mr. Wilt said that the norm is five to seven years and that we were able to get 11 years due to the architecture and how it was designed. Commissioner t there is a race between physical depreciation and functional obsolescence. Mr. McCaffrey stated it was well said! Chairman Keller asked about the offsite presence that backs up in case we have anything go offline here, is that being modified as well? Mr. Wilt responded that both primary and secondary will be updated. The items will be decided upon in the afternoon session. The Commissioners presented a fundraising check to Becky Voss, Executive Director fundraiser that was held in April. Keri Kenney, Training Development Coordinator, said she awareness month so she decided to support OTR/CAC in honor of that. She continued that Over the Rainbow provides a safe, child-friendly place for children and families to receive services that help to restore hope and provide healing from child abuse. They also minimize the trauma that can be experienced by a child during a child abuse investigation. It limits them from having to tell their story multiple times. Ms. Kenney said that county employees raised $685 which is the highest amount this year and 130 employees from 20 different departments donated. She thanked employees for their continued support every month and she wanted to give a shout out to our Children & Youth and Human Services departments for all they do for the children and their families. She introduced Becky Voss, Executive Director from the CAC, who is here to receive the money. Ms. Voss thanked them for having her at this that work within the county and the County itself. from the community. Child Abuse Prevention Month is important to them because it takes everyone to spread awareness of the issue of child abuse and just hearing about dress down days shows them that they do work with so many great people in the community and they are thankful for the partnership. Chairman Keller said her and her team are the angels among us and so grateful for the work they do and grateful to the employees for recognizing that and contributing so much appreciated. Commissioner Ziobrowski said they were fortunate to attend the ribbon cutting for the new facility at 40 N. Second St which was a great rehab of an older building so he because they did a wonderful job of restoring that building to make it a safe environment for the youngsters that have been traumatized. Continued on page 3 The Board reviewed information regarding Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Jason Goetz, Mosquito & Tick Borne Disease Control Specialist in the Planning Department was present to receive the proclamation. He introduced Christian Boyer and Brooke Coder from PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) who work at the state level with ticks. Mr. Boyer thanked the County for the opportunity to come and share in this proclamation. Jason does a great job in collecting ticks here in Franklin County. He continued that all 67 counties in the legged tick or deer tick. Mr. Boyer continued that DEP provides funding to local governments to conduct and monitor tick population and disease prevalence throughout the county to reduce the incidents of Lyme disease. County staff focus on areas of high public use in the counties the tick population might be expanding when looking at new populations of ticks and disease prevalence. Those ticks are collected and sent to the DEP lab in Harrisburg where they test ticks in house for the prevalence of diseases that make people sick. After those diseases are found they are reported at the end of the seasons to make the public aware of what is going on with the tick populations and the disease prevalence in the counties. The biggest focus is to help counties and help the citizens to know what to do to protect themselves from ticks and that the majority of ticks that we have in the Commonwealth do carry pathogens that will make everything that the county has to offer but to protect themselves when they are out in the field. He mentioned what to do to prevent tick bites including wearing insect repellents that are EPA approved or using permethrin products on clothing and to check for ticks on themselves and pets when outdoors. People should wear light colored clothing and tuck pants in their socks, also recommends putting clothes in the dryer on high heat that will kill them and to take a shower. It comes down to individuals taking care of themselves. Jason Goetz added that the st tick. Mr. Goetz stated that he goes on 1 grade field trips every year and teams up with the Conservation District and talks to students about protecting themselves from ticks and mosquitos so this year he decided to write a song for the kids and Sheena Baker asked him to perform it here toda has a chance to get out and do it for the kids. Chairman Keller said he gives his golden retriever medicine once a month for ticks and heartworm and asked if the science or medical community is getting any closer to more preventative measures that will help everyone out. Mr. Boyer said So if the vaccine comes to fruition that would be a wonderful thing. He thanked them both for be expanding, is the population in general growing. Mr. Boyer said there are some invasive ticks that are growing that could be because of climate change. They are seeing a lone star tick that is coming from the south. They are tracking the trends and expansion of these ticks and other tick populations that have come to Pennsylvania and Franklin County. They are still learning a lot about what they carry and how transmissible the diseases that can be transmitted to people. Commissioner Ziobrowski said he mentioned using caution and tucking pants into socks, but if you are out with shorts and short sleeves is there a particular spray that can be used that is the most effective ticks? Mr. Boyer responded that insect repellent with deet is recommended but there are other options including permethrin that you cannot put on the skin but spray the clothing and let it dry. And when ticks come in contact with that they die on contact. There are others he mentioned. He continued that the tick checks are the most important thing that people can do. Chairman Keller read the proclamation. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved to sign Franklin County Proclamation #2023-12 proclaiming the month of May 2023 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Franklin County and that the attached proclamation be made a part of these minutes. Continued on page 4 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: Melissa Galla representing Camp Penn that received $11,000 to purchase new playground equipment; Ken North representing Metal Township Fire and Ambulance Company that received $100,000 to purchase new radios; and Janice Gipe representing Metal Township Municipal Authority that received $101,000 for upgrades to the Fannettsburg Sewer Treatment Plant; Tracy Holliday representing The Institute that received $73,000 for outdoor improvements. Chairman Keller invited the recipients to provide information on their programs and how they will use the IMPACT funds. Melissa Galla turned it over to Sam Richardson, Camp Director of Camp Penn who explained that the camp is on Old Forge Road in Waynesboro and explained that the camp is a historic facility and provided the history. They run summer camp programs there for both religious and environmental education. In 2020 they opened a new environmental center at the camp. The funds will be used to update the commons area, with LED lighting, will bring lawn up and over the tree roots so they do not have to take the trees playground equipment and carpet ball area and the new gaga pit which is octagon dodge ball, which is the most used thing at the camp. Chairman Keller asked how many kids come through the camp each year. Mr. Richardson responded that last year the camp had 350 kids and this year they are working with Shippensburg School District that will be bringing 100 more kids to This gr ery critical companies are putting in for radios. This is a portion of what they need but it will serve them well, especially the officers. Mr. North stated on behalf of Metal and Fannett Metal Fire companies he thanked them for the opportunity to apply and be awarded the grant. Tracy Holliday from The Institute said she is honored to be representing The Institute today along with Director of Education Pam Rowland and Board President Jim Fleagle. She provided the history of The Institute that was founded in 1990 with the mission of guiding the people of Cumberland Valley region to become stewards of their natural and cultural worlds. They serve school children, the general public and people of all ages engaged in experiences that educate, inform and inspire. They are embarking on a major project which is the Nature Center Development and purchased a 40-acre farm in 2021. The IMPACT grant will help support compost toilets along with significant infrastructure projects that they are undertaking; one of them is a bridge which is curtailing their full public engagement until they can get access buttoned up safely working with DEP. In the meantime they are working hard to prepare other infrastructure projects to be ready to roll when that bridge is opened. She mentioned the compost toilets and that these units will not only serve the public with a comfortable place for restroom facilities, they will also help them mod them installed and invite the Board for a visit. Pam Rowland thanked them for their support. Jack Boggs thanked them for the funds since they are a little municipality and have less than 150 customers trying to maintain a million dollar sewer system. They used the funds to purchase disks for the storage pond and they work wonderfully. Normally it takes five guys to drag a big tarp onto the pond to keep the algae off and not clog these disks before but now they can, thanks to the county. The Board recessed and will reconvene at 2:00 p.m. for final approval of the items that were reviewed. The Board reconvened at 2:00 p.m. There was no public comment. Continued on page 5 The Board reviewed Commissioners Office matters. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved the Professional Services Agreement between the County of Franklin and Hammel Associates Architects, LLC to provide architectural and design services related to construction activities at the Franklin County Historic Courthouse at a cost not to exceed $80,030.00. No general funds will be used to cover these costs: costs will be paid out of monies assigned for Quality-of-Life and historic prevention initiatives. The Board reviewed Fiscal matters. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved the report to PA Department of Human Services/Bureau of Financial Operations for the FY 2021-2022 Early Intervention Income and Expenditure Report. Early Intervention expended $1,070,742 of the FY 2021-2022 allocation of $1,204,655, resulting in carryover of $133,913 for FY 2022-2023. Total County Share is $114,145. The Board reviewed Information Technology Services matters. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved for the Chairman of the Board to execute the quote from CDI, LLC to provide equipment and services to upgrade the years old and needs to be replaced. There is also the need to increase the capacity of the environment to accommodate higher usage. The Board reviewed additional Information Technology Services matters. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved the quote from ICC Community Development Solutions for the annual renewal of Laserfiche licensing at a cost of $109,975.10 for the period of May 24, 2023 through May 23, 2024. Laserfiche is our content management solution, providing electronic document storage as well as electronic workflows and eForms. The Board reviewed Planning Department matters. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved Intergovernmental Agreement between the County of Franklin and Warren Township to establish standards for naming roadways, posting road signs and assigning numbers to all dwellings, principal buildings, businesses and industries within Franklin County. In accordance with PA Act notifications, Letterkenny Army Depot notified the County of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Chapter 102 General Permit application being applied for the construction of a 50,000 sf shipping and receiving building located in Letterkenny and Greene Townships. In accordance with PA Act notifications, Samuel Smith notified the County of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection NPDES permit being applied for a small stream flow sewage system on property located in Fannett Township. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection renewal air quality permit being applied for operation of a chip manufacturing company which causes air emissions on property located in Antrim Township. The Board reviewed information regarding Mental Health Month. Cori Seilhamer turned it over to Alex Shatzer, the Community Support Program Supervisor from the Mental Health Association of Franklin/Fulton Counties. She is heavily involved in the May events to raise awareness of Mental Health Month and wanted to personally invite the Commissioners to their Walk the Walk event which is done every year and is the biggest event of the entire year. This th and the theme this year t not only putting the attention on suicide but also focusing on Mental Health. The reason why they went with that Continued on page 6 hope to people who are feeling hopeless. A lot of times those topics get pushed aside because no one wants to really talk about them. They are trying to bring them out into the light. Ms. Shatzer thanked them for recognizing May as MH awareness month. Ms. Shatzer explained that the Community Support Program does event planning and connects with community members to see what their community needs. They advocate for people in the community. Chairman Keller read the proclamation. Commissioner Ziobrowski is glad to see that mental health is coming out of the closet whether its NFL players or politicians or what have you they are finally coming out and bringing that out in the open which is a valuable thing and anything the Board can do to help with that they are happy to do. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved to sign Franklin County Proclamation #2023-12 proclaiming the month of May 2023 as Mental Health Month in Franklin County and that the attached proclamation be made a part of these minutes. The Board reviewed information regarding Correctional Officers and Employees Week. Warden Christopher Schell said that Correctional Week started in 1980 with Ronald Reagan who approved National Corrections week. The US Criminal Justice stands on three pillars, two of which are the most recognized. First, law enforcement and police officers who put forth their lives to protect our communities. The second pillar is the courts which ensure the rights to protect through the fair trial decisions to the facts in the laws. And, the third pillar is the correctional system which is just as critical yet too often overlooked and criticized. He continued that the correctional systems serve and protect our communities by separating criminals from the community and deterring others from breaking the laws and the most important part of the corrections is rehabilitation for our inmates so they can return to their community to be productive citizens. To maintain a safe, secure and humane correctional system is essential to uphold justice for all. To work and keep such promise belongs to the men and women that we honor the week of May 7-13. The employees from line staff to counselors, kitchen staff, maintenance and admin staff are well deserving of this week. The correctional staff jobs are demanding and often dangerous. They work in a tough environment where the threat of violence always presents the need for vigilance and you know that every time you and your colleagues walk through the sally port of our correctional facility you put personal safety and even our lives on the line. He deeply appreciates the daily job of the Franklin County Jail staff that is capable of handling the physical and emotional demands upon them daily. Their profession requires careful consistent vigilance and threats of violence are always present at the same times these dedicated employees attempt to improve the lives, conditions and assist the inmates with rehabilitation and hope to stop recidivism. The Warden mentioned the activities they are having each day of the week to honor the staff. He appreciates the Commissioners with recognizing Correctional Worker's week. Chairman Keller wishes everyone a safe, healthy, and happy corrections week and they are looking forward to participating in some of the activities. Commissioner Flannery thanked Warden Schell for everything he does. When he took office as commissioner, he was lucky enough to serve as President of the Prison Board that the Franklin County Jail sets the standards for the Jails in Pennsylvania for what a jail best jails and he credits all of them for that and he thanked them for giving him something to brag about and they do a great job. Commissioner Ziobrowski said for the last 10 years they had a Warden, Bill Bechtold, who was very enthusiastic and promoted esprit de corps among stepping it up a notch. He thanked them. Chairman Keller read the proclamation. On a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski, seconded by John T. Flannery; unanimously approved to sign Franklin County Proclamation #2023-13 proclaiming the week of May 7-13, 2023 as Correctional Officers and Employees Week in Franklin County and that the attached proclamation be made a part of these minutes. Continued on page 7 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: Jack Jones representing BOPiC, Inc. that received $70,000 to be used for educational programs; Sam Thrush representing Downtown Chambersburg, Inc. that received $11,000 for land appraisal and festival; Theresa DiLoreto representing Totem Pole Playhouse that received $26,000 for facility improvements; Bethany Peake representing Mental Health Association that received $40,000 for purchase of a new v received $25,000 to rent a building to provide basic needs. Chairman Keller invited the recipients to provide information on their programs and how they will use the IMPACT funds. Jack Jones from BOPiC thanked the Commissioners for the benevolent offering of $70,000 to help them with their grassroots organization. They are trying to use as much money as they can to go back into the community that has suffered specifically pre and post covid. They have two programs they are doing fundraising for right now. First is the summer educational program, where they take disadvantaged youth, evaluate them academically and if that child is not on point as far as academics are concerned they have six weeks in order to bring him up to grade point level. They only hire 34 staff and enroll 150-200 kids a day. And realistically speaking they will probably finance five classes instead of their normal 200-300 kids. Mr. Jones said that they are looking at Wilson College as the location to hold the program. They have also co- partnered with a Latino Church. Pastor O is here, his brother and has known him for a couple years. At the end of the winter the Pastor approached Mr. Jones and said he buys tractor trailer loads of food twice a month to give to the community. And he wanted to share the bounty with his neighborhood but did not know how to do that. With them being only two and a half blocks away he said no problem. So they have purchased three trailer loads already of 24,000 lbs. of fresh produce and canned goods they buy from a missionary out of Lancaster. They are feeding approximately 800 to 1,000 people with that 24,000 lbs. of food and in two hours the whole truck is gone. Do they want to see a grown man cry then come join them on Fridays to see it. Mr. Jones said he has to do kudos to the pastor, it is his idea his whole goal is to share this with his neighbors. BOPiC represents the entire multicultural community in the Borough of Chambersburg growing leaps and bounds. He stated that we need to thank the pastor for reaching out and helping so many people. Sam Thrush said the grant they received through the IMPACT! Grant program is being used in two ways. First is the art festival that the Foundry program of Downtown Chambersburg, Inc. Artist Cooperative plan is to have an outdoor event for artists. Not just to capture our beautiful community but to also for them to grow as an artist and for the will be going. The remaining balance will be going for reimbursement of an appraisal they have done for a very large economic project which is an amphitheater project in our downtown. He is happy to share that phase I is happening. Mr. Thrush thanked them for the grant and the larger grant from the Commonwealth to help make it happen. Teresa DiLoreto deferred to David Hemsley Caldwell who is the current Artistic Director for Totem Playhouse. He is very happy to be here to thank them for the funds that helped them to do some repairs to the building that were very necessary. He provided the history of the Playhouse that was r continued that these funds allowed them to replace carpet and new doors in the theater. He came on board in December of 2020 and it was a very scary time for a lot of people and especially for people in the arts. This community and the people in this community have rallied to help them come back and he is so appreciative. They are finally coming back with a full they have a whole season full of great shows. He mentioned the titles of the shows this season. the generosity and kindness of this community. Bethany Peake from the Mental Health Association thanked them sincerely from the bottom of their hearts for the money that they were awarded through the IMPACT! Grant. She explained that it will go to fulfill two needs of their agency. First is for a second vehicle. She explained that right now they have one company vehicle that solves a lot of problems but with growing costs of car repairs and gas, not only does it leave the people in their programs without transportation to certain activities and events it also leaves their staff without a vehicle. This helps their fleet of vehicles grow so they can get out in Continued on page 8 the community and provide more services. A lot of their services are community based so some do not come to their office for their services so getting out into the community is a desperate need. They are meeting people where they are at right now. The second vehicle will do wonders for their program. The second portion of the funding is going to help them with obtaining electronic health records. They are still paper based. Going electronic will save staffing costs on time and effort it will save on paper and all those other tidbits that add up in a budget. For staff this will impact their daily lives as they will not have to drive to the office to drop off paperwork. They will be able to do more when they have these supplies and these tools. Ms. Peake stated that they truly appreciate the funds and are looking forward to seeing how we can continue to work together to make our mental health lives better. John McCrae personal care items, pet food, homewares and kitchen wares, as well as nonperishable food. They partner with SCCAP on Tuesday where they provide people with vegetable boxes. They also partner with Panera Bread and provide Panera Bread and vegetables. On Thursdays they pack food bags and partner with Chick-fil-A and provide chicken and mac and cheese and whatever else they may provide. They have over 1,100 registered guests that use their services and since the first quarter of the year they have offered over $156,000 with assistance to folks in garage and he had just retired and planned on moving south and the Lord told him he wanted him to start a free clothing ministry. After having words with the Lord for a couple weeks he put on Facebook to see if there was a need. Everyone thought it would be wonderful. They went from a one car garage to Mainstreet in October and he thanked the Commissioners for the generous grant that allowed them to move to a 3,000 sq. ft. facility on Orchard Drive. Another need is that after folks pay their bills they rarely have funds to launder the clothes that they get. Their next vision and mission is to get a bus and equip with washers on one side and dryers on the other side to provide free laundry services to take to different points in the community and offer folks free laundry services. They are not offering a handout, they are offering a hand up and they want to make sure they are doing what God wants them to do. He thanked them and going on around Franklin County and gratifying to know how they are able to support those efforts. He thanks them for the good work they are doing. The meeting was adjourned at 2:46 p.m. with a motion by Robert G. Ziobrowski; seconded by John T. Flannery. Carrie E. Gray County Administrator/Chief Clerk FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ____________________________________ David S. Keller, Chairman ____________________________________ John T. Flannery ___________________________________ Robert G. Ziobrowski