Votes at a glance: Lebanon County commissioners approve grants, personnel changes, proclamations and plan contract

The Lebanon County Commissioners at their March 20 meeting approved a set of routine and substantive items including personnel transactions, a modification to an intermediate punishment grant budget, an extension to a LERTA timeline for a Palmyra redevelopment project, authorization to serve as a pass-through grantee for an exposition hall grant, and proclamations recognizing community organizations.

Key votes and outcomes (summary):

- Minutes and agenda changes: The board approved minutes from the March 6 meeting and voted to amend the agenda as requested (motions approved by voice vote).

- Finance and receipts: County receipts and expenditures for March were presented and accepted (receipts $1,081,023.09; total cash $8,464,366.76; expenditures $1,685,223.02; balance noted $6,720,119.43).

- Recorder of Deeds courthouse use: The recorder of deeds requested use of the courthouse for a Saturday customer service event; commissioners approved the request and noted volunteers would be used (motion approved by voice vote).

- Personnel transactions and salary-board actions: The commissioners approved multiple resignations, retirements, promotions, reclassifications, and new hires across county departments (children & youth, corrections, area agency on aging, courts, sheriff's office, recorder of deeds). Specific approvals included reclassifying a part-time aging case aide 2 to full-time (funded, effective 03/30/2025) and adding interpreter pay for a position (prorated to begin 04/01/2025). All were approved by voice vote.

- Intermediate punishment (IP) grant modification: John Schott, Office of Probation Services, asked to modify the FY 2024-25 intermediate punishment grant to reduce expenditures by $8,216 (largely unspent costs associated with a facility dog and lower travel expenses). Commissioners approved the modification by voice vote.

- LERTA extension (Ventura Real Estate): Jack DeChico requested a three-year extension to file a LERTA exemption application for a Palmyra redevelopment site (requested new deadline September 1, 2028). After some concern about expired timelines and a commissioner’s objection noting other taxpayers do not receive such extensions, the board approved the extension by voice vote.

- Lebanon Valley Expo Center RACP grant pass-through: Patrick Kerwin asked the county to serve as pass-through grantee for a $4,000,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) award for a new exposition hall. Commissioners approved serving as the pass-through entity (motion approved; expo center said it will reimburse any county filing or legal fees and funds will not be disbursed until project completion and inspection).

- Proclamations and recognitions: Commissioners adopted proclamations recognizing American Red Cross Month and Pennsylvania 4‑H Week and approved proclamations for PA 811 Safe Digging Month and Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month (all by voice vote).

- County comprehensive plan contract: Julie Janian (Planning Department) and Michelle Breber (project manager, Gannett Fleming) presented the scope for the county comprehensive plan update with partial funding from the state Municipal Assistance Program. Commissioners voted to adopt the contract/scope and proceed with kickoff work.

- Office on Aging security upgrade: The board approved a $11,520.74 proposal from Reeth Locksmith to install four card-proximity readers and one visual intercom at the Office on Aging; the Office on Aging will fund the project from vacant-position savings and cover all costs (motion approved by voice vote).

- Hotel tax grant and exemptions: The commissioners approved a $400 hotel-tax grant request for a Pullman Park 5K and approved a disabled veteran real-estate tax exemption for an eligible applicant in Palmyra.

- RACP relinquishment notification: The board approved notifying the Commonwealth that a previously awarded RACP grant (awarded 2019 to WellSpan for a medical office project with the county as pass-through) will be relinquished; commissioners approved the notification.

Several items were approved by unanimous voice votes with no recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript. Where discussion occurred (for example the LERTA extension) the transcript shows at least one commissioner raised objections but the motions carried by voice vote.

Ending: Commissioners concluded the meeting after routine business and closed with motion to adjourn.