Washington County commissioners approve contracts, purchases and fee ordinance; multiple donations and service agreements authorized

The Washington County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 6, 2025, voted to approve a broad set of county contracts, purchases, donations and an ordinance that permits the tax claim bureau to charge a $250 processing fee for properties purchased at tax sale or by mortgage foreclosure. The board’s roll calls on recorded items showed all three commissioners voting yes on each measure.

The approved actions included procurement and agreement approvals across departments: public safety, planning, elections, redevelopment, parks and recreation, buildings and grounds, human services and behavioral health. Funding sources for the purchases varied by line item and included gas and oil lease funds, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) monies, state BOA funds, Department of Energy EECBG grant funds, Act 13 funds and other program grants; several contracts were noted as requiring no additional county funds.

Why it matters: The approvals commit county funds and grant-authorized revenue to infrastructure, public-safety connectivity, shelter services and elections operations for 2025. The ordinance adopting the processing fee implements authority granted by Act 48 of 2024 and will affect parties that purchase property at county tax sales.

The board approved two division-order amendments with Range Resources for small decimal interests in the Augustine D 11H and Augustine F 12H units. Commissioners authorized an addendum to a FirstEnergy agreement for the Southside Taxiway project in the amount of $6,287.61, citing additional electrical work and a junction box.

Donations authorized included three desks to a township police department (application and criteria verified) and a backhoe to the Washington County Fairgrounds. Purchasing approvals included a utility tractor, mower, loader and boom mower from Middletown Tractor at a total cost of $132,438.95 funded from gas and oil lease proceeds; advertising for a 14-unit T-hangar at the county airport; and a design agreement with TransSystems for the 14-unit T-hangar at $136,655 to be 90% funded with FAA monies and 10% with state BOA funds.

Information Technology approvals included a 36-month Comcast Business fiber agreement for the public safety airport location at $613.95 per month plus a one-time $199 installation fee, to be charged to the public safety operating budget. The board also approved a Scantec contract for $5,750 to scan naturalization documents into the county’s Laserfiche repository using the record improvement fund.

Human services and behavioral health actions included a renewal agreement with SPHS Connect, Inc., for permanent supportive housing services for $16,334 (funded by Act 13), final year-end contract adjustments for the Care Center and Centerville Clinics increasing authorization amounts to $1,352,944 (no additional county funds required), and a year-end adjustment with Healing Bridges increasing authorization to $55,634 (no county funds required). The board approved a shelter agreement with Sri Ranchovy Associates for emergency shelter hotel vouchers not to exceed $30,000, to be paid through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services homeless assistance program.

Elections, corrections and other departmental approvals included: purchase of a 2025 Ram ProMaster van from Waltz and Winforth for $43,000 funded by the Elections Integrity Grant; approval to purchase four 2025 electric vehicles and charging stations from Walton Wind Ford funded by the Department of Energy EECBG program; election services, warranty, license, maintenance and support fees with ES&S for $246,230 (year 1 of a five-year arrangement) charged to the elections operating budget; and an agreement with Butler County to house adult offenders at $60 per day per inmate plus transportation and medical costs charged to the corrections operating budget.

The board approved service and vendor agreements including pest control with Stinganga Pest Control (multi-year renewal with automatic renewals), pickup and delivery services for elections with Always Moving at $165 per hour per truck, an as-needed engineering services agreement with Tower Services Unlimited Inc., and a consulting and engineering services agreement with Michael Baker International Inc. at their 2025 hourly rates.

All recorded roll-call votes on the listed items were “Yes” from the commissioners identified in the roll calls as: Mister Madigan, Miss Janice and Mister Sherman.

Votes at a glance (selected items and outcomes): - Division order amendment (Augustine D 11H, decimal interest 0.00034115): approved (roll call: Madigan yes; Janice yes; Sherman yes). - Division order amendment (Augustine F 12H, decimal interest 0.00085133): approved (same roll call). - FirstEnergy agreement addendum (Southside Taxiway), $6,287.61: approved. - Donation: 3 desks to township police department (application completed): approved. - Donation: backhoe to Washington County Fairgrounds: approved. - LSA program resolution (2025 LSA program): adopted. - Ordinance under Act 48 of 2024 permitting $250 processing fee for tax-claim transactions: adopted. - Scantec scanning contract, $5,750 (record improvement fund): approved. - SPHS Connect, Inc. renewal (permanent supportive housing), $16,334 (Act 13 funds): approved. - Behavioral health contract adjustments (Care Center and Centerville Clinics), total authorization increased to $1,352,944: approved. - Healing Bridges final adjustment, authorization increased to $55,634: approved. - Shelter agreement with Sri Ranchovy Associates, not to exceed $30,000 (PA DHS homeless assistance program): approved. - Purchases of tractor/mower/loader/boom mower (Middletown Tractor), $132,438.95 (gas and oil lease funds): approved. - TransSystems design agreement for 14-unit T-hangar, $136,655 (90% FAA, 10% state BOA): approved. - Comcast Business fiber for public safety airport, $613.95/month + $199 install: approved. - Pest control agreement with Stinganga Pest Control (multi-year): approved. - Pickup/delivery agreement with Always Moving, $165/hr per truck: approved. - Tower Services Unlimited Inc. engineering services agreement: approved. - Michael Baker International Inc. consulting/engineering agreement (2025 hourly rates): approved. - Butler County housing agreement for adult offenders, $60/day per inmate: approved. - 2025 Ram ProMaster van (Waltz and Winforth), $43,000 (Elections Integrity Grant): approved. - Four electric vehicles and charging stations (Walton Wind Ford), funded by DOE EECBG: approved. - ES&S election services/support fees, $246,230 (year 1 of 5): approved.

The meeting record lists the funding source for each purchase when stated; where the presenter specified “no county funds are required,” the item was recorded as funded from grants or other non-county appropriations. The board’s clerk announced there were no proposed tax refunds at this time.

The board adjourned and moved to a regularly scheduled salary board meeting immediately following the session.