Commissioners report: public-housing inspections, HUD delays, public-safety training for energy project, Safe Ride pilot and yard-waste limbo

Commissioner liaison reports at the Cumberland County meeting covered a range of countywide operational and planning items that could affect residents and municipal partners.

Chairperson Neher opened her remarks by thanking county employees for their work in the prior year and outlined several topics of county interest, including public-housing file cleanup and inspections, ongoing issues with HUD payments, and upcoming public-safety events and training related to new energy infrastructure.

Housing and HUD payments: Neher said the county Housing and Redevelopment Authority completed a substantial cleanup of public-housing files and has resumed more regular inspections; she said the authority is experiencing delays in receiving HUD payments and noted a county remark that a HUD disbursement requires an internal action (“someone who has to press a button to send the money over”) that is not happening in a timely manner. The board discussed pursuing remedies to avoid monthly funding delays.

Public safety and Crane Clean Energy: Neher said Public Safety is meeting with Crane Clean Energy and that additional training requirements are expected for 2026 and 2027 because of the operation of Crane Clean Energy. She also flagged avian influenza developments, noting officials are monitoring animal cases and emerging transmission concerns.

Safe Ride Home pilot: Neher reminded the public that a Safe Ride Home pilot ran over Christmas and New Year in the Tri-County area via Uber and is grant-funded; she said the program is intended to reduce impaired driving and that utilization reporting would be useful to support future grant renewals.

Transportation and planning: Neher said the Carlisle Pike alternative-transportation feasibility study was adopted by the Silver Spring Township Board of Supervisors. The study examines a 1.1-mile segment for bicycle and pedestrian improvements and is available on the HATS regional website. The county signed a regional safety-target letter, which Neher said makes municipalities eligible to apply for federal implementation dollars for safety projects.

Yard-waste program limbo and equipment transfer implications: Commissioner Michael Parker reported that the Recycling and Waste Authority and participating municipalities continue to debate a proposed regional yard-waste MOU led by Hampton. Several municipalities have instead contracted private services and the authority lacks the critical mass to take on a regional program; Parker said this uncertainty affects the county’s decision about where to transfer its yard-waste equipment and that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection expects transferred equipment to benefit a substantial number of previous program participants. Parker said municipalities have raised questions about the draft MOU and that Hampton had not yet responded to a revised timeline.

Appointments and nominations: Parker said nominations for appointments to the MH/IDD board and the Recycling and Waste Authority were brought forward and acted on at recent meetings.

Why it matters: These liaison items affect county operations, municipal partnerships and potential federal and state funding flows. The yard-waste issue, in particular, could determine the county’s disposition of equipment and whether DEP conditions are met.

What commissioners asked for: Neher and others discussed the importance of utilization reporting for grant-supported programs (Safe Ride Home) and the need for timely HUD disbursements to support public-housing operations.

What’s next: Staff follow-up was discussed in several areas: reconciling HUD payment processes, preparing for energy-related public-safety training in coming years, and clarifying municipality interest and MOU terms for a regional yard-waste program.