Monroe County commissioners approve routine proclamations, budget adjustments, grants and vendor additions

The Monroe County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 4 unanimously approved a package of routine items, including a proclamation recognizing Sept. 4, 2025, as Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day, budget adjustments totaling $700,287, multiple grant submissions and subrecipient allocations, vendor additions and several small capital purchases.

The commissioners — Commissioner John DeChristi (chair), Commissioner David C. Parker and Commissioner Sharon S. Lagagua — voted by voice for each measure after motions were made and seconded. The measures included approvals to execute contracts, accept grant reports, ratify travel requests and allocate settlement funds consistent with the county’s opioid settlement terms.

Why it matters: The approvals authorize near-term spending and contract obligations, formalize grant filings and allocate opioid-settlement and human-services dollars to local providers. Several items affect county operations (corrections, the control center, senior services and emergency management) and the procurement of equipment for law-enforcement and corrections staff.

Key approved items

- Approval of minutes from the Aug. 20, 2025 meeting. - Proclamation: designating Sept. 4, 2025, as Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day in Monroe County. - Vouchers/payroll and electronic financial transactions (gross payroll and healthcare benefits) — motion carried. - Ratification of travel requests for Adult Probation, Assessment, Conservation District, Pretrial DUI services and the Register and Recorder. - Agreements: Mount Airy Casino Resort — $3,573 for the Monroe County Senior Volunteer luncheon (10/23/2025); Barrett Administration and Recreation Complex — use of a large meeting room for a senior center open house (10/31/2025) at no cost to the county. - Children & Youth Services: an amendment extending a purchase-of-service agreement with Berks County to 6/30/2026 and new purchase-of-service agreements with Cornell Abraxas Group and George Junior Republic of PA (term 7/1/2025–6/30/2026); approval of a subsidy agreement for a permanent legal custodian (details not specified in the meeting record). - Budget adjustments dated 6/30: net adjustments totaling $700,287. Noted line items included additional rental costs for MDJ Riley’s office ($5,914), $518,486 for capital projects (parking deck), boiler repairs at the jail, $953 for a scanner in the correctional facility, $5,000 for maintenance supplies, $10,000 for legal counsel from contingency, $200 for public defender title records, plus liability adjustments of $22,350 and $18,750. - Payment to CMR Construction — $3,800 for installation of required weight-limit signs on Bridge No. 3 (Evergreen Hollow over Pahoke Creek). - Opioid-settlement spending consistent with Exhibit E: execute a memorandum of understanding with Nehemiah Sober Living — $10,000; ratified submission of subdivision and release form for opioid settlement funds; recommended reappointment of Shea Madden to the Northeastern Pennsylvania region on the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust board for a two-year term. - Vendor approvals: added vendors for sheriff body armor and fiscal vendors (3 M S E F H LLC and 183 E F H LLC) to the county vendor list. - Fiscal and grants approvals: authorized Acting Grants Manager April Niver to submit the FY24–25 Election Integrity Grant closeout report (period 7/1/2024–6/30/2025); approved the MATP (Medical Assistance Transportation Program) Q4 report — $149,427.50; approved submission of the FY24 Continuum of Care amendment and the FY24–25 State Food Purchase Program quarterly report — $252,874.46; approved Year 2 continuation of the STOP Violence Against Women grant — $125,000; authorized Fiscal Director Jennifer Barclay to sign the state and local cybersecurity grant agreement (amount to be determined; term 9/4/2025–11/30/2027). - Homeless Services Development Fund (HSDF) subrecipient allocations: Pocono Area Transitional Housing — $16,470; Salvation Army Emergency Shelter Services — $16,470; Resources for Human Development case management — $9,448; Safe Monroe emergency shelter services — $15,000; CMP MHDS adult services — $48,000; Sites for Hope geriatric services — $10,157; Pocono Services for Families and Children — $26,000 (allocations listed as provided in meeting record). - Monroe County Control Center: acknowledged receipt of the FY2024 financial audit and the 2024 call breakdown by municipality. - Office of Emergency Management: service agreement with Pye, Baker and Safety, LLC for building alarm system inspection — $3,153.30 (term 12/1/2025–11/30/2026). - Capital purchases: bulletproof vests — $3,509.85 (three vests for the sheriff); computer capital purchases totaling $30,666.18 (20 tablets and keyboards — $29,713.60 — and a scanner for the correctional facility — $952.58).

Most motions were approved by unanimous voice vote. The meeting record does not list individual roll-call votes on each item; actions were recorded as “motion carries” after voice agreement.

Ending: Commissioners also authorized advertisement of 2026 budget hearing dates and 2026 annual bids and directed the chief clerk to proceed with routine administrative next steps for the approved items. Several grant filings and contract signatures require subsequent execution by county staff.