Commissioners approve payrolls, contracts, CDBG policies and other motions; reject AFSCME fact-finding

SUNBURY, Pa. — Northumberland County Commissioners on Aug. 5 approved routine payrolls and bills, ratified several contracts and grant-related policies for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs, and rejected a fact-finding recommendation from AFSCME Local 2016, the panel announced at a public meeting in the Administration Center.

The actions covered a wide set of county business: three payroll runs totaling roughly $2.24 million; county bills of $8,032,871.01 for the period from June 21 to Aug. 1, 2025; contract ratifications including a short-term extension for mental-health counseling at the county prison; a sublease rent reduction for Community Services, Inc.; authorization of bridge-rehabilitation contracting; and adoption of a suite of CDBG- and HOME-related policies and compliance resolutions required for federal funding.

Why it matters: The votes set near-term county spending, ratified agreements that affect jail services and county property, and established federal grant compliance documents that must be in place for ongoing and future CDBG/HOME funding.

Most motions were approved by voice vote without roll-call tallies recorded in the public transcript. The meeting also included one recorded area of disagreement: the commissioners voted to reject fact-finding recommendations arising from negotiations with AFSCME Local 2016. A commissioner said he agreed with the report’s findings except for the wage/compensation recommendations and stated concerns about county finances and the need for further negotiation before accepting those pay recommendations.

Key formal actions (motions adopted unless otherwise noted): - Approve and pay payrolls: Payroll No. 14 — $746,361.34; Payroll No. 15 — $742,800.74; Payroll No. 16 — $754,091.08. (Motion carried.) - Pay county and liquid fuels bills: $8,032,871.01 (June 21–Aug. 1, 2025). (Motion carried.) - Ratify extension of contract with Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc. (CSO) to provide mental-health counseling services to inmates at Northumberland County Prison, effective July 27–Dec. 31, 2025. (Motion carried.) - Ratify a sublease addendum with Community Services, Inc. (CSG) reducing leased square footage to 10,588 sq ft and reducing annual sublease rent to $85,127.52 (monthly $7,093.96). (Motion carried.) - Reject fact-finding recommendations in the matter between Northumberland County and AFSCME DC 86 Local 2016, effective 7/28/2025 (the motion to reject carried). The transcript records at least one commissioner saying they agreed with the fact finder’s other findings but not the wage recommendations and urged continued negotiations. (Motion carried.) - Authorize the county to execute a contract for structural rehabilitation of County Bridge No. 70 (contractor name transcribed with uncertain pronunciation). (Motion carried.) - Rescind a prior motion (Motion No. 19 from the June 3, 2025 public meeting) that would have distributed $73,644 to the Housing Authority of Northumberland County under Ordinance O-04-17 because that ordinance is under review. (Motion carried.) - Rescind Policy HS-3 (telework) in the county personnel policy manual, effective Aug. 11, 2025. (Motion carried.) - Approve salary adjustments and a 2% wage increase for the City of Sunbury tax collector/treasurer’s office, effective Jan. 1, 2026; and authorize the county to pay $20,000 annually to the City of Sunbury as the county share of tax-collection expenses from Jan. 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2029. (Motions carried.) - Adopt multiple CDBG/HOME program documents and compliance resolutions required by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and HUD, including but not limited to: resolution authorizing solicitor to file a petition to close Bridge No. 124; adoption of a code of conduct, minority and women’s business enterprise (MWBE) action plan, financial management plan, integrity policy, Section 3 action plan, citizen participation plan, anti-displacement policy, Section 504 grievance procedures and compliance officer designations, and related procurement and administrative policies. These documents were recorded as Resolutions R16–R31 (Motion(s) carried). - Approve a set of smaller CDBG reallocation/amendment motions reallocating modest amounts among projects (various CDBG contract numbers and project names were listed in the agenda). (Motions carried.) - Exonerate outstanding county taxes on multiple specified parcels as part of transfers to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Shamokin; the parcels were enumerated in the agenda and approved for exoneration contingent on the redevelopment authority taking ownership. (Motion carried.) - Authorize a funding request to DCED for $1,500,000 in discretionary Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the Herndon Borough/Jackson Township joint municipal authority Route 147 waterline replacement project (motion carried; county later reported being notified of the $1.5 million award during discussion).

Discussion vs. decisions: Most agenda items were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with no extended debate. The most substantive discussion recorded occurred around the AFSCME fact-finding recommendations, where at least one commissioner objected to the recommended wage increases and said additional negotiation would be required. Commissioners also discussed coordination among county housing- and redevelopment-related entities before acting on some blight-related items elsewhere in the meeting.

What’s next: Several of the CDBG/HOME policy adoptions include follow-up administrative tasks (designation of compliance officers and adoption of grievance procedures). The Herndon waterline funding request was advanced and commissioners said the county had already received notice of additional funding that may reduce the need to draw down the requested allocation.

Ending: The meeting record shows the commissioners handled a heavy consent-agenda volume of administrative, fiscal and grant-compliance items in a single session while reserving time for public comment later in the meeting.