Franklin County approves $54,260 Human Services security upgrades; authorizes $50 EMS payment for jail responses

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Allcom Global Services to install access controls, a detection system and associated cabling at the county Human Services Building and adopted a resolution authorizing $50 payments to emergency medical services agencies that respond to calls at the county jail.

The agreement for the Human Services Building, listed on the agenda as item 4.01, carries a total cost of $54,260. "The agreement before you is 4.01 ... with our security integrator called Allcom Global Services. This is to install some enhancements at our Human Services Building, which includes access controls for door systems, a detection system, and cabling to complete the project," said Carrie, county risk staff. Carrie told commissioners the county received a $25,000 loss-prevention grant from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and that "the remainder would be paid out of the workers' comp reserve funds." She also confirmed the equipment is movable if the county later relocates the facility.

The board approved the contract by voice vote. Commissioners first moved to approve an amended consent agenda after two consent items (3.04, GIS, and 3.05, human resources) were pulled for solicitor review; the amended consent agenda and the Human Services contract both passed without recorded roll-call objection.

Public comment raised questions about the county's recent jail surveillance and related transparency. Fayetteville resident Valerie Jordan said the June 11 approval of a "new security control and surveillance system for the county jail" prompted questions about budgeting, equipment life span, staffing and the coroner's findings in a recent inmate death. Jordan asked, among other items, "How much money is left in the workman's comp reserve after allocating a part of it for the security control surveillance system? ... Has our coroner determined the cause of death of the inmate who died in our county jail? When will this information be released to the public? ... How many sheriff's deputies are assigned to each shift at our county jail?" She also suggested putting dollar amounts on agendas and publishing agendas with approved minutes online.

Chairman responded to one of Jordan's questions during the meeting, saying that the EMS reimbursement resolution (item 4.02) "is $50 per run per run. And it ... doesn't matter if they transport or not, they get $50. ... It's whichever EMS company is there gets that fee." The board said it will email Jordan answers to the other questions she raised.

The commissioners also read and approved a citation honoring former commissioner Samuel W. Worley — known in the meeting as Sam Morley — on his 100th birthday and then recessed into an executive session to discuss real estate matters.

Votes at a glance

- Amended consent agenda (items 3.04 and 3.05 pulled for solicitor review): motion to approve amended consent agenda — moved, seconded, approved by voice vote. - Minutes from the June 11 meeting: motion to approve — moved, seconded, approved by voice vote. - Agreement with Allcom Global Services (agenda item 4.01) to install security/access controls and detection at the Human Services Building: motion to approve — moved, seconded, approved. - Resolution authorizing EMS payments for jail responses (resolution 2025 / agenda item 4.02): motion to approve — moved, seconded, approved; reimbursement set at $50 per responding run, regardless of transport. - Citation honoring Samuel W. Worley (Sam Morley) on his 100th birthday: motion to approve — moved, seconded, approved.

Implementation and next steps

County staff said the Human Services security work will be funded with a $25,000 County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) loss-prevention grant and the balance from the workers' compensation reserve. Commissioners directed staff to follow procurement and contracting procedures for the Allcom Global Services agreement. The board also indicated it will provide written answers to the public-comment questions about jail staffing, coroner findings and reserve balances by email.

Context

The discussion came after a brief procedural change at the start of the meeting: commissioners said next week's meeting would be moved from Wednesday at 10 a.m. to Tuesday at 10 a.m. The session concluded when commissioners recessed to an executive session on real estate.