Crawford County commissioners approve routine contracts, purchases and personnel actions; multiple grant reimbursements ratified

The Crawford County Board of Commissioners on July 9, 2025 approved a slate of routine purchases, service contracts, grant reimbursements and personnel actions, including site work and utility-related quotes for the Sugar Lake tower project and several public-health and social services contracts.

The meeting included ratification of small equipment purchases paid from grant funds, multiple reimbursements under the county’s mini-grant program, authorization of engineering and environmental invoices, and personnel actions including a per-diem rehire in the sheriff’s office and retirement/vesting actions before the county retirement board. Most items were approved with no extended discussion.

The board voted to ratify a range of purchases and service agreements. Highlights include a $12,523.89 purchase of Dell computer hardware for indigent defense (to be reimbursed from the indigent defense grant); a $13,020 final payment to Otis Elevator for courthouse elevator motor repairs; and $10,425 to replace a failing building intercom system (not budgeted). The board approved small annual service agreements and maintenance tests for the Crawford Correctional Facility (generator testing and maintenance, annual service agreements and radio support plans) and approved payment to Interaction Insight Company of $6,200 for an API connecting the Eventide recorder to comms coach software.

Commissioners approved multiple quotes for site work at the Sugar Lake tower site, all described at the meeting as budgeted: $28,600 for site and driveway excavation; $24,700 for driveway, culvert and entrance construction; $25,000 for stormwater drainage work; $14,500 for a gravel driveway and pad; and $23,400 for fertilizer, lime and grass seed placement. Several of these were presented through the project manager Mobilecom.

County planning and grants actions included reimbursements from the county mini-grant program to local authorities and volunteer fire companies: $15,000 to Kaneo Lake Joint Municipal Authority for a generator and pump-station project; $6,045 to Vernon Central Hose Company for LED lighting; $11,438.16 to West Mead Volunteer Fire Department for rope-rescue equipment; $1,215 to the Crawford County Fairgrounds Building Association for a storage-shed project; and $2,805 to the Titusville Historical Society for an exhibit. The board also approved a $25,790.19 invoice to Moody & Associates for environmental services tied to the Cambridge Springs pit demolition project, paid from Act 137 funding; staff said an NPDES submission will follow.

Human services approvals included contract amendments and new provider contracts for fiscal 2024–25 and 2025–26 across transportation (MATP assurance of compliance), child-youth services (CYS) and mental health services. The board approved a set of provider contracts and amendments — for example, an $11,000 increase to an independent-living program contract to cover fiscal-year expenses, and a $17,000 increase to Titusville Area Hospital’s contract for mobile psychiatric nursing and rural clinic services to cover estimated April–June invoices.

Voter services purchases paid from the election-integrity grant were ratified: a DellPro laptop for ballot printing ($846.23); two battery-powered scissor lifts for moving voting equipment ($5,225.28 total); and a Martin Yale high-speed letter opener ($1,718.89).

Finance staff presented several invoices for approval, including the county’s PCORI fee ($2,210.39) and quarter-three county-match payments for CYS ($590,005.84) and related programs. The board approved a subrecipient-monitoring consulting contract.

Personnel and personnel-related actions carried by the board included creation/ratification of a per-diem chief deputy coroner position at the coroner’s request; a motion to set the rehire rate for John Dennis as a per-diem deputy sheriff at $21 per hour; and a approved emergency transfer/promotion in the correctional facility (Aaron Brown to lieutenant at $26.25 per hour). The retirement board approved several retirement and vesting motions, including actions for Michael Blumenstein, Lee Stewart and Deborah Higgins Bessego.

Other approvals included: a Toshiba copier and a map-scanning project for the recorder’s office (paid from recorder improvement funds); GIS professional services payments; payment to EADS Group for an engineering estimate on Whiteman Road Bridge No. 14 (to be reimbursed by PennDOT with 5% from liquid fuels); a time extension for preliminary engineering on Dodieville Road Bridge No. 21 to June 30, 2027; and small IT/security work at the fairgrounds to bring cameras online ($265).

Commissioners noted community events and urged finalization of the state budget because county human-services providers depend on state funding. The meeting ended after routine roll calls and scheduled committee updates.

"We're here to ratify the purchase of computer hardware from Dell Technologies in the amount of $12,523.89, and it'll be reimbursed from the indigent defense grant," said Sam Tunstall, who identified himself as filling in for the public defender during his presentation.

Votes at a glance (selected items — all motions listed in county minutes were approved): - Approval of minutes and payment of bills: payment of bills totaling $1,605,821.88 for period ending 07/08/2025 — approved. - Ratify creation of per-diem chief deputy coroner position — approved. - Dell computer hardware purchase (indigent defense grant) $12,523.89 — approved. - Correctional facility: annual generator test and maintenance (Cleveland Brothers) $2,385; Global Security Systems annual service $2,300; Mobile Call annual radio support $2,789 — approved. - Recorder: Toshiba e-Studio copier purchase and map scanning by Reynolds Business Systems ($4,108 and $13,474.99 cited) — approved. - GIS professional services (Civic Vanguard) $3,726 — approved. - Eventide/API integration (Interaction Insight Company) $6,200 (not budgeted) — approved. - Building intercom replacement $10,425 (not budgeted) — approved. - Sugar Lake tower site quotes (site excavation $28,600; driveway/culvert $24,700; stormwater drainage $25,000; gravel driveway/pad $14,500; fertilizer/lime/seed $23,400) — all approved as budgeted items. - Otis Elevator final payment $13,020 — approved. - EADS Group invoice for Whiteman Road Bridge No. 14 $5,252.54 (PennDOT reimbursement; 5% liquid fuels) — approved. - Time extension for Dodieville Road Bridge No. 21 preliminary engineering phase to June 30, 2027 — approved. - Fairgrounds camera PoE switch replacement $265 — approved. - Planning/grants mini-grant reimbursements (Kaneo Lake $15,000; Vernon Central Hose Co. $6,045; West Mead VFD $11,438.16; Fairgrounds Building Assn. $1,215; Titusville Historical Society $2,805) — approved. - Moody & Associates environmental invoice (Cambridge Springs pit demolition) $25,790.19, Act 137 funding — approved; staff noted NPDES submission forthcoming. - Whole-home repair contract and payment to Fuller Building Group (homeowner #24 contract; homeowner #5 payment $22,307.71) — approved. - Human services: multiple contract amendments and new-provider contracts for CYS, mental-health and crisis intervention for FY 2024–25 and 2025–26 — approved. - Finance invoices including PCORI fee $2,210.39; CYS county match $590,005.84; other county-match and reimbursements — approved. - Voter services equipment (DellPro laptop $846.23; two scissor lifts $5,225.28; Martin Yale letter opener $1,718.89) — approved (paid from election integrity grant). - Payment to PCHIP $8,668.50 to recoup Highmark credit — approved. - Appointment of Kelly Davis to Northwest Commission Job Connect board effective 07/2025 — approved. - Security contract for 2025 Crawford County Fair with Balentis Group; artist booking contract with Synergy Erie LLC for Tyler Braden — approved. - Personnel actions: Sheriff rehire John Dennis as per-diem deputy at $21/hour; correctional promotion/transfer for Aaron Brown to lieutenant at $26.25/hour; retirement board motions for Blumenstein, Stewart and Higgins Bessego — approved.

Ending: The board adjourned after routine updates and scheduled committee announcements; the next full session was noted for July 9 with a work session scheduled July 16.

(Amounts and program names reported as stated at the meeting. Where transcript wording was unclear, the article indicates funding source or that an NPDES submission was expected.)