Monroe County commissioners approve multiple budget adjustments, grants, contracts and ordinances

MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — The Monroe County Board of Commissioners on May 21 approved a series of budget adjustments, grant acceptances, contracts and other routine items, including updates to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds, acceptance of opioid-related grants, and multiple vendor and contract approvals.

Among the items the board approved were an amendment to a prior motion to reallocate remaining ERAP2 (Emergency Rental Assistance Program round 2) funds to $700,000 (updated from $600,000), ratification of a recipient agreement with the Housing Authority of Monroe County for $700,000, and acceptance of a Pennsylvania State Police automobile-theft and insurance-fraud grant for $132,524. The board also approved a budget-adjustment report dated May 21, 2025, totaling $150,000 to continue rapid rehousing services with Family Promise and a separate budget adjustment totaling $559,076 to reallocate funds among programs including opioid settlement spending and emergency solutions grants.

Other approvals included:

- Acceptance of a proposal from Deal Welding for $4,700 to install an aluminum flagpole on a parking deck. - Execution of an amendment for Comprehensive Care Connections, Inc., to provide evidence-based programming from June 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025 (motion approved by voice vote). - Approval of opioid-settlement-funded awards: Recovery Revolution ($3,876) and Guardian Angel Recovery ($900). - Execution of a professional agreement with Penone for $12,400 for project management related to the county barn and acceptance of an estimate from Dunkelberger's Tree Service for $900 to remove a cedar tree. - Ratification of surplus-vehicle bid receipts to be deposited in the county drug task-force account totaling approximately $26,609.60 (amount cited in meeting remarks). - Approval to open a new bank account (GL account 1771010440) for opioid settlement funds. - Adoption of an ordinance establishing a county demolition and rehabilitation fund pursuant to Act 48 of 2024 with a fee of $100 per property (ordinance number referenced as 2025-2 in meeting materials). - Approval of liability insurance renewal with the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool (amount not fully specified in the transcript).

The board also acknowledged the resignation of Troy Nauman from the Monroe County Planning Commission and accepted a Redevelopment Authority notice of a 2024 CDBG award of $664,120. The board approved an eighth amendment to a loan agreement with Pocono Mountain Industries, Inc., extending a loan related to the International Biola Works property to March 1, 2027, in the amount of $110,000.

Most votes were taken by voice; the transcript records "All in favor signify by saying 'aye'" and the chair calling motion carriers, with occasional recorded abstentions (one recorded abstention on the rug award). No roll-call tallies with member-by-member yes/no votes were given in the transcript.

Several routine items were presented and passed without extended discussion, including ratification of payroll and vouchers, travel authorizations for multiple departments, capital purchases totaling $5,137.03, and the award of a county demolition and rehabilitation fund ordinance. The board also ratified a grant agreement related to the department of children and youth services resolving supplemental Title IV-E schedules covering prior fiscal periods.

The board paused the meeting for a corrections report by the chief assessor that recorded zero additions and $602,110 in subtractions to the assessment roll; the board accepted the report by voice vote.

Several items on the agenda were deferred for separate consideration or labeled for a separate item later in the meeting; where the transcript included unclear or garbled dollar amounts or references, those amounts are listed as "not specified" or given as quoted in meeting remarks.