Franklin County commissioners approve contracts, equipment leases and awards; proclamations adopted

Franklin County commissioners approved a series of routine and larger items at their May meeting, including safety equipment for probation staff, amendments to the jail meal contract, office equipment leasing, procurement awards and a proclamation naming May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

Major items passed included replacement bullet‑resistant vests for adult probation staff, an amendment to the county’s jail food services contract with Summit Food, and an award for a courthouse HVAC contract after a technical review of bids. Commissioners also approved a county lease for Canon multifunction devices to lock in current pricing before a scheduled increase and accepted several procurement and bid reports.

Details of key actions: - Bullet‑resistant vests (Agenda item 5.01): Commissioners approved replacing vests for adult probation staff, with $13,180 identified from the general fund and an additional contribution tied to Act 7035 (as read at the meeting). Staff said replacement follows manufacturer recommendations and the county’s bargaining agreement.

- Summit Food amendment (Agenda item 5.03): The commissioners approved an amendment to the existing contract between the jail and Summit Food for inmate and staff meals. Staff described the action as a four‑year estimated cost and said the estimate includes CPI‑U inflation adjustments; staff characterized the total as approximately $3.5 million over four years.

- Canon lease (Agenda item 5.04): Procurement presented a lease increase for department Canon multifunction devices; staff said completing the contract before June 1 avoids an anticipated 10% price increase. Commissioners approved the lease and the accompanying per‑print charges as described in the procurement memo.

- Kitchen equipment bids (Agenda item 5.05, bid opening): Three responsive bids were announced for kitchen equipment replacement: TriMark ($134,412), Singer Equipment ($133,060.49) and MS Johnston Company ($133,100). A fourth bidder, Marty's Culinary, was declared not responsive and set aside.

- HVAC award (later procurement item): After a technical review that found one bidder’s equipment failed to meet the specified minimum tonnage, staff recommended awarding the split‑system HVAC contract to Master Mechanical. Staff said the Master Mechanical base bid for the single‑unit option was $205,254 and that the split‑system alternate — the recommended option given the building’s current structure — was higher; commissioners approved the award following discussion of technical risks with the single‑unit option.

- Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month proclamation: Commissioners proclaimed May 2025 as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Daniel “Buck” Buchanan, a district representative for ABATE (Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education), spoke about the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program and urged motorists to “look twice, save a life.” Commissioners approved the proclamation by voice vote.

Other business included acceptance of the consent agenda, routine minutes and vouchers, recognition of Veronica Brastinski as May employee of the month in the district attorney’s office, and a fiscal first‑quarter budget report presented by the county fiscal director. The fiscal report showed general fund revenues recognized at about 79% of budget and first‑quarter expenditures below the expected quarterly level, with staff noting a potential risk for children and youth transfer costs driven by certain placement expenses.

All listed motions were approved by voice vote during the meeting, with no roll‑call tallies provided in the transcript.