Pike County commissioners approve resolutions, grants, hiring and set part‑time pay rate; adopt Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Pike County commissioners on March 19 approved a package of financial and personnel actions, adopted a resolution designating March as Colon Cancer Awareness Month and heard presentations from the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners and county workforce staff.

The commission unanimously approved payments and vouchers, personnel actions including a part‑time hire in the transportation department, the county's participation in several grant agreements, and the adoption of Resolution No. 25‑06 urging residents to seek screening for early detection of colon and rectal cancers.

Votes at a glance: the meeting record shows all routine motions passed by voice vote with commissioners responding "Aye." Specific approved items included: approval of general fund payments of $1,833,501.24; a payment of $7,405 from a transportation account; a payment of $520,204.96 from the Pike County Employees Health Insurance Fund; human services payment vouchers (Emergency Rental Assistance Program 2: $7,932.64; FAIR: $6,403.26); execution of purchase of service agreements on behalf of Children & Youth Services with two named providers; authorization for the county chairman to execute a February 2025 SHARE housing fair grant for $2,833 on behalf of the Area Agency on Aging; a transfer of $21,870 from the Act 13 transportation account to the Act 89 account; execution of the State Homeland Security Grant Program agreement for federal fiscal year 2024 on behalf of public safety; and a motion to advertise the tri‑annual groceries and frozen food bid for July 1, 2025 through Oct. 31, 2025 on behalf of the corrections department. The minutes record that the motions carried by voice vote; individual roll‑call tallies were not provided in the transcript.

Personnel and retirement items: the commission approved refunds of contributions to four former employees (names listed in the record but not read aloud during the meeting), accepted two listed retirements, approved and submitted the 2024 retirement fund financial report for submission (recipient as stated in the record: not specified), and hired Wayne Vandermark as a part‑time driver in the transportation department retroactive to March 17, 2025. At the salary board session the commission set Vandermark's hourly rate at $15 per hour for less than 1,000 hours per year, retroactive to March 17, 2025.

Resolution 25‑06 — Colon Cancer Awareness Month: the board adopted Resolution No. 25‑06 recognizing March 2025 as Colon Cancer Awareness Month. The resolution text in the record cites regional incidence and mortality statistics, describes the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute's screening navigation work and promotes a March 27 awareness event organized by that institute. Karen Song, who identified herself as representing the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, thanked the commissioners and highlighted the institute's screening navigation program. "Our organization has been able to facilitate 800 cancer screenings through our screening navigation program, primarily to the uninsured and underinsured," Song said.

Penn State Extension and master gardener updates: county staff and Penn State Extension representatives provided several community program updates. A Penn State Extension representative said the office is planning webinars and local programming and encouraged 4‑H volunteer recruitment. A Master Gardener speaker described a DEP grant to expand Master Gardener programming countywide and outlined plans to create a sensory pollinator garden in partnership with the Pocono Environmental Education Center; the speaker described initial soil solarization, soil testing and planting steps funded by the grant.

Workforce and job fair update: county workforce staff reported that as of the meeting 62 employers were registered for an April 1 job fair (goal: 70). The staff said the event will include resume assistance, a clothing closet for professional attire and a reverse job‑fair component in which five adults with disabilities will host tables to demonstrate skills to employers.

Public comments: a resident identified as Kaye spoke during public comment to raise awareness of Nar‑Anon Family Groups and said she is starting a local group to support people affected by a loved one's addiction; she provided pamphlets and contact information. Other public commenters praised county services and described contacts with veterans services, the county career center and CASA volunteers.

What the record shows and what it does not: the meeting transcript records motions, seconds and voice votes but does not include named movers or seconders for most motions, nor roll‑call vote tallies. Where the transcript lists documents or named persons (for example, a letter received from Samantha Dennini, court administrator), the board acknowledged receipt. Several agenda items and provider names are listed in the record; where amounts or lists were read aloud those dollar amounts are reported above. The transcript also includes portions of the adopted resolution text and presenters' remarks; the article quotes only lines attributed in the transcript.

Looking ahead: commissioners did not specify follow‑up timelines for many of the approved grants and agreements during the meeting. Several presenters said they will return with additional program details (for example, Penn State Extension staff said a later update will report program start dates).