Monroe County commissioners approve multiple contracts, budget adjustments and bridge bids; nursing home sale pending

The Monroe County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 25 approved a series of routine contracts, budget adjustments and bid awards, including bridge repairs, vegetation-removal services and allocations from opioid-settlement funds. Commissioners also ratified grant closeouts and took steps tied to a pending sale of the county nursing home.

The actions were approved by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript. Most items drew little or no discussion and passed after commissioners said “aye.”

Why it matters: the approvals affect county infrastructure contracts, corrections and probation services, vendor lists for county purchasing and the county budget, including transfers tied to the pending sale of the county nursing home. Several items use grant or settlement funds or hotel tax revenue.

Major approved items and clarifying details

- Acknowledged bid openings: Commissioners acknowledged bid openings for repairs on County Bridge 1 and Bridge 22 (bidders listed in the record) and for county bridge cleaning and vegetation removal for a three-year period. Outcome: acknowledged/recorded.

- Awarded bridge repair and maintenance contracts: Awarded the bid for repairs on Bridge 2 and Bridge 22 to Rylan Construction for $127,455 (amount as stated in the record). Awarded the three-year county bridge cleaning and vegetation-removal contract to D'Angelo Contracting Services for $153,000 (total for three years). Outcome: awarded/approved.

- Ratified change order and related construction work: Ratified change order GC028 with Low Bar Construction for $36,496.84 for bollards, door hardware changes and access control device installation. Approved Widmer's Tree Service for vine removal and tree cutting at the old jail exercise yard for $8,000 (lowest of three quotes). Outcome: ratified/approved.

- Budget adjustments and fiscal items: Ratified a budget adjustment report dated 02/19/2025 totaling $350,283, of which $283,000 (as stated) covers commissioners’ water and sewer bills and $3,350,000 is listed in the record as to “cover a shortfall of cash pending finalization of the sale of the county nursing home.” Commissioners also ratified a second budget adjustment dated 02/19/2025 totaling $1,000,428 (line-item breakdowns were read into the record, including transfers for American Rescue Plan funds and reimbursements to the district attorney for body armor and firearms). Outcome: ratified.

- Children and youth services contracts and amendments: Approved professional-services contracts for July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 with MHY Family Services for $140,000; Miracle Hearts LLC for $300,000; and Institution of Human Resources and Services Inc. for $50,000. Approved an amendment to agreement M22024-391 with Child First Services to correct Attachment C (removing an independent-living line item at $80 and adding a one-person home line item at $1,062.99). Outcome: approved/ratified.

- Custodianship agreement and advisory board appointments: Approved an amended custodianship agreement extending the term from Feb. 2, 2025, to Feb. 2, 2028. Reappointed Lauren Peterson and Greg Pearson to the advisory board for new terms expiring 12/31/2007 (as stated in the record; date shown in the record appears inconsistent with the year and was recorded as read). Outcome: approved/reappointed.

- Correctional facility service agreement: Approved a planned service agreement with Johnson Controls for the Simplex fire-alarm system for the correctional facility covering 02/01/2025 through 01/31/2028 at $17,868 per year. Outcome: approved.

- Sheriff and public-safety purchases: Approved capital purchases totaling $38,833.52, including $35,711.30 for Sig Sauer equipment for the sheriff’s drug-interdiction program and $3,122.22 for desk reconfigurations. Outcome: approved.

- Procurement and vendor actions: Added multiple vendors to the county vendor list as read into the record (examples listed in the meeting record include Alta Language Services; DOT Scientific and Ecological Supplies; Freedom Sports LLC; Guardian Angel Recovery House; Eternal Fine Products; Sig Sauer Inc.; and ElectSure/ElekSure Learning). The record also ratified a contract addendum with Securitas to include an unarmed officer at $29.25 per hour and approved a four-year lease with Frasier Advanced Infosystems (vendor/CoStar) for copiers for court administration, adult probation and juvenile probation. Outcome: approved/ratified.

- Elections and training: Ratified a proposal from ElekSure (listed in the record as ElekSure/ElectSure Learning) for online election training for 12 months at $18,000 and approved a building-use request from St. Paul's Lutheran Church for the 2025 primary and general elections. The board authorized advertisement of moving the election-board meeting from March 5 to March 19 at 10:30 a.m. Outcome: ratified/approved.

- Grants and closeouts: Ratified submittal of the Election Integrity Grant Program post-election report totaling $322,824.11 and approved the submittal of the 2024 Emergency Management Program grant financial status closeout with expenditures totaling $66,242.19 (period reported: 10/01/2023–09/30/2024). Outcome: ratified/approved.

- Opioid-settlement funding allocations: Approved an allocation of $31,238 to Northbound and Company for opioid-use addiction recovery treatment services and approved allocation of up to $150,000 to Cornerstone Community Initiative for opioid-use addiction recovery treatment services (funding source: opioid settlement funding as stated in the record). Outcome: approved.

- Airport match and hotel tax funding: Approved county match of $32,755 (5% match) for the North Apron pavement rehabilitation and $40,000 for the Pocono Mountains Regional Airport entrance-road paving and parking expansion. A commissioner noted that the $40,000 would be paid from hotel-tax revenue. Outcome: approved.

- Probation and waste services: Approved a service agreement with Stericycle Inc. for on-call waste pickup for probation for the period 02/01/2025–01/31/2030 at $350 per pickup (per the record). Outcome: approved.

- Ordinance and surplus property/sale: Approved ordinance action described in the record as approval of a demolition and rehabilitation fund per “Act 48 of 2024” and authorized sale of several oriental rugs recovered in the old courthouse; the record notes that rugs with value over $2,300 must be sold at auction. Outcome: approved/authorized.

Meeting tone and context

Most items were handled as routine business with brief staff presentations and voice votes. Public comment on agenda items was solicited at the start of the meeting but none was recorded in the transcript. A commissioner said the meeting will recognize the Shawnee Fire Company’s 80th anniversary at an upcoming public meeting and noted the county’s interest in volunteer recruitment for fire and EMS. One commissioner commented on the local significance of the Pocono Mountains Regional Airport and the importance of upkeep given regular small-plane traffic bringing visitors.

Votes at a glance (items recorded in the meeting transcript)

- Approve minutes of Feb. 5, 2025 meeting: approved. - Acknowledge bid openings for bridge repairs and bridge vegetation removal: acknowledged. - Award Bridge 2 and Bridge 22 paving to Rylan Construction: awarded, $127,455. - Award county bridge cleaning/vegetation removal to D'Angelo Contracting Services: awarded, $153,000 (3-year total). - Ratify change order GC028 with Low Bar Construction: ratified, $36,496.84. - Approve Johnson Controls service agreement (correctional facility fire alarm): approved, $17,868/year (02/01/2025–01/31/2028). - Approve children and youth professional-services contracts (MHY Family Services $140,000; Miracle Hearts LLC $300,000; Institution of Human Resources and Services Inc. $50,000): approved. - Amend M22024-391 with Child First Services (Attachment C correction): approved (amount adjustments as read into record). - Extend custodianship agreement term (02/02/2025–02/02/2028): approved. - Reappoint Lauren Peterson and Greg Pearson to advisory board: reappointed (terms read into record). - Ratify budget adjustment reports (02/19/2025): ratified (totaling amounts as read; includes $3,350,000 noted as covering a shortfall pending nursing home sale). - Allocate opioid settlement funds (Northbound and Company $31,238; Cornerstone Community Initiative up to $150,000): approved. - Ratify election and emergency-management grant reports and closeouts: ratified ($322,824.11; $66,242.19). - Approve airport matches and paving funds: approved ($32,755 match; $40,000 entrance road/parking expansion funded from hotel tax). - Approve Stericycle agreement for probation waste pickup ($350/pickup): approved. - Approve capital purchases (Sheriff): approved ($38,833.52 total). - Approve vendor list additions and procurement actions including Securitas addendum ($29.25/hr) and copier lease with Frasier Advanced Infosystems: approved. - Approve online election training (ElekSure/ElectSure Learning) $18,000 and building use for St. Paul's Lutheran Church: approved. - Approve ordinance action re: demolition and rehabilitation fund per Act 48 of 2024 and authorize auction of certain oriental rugs (items over $2,300): approved/authorized.

Speakers and attributions

Direct quotations were not used in this story. The transcript identifies multiple commissioners and county staff members but does not provide full names for the meeting’s presiding commissioner or staff in most cases. Named individuals recorded in the meeting: Lauren Peterson (reappointed to the advisory board) and Greg Pearson (reappointed to the advisory board). The article summarizes actions as recorded in the public meeting transcript without adding attributions not present in the record.

Ending

Most items were routine approvals or ratifications intended to keep county operations, procurement and grant reporting on schedule. Several budget adjustments and contract approvals are tied to ongoing matters — notably a cash shortfall listed in the record pending the finalization of the county nursing home sale — that may affect future county financial reporting and follow-up meetings.