The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved a slate of routine motions including personnel appointments, contracts and policy updates.

The board accepted the resignation of Tom Newell from the Jefferson County Housing Authority and appointed Jessica Waltman to a five-year term on that authority. The board also appointed Dr. Joseph Kurnich and Karen Rapone (also referenced as Karen Lapone in the transcript) to the Jefferson County Hospital Authority; terms for those appointments were listed through Dec. 31, 2026.

The commissioners approved two legal services contracts to provide assistant public defender services: Scott C. Allen, Esquire, at a yearly rate of $25,500, and an agreement with Cisionelli (Cisionelli/Cordonato LLC in transcript) at $30,000 per year. Commissioners publicly thanked the attorneys for making themselves available.

Other approved motions included routine payroll ($343,827.50 for the Nov. 30–Dec. 14 pay period), invoice payments totaling $2,440,859.15, updates to the county vehicle and personnel policies effective Jan. 1, 2026, and ratification of a collective bargaining agreement covering court-appointed employees (pending final legal review as noted in the record).

Actions taken at the meeting were moved and seconded and carried by voice vote; commissioners offered brief remarks of appreciation to staff and volunteers. Where vote tallies were not recorded in full in the transcript, the minutes show motions carried by voice affirmation.