Lackawanna County commissioners approve payables, service agreements and five-year drug-and-alcohol grant
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Summary
At its Jan. 7 meeting, the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners approved $4.27 million in general-fund payables and $7.13 million in electronic transfers, a six-month lease extension for the Area Agency on Aging, multiple prison and public-safety service agreements, a data-sharing MOU with Jessup borough, a Cornerstone detention-services contract, and a five-year Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs grant for 01/01/2026–06/30/2030.
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 7 approved a package of routine fiscal and service items, including payables, lease and service agreements and a multiyear grant agreement.
Payables and transfers: Speaker 5 presented Resolution 260012 authorizing county general-fund checks numbered 395215–395663 totaling $4,270,178.94 and electronic fund transfers (including payroll) totaling $7,127,990.99. The board approved the payables by voice vote.
Area Agency on Aging lease: The board approved a six-month lease extension (Resolution 26005) between the Area Agency on Aging and the Abington Area Joint Recreational Board for property at 1151 Winona Road in South Abington Township to align the lease with the senior center provider contract. Sarah McDonald, director of the Area Agency on Aging, said the lease was originally executed on Feb. 27, 2020 and requested the extension to 06/30/2026.
Victim-notification maintenance and prison security services: The board approved Resolution 26006 to enter a maintenance and service agreement with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute to maintain SAVIN (statewide automated victim information and notification system) for 01/01/2026–12/31/2026; Warden Tim Betty said a grant covers the county cost. The board also approved Resolution 260010 to enter a service agreement with Cornerstone Detention Products, Inc., to maintain and repair prison security equipment (touchscreen controls, door-control systems, CCTV, intercom/paging and duress alarms) through 12/31/2026.
Data sharing and grants: Commissioners approved an intergovernmental MOU on public-safety technology systems with the Borough of Jessup that the county solicitor developed for use with municipalities; Al Carney, 911 center director, said the template will identify municipal vendors to help IT address cybersecurity incidents. The board also adopted Resolution 26008, a five-year grant agreement between the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Lackawanna-Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol beginning 01/01/2026 and ending 06/30/2030 to fund prevention, treatment and recovery support services and to allow the single-county authority to contract with providers.
Appointments: The board confirmed appointments to the Agricultural Land Preservation Board (Resolution 25009), naming Doug Paulman of Clark Summit (term to 12/31/2028) and Russell Decker of Clarks Summit (term to 12/31/2026).
Votes at a glance: Resolution 260012 (payables) — approved; Resolution 26005 (Area Agency on Aging lease extension) — approved; Resolution 26006 (SAVIN maintenance) — approved; Resolution 260010 (Cornerstone prison services) — approved; Resolution 26007 (data-sharing MOU with Jessup) — approved; Resolution 26008 (5-year drug & alcohol grant) — approved; Resolution 25009 (agricultural board appointments) — approved.
Why it matters: The approvals authorize the county to meet payroll and vendor obligations, maintain public-safety systems, and access state grant funding for drug-and-alcohol services; several of the items were presented as routine and approved by voice vote.
Next steps: Departments will implement the agreements; the Area Agency on Aging lease will remain in effect through 06/30/2026 as presented and the drug-and-alcohol grant will be in force beginning 01/01/2026.
