Carbon County commissioners approve leases, contracts and agricultural easement funding; table Baker Tilly audit proposal

CARBON COUNTY — The Carbon County commissioners used their Jan. 15, 2026 session to approve a package of routine contracts, lease extensions and grant agreements, adopt a funding resolution for the county's agricultural easement program and table a revised auditing proposal from Baker Tilly.

Among the actions, the board adopted Resolution No. 26002 to fund the agricultural easement program after a motion "to adopt and execute" the resolution was approved. The meeting record lists the resolution under agenda item 26033.

The board approved a series of contracts and service agreements, including a service agreement with Johnson Controls for county facilities, a separate Johnson Controls agreement for the sheriff's department, and a fiscal data processing contract following a quote from Tyler Technologies. The commissioners also approved an agreement with the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) and ratified a five-year grant agreement with the Drug and Alcohol Commission.

In the solicitor's report, the board approved a lease for the Agency on Aging with Bear Creek Plaza Holdings LLC with the corrected end date, "the end date should be November 30, 2030," the solicitor said. The board also approved a second extension to the North Penn Legal Services agreement for Ombudsman services and approved leases for MacTwink Lake Park with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and for Josiah White Park with Christian Bradley (doing business as CB's on Center) to provide mobile food and refreshment concessions.

A revised proposal from Baker Tilly for auditing services was presented and then tabled after a commissioner moved to delay action: "I would entertain a motion here to table this. I think we have some discussion on this." The board approved the motion to table.

Board members accepted routine financial reports and personnel items, and the treasurer's reports and payroll/expenditure checks were approved as presented. The retirement board reported December disbursements of $532,297.59 and a portfolio value of $99,688,907.09 as of Dec. 31, 2025.

During the meeting a county official addressed county children and youth funding, noting the county has not yet received certain state budget payments: "We're still waiting to get money in from the state for children and youth from the budget," the official said, and clarified that the delay stems from state-level processing.

Votes at a glance - Resolution No. 26002 (Agricultural easement funding; agenda item 26033) — motion to adopt and execute: approved. - Agency on Aging lease (Bear Creek Plaza; agenda item 26045 in minutes) — approved with end date set to Nov. 30, 2030. - Johnson Controls service agreements (facilities and sheriff's department; agenda items 26036 and 26044) — approved. - Drug and Alcohol Commission five-year grant agreement (agenda item 26037) — ratified. - Tyler Technologies fiscal data processing quote (agenda items 26039/26040) — approved. - CDBG cooperation agreements and completion extensions (agenda items 26041–26043) — approved. - Baker Tilly revised auditing proposal — tabled for further discussion.

Why it matters The approvals cover recurring county operations — facilities maintenance, public safety equipment and vendor contracts — and preserve funding and services for public programs including transportation (MATP), economic development, and elder services. The agricultural easement funding resolution moves county farmland-protection spending into effect; the Baker Tilly item was deferred for additional review.

What’s next The board adjourned and moved to election and retirement board business. County staff or commissioners did not set a specific date to revisit the Baker Tilly proposal in the recorded discussion; follow-up will appear in subsequent meeting minutes.