York County commissioners approve interlocal agreement for Problem Solving Court

The York County Board of Commissioners voted May 31 to authorize the chair to sign an interlocal agreement supporting the county’s Problem Solving Court, effective July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024.

The board took up the agreement early in the meeting so court partners could attend. Chief Probation Officer Carrie Rodriguez said county administrative staff had been asked to return and answer questions about the agreement; she told the board that staff was present to provide any needed clarification. District Judge James Decker urged the board to support the program, calling it “a standard agreement” and saying, “Problem solving court is based on research… nationally, it's proved to be the most successful program dealing with this population.”

The chair asked for authorization to sign the interlocal agreement. A motion to authorize the chair to sign the agreement was made and seconded; the board then voted by roll call. The spoken roll-call responses included Mossberger, Gross, Fulgren, Sykes and O'Himmar (recorded in the meeting transcript) voting yes and the chair announced the motion passed. The agreement period was described in the meeting as 07/01/2022 through 06/30/2024, and the transcript indicates the text of the interlocal had not otherwise changed since the board last signed it, aside from updated dates.

District Judge James Decker framed the court as a research-driven program for ‘‘high risk, high need individuals’’ and asked for the commissioners’ continued support. Rodriguez and court partners remained available to answer follow-up questions from the board.

The board approved the authorization and the chair was directed to sign the interlocal agreement. The meeting then proceeded to other business, including a vote to enter executive session to consult with counsel on legal matters.