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Clearfield County commissioners approve contracts, grants and start review of countywide VoIP phone system
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Summary
At their April 14 meeting the Clearfield County Board of Commissioners approved a set of contracts and grant applications — including a VOCA continuation and several service agreements — and instructed staff to analyze 23 responses to a countywide VoIP phone-system RFP.
The Clearfield County Board of Commissioners on April 14 approved a series of contracts, personnel actions and grant filings and directed staff to undertake a detailed review of proposals for a new countywide phone system.
Controller Edwards reported a grand total of $9,480,692.24 in bills for payment, including $8,616,341.59 in the general fund, $104,517.02 in CDBG and $685,189.66 for Children & Youth Services; the board voted to approve the bills as presented. "General fund, $8,616,341.59," Edwards said when reading the totals.
Why it matters: The approvals keep county operations funded and in motion while the board absorbs several modest funding shifts and vendor changes. Several items approved will change how fees are collected (credit-card processors) and how services are delivered (hazmat sponsorship, jail tablet rates). The phone‑system procurement will be a multi-month technical and budgetary review with potential countywide impact on communications and continuity of services.
What the board approved: Among motions passed were a one-year agreement with RapidResponse for hazardous-emergency response, a two-year continuation VOCA grant application for $62,819 (a $5,093 reduction from year one), an amendment to the ViaPath jail-tablet contract to comply with recent FCC rate changes (costs passed to inmate accounts), a formalized assistance agreement with the Department of Corrections for transport stops, and multiple administrative service agreements for the prothonotary and treasurer offices. The board also approved a 36-month copier lease for the prothonotary at $137.09 per month and a memorandum of understanding with Lawrence County to administer environmental-review work under a grant.
On fees and payment processing: Treasurer Siegel described a change in the county’s credit-card processing vendor to Municipal Services Bureau (MSB) after the prior provider’s per-transaction convenience fee rose sharply; the switch is expected to reduce small-transaction costs charged to residents. "Most of our transactions are $8.80... that dollar went to $3.99," Siegel said, explaining why the county sought different pricing.
Phone-system procurement: The county opened physical RFP submissions for a replacement voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone system and reported receiving about 23 proposals. Staff and IT warned the board the proposals will require an apples‑to‑apples cost and features comparison before a decision. No purchase decision was made; IT was asked to return a shortlist for further review.
What’s next: Staff will complete comparative pricing and functionality analyses for the phone system RFP and return recommendations. Several of the approved agreements are operational (credit-card vendors, hazmat sponsorship, jail tablet amendment) and will take effect per their terms. The county also proclaimed April 2026 as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and recognized dispatchers for a recent life‑saving call.
The board adjourned after hearing no further business.
