Greene County commissioners approve grants, contracts and appointments; ARC ARISE partnership placed pending approvals

Greene County commissioners met on May 16 and moved a slate of routine and substantive items onto the county agenda, approving proclamations, grant applications, contracts and awards largely by unanimous voice votes.

Staff summarized several grant requests and budget implications. The county agreed to place on the agenda a Greenways Trails and Recreation Program grant application for $250,000 with a county match commitment of $292,489 to fund phase 3 ADA improvements to the Wise Carver loop. Staff also reported a proposed partner engagement with Carnegie Mellon University on an ARC ARISE grant that would bring $675,000 to Greene County with an in‑kind match noted in the presentation; staff said that commitment is pending solicitor and PennDOT approval. Commissioners voted to place both items on the agenda.

On infrastructure, commissioners approved placing on the agenda an application to PennDOT (form TE‑160) to authorize development of the fourth leg of the Progress Drive/East Roy Furman Highway intersection; staff said the county owns the existing traffic signal because Progress Drive is a county road. The board also approved awarding the demolition and replacement contract for Bridge 103 in Morris Township to the low bidder, CH and D Enterprises, at $598,353.20, to be funded through a PennDOT multimodal grant.

Other items the board approved to place on the agenda included:

- Engineering services with Gibson‑Thomas for Wise Carver Phase 2 (not to exceed approximately $173,260, hourly billing). - A DEP permit and bid package prepared by Widmer Engineering to demolish Pump Station 87 (cost proposal $26,000, paid with Act 89/Act 44 funds). - A PCCD project modification (grant ID ST44268) so the public defender's office can receive state funding for FY2026–2027. - An MOU between Greene County and the Social Security Administration to allow designated county staff to submit Social Security applications on behalf of inmates ready to reenter society. - Finalization of a 2025 hazard mitigation plan grant administered with PEMA: total grant $65,000; federal share $52,834; county share $12,166 (to be reimbursed from the Act 165 emergency response fund). - A three‑year lease for four 9‑1‑1 chairs from Thomas Shelby & Company (total roughly $9,015, payable from the 9‑1‑1 fund). - Purchase‑of‑service agreements and contract amendments for behavioral health and youth service providers (Pathways Adolescent Center; Pressley Ridge; others) reflecting state rate adjustments and FY25–26 terms. - Commissioner's community grants: $5,000 to the Greene County Historical Society Museum for emergency sewer repairs; $3,000 to the Freeport Volunteer Fire Department to support a UTV purchase; and $750 to the Mount Morris Community Center for outside electrical and water upgrades.

Staff also presented program and compliance reports, including the FY25–26 Q2 Emergency Food Assistance Program income and expenditure report and CDBG flagged activities reports for Greene County and Cumberland Township housing rehab (federal FY2022, contract C86358); commissioners voted to place both reports on the agenda.

The meeting ended with the chair noting 18 notices on the agenda for review, no public comment, and a unanimous vote to adjourn.

Votes at a glance (motions placed on agenda or approved during the meeting):

- Minutes from April 15 — motion carried (voice vote). - Proclamations (Older Americans Month; Patriot's Dream Riding Association Awareness Month; Foster Care Month; Mental Health Awareness Month; National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day) — motions carried (voice votes). - Grant application: Greenways Trails & Recreation Program ($250,000 request; county match $292,489) — motion carried. - ARC ARISE partner engagement with Carnegie Mellon University (county to receive $675,000; pending solicitor and PennDOT approval) — motion carried to place on agenda. - PennDOT TE‑160 traffic signal application (Progress Drive / East Roy Furman Hwy) — motion carried. - DEP permit & bid package to demolish Pump Station 87 (Widmer Engineering; $26,000) — motion carried. - Award low bid: Bridge 103 replacement to CH and D Enterprises ($598,353.20) — motion carried. - Gibson‑Thomas engineering services for Wise Carver Phase 2 (NTE ~$173,260) — motion carried. - PCCD grant modification (Public Defender, ST44268) — motion carried. - Appointment: Roger Hone to Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board — motion carried. - MOU: Greene County & SEIU Local 668 (01/01/2026–12/31/2029) — motion carried. - Commissioner's community grants (Museum, Fire Dept, Community Center) — motions carried. - Schindler Elevator quote (elevator security; ~$7,740) — motion carried. - Purchase of service agreements for Bear Foundation, Pathways, Pressley Ridge — motions carried. - MOU: Greene County & Social Security Administration (inmate reentry) — motion carried. - Hazard mitigation plan (BRIC/PEMA) finalization — motion carried (grant total $65,000; county share $12,166). - 9‑1‑1 chairs lease with Thomas Shelby & Company (~$9,015) — motion carried. - Burial services allocation and veterans' grave maintenance agreements (40 agreements; 4,308 graves; total $12,924) — motions carried. - PCCD Justice Reinvestment subgrant application (grant #49892) — motion carried. - EFAP Q2 report; PennDOT certifications for shared‑ride application; Union Mission MOU for coordinated entry ($3,025) — motions carried.

What to expect next: Several items noted as pending external review or approvals, specifically solicitor review and PennDOT approval for the Carnegie Mellon/ARC ARISE engagement and other PennDOT-related approvals for traffic and shared-ride certifications. No public comments were recorded and the meeting adjourned.