Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

First order of business approved the May meeting minutes.

So moved. And second.

All those in favor? Aye. Treasurer's report. I guess, Rob, you were going to go over that real quick?

Yeah.

And we'll get to the need for more cash down below. Is there a motion to approve that report?

I'll make a motion to approve the combined report of Treasurer Siegel and Controller Edwards.

Second.

Noting that Treasurer Siegel was excused.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Now for yours. Motion to approve Rob's report.

So moved. And second.

All those in favor? Aye. All right. No retirees, nobody vested, nobody passed away. Two payouts? Probably not either of your public keys. Seeing the names, they couldn't have been there that long. All right. Nothing under old business. Cash required.

I'll second that. And that will carry us through July?

Probably, yeah. All right. Motion having been made and seconded. All those in favor? Aye. Anybody opposed? Motion carries. Anything for the good of the order? Motion to adjourn. Retirement Board.

So moved. We will now move on to the board of commissioners meeting for June 23rd, 2026.

We will dispense with the Pledge of Allegiance as we just covered that under retirement. First item will be

I need a motion to approve the minutes of the June 9th, 2026 meeting. So moved.

I'll second.

Properly moved and second. All in favor? Aye. Now, quite a popular guy this morning. We're going to turn things back to Controller Edwards.

All righty. The bills for this period. General Fund $866,510.33. Liquid fuels $9. and fifty three cents nine one one twelve thousand two hundred ninety six dollars and seventy nine cents CD BG one hundred nine thousand two hundred thirty five dollars

I have a motion to approve the bills as presented by Controller Edwards. So moved. Second. Properly moved and seconded. All in favor? Aye. Give us just a moment while we sign. Thank you, Controller Edwards. We'll now move on to personnel issues. We have the following personnel changes for the Commissioner's approval. New hire, security guard under commissioners, effective 6-22-2026. Transfers, DC-3 in tax assessment to Mapper in tax assessment, effective 6-22-2026. Part-time correction officer at the jail to full-time correction officer at the jail, also effective 6-22-2026. No separations, retirements, no FMLA or leave of absence request. Do I have a motion to approve those personnel changes as presented?

So moved. I'll second.

Properly moved and second. All in favor? Aye. We will now move on to public comment. We will do this in what has become our accepted practice under the Sunshine Law, giving three minutes. to each speaker with a preference, leading off with those who are Clearfield County residents or taxpayers, and a 20-minute time limit on the total of public comment. And I have turned the keeper of the clock over to Mr. Glass as it got rather confusing to do several things at once. Who would like to lead off on public comment? So please identify yourselves for public comment.

Yes, I'm Susan Williams, and I'd first like to say I'm not here today representing any organization or that I work for or volunteer with. I'm here simply as myself. And I'm here today to speak about the Michanan Valley Processing Center. I believe we must recognize that immigration laws exist for a reason that every sovereign nation has both the right and responsibility to enforce those laws. And in our country, citizens definitely have the right to advocate for changing laws they disagree with. The disagreement with the law does not mean those enforcing the laws are acting improperly. Many accusations have been directed toward the Machinima Valley Processing Center and the people who work there. I've heard many, many claims. People are suffering. Facility is a concentration camp. Medical care is inadequate, among others. These are very serious accusations, but serious accusations deserve serious proof. Commissioners, the people being accused of these terrible actions are our friends and our neighbors. They are residents of Clearfield County. And I find it very difficult to believe that hundreds of our local employees, people we see every day, should be collectively portrayed as cruel or inhumane without clear evidence. Again, serious accusations require serious proof. Do we really believe that more than 400 of our local employees should be characterized as Nazis or participants in horrific abuse? Absent evidence, broad attacks on the character and integrity of hundreds of our local residents are unjustified. Clearfield County is a wonderful place to live. The people who live here and work here are, in my experience, wonderful people. They deserve the same presumption of fairness and decency that we would expect for ourselves. Ultimately, this issue is about federal law. If someone wishes to change those laws, they should direct those efforts toward the elected officials who make those laws. That is how our system works. But please, stop condemning the very people of Clearfield County for carrying out duties required by federal law. Stop listening to those who label our friends and neighbors as Nazis. These are good people that work there, live here, and they deserve better. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Hi, my name is Heather Ashton. You guys may remember me from last month. I moved to Pennsylvania a couple of years ago. I now call Clearfield County my home. And I told you that as long as you kept this open, I would spend my money elsewhere. And I have been adding it up over the month where I've spent these monies. $872.26 has been spent outside of Clearfield County in Erie, Clarion, and Center Counties. After that, this is what I didn't get to tell you last time. And I don't know how much money my husband spent, whatever was in his wallet, okay? But we did not go to your little riverfront fair. We will not go to the county fair. We'll go to somewhere else. And as I said, money to spend, time to go somewhere else. So, hate that this is happening in a county I chose to live in. What I wanted to say counteract this thing here was that a man moved in close to me in a house right across the street. And normally my southern hospitality comes out and I want to go over there and bake him a cake or bring him a fire or whatever. Well, my husband said, you know, I was talking to a guy that sold that to him and he said he works at that detention center. I want you to keep the front door locked. You will not go over there and take him anything. And the elderly woman that lives across the highway from us has said she does not even want, based on what that man said, that he works at that detention center, she does not even want to walk down to get her mail anymore past his home. Because no one trusts people that work there because perhaps they are. not good people because we know for a fact we do have facts that say that these people are treating people badly they are sexually abusing women in those facilities and if you think they're saving the best of them for pennsylvania for clearfield county the best employees to come and work here that's just ridiculous that's absolutely ridiculous if it's happening in colorado if it's happening in new jersey it's happening here And you guys have a chance to bring good press to Clearfield County and say, hey, we're the first ones to step up and say this is not going to happen in our county. You may say, well, they'll be sent somewhere else. Yeah, it won't be Clearfield County. And do you know how many people will come here and spend their money just based on the fact that you were the first to say, hey, we don't want to do this in our county. We don't want to represent this way. This is not who we are. We don't want people to think our neighbors are Nazis because they most likely have an affinity towards those things that they work at a facility like this. Okay? So now based on that's one, two, three, my neighbor across the street, she's also single, doesn't want to be outside when that man's outside. We don't even know for a fact that he works there. But just based on the idea that he works there, the neighborhood is split. Nobody wants anything to do with him. And that is why we need to close the facility, madam.

Hi, my name is Cher Sheets and I'm a resident of Clearfield County. I originally wanted to just say for two quick seconds, thank you to Mr. Glass and I believe you were with him according to one article I read to try to get admittance. And I hate saying thank you for doing what should be done, but We've been here asking you to do it, and you have, and I thank you for that. But something else has come up. Number five on the agenda is causing great concern. I do not know what you're going to talk about in number five, but let me just read something from a press conference. A multitude of juvenile justice organizations call for the closure of embattled Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, PA, rife with abuse. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania revoked a license this past November, citing the gross incompetence, negligence, and misconduct emblematic of Abraxas Academy. It is imperative that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services similarly revoke Abraxas' remaining license. Blah, blah, blah. And an active lawsuit cites a culture of abuse and instances of staff denying a child access to food unless they complied with every sexual request of the adult as a national investigation has uncovered predatory staff are unchecked by leadership, leaving no child safe with Abraxas. Despite Abraxas denying routine entry to state inspectors as mandated, since 2013 the state itself has logged over 15 incidences of abraxis perpetrating physical violence and sexual abuse against the children they are paid to take care of some of the documented violence offenses by abraxis employees include biting a child's stomach kneeling on a child while banging them into a wall grabbing a child by the neck and slamming them into a table and snatching a child off their feet and throwing them to the ground It is clear that a Braxis Academy run by the private organization of Braxis Alliance headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA is an unsafe environment for children and must be closed immediately. There's so much more and I again do not know what this item is but the words of that scare the crap out of me and a whole bunch of other people who are watching this live and please be sure if we are talking about entering into a contract with another abusive company that has a track record of abusing children, there will be a massive outcry. So again, I do not know what you're about to talk about, but I'm horrified and I really hope that whatever you're going to do, it's the right thing.

Thank you.

I'm Brody. I live right here in Clearfield. I believe all this speaks for itself. GEO Group has had 47 lawsuits against it. At least eight people died at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility here in Pennsylvania. GEO withdrew from operating that facility in 2008, citing underperformance and frequent litigation. A 2014 lawsuit filed on behalf of nine plaintiffs in Denver, excuse me, alleged threats of solitary confinement or work without pay. Not having been convicted of a crime, they asserted they cannot be required to work. In 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against GEO Group, alleging that the poisoning of more than 1,300 detainees at the Adelanto Detention Center and proper spraying of cleaning agents in poorly ventilated areas. In 2025, the ACLU filed complaints on behalf of four detained individuals alleging sexual harassment, medical neglect, coerced labor, retaliation, and other abuses from GEO staff. GEO historically profits off the mistreatment of deaths and detainees, and they have tasked with the custody of four supposed due process. There is no due process if people are abused or killed in custody. Geo allows violations without oversight or accountability. Just this Sunday, someone trying to enter the staff parking lot outside Delaney Hall ran over a protester waving an American flag. Ask yourselves, what if someone I cared about ended up in a Geo facility? Would your standards at MVPC be good enough for my loved ones? And let me also say this. Anybody here would be horrified if any of this was going on in a county jail or at a state facility. None of this should be tolerated anywhere there. It shouldn't be tolerated at this facility, and it should not be tolerated anywhere. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

My name is Kathleen Oska, OCGA. I want to thank Commissioner Glass for listening to our concerns. and proving exactly why we have them. How is it that commissioners, winners, and so forth, that you go on one singular, short-planned, highly controlled, limited walkthrough of facility, facing multiple allegations of abuse, and believe that you have a good sense of the day-to-day goings-on? If you do not have no notice access, if you do not have translators, if you cannot speak to the detainees, if you are not able to provide meaningful oversight yourselves, why would you trust GeoGroup? Would you, would give you an honest look at how they operate? You are public officials. You are supposed to be coordinating with NICE through intergovernmental channels to do what exactly? That is supposed to be your job. How do you explain women reporting they are not getting pregnancy care? Do you not speak to these women yourself? If not, how can you claim that you have checked in on them? Do you think Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio are lying about their reports? of what they have encountered. I would like some answers to those questions from you gentlemen. Commissioner Sebel? Commissioner Winters?

This is public comment, not public debate. You have a minute remaining.

OK. I would like to use the rest of my time for the next speaker.

According to the Sunshine Act, you're allowed to and encouraged to respond to comments.

I'd like an answer to that question.

I would as well. Do you think that Summer Lee and Chris DiLuzio

If you're going to speak, please take your time.

I will take my time to concede my time to you gentlemen to answer those questions, please.

We're here to receive public comment, so if anybody has comment, now is your time.

Mr. Chairman, may I ask a favor?

I will indulge you that Commissioner Sobel.

Folks, are you, why don't we do this? With the board's permission, I'm going to use my three minutes, but I want to give everybody here an opportunity. I'm going to keep it to three minutes because it is public comment. It isn't debate. But if somebody else wants to talk, why don't you finish doing your presentations, and I'll save my three minutes, if I may suggest that.

Hi. Josh Blaylock. I've lived in the county on and off for about 30 years now, graduated from Clearfield High School. How do you explain people hanging themselves with their arms and legs bound? How do you explain an imam dying after three days being denied medical relief? How do you explain the lawsuits, the violations of FOIA, the disregard for court orders? How do you explain the detainment of people like Sudu Vidam when multiple judges demand his release? When Kilmar Abrego Garcia was unlawfully detained, it was here. Do you condone your business partners violating court orders? Does this sound like the way a facility concerned with human dignity would act? We judge society based on how it treats the least of us, do we not? You have acted as if those concerns about this facility are a waste of your time. This entire situation is a direct consequence of your actions. You're the ones who agreed to the intergovernmental oversight. Let the suffering and death thus far, the small procedural inconveniences to you, Be consequential enough. If you want to keep your positions and your reputations, you need to commit to this non-rule. And that's all I have.

Thank you.

My name is Rebecca Kuechler. I've also been a resident here for nigh on 20 years. And I'm speaking on the detention center. Commissioners, I beg of you to understand why we are gathered here today. We are all proud residents of Pennsylvania, of a state founded by pacifists and abolitionists. The very same state where all men are created equal was penned. In pursuit of this idea, men from this very town fought and bled during the Civil War. They died so that none may be held in bondage because of the color of their skin. And yet, only a few miles from where we stand, there are human beings chained for the crime of being from the wrong country. I do not say that with simple shock value. ICE has been proven to use racial profiling while detaining citizens, immigrants, and refugees. People are being thrown in prison for the crime of being black and brown, for speaking with the wrong accent or talking in their mother tongue. And they are entering a system that perpetuates the last form of legal slavery left in this country. The 13th Amendment outlaws all forms of slavery except as punishment for a crime. As much as we may wish it, slavery did not die with the Confederacy. It lives on in the prison system, and right now it's being used to punish people who have never once broken the law. Only 25 to 35 percent of ICE detainees have criminal records. Indeed, most have never even missed an immigration check-in. They've done everything right, as it is often said, and yet upstanding would-be citizens become criminals overnight when their visas are revoked with no grounds. The government is manufacturing crime so the GEO group can make money off of slaves. taking million dollar contracts in exchange for human beings lives and to build our town's economy off of it is sickening it goes against the very values of humanity and it bankrupts county's moral fiber i urge you to give up this contract before you pull us into the depths of history and instead turn to fueling our economy with industries that make this county a better place because i assure you that future is not found in making enemies with people you have more in common with than the people who take the bulk of the profit We are better than this, and this contract must end.

Mr. Chair, we have time for one more.

I believe we do have time for one more. Commissioner Glass?

Hi, I'm Jessie Wood. I've been a citizen here my whole life. The Constitution protects all who reside in this land, and the people at the Shannon Valley Processing Center reside in this county. Failing to hear these residents because they are in civil detainment is failing in your duties to represent your constituency. You are no better than us. You are no better than those held in the Shannon Valley. If your constituents have more to say than fits in your meetings, you should commit to hold listening sessions to hear us, since we are the ones who pay taxes to maintain this body and this building. If there are more people who want to speak on this issue than you have allotted time for, that is not the fault of anyone in this room but you. If you don't want to listen to the people, resign from your posts so that we can elect people interested in what it means to be a public servant. You want to preference residents of Clearfield? Those held at the Shannon Valley Processing Center are residents of Clearfield County. During the census, detainees are counted as residents where they are held, yet you silence those who would read their statements to you with arbitrary time constraints. You have been invited to join activists in visiting these people. You all declined. You claim to be engaged in oversight. Commissioner Glass got as far as the front gate, and neither you, Commissioner Sobel, or Winters have participated beyond GEO's corporate dog and pony show. We, your constituents today, Demand investigations of the reports of sexual assault, potential murder, denial of medical care, and unlawful detainment of people who have done nothing but cooperate with the system you claim to believe in. You do not get to pick and choose who is deserving of dignity. You do not determine when and if your efforts are sufficient. We the people are the ones who judge if your actions rise to the responsibility of oversight. Thus far they have not.

Thank you for your comment. That will close the public comment portion of today's meeting.

Do you have another one? There was a minute.

Go ahead. Do another three. Okay. Do the three.

The following is an anonymous testimonial from a person detained at this facility. Could you identify yourself, please? My name is Michael McKenzie. I'm from Clearfield. This is an anonymous testimonial from a person detained at the MVPC facility fearing for retribution. This is the facility you are responsible for, for the oversight of. Today I would like to represent there are human rights violations going on in the facility which is GEO. A private profitable company that is treating people like animals and we need to stop this before it's too late. People are detained in solitary confinement against their will without no due process and always get denied when they appeal. Food is awful and the medical is really bad without enough medical equipment and medicine. GEO always hides whatever is going on at this facility. Anyone that complains gets moved to another facility very quickly or put in solitary confinement as punishment. Detainees are crying for help, not crying for attention. Crying for action, action from you, the commissioners, from Congress, from government, from the governor, and action from all of us, their fellow people. I'd like to address the statement that you made that our neighbors must be evil for these atrocities to have been taking place and to continue. I will address that with a quote. All that is needed for evil to compass its ends is for good men to do nothing. It is with that in mind that you cower behind procedure, and that is doing less than nothing. I don't blame the employees. I blame those who would let it go on. Here today, that is you.

Thank you. We'll now move on to the agenda items. I will give the turn over to Commissioner Sobel.

Folks, and this is something my fellow commissioners aren't aware of because I didn't think to do this until this morning. I took a surprise visit to GEO this morning. I got up at 7.30, called the director and asked for permission to go. He had as much warning as from the get from Clearfield to the location of the center in Decatur Township, which is what, 20, 25 minutes, something like that. for two reasons. Number one, I wanted to, number one, see if I, three reasons. Number one, see if I'd be permitted to have access. Number two, to test the food and also to check on the T&E about whom one of your number has been concerned and asked me to look in on. I will tell you that I was permitted access. I will tell you that I did sample a breakfast. The food was fine. Exploration dates on the milk carton were fine. The food tastes okay to me. I was allowed access to the kitchen, and then I was allowed access to the medical unit because of the concern that had been expressed to me. Fortunately or unfortunately for the director, a surprise medical inspection was going on, and so the staff, most of the staff happened to be there. They were very familiar with the individual I inquired about, which tells me that They're treating that. They're providing medical care to that individual because when I showed them the individual's name and number, they didn't have to look up the number. They recognized that individual. Listen, I know these are very passionate issues. I can tell you that this issue is on the mind of this Board of Commissioners all the time. I can tell you this Board of Commissioners is very concerned about, the community is concerned, is concerned about what's going on. We're doing a lot more than I think people realize because a lot of what we do is not always in the public forum. But I can tell you, and you can do with it whatever you may, and you can mull this over and think about this however you wish, but I can tell you I was allowed access. I was allowed to speak to staff. I was allowed to have a couple of just brief conversations with detainees who happened to be working in the kitchen area, and I found at least a level of cooperation on the part of the geo-administration staff that at least was satisfying to me on this particular visit. Thank you, Commissioner Sobel.

We will now move into our agenda items. Gentlemen, anything under old business?

No.

Seeing none, we'll move on to the agenda items under new business. Item one, consider an agreement with Mayor Dussel to audit 9-11 financial statements. I am not familiar with this company.

This is, excuse me, this is a new company. The state, on behalf of 9-1-1 and our FEMA funds, every two years they do an audit. So this would be an audit of the 9-1-1 program for the years ending December 31st of 24 and 25. The state pays for that, so there's not a contracted price because we don't pay for that. So the agreement is an engagement. It essentially lays out the information that we are required to provide to them, questions, access, and whatnot. So I've had an opportunity to review that. I've also had an opportunity to speak with Mr. McClure just to ensure he did not have any questions or concerns. It's obviously something, like I said, we do every two years. I do not At least our last audit, I don't believe, was done by this firm, but again, they're firms that the state hires. So that engagement has been reviewed and approved as to its form this morning.

Okay, thank you, Solicitor Bozovich, for that explanation. Gentlemen, do I have motion to enter into an agreement for the 911 Center financial statements for 2425? So moved.

I'll second.

Properly move and second. All in favor? Aye. Next, consider a linkage agreement with Project Point of Light.

At our last meeting, we had done one for probation. This is one of our standard agreements that essentially shows the collaboration that we would have with Project Point of Light as far as information sharing, license requirements, and whatnot. It doesn't set up any financial terms. This agreement is effective of June 9th of 2026, and it would continue, but there is a 30-day termination. We've worked with Project Point of Light in various areas. This one specifically, I apologize, is for the CYS aspect that we use it for.

Continuation of a standard agreement then. Motion on the linkage agreement with Project Point of Light? So moved. Second. Properly move and second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Consider a letter of collaborative agreement with Community Guidance Center for use by both children and youth services and probation.

This is very similar to the project point of light. Community Guidance Center is just another service provider that we use on an ongoing basis. This agreement is effective for July 1st of 2026. It is a one-year agreement with a 30-day termination.

Okay. Motion to consider that collaborative agreement. So moved. All second. Properly move and second. All in favor? Aye. Consider addendum to the purchase of service agreement with Pathways Adolescent Service Center, Inc. We had originally entered an agreement with Pathways on October 14th of 2025.

There were additional services that Pathways began to offer over the course of our agreement with them. This is an addendum to include those. They have to be included in all of our agreements in order for us to get reimbursement from the state. So this addendum just outlines the three additional types of services that are provided under that standard agreement.

A motion to consider this addendum with Purchase of Service Agreement with Pathways Adolescent Center. So moved. Properly moved and seconded. All in favor? Aye. Now, this is Multiple Purchase of Service Agreements, a Children's Aid Society, Cornell Abraxas Group, LLC, Appalachian Youth Services, Keystone Adolescent Center, Inc., Dr. Allen Ryan, Child Advocacy Center of Clearfield. Would you like us to address these individually?

We can do them collectively if there's any questions. Most of the names I believe you're familiar with. We're coming up onto our new fiscal year for CYS, which is why we're seeing all of the purchase of service agreements coming in. Each of these providers provides different types of services. All of them have been in contracts previously with the county. This is just updating the term and any different changes to their pay rates. I will say there's also the requirements of licensing and whatnot for all of them. But those are our standard forms. Having the agreement, I will say, does not require that they're used. They are there and available as needed on those services.

I mean, I know a lot of this stuff does kind of just sit in the background in case we ever need it.

Right. It's easier. Usually what we try to do is any agreements with anyone we've used, have them in place in case there is a need to use them. Right.

We either have an MOU or a purchase of service agreement in place with a number of providers that are not necessarily used by Clearfield County.

I mean, I assume the answer is no, but have they ever brought any concerns to you about Abraxas?

I believe Abraxas is used more by juvenile probation because of the type of facility it is. It is more of a secured, limited facility. They actually, I went back, they're one of the higher costs because of that secured nature of sexual offenders. I don't want to be held to it. I think over the last few years I'm aware of one facility I think we've had someone in Abraxas in recent years. It is not a frequently used facility, and like I said, it's more of a juvenile, but juvenile placements are not very common.

I believe the Abraxas facility would be essentially a step above the facility we own with the central county's youth center.

For security purposes, yeah.

Okay, I'll go back through these one time and ask for a motion. We're looking for renewal of purchase service agreements with Children's Aid Society, Cornell Abraxas Group, LLC, Appalachian Youth Services, Keystone Adolescent Center, Dr. Alan Ryan, Child Advocacy Center of Clearfield, et al. Do I have a motion?

I'll move that we approve the purchase of service agreements as stated by the chair.

I'll second.

Properly move and second.

All in favor? Aye. Now we're going to consider the appointment of Kim Koval to the Redevelopment Authority. Do I have a motion as such? I believe, John, you are on the Redevelopment Authority. You may have more.

And just to be clear, was she the only applicant?

As far as I know, she's the only applicant.

I think that's right.

I have no issue with that. She's a realtor, and I think her knowledge, she's been a realtor for some years, and I think her knowledge as a realtor would be an asset to the Redevelopment Authority.

Sure? I have a motion to appoint Kim Coble to the Redevelopment Authority. I'll make that motion. Properly move and second. All in favor? Aye.

consider an appointment to the clearfield jefferson airport authority i know we've got two of these this reflects the resignation of mister lyle milliard from that authority and we do appreciate his service so we've got edwina eager i believe eager i apologize i don't know she's on the solid waste department thank you for that correction and then john ness of dubois and this actually came from

That came from the airport authority. I am the non-voting member on the airport authority. I do not – I'm going to defer to you, gentlemen, if you have a preference on these. I believe the lady in question has her pilot's license.

MR. She was interested before, is my recollection. Okay. I think you're right.

MR. She had expressed an interest prior.

I mean, I don't know either of these people. I don't.

None of the three of us have a personal connection. No.

I've met Sue Siger, but that's just because I went to a solid waste story meeting one time. And Mr. Ness, I think, has an insurance business. Yeah, he does. But I only met him like once. I don't know them either. I've met them, but I don't know either one. So, boy. Both.

I'm going to throw out that we table this and have a discussion with these two people. That's not a bad idea. Motion to table. Motion to table. Second. Motion to table and second. That is on the appointment to the Clifford Jefferson Airport Authority. Properly move and second. All in favor? Aye. We will address that after talking to both of those individuals. Item number eight, consider consent orders with WBP Leasing for assessment appeals purposes.

This was an appeal of a Board of Assessment. There's two decisions. The first one's at Docket 2024-1446. That is for a small parcel that's connected to a larger parcel. That consent order is just agreeing that the appeal will be withdrawn because it's part of a smaller parcel. So in this, that would be withdrawn. SO I WOULD ADVISE THAT WE PROCEED WITH WITHDRAWING. THAT WOULD LEAVE IT AT THE CURRENT ASSESSED VALUE, WHICH IS $2,250. AND AGAIN, IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT A ONE-ACRE PARCEL OF LAND. THE NEXT, THE 2024-14-44 DOCKET IS FOR THE LARGER PIECE OF LAND THAT'S LEASED RIGHT NOW. THIS WAS A COMPLICATED APPEAL. THE PHILLIPSBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD obtained special counsel who actually helped in an appeal about 10 years ago on the same property. And specialized appraisers were brought in to look at the property and assess that. It was recommended that the consent order be entered into. Phillipsburg Osceola has already approved this. A lot of times with the tax assessment appeals, we take the recommendation of the school district because of the tax consequences to them are obviously quite larger than they are to us. In addition, Decatur Township has also approved the consent order. The property is currently assessed at $8 million. The proposed consent order is giving an assessed value for year 2025 of $6,077,900. And for 2026, it would be $5,369,900. The reason the two years are there is because it was filed in 24. All of the appraisals and everything were going on through 25. And then by law, that brings 26 into that.

In many of these cases, the county is actually the smallest player on these. The lead being local school districts, then local municipalities, and from a dollars and cents point of view, the county is actually the smallest, which is why we defer.

Right, and the school district is certainly the largest. Every now and then, depending on the township, we might be a little more because of the tax set up in there. But again, I know it's never... easy to approve the consent orders but based on where the appraisal came back and the recommendations of not only the appraisers but also like I said special counsel who came in based on the different valuation methods that were used it was their recommendation to continue with the consent order and then that also finalizes everything for tax purposes and for our side of everything for 26.

Gentlemen, then, do I have a motion to accept the consent order with WBP Leasing, say that fast three times, for assessment and fields purposes?

So moved.

Second. Properly move and second. All in favor? Aye. Now, we're going to add a number nine on here. which I will try and keep this to three minutes in keeping with what everyone else has done. To expand on what Commissioner Sobel said, both Commissioner Sobel and I were at the GEO facility last week. I will also be making a visit to the GEO facility. I am not going to disclose the time in advance of that. But I wanted to address some concerns that had repeatedly came up at previous meetings. There are several points here which I have talked to both staff and management and went through. Of course, we'll go back to the Mother's Day hunger strike. That never happened. A portion of the population refused to take their meal trays for one meal. They all had commissary. They all took their trays the next day. So what turned into a statewide story about a hunger strike was largely a fallacy. In eight years of food service audits, there's never been a negative finding. Many of the staff eat the exact same meals as the detainees on a daily basis. The story of bugs in the food, that was one individual made that claim. That individual also being, we never discussed names or prisoner inmate detainee numbers due to HIPAA and Bureau of Prisons requirements. One individual made that claim being treated by staff for symptoms of schizophrenia. On that note, with the psychological facility that they have there, a faculty employs five full-time licensed counselors with two psychologists. Over 500 scheduled sessions per month, always with an emphasis on suicide prevention. And at the current time, these facts are all current as of last week, updated then on 6-22 being yesterday, 10% of the population was on psychotropic meds, with most having never received mental health care services before arriving at the Mushannon Valley Processing Center. Much has been made over the individual, also no names or numbers due to HIPAA regulations here, the individual with kidney issues. Presented with no history prior to his arrival at the Machana Valley Processing Center, so he was actually diagnosed due to the medical care he took on intake. All new arrivals received medical intake, exam screening within 12 hours of arrival. With this individual, once a problem was detected, he was sent offsite, I believe to Mount Nittany for an ultrasound, and he received continuing care under a treatment plan for the duration of his stay. He was released from the Mashana Valley Processing Center last Friday. Previous issue that had came up was on water quality issues. And once again, there are no issues with the water quality. This is an independent lab test, which I have results available. This was conducted by Pennsylvania American Water on June the 4th of 2026. The water that is provided to the Meshena Valley Processing Center is the exact same water that goes to the entirety of the Phillipsburg service area for Pennsylvania American Water. Current water tests are available there, test results. Much has been said of due process. and people not having criminal charges filed against them being detained. Part of due process, if you are in the United States either illegally or your immigration status is unknown, part of that due process is being detained. Current numbers, and this is as of yesterday on 6-22-2026, approximately 1040 in the morning. 1,647 total population, 45 of those being female. That total population represented 83 countries with an average stay of 39 days. Any thought that GEO is shuffling detainees around to keep the average stay down, that's nonsensical. All removal and transfers are handled by ICE. That is not a GEO process. A lot of people do not seem familiar. GEO facilitates the operation of the facility. ICE staff handles all incoming, outgoing, all court arrangements are handled by ICE. Current employment numbers as of 6-22 also yesterday, 415 full-time employees, 259 of those are security staff. The balance are support staff and transportation staff, which are also based out of the Machanum Valley facility. Moving on to some current compliance, June 26, audit was conducted by DHS Department of Detention Oversight, found zero findings. Also June 26, a medical audit by the IHSC, which is ICE Health Services Corps, also had zero findings. Going back a year to March 2025, the DHS Office of Detention Oversight had zero findings. That full report is available on the DHS website. Some of the more recent reports may not be available on the website yet. The June ones are not. I checked yesterday. Going back to November 2025, the American Correctional Association Audit and Inspection resulted in a 100% compliance score and led to the January 2026 recertification. So we do take concerns seriously. We follow up on individual cases. As I said, Mr. Sobel and I were there Wednesday, and I will be making a visit soon, but I am not announcing when. That'll conclude new business.

Can I say something?

Yes, sir.

First of all, I'm glad you got it. Obviously, you didn't tell me, and that's good. I didn't think of it until this morning. I'm glad you did, and I want to address that a little bit. I don't apologize for going. We were denied. It is what it is. I'm glad they're letting you in. I'm sure if I go back by myself, they'll probably let me in, and that's all well and good. I do think that... It's important for us to have experts that we're allowed to take with us so we can understand what we're seeing. But being that as it may, being that as it may, we do take this seriously. But I do want to apologize for something. Not for going. I'm glad I tried to go. But I put both of you in a tough spot because I made a last-minute decision to try to tell both of you what I was doing. I called you, and you came. And I was going to call Tim, and then the warden called me back, and just circumstances just didn't allow it. And that put Tim in a tough spot. It really did, because then the warden called him, and he had no idea what was going on, and John was already on his way.

And that's fine.

I understand how the— I apologize to you privately, but I wanted to apologize to you publicly, because we deserve to treat each other better than that.

We do, but that was unnecessary. And like I said— There will be a morning I get up and go over there that I probably do not let anyone know.

I should have just not told, because I didn't say anything to anybody, literally anybody until that morning. I had a last minute, I'm like, you know, I should really tell them what I'm doing. And it put us in a worse spot. So that was on me. And I just wanted to publicly say to you that I'm sorry, both of you, because I know it puts you in a tough spot. That's fine. And so that's all.

While we do function together and we do communicate on the daily, we do also take things on ourselves. And that is truly the nature of the beast and just fine.

And listen, I wasn't even planning on bringing it up. But, you know, some of the comments I thought perhaps should be a response to it. The other thing is I want to make it very clear, Dave, this was not a crack at you. No, no, I didn't take it that way. That occurred to me it could be interpreted as that way, but that's not why I brought it up. If I did create that impression, I apologize.

We do operate as a board. We are also not monolithic and can each pursue our own.

We have different ideas on this, but we... We go out of our way to try to respect each other, and I felt compelled to say that.

Now we will go solicitor's report. Do you have anything else for us, Solicitor Bozovich?

Just in June, I usually do just a reminder, if the press will get out there, just anyone who has certified mail left for them or sees a posting on their property, please, even if you think it is maybe a mistake or a misunderstanding or you need to discuss possible payment arrangements, there are some options available. Our posting and notices for our upset tax sale are going out. And there's a lot of reasons, you know, those may get missed, but I just encourage anyone who receives one or sees a posting Call into the tax office to make those arrangements before it's too late that'll come up in September But those are gonna start trickling out here over the next couple months and a lot of times those can be resolved Ahead of time so it's much better to be proactive than reactive on those. We would much rather help people stay in their homes and It's important to look at the notices.

Our tax assessment and tax office staff are very competent and will help anyone who needs, anyone would have a question to reach out to them. Gentlemen, anything else this morning? Do I have a motion to adjourn?

I have a comment.

Public comment is over. Motion?

I'll second.

Motion and second. Properly moved and second. All in favor?

Do you guys need a release now or this is going to get... messy you need to create a release off for the community to express themselves three minutes for 20 minutes then all