County Council - Regular Meeting

Mr. Lascgavage here. Miss McDermott here. Mr. Perry here. Mr. Sabatino here. Miss Miss Stevenson here. Mr. Tharton here. Mr. Wovit present. Mr. Lombardo here. 10 of 11. Thank you. We'll now have public comment on the proposed ordinance amending the capital plan budget for Lzern County. Anybody in the audience for public comment? Is there anybody in the audience for public comment? Anybody on the Zoom? Is there a motion to adjourn? All in favor? I opposed. Meetings adjourned. We'll restart at 5:55 with the final public hearing. Thank you.

55. Oh. Uh, All right, council members. It's 5:56. I'd like to call the final public hearing to order. We've already had the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence. Roll call, please. Miss Lawrence.

Mr. Hos, here. Miss Krishnowski, here. Mr. Loscavage, here. Miss McDermott, here. Mr. Perry, here. Mr. Sabatino here. Miss Smith. Miss Stevenson here. Mr. Thornton here. Mr. Wovich present. Mr. Lombardo here. 10 of 11.

Thank you. We'll now have public comment on the proposed ordinance amending the 2025 fiscal year budget for Luzern County. Any public comment on this budget amendment? Anybody on the public comment on the budget amendment? I'd like to speak about a few things. This is the you speak during public comment during the meeting. Yeah, this is for the a specific budget amendment. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you. Um All right. No. Anybody on Zoom? No. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Second.

All in favor? Opposed? Meetings adjourned. We'll restart with the voting session at 601. Thank you.

Okay, everybody. It's 6:01 p.m. I'd like to call the voting session to order. We've already had the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence. Roll call, please. Miss Lawrence, Mr. Hos, here. Miss Kushinhowski here. Mr. Luscavage here. M here. Mr. Perry, Mr. Savatino here, Miss Smith. Miss Stevenson [clears throat] here, Mr. Thornton here. Mr. Wovich here. Mr. Lombardo here. You have 10 of 11. Thank you. We have no recognitions or ceremonial proclamations today. Are there any deletions from the voting session agenda? Mr. Chair, I'd like to move number six to the work session. Move number six to the work session. Second.

All right. There's a second on it. All in favor? I opposed. All right. Number six is moved to the work session. Any other uh amendments to the agenda? All right, hearing none. Is there a motion to adopt the agenda with the amendment? So move, Mr. Chairman. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Agenda is adopted. We'll now have public comment on the voting session agenda items only. Uh we have not Mr. Griffith. Okay. Um Mr. Mashevsky, are you speaking on a voting session agenda item? I don't know because there has not been provided a reference to the matter. What's what's the topic of your convers of your uh public comment?

Okay. Okay. We'll have you speak at the at the end of this meeting. Okay. All right. Thank you. Okay. Yep. Any other person in the audience looking to uh have public comment on voting session agenda items only? Anybody? Anybody on the Zoom voting session agenda items only? All right. Hearing none. Is there a motion to approve the minutes of the October 14th, 2025 voting session? Second. All in favor? I

opposed. Minutes are approved. Moving into the uh agenda number Oh, I ap I am so sorry. Okay. Uh Attorney Scheme, can you please announce the executive session that we had on Monday? Yes. Monday evening, there was an executive session held over Zoom wherein we discussed the RDA litigation and that was the only subject on the executive session.

All right. Thank you, Attorney Sche. Sorry about that. Okay, now moving on to the agenda. Number one, motion to adopt the ordinance amending the capital plan budget for Lzern County. So move second. Motion in a second. Roll call. Mr. Hos. Yes. Miss Gishnowski? Yes. Mr. Lascavage? Yes. Miss McDermott? Yes. Mr. Perry. Mr. Sabatino? Yes. Miss Stevenson? Yes. Mr. Thornton? Yes. Mr. Wovich? Yes. Mr. Lombardo? Yes. Number two. Motion to adopt the ordinance amending the 2025 fiscal year budget for Luzar County for LCCF. Second. Motion in a second. Roll call. Miss Krishnowski? Yes. Mr. Luscavage? Yes.

Miss McDermott? Yes. Mr. Perry? Yes. Mr. Sabatino? Yes. Miss Stevenson? Yes. Mr. Thornton? Yes. Mr. Wovich? Yes. Mr. Haw? Yes. Mr. Lombardo? Yes. Unanimous. Thank you. Number three. Motion to adopt the resolution. The county manager to execute a contract with GEO Re-entry Services LLC for substance use disorder counseling services. So moved. Second. Motion in a second. Roll call. Mr. Luscavage. Yes. Miss McDermott? Yes. Mr. Perry? Yes. Mr. Sabatino? Yes. Miss Stevenson? Yes. Mr. Thornton? Yes. Mr. Wovic? Yes. Mr. Hos? Yes. Miss Krishnowski? Yes.

Mr. Mr. Lombardo. Yes. Unanimous. Number four. Motion to adopt the resolution authorizing the county manager to execute a contract amendment/extension with GEO re-entry services. So move. Second. Motion and a second. Roll call. Miss McDermott. Yes. Mr. Perry. Yes. Mr. Sabatino. Yes. Miss Stevenson. Yes. Mr. Thornton. Yes. Mr. Wovic. Yes. Mr. Haw. Yes. Miss Krishnowski. Yes. Mr. Lascavage. Yes. Mr. Lombardo. Yes. Number five, motion to adopt the resolution approving an agreement with Newport Township for the collection of Newport Township taxes by Luzern County Treasurer. Second motion and a second. Roll call. Mr. Perry, yes. Mr. Sabatino,

yes. Miss Stevenson, yes. Mr. Thornton, yes. Mr. Wovich, yes. Mr. Hos, yes. Miss Kushnowski, yes. Mr. Luscavage, yes. [clears throat] Miss McDermott, yes. Mr. Lombardo, yes. Unanimous. Thank you. Number six, introduction of the ordinance of money in the 2025 fiscal year budget for Luzern County. Manager Cork. Thank you. Uh I will be uh introducing an ordinance amending the 2025 fiscal year budget for Luzern County regarding the derivative payment.

All right. Thank you very much. Number seven, introduction of ordinance establishing a county demolition and rehabilitation fund and imposing a fee to be collected by Luzern County Tax Claim Bureau or its agents for the purchasers at sales under the real estate tax sale law and by Luzernne County Sheriff from judicial sales in mortgage foreclosure actions. I will be introducing I'll be introducing that ordinance. Okay. All right. Thank you, manager Crocomo. All right. Finally, uh number eight, we have motions regarding CCAP conference for November 2023rd to 2025. So, we're looking for nominations for people to attend. I move to open nominations. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Nominate open. I nominate Britney Sabatino.

I nominate Britney Stevenson. Is there a second on second Mr. Sabatino? All right. Second on Mr. Sabatino. I nominate Britney Stevenson. Second on Miss Stevenson. All right. Any other nominations? I'll nominate. Is there a second? I'll second. All right. There's a second on Mr. Wovich. Kevin, you want to go? Any other nominations? Motion to close nominations. Nominate Miss. Sorry, Patty. I'll draw that. Okay, Patty, you wanted to go, right? Yeah, I'd like to nominate Mr. Krishnowski. Second. Okay. Motion a second for Mr. Krishnowski. Any other nominations? Is there a motion to close? Second. All right. Motion in a second. All in favor? Close.

I opposed. All right. Nominations are closed. We have four spots. Should we just do it all in one all at once? Point order, Mr. Chair. Go ahead. Is concurrent with this motion, are we going to talk about the financing, too, where this is going to come from in the budget? Uh, or is that a later time? We're going to have to make a budget amendment because we are obviously we don't have enough in that line item currently. Um, and yeah, I can I can speak to that. That's a problem. Not a problem at all. Yeah, we will have to make a budget amendment though. Absolutely. Okay. Very good. Thank you. Okay. All right. Uh, we'll just have a uh just a motion. Just a motion for all four uh members to attend CCAP. Do you want to just name the four members? Yep. Uh, Mr. Sabatino, Miss Stevenson, Mr. Wovich, and Miss Krishnowski. So moved. Second. And thank you for going everybody. Thank you for this. Roll call. Mr. Sabatino?

Yes. Miss Stevenson? Yes. Mr. Thornton? Yes. Mr. Wovit? Yes. Mr. Hos? Yes. Miss Kushnowski? Yes. Mr. Lcgavage? Yes. Miss McDermott? Yes. Mr. Perry? Yes. Mr. Lombardo? Yes. Unanimous. Thank you. All right. All right, we'll now have public comment on non-aggenda items. One more thing with CCAP. Um, since we only have four members of council going, um, and we have five spots for voting, could we nominate manager Cookamo to be the fifth voting member? Uh, I think we already have designated voting members, I think, for this year. Okay. I think I think five of us are current members. I believe so.

We did that at the beginning of the year. You're going to vote on uh offline like on on the Zoom, but I think so. Is is the agenda I mean can I can I speak to AB? Absolutely. Is this approving Jimmy? Is this where they're going to approve the year priorities for this one at this meeting? Yes. Yeah. I I think you can you can vote virtual. You can do it virtually. Yeah, they've done that in the past. So, well, I wasn't sure if you're going to vote virtually. I I would love I'd love to vote. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, we're good then. We're good. Fantastic. Okay. All right, we'll now have public comment non-aggenda items. Uh, Mr. Griffith.

Good evening, council. the the information I'm passing out is um some a flyer that I received in the mail yesterday um regarding it says a fat cat on there is referring to Councilman Thornton. It's kind of a disturbing flyer. One of those hit pieces hit pieces much like they did with Harry Haw back in the day when Harry was running the Democratic party and I'm I'm not making this a a partisan issue. They need to be factual. Let's let's just lay out the facts here on this whole issue. The the fact that they're saying that Mr. Thornton is a fat cat and cost the county millions of dollars is totally wrong. Quite honestly, it was Mr. Thornton and myself and members of this council that passed the ordinance to get to to the directive to the manager to get um interest from all the loans and all the uh bank accounts. 52 bank accounts generated over 10 million $10 million to this county. $10 million we got that we never had before because Mr. Thornton thought it was wise to do that. And we when we asked the current interim manager, he said it couldn't be done because it was too difficult. So we pushed the issue. The other issue that they put in here is the fact that Mr. Robertson was hired by Mr. Thornton. There's 11 members of council here. Nine voted for Mr. Robertson. One voted no, which was Mr. Perry, and one abstained, which was Mr. McInley. My opposition, who couldn't make a stand on whether he wanted to hire a manager or not. So, let's be clear about what we're trying to do here with this flyer. The Democratic Party owes Mr. Thornton an apology. I don't have a problem with a flyer. And believe me, when they put them out, I don't have a problem with them. They need to be true. That's the problem. When they did the thing to Mr. Hos, that wasn't true. When they did the thing to Mr. Thornton. It's not true. If you want to put hit pieces out about

members of council or myself or anybody running for office, at least have the decency to do your research and make it true. The stuff that they wrote about him is totally false. And I'm not a cheerleader for Brian at all. Me and Brian have had our differences. Just like I call balls and strikes here. That's my job as a controller. But we need to make sure that we inform the voters correctly. When we tell them something, it needs to be accurate information. And when you send stuff like this out in the public and people read it and they get the wrong impression, that's not fair to anybody. It's not fair to this county mostly because we can lose a good person on this council because of false information. And that's not what we want. If we're going to lose the race for political reasons, let's lose it for the right reasons. If you want to fight on the issues, let's fight on the issues, but let's not put things out that are not true. So, I'm asking the loser and county Republican party or Democratic party to issue an apology to Mr. Thornton in public and send a flyer out to that. All right. Thank Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Griffin.

Um, thank you, Mr. Griffin, for your encouraging words.

Yeah, I just just to add to that, I really wasn't intending on speaking on this tonight, but um it it was very disappointing to see that. It was very disappointing to see that that's the direction that um political campaigns for public office in Luzer County have gone. And it leads me to believe that whoever it is that issued this, that authorized this, and that is okay with it, does not have any intention of working together with other members of council. Um, and to know that not only is that true, but that nothing on that flyer is accurate. Um, especially the first part, I mean, that that really annoyed me. Uh, you know, we we did our best when it came to these bridge projects. They were difficult. The Pittston Bridge was closed prior to Mr. Thornton being on council. Um, so to say that he had any responsibility for it being closed is just asinine. It's it's ridiculous. Um, and it is very sad to see that that's the direction this campaign has gone. And I sincerely hope that I agree with Mr. Griffith that an apology should be issued by the Democratic Party and the candidates that are also running. All right. Next up, we have uh Mr. Mashevsky. For one, uh, Mr. Griffiths, I'd like to recognize you for having statistics and having done your research on voting and things such as that. Uh, to continue, greetings to council and the community at large. I would like to spend a few precious moments of my time today thanking and recognizing the Lutheran County Community College, the various soup kitchens and food pantries in the area, and our public servants such as yourselves and our department members for the work we all do to keep our community functioning despite the conflicts and problems present within our world. Thank you. Today, I will be speaking about two things likely over the two meetings we are holding today due to the three-minute time limit per session. a concession on that since I missed the

first part would be appreciated. The first is access to transportation between our county college campuses and the second is communication and the need to effectively improve it for all levels of public and private engagements. First, our community college has many events, clubs, services, and offerings and I applaud its administrators on the diverse offerings available. Yet, one of the primary barriers for students is often being unable to attend these meetings at the main campus and elsewhere for lack of transportation and restrictions on our schedules, which prevents us from utilizing the predetermined routine LCTA bus routes. I believe it is in the best interest of the people to create a LCTA LCCCC shuttle service between its campuses preferably both a routine and an asneeded option. Many of the student body and faculty support this. I will do my best to reaffirm this with a list of signatures in support of it from the Wolsberry Center campus if council would benefit from such in its deliberations. Second, it is often difficult to attend all of the operations that our various government entities engage in, such as education, public affairs, planning sessions for public services and operations, utility concerns, and other council meetings such as between a resident's town and their county and state. The issue of timeliness is an apparent one, often having availability issues due to parallel conferences and events occurring at the same time. This timeliness concern even reduces the government's ability to effectively communicate with itself. We can't be everywhere participating in everything all at once, no matter how much we might want to be. With the above said, this county meeting has a wonderful video option for remote

attendance and participation and also for accountability and long-term records access. Yet many other county meetings such as for a department affairs as listed above don't. Neither do the various towns. The disconnect in remote attendance is severely crushing our community's ability to participate in government and business affairs and also reduces local government's ability to be aware of and participate in larger government affairs. All right. Thank you, Mr. Mashev. I just have two small brief paragraphs to finish. You can read them at the next set of public comment which is after the work session. Okay. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you. No problem. Anybody else in the audience for public comment? Miss Williams.

Denise Williams, Kingston Township. I wasn't going to speak on the uh card that came, which I also my husband and I also received in the mail, but I do want to speak on it. Uh I did not approve that. I had I had no idea anything about that and I do not approve of it. I don't approve of negative and I would never go there. So, please don't me in and allege that I had anything to do with that because I didn't and I'm very disappointed in it as well. Um, what my public comment is the new communications position in Lutheran County government. Public communication is definitely important. It's a big part of good government, but it's also a responsibility of the county manager's office. The county manager is already the public face of county government, responsible for communicating with residents, the media, and other stakeholders. And I have to say, our current county manager does this very well. She's eloquent, professional, and clear in her communication. She represents Luzern County with confidence and credibility. So, this is not a gap that needs to be filled. It's something that's already being done very effectively. Creating a new position at about $70,000 a year for duties that already fall under the county manager's role just doesn't seem like the best use of our resources. Even though 87% of the funding is said to come from grants, those grants aren't guaranteed and the rest would still come from taxpayer related funds. Plus, that figure doesn't include additional costs like healthcare and retirement. At a time when we need to be very careful about how every dollar is spent, I don't believe it's fiscally responsible to add another layer to county government for a job that's already being done and done well. In addition, I'd like to ask for some

clarification about the new media content strategists recent statement in today's Times leader article that we've lost roughly $855,000 in interest earnings due to advances made to human service agencies during the state budget impass. Based on current investment rates for Pennsylvania counties, typically around four to 5%, that figure seems unusually high. For example, advancing 4.9 million since July would normally result in an interest loss closer to 70 to $80,000, not more than half a million. Could someone please explain what interest rate or calculation method was used to arrive at that total and over what time period those losses were measured? [clears throat]

Is that the end of your public comment, Miss Williams? Yeah. No, no reply. Okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Um, manager Crocomo or Miss Roselle, would you want to respond to that? We have uh interest uh that we're losing that was advanced and we're also advancing monies uh that are paying uh for salaries that normally would not be paid under uh the um general fund. So, we're looking at those numbers. Uh, and they'll probably if it goes to the end of November reach that number very easily.

I thought maybe there was just an extra zero on the 85,000. Okay. It's it's we're losing a significant amount of money paying gaps for the human services. Hopefully we'll be able to refund some of that money, but that's still a question mark. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else in the audience? Public comment.

You have a comment? Okay. All right. Go ahead, Minister Cork. I planned uh this evening to simply talk about uh the budget introduction. I must address matters that result and give me a very heavy heart. I am dismayed by the wave of election misinformation and hatred being spread by certain candidates and parties. It's disheartening to see the very fabric of our democratic process being undermined by false narratives that not only mislead the public but also distract us from the important work at hand. First and foremost, I want to highlight one of the significant achievements of this administration and the dedicated council members. All of you that I have the privilege to serve alongside from both parties. Our collaboration built on respect and mutual understanding is how we get things done in Lousern County. We have proven that progress is possible when we work together regardless of party affiliation. Now, I want to address uh calls from some candidates for county council to develop a strategic plan. I want to be clear that is exactly what we are doing through the Department of Community and

Economic Development and the Pennsylvania Economy. We are actively working on a strategic plan that will guide our future. But what I really want to say is I am a proud Democrat. I have been all my life like my father before me. But that flyer that was sent out about Councilman Thornton by the Democratic Party is not the Democratic Party that represents me. Shame on them. It was hateful with misinformation. The two major bridges that we are building, the Water Street Bridge is on task. the work of this council and the administration, we have only to pay 5% of the total cost of building that bridge. That is a gift to our community. We're paying five%. I had the task to close those bridges. because of years of neglect from previous administrations in government. We are taking that on. The Nanny Coke bridge, we have an LSA grant and an additional $10 million from PennDOT to build that bridge. And we

meet with the engineer every two weeks. And you know who's on those meetings? Councilman Thor to claim otherwise about him is not just misleading. It's a lie and it needs to stop. I urge all of you to look beyond the election lies being propagated. Misinformation can easily sway opinions and create division. But together, we can rise above it. Let's focus on the facts, the achievements we've made, and the work still ahead of us. We have the ability to shape the future of Luzern County positively. And by standing together, we can ensure that our community will thrive. And I will apologize to you, Mr. Thornon, on behalf of the political party that I am a member of. [clears throat] [applause] Thank you, manager Crocom. Is there anybody else for public comment? Go ahead, sir. State your name in your m municipality, please.

How are you guys doing today? I wasn't planning on speaking. I clean up nice. Pardon the purple shoes and everything. Um, I heard things. What's your your name and your municipality, sir? Sorry. My name's Keith. Um, what's your full name? Keith Keith East. Okay. How do you spell that? K E I T H E S T E P. Okay. And your municipality that you live in? I live in Wilsberry. Okay. Thank you. Okay.

Um we spoke about a lot of passionate things. Um the Democrat and Republic Republican party, the budget bridges. I just want to bring everybody's attention because everybody in this room is important and uh to to the the people of Wils Bear. And um I worked for Keystone Mission. I was a program specialist. Um, and I got to see a lot of the people that we overlook and don't see. They live in the woods, you know what I mean? And, um, Keystone Mission was beautiful. Um, it was people were coming getting their IDs, birth certific. It don't cost like what it cost to get a bridge to to help somebody out, get their life back together. Um, to get IDs, birth certificate, social security cards, um, clean them up, give them a shower and stuff so they can go to work. Um and due to negative um propaganda lies from the actual city of Wuksar um that Keystone Mission was stealing money and and Keystone Mission was the ones that were taking care of the homeless people that nobody's taking care of right now. Um and it's about to be really cold outside. A lot of people um I don't know who works with the hospital or anything, but people are going to die out here in the cold. And um people spoke real passionate about the Republican party or Democratic party, but I feel like that's like saying I go to church. You know what I mean? That doesn't mean that your values and your morals are in the right place, you know? And I and and even if nobody can vote on anything in here, I just I know there's money in the room. I know there's people with influence in the room. I just want to bring everybody's attention back to um what we could do to to build those people up and get them back um where they need to be because there's people that were good enough to be councilmen that are living in the woods right now. You know what I mean? And um it just hurts me because it leads to other things too. It's the reason why people are in the justice system right now. Why people are in jail because the lack of money, lack of resources, lack of community. Um it's the reason why people are in the domestic relations and

family court and everything. It's money. That's what's stressing everybody out. You know what I mean? And it's also a lack of care. And um I just feel like uh the if you want to see the city come back or do anything that you guys are saying that you want the city to do, we have to like right now, you know, speaking for the people that are not even in any shape to come here and speak to you guys. Not in any shape to even help themselves. They don't even have the resources or the knowledge or the um the people to speak life back into them, you know. And I'm not sitting here saying that I do all this and and you know because I do. But I want to activate more people into that and especially you guys. I'm not talking down to you in any way. I respect all every single one of you guys. Um I've been speaking with the mayor. Uh we're working on the code blue right now for when it gets cold. But I shared with them a area where the homeless were living because they wanted to deny that they were there. And um he, you know, listened to what I had to say and everything. And then he sent people out, police out to tell those people they had 48 hours. Now, we're working on a plan for Code Blue and for homelessness. And he went out and told those people they had 48 hours to leave or they're going to go to jail in the camp where they feel at least comfortable enough to live for right now. And I just felt like that was so disingenuous coming from somebody that I actually went to for help that was in a high power like you guys. This my last thing. Yeah.

And he attacked them. Okay. So he put put him in jail or displace him somewhere else and I just feel like that was not right.

Thank you, Mr. Esta. And uh the county council uh in a previous iteration when we were allocating American Rescue Plan funds actually allocated I think a half million dollars to Keystone Mission when it was still in operation at the time. Um many of us tooured the facility and we were very impressed by the operation and uh you know even speaking to some of the uh gentlemen that came in there and and actually utilized the services. They were all very grateful and and we certainly understand the value of of organizations like that. So um don't don't think that your comments fall on defairs. They truly we we understand what you're saying and and we've have you know understood that organizations like that are very important in this community. And there was a federal investigation and there was no stolen money.

Okay. Thank you. Anybody else public comment? Anybody on the Zoom? All right. Hearing none. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Second. All in favor? I opposed. It's 6:32. Let's restart at 640.

All right, council members, it's 6:39. Please take your seats so we can get restarted here in a minute. Okay, everybody. It's 6:40 p.m. I'd like to call the work session to order, please. We've already had uh pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence. Um, we had one addition to the agenda of I added it to number eight under county council items uh for the uh chiropractic uh uh allocation of opioid settlement funds. Anything else? Is there a Oh, I apologize. Oh, roll call.

Sorry. Mr. Hos here. Miss Krishnowski here. Mr. Lascavage here. Miss McDermott here. Mr. Perry here. Mr. Savatino here. Miss Stevenson here. Mr. Thornton here. Mr. Wovich present. And Mr. Lombardo here. 10 of 11. Okay. Thank you. Are there any other deletions or additions to the agenda? Motion to approve the agenda. Mr. Chair. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Agenda is approved. All right. First, budget reports. Miss Roselle, come on down.

This will be quick. Um, so included in your packet are the council um budget reports for September. The first report is your revenue report. Our re our revenue earned is 89% of budget or 150,158505. Our current year tax collections at the end of September are at 120 million which is 98% of the current year revenue budget. So that's great. We should exceed that. Our expenses right now at the end of September are at 99, 331, I'm sorry, 99,331255 or 61% of budget. Next, you have your listing of the budget transfers followed by your accounts payable detail. The last report is your treasures report showing a cash balance of 162.9 million. At the end of September, the cash bal our interest earned for the month of September is 370,000 of that ARPA accounts for 120,817. Our year-to- date total interest earned is 3,53,000. Our ARPA cash balance is still sitting at 34,363. Our ARPA interest earned year-to- date is 1,483 and our ARPA our ARPA interest earned in total is 9.4 million. Anyone have any questions?

Any questions for M Roselle? Mr. Sabino. Mr. Rosel, uh, I was wondering if I could clarify uh, something that was mentioned in the public comments last time. The 850,000 that we have lost in interest is not just interest that we're supposed to be earning, but interest that we've previously earned that we're spending to fill the gaps. Correct. Okay. Correct. Thank you.

Okay. Any other questions? All right. Thank you, Miss Roselle. Next up, discussion regarding the sale of 54 West Union Street property. Uh, who are we having discussed that? Man, manager Crocomo, who's or or I'm sorry, um, Miss McDermott.

Well, these properties um that the county wants to put up for sale, we have to figure out how we want to proceed with selling those. We only discussed them very briefly at the real estate committee, but it has to be decided on by council. U Mr. Sche, would you like to give the three options of how we can proceed to sell those? Yes, we can sell them by having them listed with a broker. We could sell them by a bid or we could sell them by an auction. [clears throat] So, starting with the first property of 54 West Union Street.

Okay. What would we like to do? Possibly list it with the real estate agent. There's going to be a fee for that. Commission. Yeah. C can you talk about the I guess the pros and cons of each option?

Well, if we go with the real estate agent, then of course we'll pay a fee. Um we I guess we'd have to put it out for a bid to see what the commission would be, which we did on the West Pittston house. Once we'd have a real estate agent in place, um then they would list it. Of course, it would be the MLS, the multiple listing service, so it would hit a lot more potential buyers. Um the other option is we decided to do u an auction. Um you know you said a minimum bid and and see who would show up. Um also the other one is uh what was the third option putting out an a bid package like through an RFP an RP. What's the least expensive? Probably

probably the bid package package package. Yeah. And what what we're looking to do today is figure out what the process will be. So, one of those three and what the starting price will be. So, we have one appraisal that was uh performed on the property. Each property. Yes. Well, we're talking about Well, we 54 West Union Street. We're talking about first. Okay. So, does anybody And the appraisal was for that one was 1.2, I believe. What is it? Uh where is that? It's a hand. I could not find. Yeah. Oh, you were never given anything.

Okay. All right. There was nothing ever provided to the uh council clerk. We had the appraisals. Um Okay. All online before. Yeah, we had them. We provided them to the real estate committee. Okay. Should have been Okay. All right. Do you remember offh hand one thing that one I believe was one okay while we're looking go ahead while we're looking for that um Mr. Chair thank you

I my only suggestion here is we use the method that will yield the highest price paid and will uh be seen by the most people out there in the public. So, um, rather I I I hate this advertising in the local newspapers because nobody reads newspapers anymore. They really don't. Um, I there's got to be other ways where much more of the public is aware of it and could, uh, actually bid on it or whatever if they want to. U, whatever way that is. I don't do real estate, so I don't know. But, uh, there might be someone in Ohio right now that's looking for a place in Wsberry. They don't know it, but they do. And maybe they're looking at listings, and I just want to make sure that we're showing it to as many, many people as possible. That's all. Thank you,

Mr. Sabatino. The appraisal for the Union Street property came at at $33,600. Okay. And I agree with Councilman Thornton. I think for this property, we should list it uh with a broker. I think getting it out into the widest uh you know audience possible will will give us the greatest return on on our investment there. Mr. Krishnowski, I was just curious, is there not a difference between the title? Like if you go through a real estate, it has to be a clear title as opposed to a title that has leans on it. These are these are all clean titles.

Okay. Okay. Okay. And what's the um what was the appraisal for the 100 West Broad Street property? Was that the one that was 1.2? I believe that one was the 1.2. Okay, that sounds right. All right. And these all have to be or both of these properties have to be listed, you know, for the public to um even if we do have interested parties at this point, uh it does have to go out to the public so that we can get obviously the best price for the uh properties. Okay. Any other council members have any comments? Any thoughts?

All right. Um, do we want to speak separately on the 100 West Broad Street property? Do we also think it's a wise idea to list that with a broker? Yeah, I do. So, at this point, we'd want to put out an RFP. Mr. SK, go ahead. All right. I think we have parties who are interested in the Broad Street property. So, um, while we would advertise it, so if there's more properties, they would be able to join in. But that one, if we already have parties that are interested, we might be paying 6% or less. The rate comes in at um to a broker when we're already handing them a a buyer.

Uh, Mr. Sino, the appraisal came in at $2.1 million. Okay. Good point. All right. Yeah. I I um I think that if we have interested parties in either of these properties, um I I mean I I don't necessarily if if other people have an interest in purchasing them, that's great. If you know, if the first one to with a broker, I think wouldn't be the worst thing in the you have an interested party or other interested parties in the second property which is is that the one is that in Hazelton? Yeah, that's right. Okay. 2.1 million. Okay, that one. So, that one's obviously would be a much bigger uh commission to pay for the real estate agent.

I just I just have a a a little bit of an issue with paying such a significant commission to a a real estate agent um on a property that big. if we know that we already have people potentially interested. I mean, I think that the difference of what we would get if we were to cast that wider net, would it be that much that it would be a difference of of, you know, what we would get from uh factoring out the commission for the real estate agent? I don't know. Do you think that um that would just be an RFP to put out uh or bid packet? Correct, Mr. Skine? Or

bid packet? Yes, we could advertise it via a bid packet for youize it online. You could advertise it on in the paper. I think we would have to do um at least a local newspaper if not two and then on our website. I would agree that you know spitting it out would be the option if there's already parties interested and at this point we would start with the appraised value. I would that would be up to you guys but it it If there's um people bidding at the appraised value, they'd have to go above appraised value if you're getting them to bid that way. Okay.

Which properties are, you know, again, properties are uh people are buying them for more than the asking price. Now, this is commercial property. It's it's a different, you know, it's different than residential, but I would say that's a good starting point. Why go lower? And they could always offer less and then see what happens if that's the only bid and then we can make the decision. You know, council does have the ultimate decision um to sell it or not. Okay. All right. So, go ahead, Mr. Luscavage.

Irregardless, we got to put it out right for bid no matter whether we set that as the benchmark. But I know some of the buildings that recently sold in Wilsbor, they were purchased from people in Chicago. So, and brought more than listed value. So, I think that's probably our best starting point that 2.1 doesn't no action then we can always you know consider less. Yeah. Or if we have no bites we could you know if we if we don't find anyone that's interested we can always hire we can then hire the the broker if need be. Mhm.

Um but but I just think that I mean I I've said this a number of times before that what we say like in this room often is heard by many people and I think we underestimate how how much our reaches by our voice of what we say in this room. People across you know not just this county but the region and even the state. They listen to a lot of the stuff that we say regarding things like economic development and and so on and so forth. So, you know, if if they hear that a property is being sold, I I think that we sort of underestimate the power that we have in just saying, "Hey, listen, like we're just going to put this out for bid." I I I don't think we're necessarily casting such a, you know, such a thin net.

I think if I could, Mr. Chair, for for that reason, I'd like to cast a big net. I think we owe it to the taxpayers to get the best value and just to in the name of transparency, put it out there, see what fish bite. Okay. Does that have to go then on to the voting session to vote on next time? I'd say so. Okay.

Okay. All right. All right. Moving along. Number four, discussion regarding the resolution approving an agreement with Service Electric for the ex exclusive broadcasting of county council meetings. Uh we were approached uh by Service Electric through uh Scott Cannon uh to uh alter our agreement uh to basically uh give them the exclusive rights uh to publishing our council meetings. Um and uh the YouTube uh uh the council meetings would not be then published on YouTube. It would just be on service electric. Uh and if people want uh to watch uh the council meetings, they would have to pay a sub a sub subscription to uh service electric to watch the council meetings. Harry, if you want to add anything that's in the agreement, you can. Uh there was a lot in the agreement, including a provision [clears throat] where the agreement would go on forever until either side wanted to stop it. But it would it would then take away the use of our YouTube channel for

Yeah, I I'll be Mr. W. You want to I just had a question. So if we don't approve the agreement, do we still continue working with Service Electric and the YouTube or is it just all gone? it will be on and uh we're looking to see uh whether we can have the whether we can put them on our website.

Yeah, because I know a lot of people do use the YouTube function. Right. I I I'll be honest, I I do use the YouTube channel like I'll wa rewatch things that have been said in the meetings just to take notes in case like I hear some public comment or something that I want to um want to review some information. Uh, however, I I don't understand really why we have this external contract to begin with. I I think that our IT department is capable enough to do this on their own. Um, we it's not difficult to have a YouTube channel to have a live video feed. Um, just kind of integrating it with our website might be the only minor challenge, but I don't see it being a significant issue. And if if we're going to be stuck in a situation where people are having to pay a subscription fee to watch our meetings, I I don't think that's I don't think that's appropriate, especially in 2025.

We've had this agreement with Service Electric predates my involvement with the county. Okay. Do you have something you want to say, Miss Stevenson? Yeah, I was just going to agree with you. Um I mean, Service Electric's great. I use the YouTube as well to go back get details and everything, but I would never ever want any of our county residents to have to pay a subscription to be have access to a public meeting. That is absurd. Yeah. Um so if we can get it to figure out how the best transition for, you know, recording the meetings and posting it to the website, however long it takes, I think that um would be very simple that they can do. Miss McDermott, what are we paying now? Do we [clears throat] pay anything now to nothing?

Okay. Yeah. I mean, I understand it's a it's a contract where there's no fee to us as the county. Um but it would be just it's it's even worse. It's fee to the residents directly. Um so I I I would not I wouldn't support that at all. Yeah. Go ahead, Mr. Norton. Charging a fee to the residents to watch our meetings is ridiculous. Our meetings just aren't that entertaining. We might have to pay them to watch the meeting sometimes. Okay. Any other comments? All right. Okay. Moving on. Okay. FSL public finance bond restructure presentation. Ryan.

Hello. Good evening. It's nice to see everyone again. My name is Ryan Hotenstein. I am with FSL Public Finance and just wanted to report back on our bond sale uh which closed earlier in this month to give you final results and kind of go through some feedback on what we saw are the results that the county and also some of the things that came back from the rating agency regarding maintaining balanced budgets, making sure that you uh build the fund balance and you continue to have those reserves in place. So, in front of you tonight, I do have a short handout. I'll try to go through it quickly. I mean, it's 22 pages, but it's mostly bullets. Um, it's also up on this screen here, just to reiterate. So, the county came back with an astable rating from S&P. Uh, we sold these bonds on October 7th and we closed on October 16th. The total amount of the bonds that was sold was 57,695,000 and the total interest cost on those bonds is about 2.78. the final maturity of which is June 15 of 2009. And just 2029, sorry. Uh just to remind you, the purpose of this was funding of two existing pieces of debt, which were the 2015A general obligation bonds and the 2017 IDA bonds um for Lazernne County Industrial Development Authority. On the day that we priced, we've successfully refinanced both of those bonds, generating a total savings of $3.47 million to the county. That is net of all fees. So that is the actual gross savings amount that you will receive between now and 2029. Um, you had very strong market access with a lot of demand from investors to buy your bonds, which is great. We also sold this with no increase in your debt burden or pushing of maturity. We actually shorten the maturity on these so they pay off even a little bit quicker than they did before. On page

four, you'll see the sources and uses. Um, it's simply just the par amount of the bonds plus the premium in this case for a total of 60,235,000. We bought refunding escrow securities to use to refund those other bonds in the total amount of $59 million and cost of issuance on this was about $422,000 in total. The summary of those refunding results is on page five. And at the bottom, the net present value savings was 2.655 million for a percentage savings of refunded bonds of $4.53. When you compare that to what we were looking at in August 12th when I first presented uh to council, at the time, we were looking at about 2.4 million. Uh so we did a little bit better than what we presented on that day on August 12th. Uh the next page is just simply a showing of those refundings from your prior debt service and your new debt service and those savings. You can see in 2025 we're saving 827,000 26 about 945 a million in 27 and then 284,000 and 375,000 respectively in 2028 and 29 for those totals that we talked about earlier. Page seven simply just shows what the market looked that day when you when you talk about the 10-year and 30-year MMD yields. That's basically where tax exempt bonds price if you were a AAA rated at a 10year and and a 30-year maturity. We were under that, but just to give you an idea, the 10-year maturity for AAA was just under 3% that day. Um, and the 30-year was a little bit over four. The next page is the B valve curve which is another measure of how we price bonds. This is the curve that is based on actual trades every single day for AAA rated securities for the municipal space and the interest rates that you

would see if you were AAA rated on those days. You can see they went from 2.4 to 2.24 and 29 because we have a little bit of inversion there um at the time. Page eight, the pricing. Um, ultimately the yield on these bonds was 2.8% for the 25 maturity and then 2.66 for the rest of the maturities throughout. So that's basically what the in true interest rate on the bonds was or is for 2009. On page 10, this just gives you a snapshot of what the demand for these bonds looked like when we sold those bonds in the morning. So this is all the interest parties that participated in the bond sale that said, "Hey, we want to buy these bonds from the county." In total that day, we were looking to sell about $57 million. You ended up receiving orders in the magnitude of $237 million. So you had four times over subscription demand for those bonds. So we had investors coming in. We had more people wanting to buy your bonds than we could sell them, which is great because a lot of people looked at this credit and said, "We like this. We want to buy this." It was also gives us an ability to kind of negotiate a little bit lower yields knowing that we have an over subscription. Um, on page 10 and 11 shows you the list of purchasers of those bonds. The biggest orders that came in came in from Northern Trust. They ordered um $57 million is what they had put in for. They didn't get all of those, but they basically wanted to buy the whole thing. You can see that US uh Trust Corporation and JP Morgan Asset Management also put in significant amount of orders. In total, you had 20 um you had 16 different entities looking to buy those bonds. And again, at the total of $273 million worth of orders. Page 12 is just simply what your new debt service looks like. Gives you gross

and net. You can see in that gross total on column H on uh page 12, you're at 26.4 million every single year until 2029 when you drop to 26.0 and then finally no more debt. You're completely out of debt in 2030 where you have a last payment of $6.1 million. All right, moving on. just to give you a little update on what the credit profile looked like and what we the feedback we got from S&P credit rating. So the long-term rating came back at 8cted the fact that you've had a lot of positive financial performance um over the years. However, it did reference and they have a long memory. So they look back a long time even to the early 2000s and remember what was happening in Lazern County at that time. So they do know that there was a period of time where there's some large structural imbalances, but you've really performed very well in the last 10 years. Um the credit strengths were that you have a low debt profile. You really don't have a lot of outstanding debt when you compare it to your peers, especially a county of your size. You have stable management and the recent surpluses that you guys have achieved. Some of the challenges that they mo they noted is really when they take a look at issuers they are comparing you not just to yourselves and some of the surroundings but also to national peers. So when they look at the economy of Lazern County in relation to the country, it has a little bit weaker matrices compared to some of those na national matrix. And then also they've noted that the county is going through that strategic plan that rem earlier and it's continue to do those sort of things. And as you continue to do those things and you continue to maintain balanced budgets, those are all positives for potential future rating increases. looking at some of the things on why those balance budgets matter. Um they did note that there was a small deficit

in 24 um of 1.8 million. However, if you look at your all funds that was just the general funds you did have a surplus in 24 of sort of of 6.8 million but they would wanted to point out that hey maintaining balanced budgets making sure that every single year your revenues are sufficient to cover your expenses is critical. Um the reason for that is that you can um there's it's the structural stability that you have that they don't have to then worry about if you need oh an emergency popped up you have that rainy day fund you have those things they don't have to worry about the potential for short-term borrowings or any of that. Basically, balanced budgets equals a stronger credit profile. And that stronger credit profile ultimately means a lower borrowing cost to you and to the taxpayers of uh Lazern County. Your current reserves when we are looking at 20 the end of 2024 were 22.8% of your operating expenditures. So right now that's a little bit below where your target policy that you looked at last month is. target policy of 25%. So you're not quite there, but moving forward and maintaining those balanced budgets and adding the surplus will help you get there. Ultimately, those higher reserves gives you increased flexibility to address those unexpected costs, stronger reserves, potential for that pressure to move you up into a higher rating category. If you want to take a look at what the the medians are for different rating categories when it comes to fund balance, that's what we're looking at here on page 16. So, what we did was we pulled all the data nationally from S&P's ratings. And you can see this page here shows the general fund balance as a percentage of expenditures. So, your goal is currently 25%. If you take a look at this chart,

25% would put you in the tripleB plus or lower. When you want to move up that rating scale and you want to get to those higher ends, you can see that double A, it's at 52.3%. Double A minus 59.4. So when you're talking about, hey, we have this fund balance at 22%. That's great. It's a really good movement. It's much posit more positive than it had been, you know, certainly in the early 2000s and earlier, but it's not necessarily where your peer groups in that higher rating category are. They're at a much higher level rating um than your current 22.8%. I do know um and I've as followed working with the county that there is a proposed um increase in taxes for next year to increase the revenue available to the county. Um those things all are positives to rating agencies and they're also positive towards the county's ability to operate. The small tax increase obviously helps potentially offset future short-term borrowings if needed. 2026 probably need a short-term borrowing for a number of reasons. The certainly the state budget and pass is a major part of that. Um but that increase will help you build those reserves. It'll also s signal to the rating agencies the proactive governance from the county and then ultimately higher reserves and reoccurring revenues directly tie to a rating upgrade and the potential of that. Um with that said, I know increasing taxes is always a difficult thing. Anytime you're looking at a that sort of um decision, it's always hard. But I kind of want to put that in perspective for you guys a little bit. Sometimes I went back and just took a look at the county's history of tax increases since 2015. Also looked at every single county surrounding you. to every single one

that touches you and what their tax increases were and at the same time took to look at what the CPI over that period of time was and also what was the increase in social security because one thing we always hear is well social you know people on social security how do they going to afford this sort of thing when you take a look at all of those factors since 2015 the CPI for Northeast PA is 31.2% 2%. So the consumer price index increased 31% from 2015 to 2025. At the same time, social security and the rate that increased since 2015 was 31.8%. So the social security administration did continue to rate increase social security over that period of time. When you look at the increases you have able to do to minimize that impact on taxes over the last 10 years, it quite frankly is staggering. If you compare Lazar County to all of the ones that touch you, Monroe since just 2020 has in this is according to DCD statistics has increased their property taxes 75.5%. Lacawana 56.7, Carbon 56.1, Skookul 39.3, Colombia 27.5, Wyoming 26.4, and Sullivan 26.3. Over that same period of time, you have increased taxes 10.6, less than basically 1% when you talk about compounding a year. So you've done a incredible job of minimizing those increases over the last 10 years on those on the taxpayers of Lousern County. And it's something I think that really when you look at having to make those increases in revenue, you really

should put it in perspective to the longer and the all the increased costs that you've had to bear. Um so I think that's really quite a feather in your cap to be able to do that over the last 10 years to only have that increase at 10.6 six um compared to the CPI and all of the other factors. So, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that. Happy to ask answer any questions on repeat that last part one more time emphasizing a couple of words specifically. No, thank you very much. This is very informative and very helpful. Sure. Could you send us those figures? Sure. I'll provide them to Mary if I could, Mr. Chair. Yeah. Go ahead, Mr. House.

Mr. Hson, thank you for the wonderful report. We always love hearing that like the chair said and you did had a great job really painting the picture with all the other index increases. I really appreciate that too just from a layman's person perspective. My my one question is you talk about the rain agencies and they like to see stability. they like to see revenue um surpluses in in in the bank. Would you say as long as we're in in the positive, it really doesn't matter the amount of the increase of surplus from year to year as long as the credit agencies see us not shortch changing ourselves and putting us in a precarious position. Speak to that.

Ultimately, that's going to be the most important thing. They like to see balanced budgets year over year over year over year. it shows that track record of good management and and budgeting and that they don't have to worry about it. Um, and if you have that sort of performance, you know, certainly they would rather see from my experience continuous balance budgets than a large tax increase where you now put additional I'm just going to make this number up $50 million in fund balance and then you spend it all down and then you raise it back up and then you spend it all down. The consistent year-over-year positive budgeting tends to be something that they look at more favorably because they look at the operations and they say they know exactly what they need. They're taxing at a level sufficient to cover that and it reflects positively on knowing your operations and making sure you generate revenue to cover that.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm asking because we're we're obviously in budget season now and we want to really try to hit that target best. We can't be really lean also not short change ourselves and I especially when you compare the other counties that that was very telling. I didn't think about that perspective before. So that was very interesting. But um we're we are going to have a giant windfall here in four short years and I I'm really jealous of the people getting elected here this next cycle. They're going to actually get to enjoy that. Um, so I think when we look at at keeping that 10.6 that very that very meager increase comparatively other counties and think we're going to see that index go way down um in four quick years. So if we could just keep those minimal tax increases keep on budget I think we're in we're in a very good place.

It's a potential I do always like to provide the caveat that running an organization of this size and having so much cap eye that continues to need to be spent. It's one of those things that I equate to painting the G Golden Break Bridge. That as soon as you finish painting it, you've got to turn around and start over here and just keep painting it again. And that's kind of what running a county is like. That as soon as you feel like you're out of debt, then all of a sudden you have to build a prison or you have to build but you have the capacity to do so without an increase because it's already been there. But it's certainly a much better place to you're certainly in a much better place to be in. But the Golden Gate is red. We don't want to be in the red. month [laughter] black month of black paint. But thank you, Miss Hunstein. Thank you,

Mr. Thornton. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh I'd like to thank you for your service and uh I [clears throat] was on that call almost a month ago. Yes. Thank you.

Yeah. When you uh guys went live in the bond market and had us on the call and Miss Roselle, Mr. Roselle was on that call. But I I just in layman's terms so the public understands what's what's being said here. And this should make every taxpayer feel great. The county is constantly constantly looking at and reviewing where we're at financially every day, every week. And that also includes our debt, which are bonds. Bonds are debt, just so everybody understands. And uh we hire a firm like FSL Public Finance to really do a deep dive on our behalf and find opportunities when just like your own personal house. You know, you have a mortgage for many years, but maybe you should reorggage. Should I or shouldn't I? Well, they're the experts who come in and say, "Absolutely. Right now, you would benefit tremendously." Well, that's what we're doing here with our debt. And the key walk away here, key takeaway for everybody to hear is what you guys did. And through the leadership of Mary Rosselle, the head of our budget and finance, um, that day you redid our debt on the open market because people could buy bonds just like they buy stocks, just like people buy houses. And it happened to be a day where like if you were selling your house and four people showed up about well that's what happened with our debt. It was a great great timing to to do it then. And the key takeaway was what you did that morning ended up delivering $3.5 million in savings to Lutheran County over the next five years to the end of uh the debt when all the debts paid off. That was huge just just by doing those two transactions that morning. So that's fantastic. Um and the other thing that doesn't get a lot of play is our credit rating with the rating agencies. Why that's so

important. The A rating is fantastic, but there's certainly room to go up. Sure.

Um why that that's key is what you mentioned briefly. The state is budget is at an impass. Nobody could agree on a budget. So, we probably already started diving into our own funds just to make minimum payments here or there on things where the state normally had to subsidize us. They're not doing that now. So, that's why you need to have a great credit rating. So, when you have to emergency borrow through no uh fault of your own, you go and borrow cheaply with cheap borrowing costs. And that that's great for the public to know that we are in that situation if that need arises. I want to give credit to you and give credit to our budget and finance department uh Caitlyn and and and Mary Riselle. Thank you for the great work that you do.

Michavage, thank you for your report. It was very enlightening. I think one of the other things we're missing here too is a couple things times in here. It's mentioned economic growth. Yep. So, thank God for the lures that came through this county that gave us a larger tax base or we'd be one of those counties right now sitting at 75%. Thank you. Any other any other comments? Any other council members? All [clears throat] right. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you. Have a great night.

All right. Number six, discussion regarding the ordinance amending the Luzernne County zoning map to reszone one parcel of property totaling 2.29 acres in Newport Township from MI mining district zone R2 to two or to R2 two family residence uh district zone. Yeah. So, this was passed at our last planning commission meeting unanimously. Um if there's any questions about the property, I'm here to ask answer them. But um this is in the same area the last resoning was done in Newport Township. So all right, any questions? I I just have a quick question. Go ahead. And I'm not sure how this works, but

um I was always under the mis I guess misunderstanding that council bodies don't change zoning for a property, but it appears here we are. I thought zoning departments do the changes. We do. It just has to be approved by But you make the changes and then you reach out to us for final approval. Exactly. So we're not council here is not actually changing the zoning on the property. Okay. Thank you. All right. Any other questions? All right. Thank you very much. Number seven, discussing discussion regarding Alterara resolution. Mr. Sabatino,

this is one of the last housekeeping items from the infrastructure committee that we had hanging out there in the wind. Uh, Alterara, although it has been told to me by numerous people that Alterara is not going to go pursue the site in Sugarloaf Township, I haven't received any official word from anybody. So, I would like us to vote on this resolution uh at the next meeting. Any council members have any questions?

Just for the public reference, Alterara is a a supposed plastic recycling plant that doesn't have an incinerator, but it has a thermaloupler, which kind of works like an incinerator. And uh they were scheduled to bring in 3 to 4 million pounds of plastic to be recycled and only get about 80,000 lbs of usable oil out of the 3 to4 million pounds that we're going to bring in and the rest would be incinerated and put into the air. Uh the the importance of doing this is Alterara is still pursuing um D permits and we I would like us to be on the record as being against [clears throat] for D purposes.

Mr. Thornton, thanks. I I apologize. I haven't had time to read the resolution. Uh but you could probably answer this. Uh does the resolution kind of other business other than the one you mentioned. And if they do, does this resolution effectively shut out alter Altera from development of any kind of business in Loer County across the county?

To my knowledge, the only thing that Alterara does is the plastic uh recycling through the use of a thermaloupler. They have one site in Akran, Ohio, and it's questionable if they still have the permitting. I'm not sure. They were operating under temporary permits and they were never issued uh permanent ones. Um but it doesn't preclude them from doing any other business in the county except the plastic incineration plant. Okay. I'm just not familiar with it. Thank you.

I I just have a question about the I I'm not sure if anybody be able to answer this, but about the D permitting process. um if they're receiving a permit from D, that would mean that our Department of Environmental Protection is is essentially signing off on their um on their ability to conduct their business. And I don't again, I don't know anything about this type of business. So, I just I just wonder if this is something that, you know, if our environmental protection organization is saying, okay, this is fine. Is this is this too like is this too much? Well, at the moment, they're not saying it's fine. They're reviewing their application. Okay. You know, and I I would like us to be on the record

as saying that we do not want a plastic incineration plant in the southern end of our county. Oh, yeah. Definitely. I And I totally agree with that. I I don't think that we want it in a place, especially like in Sugarloaf Township where it certainly does not belong. Um my understanding, if I if I may, is we can actually request make an affirmative statement to D

that, you know, the county is not behind this. But um I I do want to say uh and and maybe Harry, you have a better recollection than I do, but uh Representative Walsh uh approached Harry and I uh about Alterara. Um he actually uh went to Ohio uh to see the plant and he wanted us to go to see the plant. Uh he was uh uh actually very uh enthusiastic about the plant coming uh to uh the southern part of the county. Uh, obviously Harry and I did not go to Ohio uh to tour the plant, but he may have more information uh about uh Alterara's business uh than uh I do or or Harry does or or uh Councilman Sabatino. I don't know. Harry, do you have any anything to add?

No, I remember we were in the meeting with him and it was something that he was very interested in doing. Um, but it it didn't seem to go anywhere after that and I don't know what he what what happened with him after that. Mr. Sabatino, would we be able to ask uh Representative Walsh to come to the next meeting, invite him to talk on it? Because it was my understanding that he's now against it, you know. So, yeah. So, I don't know. He may information. Okay.

All right. Any other comments? All right, moving on. We'll now have the um discussion regarding the opioid settlement allocation for Lewis Chi Chiropractic. Um I know council members wanted this moved to the work session agenda. So I mean I you know Mr. Thornton, you were one of the ones that specifically asked for this. So can you you know explain do you have what are your reservations?

Right. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I um I know I know in the past we take the opioid grant money we we receive from the state um and we distribute it to uh established licensed uh care providers whether they're treating the condition or preventing it from happening uh somehow or just dealing with the whole problem with the opioid addictions in the county. And I I wasn't aware in the past of us giving sizable grant monies to individuals uh to do that kind of care. So I asked, you know, a couple questions of people, you know, what kind of medical doctor was this? What what was his past practice in dealing with opioid addictions? And I I really couldn't find many answers other than he's a chiropractor. And uh I understand he gave a a presentation to the opioid committee which I'm not on I was not present and he explained how uh my interpretation I could be completely wrong. He did explain how uh by treating pain with chiropractic methods could prevent someone or get someone off opioids or prevent them from using it because you're alleviating the pain uh through chiropractic. practor uh methods. Um I I'm not aware of that uh practice or that process and I don't know if there's, you know, medical research to back that up. Maybe there is. I don't know anything about it. Um and and I had some concern with if we grant that money to this chiropractor for this practice. Um I think it was roughly $130,000. Yeah. Um, would there be a line out the door of

other chiropractors coming to us asking for their 130,000 to treat the pain of opioid addicted people? So I'm not sure you know is this a practice that's written about and approved in the medical journals of the country uh you know rather like many of the recovery programs we we've g given money to you know they have a past history a record of some success and they have statistics and data and I just needed more information I would like to see more information on statistics or data for treating uh patients with chiropractic medicine. That That's what I was looking for. Is there anyone here?

Dr. Lewis. Dr. Lewis is on. Um Dr. Lewis, can you can you hear us? Is he still Is he Oh, okay. All right. Dr. Lewis, go ahead. All right. I think you can unmute yourself now. Yes. All right. Can you guys hear me? Uh, yeah. They might have to turn the volume up a little bit. No. Is the volume up all the way? Okay. Let's see. All right. Can you I don't know. Speak a little bit louder. Yeah. Uh, are you able to hear me right now?

We can hear you a little better now. Yes.

Okay, great. Um to your point about um whether or not this is, you know, something medically accepted, it it's long been medically accepted that uh chiropractic is a safe alternative treatment for people using any type of pain relievers, opioid included. Um, and you know, in in the 27 years that I've been doing this, we've most of my patients that come in here for chronic pain are here specifically because they do not want to use opioids um in their daily life. So, I've already got a foot in the door with with patients who are eager to use an alternative. I know I know this is a unique program and something you guys have not seen. Um, but like I said in the meeting with uh with committee, it's uh it's unique in the fact that it's it it's a foot in the door to people who already do not want to use opioids. Um it's something that I've dealt with every day for 27 years is offering, you know, an alternative to prescription medication that are, as we all know, uh with the opioid crisis are are problematic and potentially dangerous and addictive. So, this money would be used to treat those who were either uninsured, underinsured, um, for a safe and effective way to get pain relief without using prescription medication, specifically opioid medication. Um, and you know, it would help them regardless of their ability to pay for it with insurance or their ability to um have an alternative to uh opioid medication. U I'd be glad to answer any other questions that you guys have. Um, I went over it pretty in depth with the committee. Um, [clears throat] it's certainly a

benefit to the people of Luzar County. It really allows them to be able to get the type of care that is nonopioid, which is has always been my aim in this office. And uh I just feel it's I feel it's a great way to open that door for people to get the care they need here in Lzern County. So Dr. Lewis, I just have a question really quick. It's uh Council Chair Lombardo. Um, so this is essentially just um giving more people access to the services that you normally provide. Correct. Just people that are underinsured or uninsured.

Right. Correct. So, um, a quick example, if you have state funded Medicaid or if you have Medicare, you are you have access to certain treatments in a chiropractic office spinal manipulation. However, the insurance does not cover specifically other treatments that they would need like physiootherapy, extremity adjusting, um that sort of thing. So, it really opens the door for them to get proper care that they need instead of just limiting them to um you know minimal care in the office. So, it would it would allow us to take care of people who have limitations on their insurance um or the financial ability who do not have the financial ability to pay for this.

Okay. Any other questions? Uh Mr. Thornton?

Yes. I So, I'm trying to imagine some of these scenarios. Um at what point does someone and who is that someone makes a determination that the patient no longer needs your services? uh or there's a certain patient, are they allowed to just keep coming back for years and years? Um and and they say they have back pain and they're thinking about using opioids or painkillers. So they they keep saying that and they keep getting treated over and over and over for indefinitely. I'm wondering, you know, when does that stop? What kind of process is in place to re-evaluate and say, you know, I don't think you're in that much pain. and uh you know so I'm just trying to wonder I'm wondering here how the program would be implemented down the road for months and months and years.

Okay, so I got you. So quickly just you know the first visit the patient would fill out a questionnaire stating that they do not want to use opioids or have uh or they do not want to use opioids and they would like to have chiropractic treatment for their chronic pain. um if they do not if they say that they use opioids or they're an addiction program something like that that's out of my scope of practice they're not led into the program. Um each visit they are asked whether or not they're using opioids if they want to continue to seek this nonopioid treatment and they're evaluated each visit with um with that in mind. If the patient is using opioids or is abusing the practice, um, they are eliminated from the program and they have to be reevaluated in 90 days. So, they would not be allowed back into the program until we reevaluate them. To your end about, you know, will someone just keep coming and coming and coming, it's the same protocol that I use. If someone comes in and their or their condition has resolved, they are then excused from the program. They're no longer eligible for the funds. Uh the trouble is with chronic pain is many times chronic pain is just that. It's chronic. It's an old injury. It's something that they've been dealing with for many, many years. And this just helps defay some of their cost to enter this program. and to uh and to be a part of it seeking non opioid pain relief.

Mr. Wovich, just a couple questions. Uh this was approved by the committee, correct? Or was it it was voted on? It was approved by the committee. Full disclosure, I was not at that meeting. I had work that day, so I was not at that meeting. Okay. Uh second question, uh would this be approved by the trust? Well, I believe it falls under exhibit E. It falls under a category of exhibit E. That's up to the trust uh to determine with everything that we approve and send them. It goes there after our vote. It goes after our vote. And also about how far would that $130,000 stretch? How many patients how many

So what I I did the quick math based upon last year's statistics just kind of eyeballing which patients would qualify and certainly not all of the patients qualify. Um patients with Medicare or Medicaid, patients with no insurance will qualify. Uh I based those numbers on 2024's data from my office. Uh when I met with committee, I had explained to them that I ran September's numbers to uh just to as if the grant was already in progress. I did it, you know, just to to kind of get an eyeball of whether or not that was a reasonable amount of money. And it was it was very it was very very close. Um it it kind of reflected 2024 statistics. So um that a typical day in the office, a typical month in the office, a typical year in the office. That's about where it would end. It wouldn't be any more than that and it certainly wouldn't be much less than that if uh you know on a typical year with the marketing of the program. I mean there's always there's always a a chance that the program gets a little more traction and uh and we and we see more patients coming into the office maybe for the first time. Um but you know with those funds we would distribute it equally based upon those those projections to uh to offer that care um at an affordable rate to the patient when they do come in.

Uh Miss Miss Stevenson. Hi Dr. Lewis. Um this is Britney Stevenson speaking.

Um I I can definitely see how your narrative um would allow you to fit into the category that would allow you to have access to these funds. However, um due to detriment of our current state and our lack of health care and all the other downfalling situations that are taking place in all across the US, right, you're going to we are going to see very high demands in in a lot of different areas. And where I come from, a chiropractor is a privilege. Um and I do not believe I yeah, I don't believe that an appointment with a chiropractor would be sufficient enough to move an individual away from opioids. And in this dire time of needing as many funds as we can to support direct opioid crisises, I I do not think it would be responsible of us to allocate that amount of money to that this particular new innovative service at this time. And that's just my opinion. Please share your thoughts. Um but I do think there are better places where that money can be spent.

Mr. and and I appreciate your opinion. Um I just would like to say, you know, quickly chronic pain relief has always been handled by chiropractors. recognized by the state, recognized by the federal government as a um as a way to treat chronic pain. So, I I do understand your point. I appreciate your comment. Thank you, Mr. Sabatino. I uh agree with Councilwoman Stevenson. Uh Dr. Lewis, this is Jimmy Sabatino. I was wondering if you could tell me what atomic means. Like that's the name of the program. Like is it an acronym? Yeah, it's the it's an acronym for alternative treatment of opioid medication and chiropractic. Thank you, Miss Miss Krishnowski.

I was just curious, how would you go about even finding you out? Um, do I have to be belong to a certain place to get your information? Because what if I was just someone that had these tendencies and and you know, how would I find you? It just seems like it's a you have a limited amount a way of being found and I'm just curious how would I go about it? Well, we we start with the exist existing patient base that I have had uh that I have grown over the 27 years. And part of the budgetary process is, you know, a marketing campaign to bring in new patients, allow let them know that there is a program that may be financially um provide some financial relief to them to get the care for their chronic pain.

Mr. Thornton. Yeah. Thank you. Uh Dr. Lewis, this is Brian Thornton. Uh, just a couple other questions. U, are you aware of this program being implemented by other chiropractors in our area or in Northeast Pennsylvania? And, uh, are you aware of any other chiropractors receiving opioid grant fund trust funds from the state under that program? And um, I'm not aware. Oh, sorry.

Okay, go ahead. I was just going to say I'm not aware of anything locally. Uh there have been uh I think there were two programs approved for chiropractic uh organizations that I referenced in the supplemental report if you guys have that in front of you that uh allocated funds of this nature to them for

essentially the same reason. My the unique aspect here is that I am using it to treat the chronic pain for most of the established patients that I have right now with community outreach added to that. So the community outreach end of it is a small portion of the fund but that would be used to make those in the community aware that this sort of thing exists. And I do understand the, you know, does this open the door to, you know, everybody and anybody trying to throw something together to do this? And I I just feel like being the first person in the door is it should be a positive in this case and not uh and not a negative to council. Although I do understand your reservations. [clears throat] Uh I I am proposing it as you would see in the supplemental as you know as a pilot study where maybe maybe we see how this goes for this program and then um you know going forward if it's something that has proven extremely beneficial then maybe you know you guys in the state could revisit this uh for addition providers. But you know the the uh the grant being a pilot in nature and study it pilot in nature would um would allow hopefully relieve the you know the proverbial line at the door for people lining up for these funds. Um it would kind of almost be a uh you know a a grant given to kind of see the feasibility of this is something that can really help the community which obviously I believe in it. something I've thought of for years,

a way to defay costs for people who are looking to stay off opioid medication. Okay.

Um my my final question, um are you aware of any medical data or empirical data to support the success of this kind of treatment of of patients? And uh is that published data or is that something as council we can access? Yeah, it's included in the supplemental study. Uh you in supplemental uh information that I added to the uh to the grant proposal. So, it's in there. It's a study by the I believe it's the American Chiropractic Association uh with the American Medical Association. So, there's data there that um if you would like, you could you kind of a lot to go through over a Zoom, but uh it's certainly there.

All right. Um Mr. Scavage. So, I have to agree with Miss Stevenson. I really don't see this as a really good fit for this, and I really haven't heard anything tonight from you to convince me otherwise. In addition to that, I would think if we did something like this, we should have an RFP for every chiropractor in the valley to offer a program up to, you know, take advantage of this money to do something with it. All right. Um, understood. Yeah. I uh I Oh, no. Go ahead, Dr. Lewis, if you wanted to respond to that. And then, uh, other two.

All I wanted to say is I I completely understand that potential roadblock. Uh, and I think that, like I said, the uniqueness of the idea I feel shouldn't be a negative. I feel that the uniqueness of the idea is the overwhelming positive for it. And it actually does help at at the ground floor, a grassroots campaign to get people of Lzern County to have access to something so that they don't have to choose to get opioid treatment, which is extraordinarily easy and affordable to get. The main roadblock to chiropractic sometimes is that it's a little more timeconuming and sometimes a little more expensive than going to the uh going to your doctor, getting getting, you know, 90 opioids and and running with it and see what happens. So, I do understand your your reservations and I appreciate your comment,

Mr. Sabatino.

Uh, Dr. Lewis, it's Jimmy Sabatino again. Um, you mentioned that you're going to be primarily focusing on the customers that you and clients that you already have. Um, with keeping HIPPA in mind, generally speaking, do you see a a a heavy need for this kind of program from the patients you already see? Yeah, it's probably about 40% of my patients that come in the office I do treat for chronic pain. Um, you know, knowing their history and going through their detailed medical history with both them and their medical doctors, um, we always discuss whether or not they use opioids, have used opioids, or are vehemently opposed from using opioids. And, um, so I get a feel there. The estimation is about 40%. Like I said, since September, I've kind of been tracking data. Um, and that falls somewhere right around right around the 40% of [clears throat] the patients that I do see, you know, over the course of a week, over a month, and over a year.

Go ahead, Mr. Septino.

Just one quick follow-up question. That 40% number, is that 40% that could be prescribed opiate o opioids, or is it a number of people that you perceive as having a tendency to be addicted to opioids? No, my my scope of practice isn't to determine whether somebody's at risk of addiction. I mean, I think we're all aware that the risk of addiction for from opioid pain medication is is there for everyone. Um, the data that I'm collecting is patients with chronic pain who are underinsured or uninsured who do come through the office who could be who could benefit from non-opioid pain relief. Those patients have already stated they do they're they're seeking chiropractic care to not use opioid pain medication. So that 40% is in the existing patients that already come here that um that are choosing to go the non-opio pain relief route and seek chiropractic care.

Mr. Wova, do you have any further questions? Uh yes, I know you said that the funding should last about a year. Uh about how many people would that benefit? Well, the the funding is over two-year program. So, if you the math, um, it it essentially works out to about between 20 and $50 per patient that would cover cost of the visit and treatment that they would get. So, it's it's usually about I would say 12 to 15 patients a week that would benefit from this. Are they the same patients or different patients?

Um, they could be. These were just unique patients coming in. Uh most most people don't see chiropractic care more than once a week. Um usually it's about once a month. So, you know, of the of the 90 to 100 patients that I see per week, I mean, we could I would say it would probably work out to be about 20 to 22 visits per week would be uh someone who would be eligible for the program. And again, not all not all patients are eligible for the program. patients that would be eligible for the program who have insurance that would cover this. They this would not apply to them. Um [snorts] this is mainly this is this is mainly for the underinsured the underinsured and um and that would have to check the box of those people who do not have current opioid pain medication prescribed to them. the questionnaire that they fill out on the initial visit and each subsequent visit after if they were to enter the program, they would have to state that they do not uh receive prescription medication that is opioid related and they are here to uh seek alternative treatment.

Mr. Hos, yeah, I have a question for Dr. Lewis in a second, but what can you refresh this, Mr. Chairman? What what has the opioid committee and this council supported in the past with the funds? Do we have do we have a recap? What are the don't we do like three projects? I know one was like dress for success. Oh, there have been uh more than three projects. Yeah, there have been a significant number of projects and um some of them have tough you know what they are. I'm just related to some of them are directly related to opioid like opioid addiction. Some of them are ancillary. So like this is something that I you know wouldn't be surprised that it has come across the desk of of the of the commission. Um sure. But yeah, I mean there have been they've been all over the board

cuz I'm I'm thinking what what I do like about this is that it's proactive. Most of the things what again what I recall the nuances I'm forgetting a little bit but it seems like it's reactive. This one is dealing with people who are susceptible right this is what the vision is Dr. Lewis that might turn to opioids and further exacerbate the crisis. So I'm thinking hats off to you Dr. Lewis. I I I think it's a good idea. I think what my colleagues are are questioning I think they're questioning the value um what what real value does this promote and then therefore how is it going to be executed and [clears throat] I think we're looking at constraints some people said that they want to make sure that the needs are being met what are the metrics you use things like that and maybe I don't know Mr. Chair if I asked Dr. Lewis, if if perhaps you could even put together maybe a a more summary presentation about this for council, something that they could read perhaps or something like that.

Yeah, I certain I I certainly could do that as far as the data that I've collected just um you know as with the hopes of of somehow implementing a program like this. Uh you know, council has approved all sort of great projects for for the opioid crisis. uh but almost all of them were for uh treatment of those already addicted which of course is necessary. This the uniqueness of this is this is this is to prevent it and in my 27 years people have always sought chiropractic care to have an alternative to taking pain medication for whatever reason. But the opioid crisis has given a a big giant reason for people to come in to seek not only with me other chiropractors to prevent them from going down the road that you know has touched us all in one in some way, shape or form. Um, and again, the uniqueness of it, I I I can see the reservation [clears throat] um, from anybody who would see this for the first time, especially someone who's not familiar with chiropractic care. I'm lucky enough to have always, you know, I chose this profession because I saw the value of of of care that didn't require pain medication. It's it's actual corrective care and it is care that uh you know there's there's no risk of of in the opioid world. Um it it's outside the box in the fact that it it is it is truly preventative. Uh the other end is if you have someone who has struggled with addiction who has been off opioids for say five or 10 years and they have a work injury, it could go down to go right back and get the n get get the prescription of 90 pills to, you know, short-term relief of their chronic condition. But, you know, we all know

what could happen with that. Um this takes that completely out of the equation. Yeah.

This allows them to I'm sorry. Go ahead. Yeah, I think that's why I said about the same thing. You know, we're we're in the county business. We're in the county government business. And most of what we do is reactive here. We react to crime. We have to adjudicate it. We have to um we have to incarcerate it and rehabilitate it. And that's that's what we do here. What I like about this component is that it's proactive, just like you said. And I don't think we do enough of that anywhere in public life, but I think it's something that I I would be willing to consider it. But I I do have some similar reservations that we have here and I think if you can maybe nail some of that down, take these questions and just move that maybe maybe this could be a possibility and just my two cents, Mr. Chair, but thanks Dr. Lewis.

Mr. Liscavage. So, the other reason that I'm against this is we just had a gentleman speak here tonight on behalf of people living in Wolsair in the bushes, you know, needing help because they're on drugs. And honestly, I just experienced it myself this week going to work at Turkey Hill and Exit. And we know there was an encampment where they're going to be building that waw wa and there's people sitting out in front of there in need of food, a hot drink, clothing, miscellaneous things. So there's people that we can actually probably save their life right now as opposed to making sure they get chiropractic help. I just can never support something like this when we could take the 130 grand and ensure that maybe we could help those poor people that that gentleman spoke about that are really desperate. They're the people in my opinion that need the help right now.

Right.

Oh, I don't disagree with you, Mr. Lavage. I I I would love for the for everyone to get help in this crisis. Um my my experience with this is is only in the office that I'm sitting in right now where I can I can make a difference with those people that I see in front of me. U if I could if I could help if I could help someone stay off prescription medication by having them be patients at this office, that is a win for me. I'm going to do it one way or the other with these funds or without these funds. It's uh it's something that that my profession has long done and I've seen it first 10 27 years. I mean I I I worked in this industry before the opioid crisis during it and what we're going through right now.

Mr. Krishnowski,

I just think it's an unfair advantage that it's all your existing patients that are going to be seen. It's not open to anybody new or anything like that. And I just think that that's so unfair because you're just giving them an unfair advantage that somebody else wouldn't have the money for. Oh, no. That's not true. The the growth of the program would be a community outreach. In in the proposal, it it clearly states and there's there's provisions in there to reach out to the public through mail, through social media, through speaking engagements, through educating other health care providers in this option. So, it is it is not it is not uh specific to only my patients. I ran the data just with my patients because that's what I have access to. I can't possibly project what will happen in the future. I just went through and just looked at the medical histories and treatments I've been giving these people for years. Um they would be a big part of it because they're already here. Uh but for sure this, you know, this is this isn't just alternative to opioids for patients who I already know. This is this is trying to grow this is trying to grow this so everybody could have an an advantage to coming and getting affordable care.

All right. All right. Thank you very much, Dr. Lewis. Okay. Thank you guys.

Okay. All right. We'll move on into the budget work session now. First up, we have Division 10, General Government. As we are here late in the evening uh to start these budget hearings, I want to take a moment to talk about the critical importance of investing in Lern County. If we expect businesses, families, and potential investors to believe in our community and commit their resources here, we must first demonstrate our own commitment through tangible investments in our infrastructure, services, and future. Over the past year, we have significantly enhanced the services we offer our residents. This commitment to improvement reflects not just a response to current needs, but a proactive approach to ensuring that Luzern County remains the most vibrant place to live and work in northeastern Pennsylvania. We've made strides in areas like

infrastructure, human services, and public access to our court services. Each investment aimed at enhancing the quality of life for our citizens. However, these efforts cannot stop here. Our infrastructure is the backbone of our community and it requires ongoing attention and investment. [clears throat]

Upgrading our roads and bridges and public facilities and not just is not just necessary. It is a vital element for attracting new businesses and retaining those that are already call Lern County home. A robust infrastructure lays the groundwork for economic growth, job creation, and improved mobility for our residents. And as we indicate the complexities of the state and federal budget negotiations, we must be mindful of the challenges that lie ahead. We are all too aware of the budget impass that has created turbulence in our funding streams. An issue we will need to address again in 2027. I suppose it is crucial that we prepare for this potential disruption by ensuring we have a solid financial foundation and a clear vision for the future of Luzern County. In conclud conclusion, let us be clear. Our commitment to investing in Luther County is not just about meeting immediate needs. It is about laying the groundwork for a prosperous future. When we invest in ourselves, we send a powerful message to others that Luzern County is a great place to invest, grow, and thrive. At this point, I am going to turn the microphone to Mary Roselle.

Thank you. Um, before I get into the specifics of the departments, I want to just make a few comments on the overall budget so that the things that'll be common for everyone so everyone doesn't have to talk about the same things. Um, the 2026 proposed county budget was introduced at our last meeting on October 14th. The total budget which includes all funds not just the general fund is 381,182 504 to be exact. The general fund piece of that or the 100 fund is 171,45,103 which is a 2.2% increase over the 2025 budget or $3.7 million. The proposed um tax millage at the 1.9% increase would be 6.4748. Our current millillage is at 6.3541. Um in the back of the book you have a position list. So the salaries are shown on the position list by department. The represented representative employees increases are based on approved bargaining agreements. Some of those agreements are being negotiated now. So some of those agreements will end at the end of December. So the increases that are shown on that list will be the same increases that they received during last approved year um of the contract. So again, that could change a bit. Um, non-representative non-represented employees increases are proposed at 2.5%. Any one-time additional increases and new positions are also included on the position list. There are 11 new positions in total included in the proposed budget. I will be discussing two of them. One in the county manager um department and then there's the one new division. The remaining nine new positions are in the courts which Mr. Hin Marsh will address for his staff. Um, in addition, there are 15 onetime salary adjustments which will be discussed by each division head as they present their budgets. As each division presents their budgets, they will address accounts with changes over 10% or $10,000 in addition to any of the

salary adjustments I just mentioned. So, the first division that will be presented tonight is the general government division, which is division 10. The departments in division 10 are the non-dep departmental um 1000 department, county council, and the county manager. So, if you just want to I'm going to go through the departments, not just the rollup, so you'll know by department what what we're proposing. The first one, as I said, is the 10,00 or non-EP departmental. There are no employees um in that department. This department [clears throat] actually handles it's where we house the health insurance, the vacancy factor which was introduced a few years ago to everyone um and our pension costs as well as postage and management services because they're shared throughout the county. So if you look at the changes, our 2025 adopted revenue was at 7.7 million. Our proposed 26 revenue is increased to 8.7 million. That increase basically is resulting um it because of the healthcare reimbursement from employees which includes includes COBRA rates as well as just the percentage that's included in each union agreement of the health um costs that we have the employees share in also and also the healthcare reimbursement from the agencies. We've made a conscious effort to make sure that any non um general fund department is reimbursing the general fund for their health insurance. So those um all the human service agencies, conventions and visitors bureau, 911, community development and also solid waste, they all reimburse the general fund so that we can get um you know the additional revenue. The expenses in 2025 the adopted budget was 33.6 million and 2026 we're at 34.6. Um one of the major changes or one of the major adjustments I guess I could say is the vacancy factor that we introduced two years ago. So last year we had a vacancy factor of $ 1.5 million. It ended up at about three

million. So I mean it was a very conservative number. Um again we try to fill all the vacant positions that we have. It just doesn't happen. Some of it's just natural turnover. Even if we were able to fill every position, there's going to be a timing issue. So um so that vacancy factor is something that is is generally used when they're balancing budgets, you know, throughout many different um industries. This year for 2026, we've increased that slightly to $2 million. um our health insurance benefits. Last year we were at 23.883. This year in 26 we're at 25.3 million. So that's an increase of about 8% in premium cost. And again we offset that by any um adjustments that we can make by getting whatever monies we can into the general fund. The retirement um has actually we've we're budgeting a little bit less in retirement. Um in 2025 we had 10.7 million. in 2026 10.5. So the retirement is a factor um of salaries. So as salaries are if we're not able to fill positions and obviously the salary numbers less, we have less of a of a contribution. We did just have a retirement board meeting uh last week where we talked about what the outlook is for next year. We have a really healthy pension plan. We got some really good results during that meeting. Um they talked about, you know, where our ARC payment will will be for next year. Um, and I'm sure all of you have um probably have received that information at this point. So, we're really happy about that. Um, postage, uh, that's the postage that the majority of the postage there is, um, uh, from the the, um, court costs, the magistrate offices that we have, as well as general government, and then manage print services, which are the print services that we share throughout the county. Does anyone have any questions on that department? Mr.

Yes. Uh going back to the pensions now the pension subsidy I believe uh it was proposed at 14.3 million and uh the actual from the well not actual but the estimate from the actuary was about 13.7 million. So I know that we do uh account for the factors of all positions being filled. So I I was under the understanding there may be a little bit of wiggle room there. So I was thinking possibly maybe around 300,000 maybe meet somewhere in the middle. I mean I know I've talked with you and Milda about it. I think that may be something we could be looking at. I mean making an amendment in the future. I mean, if if

Yeah, absolutely. I do think that we do have some room there and we can probably reduce that budget amount by about $300,000. I would be comfortable with that. Um I mean, again, the general fund portion of it, like the number that they gave us, and again, it's just an estimate. So, we have to all remember that it's an estimate, but we have no reason to believe that at this point it's going to go in a different direction, but that is their best estimate at this point. That's not separated between how much is general fund and how much, you know, we recoup from the other agencies. But yeah, I would feel comfortable with reducing it based on that report from Thursday. Okay. I would definitely like to make that amendment in the future.

And and what we'll do, just so everybody knows what we'll do, we'll keep track of like any proposed amendments and then tomorrow we'll send out an email to all of council so you can kind of see just basically what the proposals were from today. Not that we're voting on any of that, but it'll be kind of like a running tally. So, um the next day after all the budget hearings, we'll send that out. So, if you have any additional questions, you could always reach out to us. Mr. Thornton.

Yeah. Thank you. I I was actually going to bring up the same issue that Mr. Movich just brought up. Um the actuary uh proposes that we consider 13.7 million for next year based on our current staffing level. Um now if we know we're going to add 10 positions or whatever. Uh maybe we could increase that a little bit. I know 300,000 is midway between 14.3. Yeah. Um, you know, I I say we could probably even go a little higher than that, and that's probably what I would suggest. Of course, it's up to the council body, but um, you know, I I I can't anticipate us just like filling all these vacant positions next year. So, thank you.

It's also a little smart. I mean, it's good to put more in so we end up paying less down the road if at the end of the year. Yeah. We we wouldn't we would actually pay the actual amount that Morgan Stanley tells us to pay. That's what we would do. Um, so if there was an over budget in the pension line item, it would go into our fund balance is what would end up happening. Mr. Hos.

Yeah, thank you, gentlemen. I was going to say thank Roselle. Um, that's why I asked the gentle Mr. um gentleman was here with PLS that um I think as long as we're moving in the right direction, I think we could even make a bigger ask on that too, Greg, because I think they said what three 13.6 six and uh 13.7 would would definitely keep on going us in the right d keep us moving in the right direction but I I really want to celebrate that um that um vacancy factor line item you all put in that is fantastic thank you so much it's really refreshing because I mean in days of vote a lot of people in the audience were here under a prior manager many many moons ago I really think that individual balanced the budget on on vacancies and the service was really lacking like he he really cut cut to the core um not to not to dig up old old issues But I think this is is very telling. It's very helpful for me to see from year to year. And I was even trying to dig up old audits and old budgets and see what what was the true year-to-year number for that. I think it really did hover around $3 million. I mean, since since I Yeah. Last year it was. And I I even think in the 2010s, you know, when you started in 2012, um I was talking to to Jen Lern at the beginning. The first year we had a budget, we didn't know what the budget was. It was it was such in disarray. So I I don't think that people that have not been here don't appreciate how well Ramilda, you and your team have done, this council body here over the past several years about really arresting bad governing practices. This is so much better. And I would even be willing to say I think we could probably increase that uh vacancy factor a lotment. I'd say a 2.5 million or maybe even three just because that's what I was able to gauge. But you know, you ladies have have more access to the books than I do and see where we've been trending over the the past many years.

Yeah. I mean, we obviously try to be conservative, you know, I mean, we wouldn't want to go in with a $3 million number just because that's what it was last year. We do keep striving to obviously fill the vacant positions. Um, and we do have, you know, a few new positions that are being proposed if they if they actually get approved. Um, so I mean, I I I would be uncomfortable with the rate just because I think, you know, we might be be cutting it a little too close. Just not being conservative enough. Very good. But you some there's some wiggle room there, you think, on that. All right. Absolutely. [clears throat] whatever you propose. Yeah. Thank you again. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Any other questions, council members, on that department?

Okay. The next department is county council um 411. So, obviously the staffing for county council has remained the same. Um one non-rep employee and then obviously the 11 elected officials. Um uh unemployment taxes have just changed because the the number was was not correct last year. Accounting auditing services have increased by $20,000. Um that's based on the new RFP from Clinton Lur and Allen. Um advertising costs have gone up in every in every department. You'll probably see that um said a few times. So we've increased that by $2,000. Um and also the conferences and training. So those are all those are the CCAP trainings that you're going to. We've increased that to $4,000. So we doubled it. Um maybe it may need to actually increase even a little more if the same number of people, you know, want to continue to go to CCAP. So, so we can talk about that that 4,000 may actually need to be more like5 or $6,000, maybe six if if you think the same number of people are going to want to keep going,

maybe more. I mean, I think it's a good problem. Again, hats off to the people that are going again. And um I I think with new people coming in, perhaps that might really be something we could add up. I was just curious for that number about how much was spent the last CCAP conference. Right now to date, you guys have spent about three point I think three $3,400 with everybody who went. Um the last conference specifically um I think it was about $400 a person if I remember correctly. So almost $1,000. Okay. Yeah. So that would be about and there are four. Um so but again if you want to you know a little room in there.

Okay. Any other questions on that one? Okay. Next, we have the county manager. That's department 4112. This is where [clears throat] we do have a new position. There are there were three non-rep positions last year. There are four this year in their proposed budget. The new position is the director of communications position. As you know, we did receive a PEL grant. Um, and PEL is actually who is working on our strategic plan. Also, one of the things that they have um talked to us about is if they recommend a new position, then we can actually get funding for that position. And the way the funding works, if we receive 75% of the reimbursement in year 1, 50% in year two, and then 25% in year three. Um we believe at this point they are going to recommend that we have a director of communications position. So, added it to the budget.

[clears throat]

you'll see that the revenue um usually the county manager doesn't have revenue, right? But in this particular case they do. So it was zero and 25 um in 26 we're proposing 61,250 which is the reimbursement for the um for the the director of communications. So most of that is coming from PAL the 525 and then the 8750 is coming from other again non-general fund agencies that are reimbursing for the use of that director of communications because the communications director would cover all of the county. So both general fund departments as well as non-general fund departments and agencies. The expenses in 2025 were 342 951. In 26 we're proposing 45393. Um the wages non-represented includes a 2.5% merit increase for one position. The county manager's contract um uh approval which was about 10,000 and then the new communications budget with the um obviously anticipated 87% grant and interdep departmental revenue um reimbursements. And then there's also $16,000 in inter interdep departmental expense billing for some IT services that we share. The next three line items that have increased obviously are a factor of wages. If your wages are going up, then so are your taxes. Um benefits, healthcare optout is just because an employee who um was part of the county manager um office opted out of health insurance and now that employee will will no longer be doing that um within the county manager's office. Life insurance just increased $165 for the new position. advertising, you'll see a big increase um from 200 to 12,000. And that's because now we um advertise with Samsung Productions, which is $900 a month. And then, of course, the increased cost for the advertising ads, which again you should see in just about every one of the presentations that'll be made. Rents of buildings has decreased by 3,80. That's because we did allocate some of the rent for the

Hazelton office to the county manager. That will no longer be the case. Um that space for the county manager is not needed. And um then we just a $250 difference from 25 to 26 in subscriptions because we reclassified that to a different line item. Anyone have any questions on the county manager's budget? Yes. So what exactly are we advertising on Samsung? Um, do you wanna do you want to

I do a monthly uh county uh report along you know the mayor does uh he has some city officials and he asked me uh as well uh and it reaches an audience not just in the southern part of the county but uh it reaches Wils Berry as well. Perfect. Thank you. [clears throat]

Okay. The next um section is general government. So included in general government are um things like the the healthcare reimbursement um some other income um and like oh I'm sorry that's the division head rollup. So if you look at that division head roll up that's the other the other sheet that you have. So I went through the departments individually. So you'll see all those individual things that I just spoke about also on that sheet. Okay. Okay. So the next division that we're going to talk about is budget and finance. So the budget and finance division includes obviously budget and finance administration assessors tax collection tax claim treasurer and general government operations. Okay, the first department um is department 4114 which is budget and finance admin. The uh we have no revenue in budget and finance admin. Our 2025 expenses are 76 or 766813. In 26 we're proposing 95621. Um, as far as what's changed, I do want to mention in this particular area, we do have um the same staff. We have the same position count, but there is a salary adjustment that you will see on your um salary sheet for the deputy of budget and finance. There's a proposed $10,000 increase to $85,000, which was the amount that the previous deputy had been paid. Um, other contractual services is being increased from 115,000 to 300,000. That's because of the Tyler Tech um annual contract. Last year it was actually paid early. This year we have everything, you know, back on track where it's being paid in the correct year. So, it will be costing us about $300,000 a year. Mileage reimbursement, we really don't put in for mileage reimbursement. So, we've reduced that slightly by $200. Um there are some overtime uh minimally

$2,000 um which has actually been decreased also from 25 to 26. Any questions on budget and finance admin? Okay. The next department is the tax assessment department. Um our revenue for 2025 was 763,000. The proposed revenue for 26 is 819,600. The biggest increase there are due to the pinserts. So, um, our pinserts have increased from 710 to 750,000, which is up $40,000. Um, it looks like we'll end 2025 at about 745. And then with interest rates projected to drop, 2026 should turn around some pinserts. We're thinking the clean and green application fee has increased slightly by $500 just based on the running rate. Other income is increased slightly by 15,100 with the addition of the new KMA and online hosting. Um we will get an extra $35,000 there and anticipated 10,100 from Core Logic who buys our data annually. From an expense standpoint, our representative wages are increasing by 2.5% which is the estimate for the ASME um negotiation. That is one of the contracts that does expire 1231 or 25. So, we're estimating 2.5%. It it could it could be more based on how the contract ends up. Other contractual services has also increased um by 105,000 and that's the contract to support the um new KMA software plus the 32,900 for online data hosting which will equate to better revenues. You know, all the information will be online. Advertising has decreased slightly, $150, but um our advertising expenses were for appeals. Now the dockets are online, so there's no need for us to actually advertise that anymore. Meetings, conferences, and

trainings are that that number is down $2,700. And that's based on really the timing of when the um the the assessors are required to do certain classes. So it it varies a little bit. So that those are based on the actual CPEs that are needed for the staff through the end of 2026. Any question on the assessors? I have Mr. Ros, if I could if I could, Mr. Chair. Yeah, go ahead. All right. So I'm I'm looking here for the revenue for the appeals. So those are are people that go before the assessment. Excuse me one second, Mr. House. Members of the audience, can you please quiet listen to the council members? Thank you. Thank you, sir. So I'm guessing that's the amount they pay to go before the board of assessment tax appeals. That that's where that revenue item comes from. The pinserts. No.

No. Above above the pinserts 405 38. Is that where the 19,000? Yeah. I don't have I just did the over $10,000. But what is it? It just says appeals. It's above the pinserts and I was wondering if that's the fee that a resident if they want to appeal their their taxes that it's revenue. Yes, it's 40538

because I'm I hate to bring this up here in this section, but I I'm I'm hearing that um our assessment board of tax appeals has been real gracious in devaluing the assessed values of a lot of properties. And you know, Mr. Lascavage talked about the the luras that are coming to town. I think another part of that is to make sure that our our tax base is fairly assessed and I don't know if the controller could could you do an audit on that Mr. Controller. Um and I think maybe sooner than later might be good because I I you know you hear things and I it's alleged of course I don't and I don't want to come across that way being duly noted that what Mr. Lombardo said before that what we say here travels around but when you hear it a few times um I just want to make sure that that our values are assessed properly and it's really unfair to other taxpayers out there paying the full freight and when we see a very moderate minimal tax increase I think we should really look at something like that. So um and I can tell you more about that what what I've heard Mr. Controller uh before but um I don't know where that comes Mr. on the budget where um where the the I think we give to the members of that panel. I think it's $150

per a meeting up to 8,000. I think we did that way back in the first council. Um we assign them there there's actually a stipen to serve on that board. I don't know if you know where where that is in the budget. I couldn't find it, but maybe that's just something for later. Yeah, I mean I can get you the actual account number that it's hitting. I don't have that in front of me, but I I can send you that tomorrow. It's very small. It is, but it's in within the assessor's budget. Very good. Thank you so much, Mr. House. I just have a question to clarify cuz I I didn't hear what you said. Did you say that the tax assessment board is What did What did you say they're doing exactly? So, when you you go to appeal your taxes, you you're essentially asking the taxing body to lower your your taxable amount, the millage, um the the assessed value of your property.

And so, we're in a time that's inflationary. We see houses everywhere in every sector of our county. The valuation's going up. I find it hard. we see an awful dis disproportionate amount of undervaluings going on with the board. So just very curious and if we could take a look at that. Okay. I I that's interesting. I I actually my from my experience because I've dealt with a couple people who have reached out to me in regards to that and obviously that's not something we can necessarily do on council but uh they they've actually reached out to me it in for the opposite reason. Um so yeah. Okay.

Okay. Okay, the next department is tax collection. So our um no changes in our position count 2025 adopted revenue was 122,6295 26 our proposed revenue was 128,88199 and I'll talk about the components of that in a minute. Um so our our biggest thing is our real estate current tax levy. So that's where we see like our millage and our assessed value of the property times our millillage which is where we get the majority of our revenue. So in 25 we had 122 million. 26 we're saying 128283. So um the way the way that $6 million is broken out just just so you have an idea we assumed in the past that there's a 91% collection rate. So based on the report that I gave earlier through September you saw that we're like we're doing really well with that. Like we're way above that 91% collection rate. So we've increased that collection percentage to 92%. Which makes a big difference. That adds a $1.4 4 million number to our to our revenue. So part of that $6.2 million is the 1.4 just by assuming a 92% collection rate. The $ 1.9% um tax increase amounts to $2.4 million. That that's what that does. Um and then again that's the proposed tax rate increase. And then the tax base increasing itself is a $3 million increase. So that's based on you know the new construction that's basically running the assessed tax values that are there now times the the millage rate. So that's how you break down the $6 million. In addition to that there are some other revenue streams that we have payments in lie of taxes which is they call it a pilot program. I mean there are some those are really old deals that were that were made. Um and basically they're paying us as if they were paying taxes but it's not really an assessed tax as well as the game lands in l of tax. So, both of those has have increased slightly. From the expense standpoint, our um wages elected officials has increased. And that's basically just there are tax collectors. We didn't

increase the rate. It's just the number of tax bills that are out there times the $2.60 a bill. So, the more properties we have, the more tax bills that go out, the more we um will pay the tax collectors. And then, of course, the taxes are a factor of those um wage increases. Does anyone have any questions on that? I have one question. for the payments in L of taxes. This says that um it was it was a decrease slightly. Okay. Yes. I thought I I apologize. I thought maybe you said increase. I'm sorry. I think I said that next one. I the game land one increase because the rate increase slightly, but payments in le of taxes did decrease slightly because there was um one in 25. That is not the case in 26. So that's why that decreased slightly. So if I said that I apologize. No, Mr. Hos.

Yeah, thanks Mr. Chair. That's half of my question too. I'm looking at the actuals for the game lands. In 2024, it was 320,000 and this year we're we're threequarters through the year, but it's 172 collected so far. That doesn't mean much. But why why the decrease in the adopted budget? It's almost uh decreased by uh six about 2/3. Um 2025 we're looking at 112,000. Do we lose some game lands or were they reclassified? We're saying in 2026 it's 150. Yeah. So half, right? That's right. So that increased. It didn't decrease. That increased. But the actual amount by 38,000

in 2024 though, the the actual was 320,000 from two years ago. Um I mean, we get we have a list through the assessor's office of the game lands that that are currently giving us revenue. I'd have to go back to Kristen and ask her what changed from 24 to 25. I don't know that off the top of my head, but we can certainly get you that information. Also, I can't imagine what change. I don't think they'd be developed, but yeah. I mean, she did say that it's very hard sometimes to identify those game lands. So, I mean, it it could be that, but I mean, we'll we'll get you an answer. Some of those payments come later in the year, too. Maybe they didn't come in yet. They do, but I mean, still in total. No. Yeah, you know, we're just looking at the proposed. It's just it's just half of what it was actual, right, two years ago. Well, I I I'll get you that. We'll send you that tomorrow, too.

Thanks, Mr. Ros. Anything else? Any other questions?

Okay. The next one is 4138, which is tax claim. That's elite revenue. Obviously, no staff. It's just a contract. They collect the prior year real estate taxes. We've increase that slightly by $200,000. And that's just based on the reports that they were able to provide um with the production. Um next we have the treasurer's office. Same staff. Our adopted um revenue for 25 was 137,700. In 26, we're decreasing that slightly to 119,600. Um, mostly because of the hotel tax revenue that has been showing a a decrease as well as um our fees are actually going down a little bit too. So, those are the fees are the people that come in and ask us for like copies of their taxes. They'll come to pay the taxes on the tax bill with them like that. It's a good thing that that's going down actually. We want them to come with their tax bill. Um, not necessarily a bad thing. As far as the expenses, 2025 expenses were 205,947. 2026 proposed are at 205546. The major driver there um there's there was a dues in membership that actually will be one of the things that um I'm going to bring up as a change. We um do want to increase the 2026 amount to $800. So, I'll put that on your list for tomorrow. Our bank service charges are, you know, about the same, a $70 difference. Um and office supplies we have decreased, you know, just to try to hold expenses as low as possible. Any questions on the treasur's office? Okay. Um then we have general government operations. Um general government operations uh we are showing adopted revenue in 25 of 139,27,866 26 141,45,046. Some of the changes in our revenues um rent of buildings has been decreased by 248,000. That's because domestic

relations is um relocating to a rented building. Previously they were paying us for the building cost of Binsky. Um and the other changes are because last year when we balanced the budget, remember we balanced the budget with onetime revenue. We had $3 million that we balanced um in transfers in for ARPA funds and then another million dollars that um we took out of the reserve. So obviously we're not doing that this year. Um our interest income in this particular department, we're decreasing it because we closed a bank account and transferred it into the general fund. So you'll see that interest income just shown somewhere else. Like we didn't decrease our interest income in total just in this particular account that was tied to the treasurer's office. And our management and consulting services from an expense standpoint have increased $3,500. And that's from um our risk management contract. So we put the insurance out for RFP. It came in higher. So that's why there's an increase there. Any questions on that? Okay. Um then we have some funds that are um again they're not part of the general fund but they are part of budget and finance. One of those is ARPA. So ARPA is fund 125. Um again revenue and expense is always equal for the funds they have to balance. This is basically just using the rest of the ARPA money that that we have um allocated. So as people as we're spending sending the money out to the people that we've allocated the funds to, we record the sub the um corresponding revenue. So that account just balances that fund balances um opioid settlement which is fund 148 on sir on the ARPA

maybe you don't know this off the top of your head I just wondering sometimes we get deob obligated funds from projects are there any money sitting in a deobligation fund balance now? No, not at this time. No, I mean there there are some that we that could possibly um you know have a small amount of funds we're anticipating at this point. Not anything large, but we would have to reallocate that within the same category that it was awarded in. So at this point, you know, we we don't have any concerns about that right now. Thank you.

Okay. Um the next one is the opioid settlement fund. So that is uh fund 148. Again, revenue has to equal expenses. If you look at what we're proposing there, um we will be expending about $12 million in revenue and subsequently expenses in 2026. So those will be funds that we we will be um allocating. The Broad Street Exchange was also its own fund. That's one of the properties we talked about earlier that we will be selling. So you'll see there's no budget in there for um fund 149, the Broad Street Exchange. And then department or I'm sorry, yeah, department 450, the hotel room rental. Um you'll see that that number has decreased slightly. The revenue was adopted for 2025 at 4 million. We're decreasing that to 3.6 million for this year. Um the adopted expenses, you know, the same again it says separate funds. So the revenue has to equal your expenses. Any questions on any of those separate funds that don't fall into the general fund? Okay. Um lastly, there are a few other uh smaller divisions. uh debt service being one of them. You know, we talked about the savings and debt service, right? About $900,000. We've budgeted $100,000 in the event that we may need to do a TR, which if this budget impass keeps going, we're going to have to do a TR. Um basically to help out the human service agencies because right now we're be we're able to their foster grandparents payrolls and and those type of things that have to absolutely be paid. But um if this continues, you know, we're going to have we will have to do a trans. So, we haven't made that decision yet, but as soon as we do, we'll um you know, certainly let council know.

Um Ros about the TR if I could. Sure. I'm I'm looking at um your narrative from before the budget report. So, the 2024 TR, that's just the title of the account that that it's sitting [clears throat] in. So, there's still money in that account. And the reason when we get a TR, um the bank has it has to be in a separate account. So, wherever we get the trend, like say it's Fidelity, Fidelity has to open a 2025 TR or 2024 TRA, whatever it relates to, and then we'll move the money around based on who's paying us the highest interest rate. So, that particular account will be closed when you see the report for October, it will be closed, moved into the general fund because we're getting a higher rate on um Pllegate. So, we're going to use that money, but before we were getting a high rate on on that account. So, we

You are so good. You are so good. Thanks for playing the show game well. And I just want to make sure that I mean with the the state impass, I'm sure we're tap into that with a lot of those funds unfortunately. And that's where Armaldo was talking about before, but I know that those account names are a little misleading. I mean, so you could end up having, you know, a 23 TR account, a 24 account, a 25 TR account, and it doesn't mean that we're necessarily like we didn't use that money. It just means that we didn't move it because we didn't want to lose that higher interest rate. So, you know, all depends on what bank is willing to pay us the highest rate. That makes sense.

Sure. Um, okay. Okay, so that's the debt service. Um the other the next one is inner government. So inner government is where we have the um the allocations to things like the library, LCTA, you know, those kind of things. So in this particular um division 96, we have adopted expenses in 25 and 26 which are um the same 8,442168. However, one of the proposals that we're going to make is to increase that by $38,000 based on the amount that we're paying LCTA and Hazelton Transportation. They've increased slightly, so we're going to have to increase that a little bit. And I'll put that in your email for tomorrow, but $38,000 between the two of them.

I was just curious if the conservation district sent anything about any request. I didn't think I received anything, but So, um, it's still in here though. So, um, the conservation district is in here. 22,000 which is what we paid them last year. Normally they send a letter. Yeah. No, I don't think I mean at this point we just kept it the same. Mel, can we have I I asked this year in years past the intergovernmental items. Could we have an itemized list of that? Yeah, I know it's not hard to do but

Yeah. Um yeah, no problem. I can send you that tomorrow, too. Um, and like I said, we're because of Hazelton and um, LCT will increase that just slightly, but we'll send you the list with that in there so you could see all of that. Okay. Um, okay. And then there's a custodial fund which is 500. It's a county records improvement fund. Basically, what happens with that is, um, we receive revenue from the recorder of deeds and the register of wills and then we turn around and we pay it out to record storage. So again, revenue equals um, expenses. There's there's no um, no change. No, there's a change, but there's no difference in revenue and expenses there. Um, next we have the reserve fund. So, the reserve fund last year, the 2025 adopted expenses, we put $274,948 in the in the reserve. We're proposing $400,000 for a couple reasons. I mean, we didn't want to reduce the reserve, but remember I also said there's these contracts that are not that are not resolved. So, um, you know, those union agreements could amount to $100,000 pretty easily. So, we wanted to make sure we had enough money in there to cover any changes in those contracts. Um, but again, that number is, you know, up for discussion certainly if anyone feels that um, that number should be different. Um, and then finally, there is a new division. So division 55 which is a division of infrastructure community and economic development and um this is the second new position that I'm going to talk about today. So there is a proposal for a division head obviously for that division. That's the only those are the only expenses that are in there at this point just the salary and benefits for the division head which I think Rilda wants to talk a little bit about that division and you know why we feel like we need that and and what that's really all about. Thank you.

I'm standing before you tonight to discuss a pivotal step that we are taking toward shaping the future of Lutheran County. A future that is bright, prosperous, and inclusive of all of its residents. I'm here to advocate for the establishment of a new division of infrastructure, community, and economic development. And I will also touch on the new uh position of uh director of communications. And I thank Miss Williams for her uh kudos uh earlier about my skills. Uh but I want to say uh as much uh as I enjoy uh communicating and uh representing the county uh publicly on uh various issues. I cannot do it all to the level that is really required. This initiative is not simply an organizational change. It represents our commitment to a coordinated and thoughtful approach to development in our county. As we embark on the journey of recruiting the right kind of development, we must acknowledge that our success hinges on creating a framework that integrates the necessary elements of infrastructure, community needs, the perception of our county, and economic growth. Let's explore why this new position and department is essential. First, we need a unified vision for

development. First and foremost foremost, our development efforts must be guided by a unified vision. By bringing together infrastructure, community services, economic development, we create the cohesive strategy that aligns our goals. This integration allows us to consider how each development decision impacts our residents, our environment, and our local economy. Second, coordinated planning. In today's complex landscape, it is vital that we approach development with coordination and foresight. The establishment of this division and this department will facilitate collaboration among various stakeholders, local governments, businesses, community organizations, and yes, the residents themselves. This collaborative spirit ensures that we are all working together towards a common goal, a thriving Lutheran county that attract attracts the right businesses and enhances the quality of life for our citizens. Third, targeting economic development. We must strategic we must be strategic in our efforts to recruit businesses that align with our community strengths and aspirations. The new division will focus on identifying industries that are not only viable but are also a complement of our existing resources.

By understanding market trends and our local assets, we can craft targeted economic development strategies that resonate with potential investors and job creators. Four, community engagement. A successful develop development initi initiative is built on the foundation of community engagement. This communications department will prioritize listening to the voices our residents, understanding their needs, their concerns, and their aspirations. By incorback into our development plans, we ensure that our initiatives reflect the desires of the communities that we serve. This engagement fosters a sense of ownership and pride, making every development project a collective achieve achievement. Next, sustainable infrastructure. Investing in our infrastructure is paramount for sustainable growth. This new division will emphasize the importance of developing infrastructure not that not only meets current demands but also is resilient for the future. We will prioritize sustainable practices, ensuring that our infrastructure projects are environmentally conscious and beneficial for generations to come. Finally, navigating funding opportunities. As we look to the future, we must also be v vigilant in navigating the funding landscape. With a dedicated

division focused on infrastructure and economic development, we will be better positioned to pursue pursue state and federal funding opportunities. This division will actively seek grants and partnerships that can provide the financial support necessary to bring our development dreams to fruition. In conclusion, the establishment of the division of infrastructure, community and economic development and the communications position is are crucial steps in ensuring that Luzern County is prepared to face the challenges and opportunities of the future. By fostering a coordinated and thoughtful approach, we can attract the right development, enhance our community, and create a prosperous environment for all residents. Let us move forward together, committed to this vision and dedicated to building a brighter future for Lzern County. Any [clears throat] questions on that? [clears throat]

Okay. Um, in conclusion, I just wanted to, uh, Mr. Hos, I wanted to answer your question about the game land. We received a payment in 24 relating to 23. So that's why 24 was so far skewed. So, um, Sure. No problem. Does anyone have any other questions on any of the information that I provided? Okay. So, the next group, um, that will present will be the courts, and that's Mr. Hash. I want to take a moment uh to reflect on the strength that comes from the unity of all divisions of government here county working together. It is this collaborative spirit that not only enhances our operations but also elevates the reputation of our county. Together we are stronger and together we can tackle challenges we face. the courts in Luzern County and our sitting judges who have I that I have had the privilege to appear in front of have played a pivotal role in establishing our community as a beacon of justice and integrity. Their dedication to upholding the law and ensuring fair treatment for all has elevated our reputation beyond our borders. This is something that we should take pride in as it reflects our collective commitment to justice and public service. However, we must acknowledge that there are elements in society that we cannot control. issues like crime, domestic violence, and drug dependency. These

challenges persist and demand our attention. The courts are on the front lines dealing with these complex issues every day. As we navigate these difficult realities, we must recognize the increasing demands that will be placed on our judicial system. With the uncertainty surrounding budget impasses, we face a critical reality. Individuals may not receive the services they so desperately need. When support systems are strained, there is no doubt in my mind that court dockets already burdened will increase. We must be prepared for this surge in cases and ensure that our courts have the resources they need to effectively address these changes. Preparation is key and we must do it right. This is where the unity of government divisions is crucial. By working together, courts, law enforcement, social services, and community organizations, we can create a more holistic approach to addressing these societal issues. It is vital that we come together to develop strategies not only man to manage the symptoms of these problems, but also to get to the root causes. As we move forward, I call upon each of you to continue to foster the spirit of unity. Together, we can create a con comprehensive response to the challenges we face. Let us ensure that Luzern County and the Luzern County Court of

Common please and all the court systems continues to be known for its judicial excellence and also for its compassion and commitment to the well-being of our residents. In conclusion, our unity as a government is our greatest strength. By standing together, working with the courts, we can face any challenge based on based any challenge head on and emerge stronger. Let us commit to working collaboratively with the courts to build a brighter future for Larern County, one where justice prevails, services are accessible, and our community thrives.

Court administrator Hin Marsh. Thank you, man. Comments are greatly appreciated. Hopefully, that theme will continue in uh our discussion of the court's budget. Uh first and foremost, Paul Heinars, court administrator. I'm pleased to be here tonight to talk about the 2026 budget. I am also pleased to have uh supporting members of my team, Lisa Paratt, our domestic relations director, and Kevin Perluke, uh our director of probation services. Uh and I'd like to to personally thank because they don't get uh get it enough members of my team which are too numerous uh to mention in court administration uh my managers who are ultimately supportive and on the front lines every day. Uh I'd like to thank the administration. As many of you are aware, uh there was a judicial needs assessment and we are getting an 11th judge of the court of common please uh which will be seated in January of 2026. Uh it's great to have the support of the administration as as we seat a new common please judge uh making room for that judge and as the manager said our docket is very busy. uh a study by the national uh center for state courts indicates that our current workload and our current docket uh uh would recommend seating judges in order to handle uh we were lucky enough to be able to get one right now uh and we are very appreciative of that. Uh, with that being said, uh, if you don't mind, we'll start in 41.83, our district courts. Here in our district courts, our revenues are up slightly with a 3% change. That is due in great part to the dedicated efforts of our magisterial district judges uh, and their staff

better utilizing technology and the MDJS system. Uh and uh collections are again up 3%. Uh on the opposite side, expenses uh contractual increase uh from 2025 of 2,551.88 to requested uh 2,82490. Requesting an increase in uh supplies uh to help fulfill our mission in the district courts. Uh we're asking for an 8% change which equates to $10,000 moving our supply line item from 130 to 140. Uh if you're following the uh budget [snorts] transfers, council just received uh one for the courts and one for the district courts uh in approximate those amounts. Our running rate has been running that well uh and supply costs have have gone up significantly. I'd also like to touch on on the uh fact that Miss Rosselle uh brought up the postage costs uh specifically from the MDJ offices and it is very true. I mean we rely heavily on on postage and the docket is not only up uh at the common please level but it is also up at the district court level as well thereby uh an increase in postage uh with filling two seats uh that have been uh vacant for our district judges. Uh and we'll have a new district judge coming in as well uh due to retirement. Uh so you'll see an increase in training and travel uh from $5,000 to $7,500 and that's to attend

trainings and conferences for not just the MDJS uh but for staff as well. Uh that's for 4183 the district courts. I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them. Seeing none, we'll move on to uh 4 to184, court administration. Uh and this is where we're requesting uh a few new positions. And you know what? I overlooked uh a position in 4183. Uh we would like to have a part-time floating position to help provide coverage in the district courts. We'd be looking to perhaps bring on an annuitant who's familiar with our systems. And that was the 0.5 uh increase. It equates to a $16,000 uh floating part-time position in the MDJ offices. Apologies for the oversight. Uh in 4184, as I indicated, uh we have a new sitting judge, which will require a law clerk, an executive secretary, and a judicial assistant. Uh those three positions have been budgeted at law clerk 7880, executive secretary 56,563, and a judicial assistant at 45100. Uh let's talk a little bit about revenues in 4184. Uh revenues are up slightly uh due to increased fee and case load for our divorce master from 75,000 to 85,000. Uh and we're also up from 700,000 to 912,300

doing great part to the cooperation of the courts and the human services. Uh division headstone is in the room today. Uh, and we were able to uh work with their office to get some uh grant funding to not only help fund uh some existing positions, but also to help the uh fund one of the positions we're going to talk about in probation later on in our presentation. Uh we're also looking to fund three new family court specialist positions. Uh this was done prior to a pilot starting with uh and being associated with again human services Megan Stone. We're in the early stages of a pilot right now. We've been in a couple of days at this point and it seems to be working well. So there remains a question of whether uh we can do without uh as long as the pilot is is proceeding nicely uh we should be able to not push forward on the three family court specialist positions.

Miss Stevenson, can can you provide a little more information about the pilot program? Okay. Uh Director Stone, if I can invite her to the podium. She knows infinitely more about the staff. So, children, youth, and families, we have a um grant that pays for swan for parallegals. So, we have the parallegals now set up in the courtroom to produce the orders or the recommendations right there in the hearing officer room. So, everybody can leave the courtroom with the recommendation. They then have three days to appeal if there if it was necessary. Awesome. That sounds like you have a great support staff.

Y So with that, and I I saw in the the position list that there you were um Mr. [clears throat] Pinear, there's three um family court specialist positions that were newly introduced under the court. So would the Swan program kind of help levy that? Right. So, they wouldn't be needed assuming this pilot program goes well and then it won't be anything out of the but out of county funds. Okay. Because that that's approximately about $94,000 that you can save out of those positions with an awesome program just like that. Correct. And benefits because that would that's not including salary and benefits. So, the positions themselves were at 30 32,000. So, 96.

Okay. Stevenson. Wonderful. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh again, thank you, Miss Stone, for stepping in there and thank you for helping us secure some funding necessary to to bring those programs to light. Uh so you'll see an increase in our non-rept positions from 4.894 894 to 5 uh 5.436. Again, with a total of the new positions, it would have been 310,000 uh as well as an increase of 2.5% for non-rep salaries moving into 2026.

This is this might be a good question. So, is that a potential um what's the word I'm looking for? I'm sorry. Um, is that something that we can maybe amend those positions later on depending on how the pilot program goes for? Absolutely. We would be open. We would be very open to that. Okay. I'd like to follow up on that. Can add that to the list.

No, you're very welcome. Uh, again, slight increase in the cost of supplies uh in court administration from 110,000 to 120,000. Again, you'll uh notice a recent budget transfer uh that'll help us get through the remainder of the year. And that's approximate our our spending for 2025. Uh you'll see a slight increase in 4184 55033. That's for research books, West Law and the like. We not only supply them to uh members of the bench and their law clerks, but also to the MDJ offices. And that's a contractual increase. uh you'll see a slight increase from 27,000 to 35,000 in 5612. Uh again, our workload has increased in the number of arbitrations uh that we're performing and we need to pay the arbitrators that are sitting on those panels uh thereby necessitating a a slight increase. uh 4184 56017. Uh there's an increase uh from 350,000 to 400,000. Uh it's a $50,000 increase and it's an increased need for interpretive services. The courts are mandated to provide accessible uh courts for those uh uh not speaking or uh uh English. uh the languages vary that we cover and we've had a significant increase in the number of uh events as we cate categorize them. The number of interpreters or interpretive events uh from 2023 it went from 2870

to our final number in 2024 was 4,489. A very significant increase. Our interpreters come from various locations uh throughout the Commonwealth and surrounding states. Uh the rates that they charge are mandated by and scheduled by AOPC and their travel cost is inclusive in those rates. Uh so it is a very expensive endeavor. We are very privileged here in Luzern County to have uh two full-time interpreters on staff. Uh, so that helps ease the burden just a little bit. Mr. Chair, if I may.

Yeah, Mr. What are the two languages they speak? Uh, they [snorts] both speak Spanish. Spanish speakers. Very good. That that's just curious. One is certified and one is qualified. Very good. Uh, so they can handle different events. Uh, but they are very busy. I know the certification isn't is certification process is is extremely difficult. Very good. Well, I I want to ask you, does the state or the federal government reimburse those interpretive services whatsoever? Yes, they do. Okay. What what's the rate on that? Uh the rate varies.

Uh so in 20 me, I should probably find it. So, out of the funds that we expended in the uh 2024 uh fiscal year, we re we were reimbursed $184,548. Okay. So, about about half it seems like there. What's that? Because we spent World War I currently at 320,000. Correct. You and you said that was for this past year. That was prior. You know what? If you don't mind, I'm going to take a a second to take your time

to talk about I know it always comes up when we talk about the courts and we talk about uh reimbursements for the courts or funding for the courts and and I was able to have a a conversation uh with Councilman Hos at a really good constitutional event here at the courthouse and I briefly spoke to Mr. Sabatino. Uh so the reimbursement for the courts I mean obviously a lot of the courts are fundated by general fund property taxes the fines the fees that we collect and the distribution schedule that puts some of those monies back in the hands of the county. Some of them come from grants as we touched on briefly but there only a few that come through AOPC. Okay there's one that's a senior judge reimbursement. So when we utilize a senior judge maybe for a full bench recusal or a matter that we you know we can't hear at the on the bench uh there's a small reimbursement for that for office space uh secretarial services and law clerk services. There's also a reimbursement uh out of human services for guardianships and evaluations separate and apart from AOPC that's from human services. There's also the language access one we talked about. Occasionally, if there's funding available, there's various security and technology initiatives that we can get reimbursed for. Perhaps the the the best one in in recent years has been for an X-ray and scanning machine. I think it was like $29,000. I think the funding was provided through the your capital fund and again bought the equipment, got reimbured from AOPC. Uh and then there's the judicial support cost reimbursement uh that myself and Mr. Sabatino were talking about uh earlier today wherein by statute uh if

the funding's available each sitting common please judge is re reimbured to the county to the tune of about $70,000 uh per common please judge. uh and that's by act uh 1a of [snorts] but that being said that funding is completely based on what's allocated to the administrative office of Pennsylvania courts through the state budget. So if the full allocation isn't provided then AOPC is limited and needs to reduce uh what they can reimburse us. So in 2024 instead of $70,000 uh the reimbursement rate was $45,105. Okay. So there was approximately you know $248,000 that we weren't reimbursed. Okay. Because the the line item wasn't fully funded. Uh and last but not least, uh there's a small amount of of juror reimbursement compensation uh that we get and that's usually a a fairly nominal amount. It's about 10%.

Yeah, it's you you you've looked at that before. I know, Mr. Hos, but I just want to set the record straight. Uh, so AOPC has various programs, uh, but they can only reimburse us to to the to the ability that they have that's funded by the state budget. Okay. So, I know we've discussed it a lot. If you guys have any questions, I'd always be happy to answer them and and and go through historically what we've been been reimbursed. I could provide the documentation for that. But I just have one quick question. I could chair. Um, so we never asked you to lobby on our behalf. However, do you nor am I permitted to lobby? Exactly. [laughter] We have this discussion every year as well.

Is is there any way that we can communicate the the very extensive need we have to have these reimbursements fully funded? I do provide you with the documentation and the acts that I have with the office of law and you guys could certainly have a conversation or a legislative day where you meet with your you know the local legislators. Could we meet with somebody in Harrisburg? Anybody from AOPC leadership or anything like that that that we could have a face to face because you know this this has been going on as long as I've been here. Well, I don't think your discussion is really with AOPC. It's with the legislature and we and as much

[snorts] I would love to be discharged for county. We need other counties to join us. Uh because otherwise they're going to say it's one county if we can get a group of counties to do it. I have no problem working with Mr. and anyone else is advocating that we get the reimbursement that we actually but we need we need numbers we need to do [cough] well maybe this is something we can address at CCAP in November

thank you everybody no problem uh the last item in 4184 59946 six machinery and equipment greater than $5,000. Uh I've requested an increase of $98,000 uh for that and that is to purchase transcription equipment for our court reporters. The equipment that they currently utilize is end of life and will no longer be supported after the end of the year. Uh so we Yes. This is just going to be a one time expense. That's a one time expense. Okay.

We're very blessed to have court reporters here in Luzern County uh and not have to rely on uh electronic equipment. Uh no other questions in 4184. We'll move on to 4187. Domestic relations. Uh there's been no changes in the revenue uh in the repped and non-repped. Uh there's a change in 51015 from 664 551 to 727 274 in uh the wrapped 51020 uh covered by a collective bargaining agreement. There's a contractual adjustment from 2,ion21077 to 2.127593. Uh in 54014 there's a slight cost increase in our auditing costs uh moving that from 25,000 to 27,000. uh an insurance cost uh insurance and liability 55063 moving that from 1,800 to 3,000 and that's as a result of uh the insurance coverage uh that's negotiated by the administration. Uh there's a slight increase of cost of services for $55022 from 10 to 12,000. And finally in security 56019 there's a $5,000 increase for cost of security services for our Hazelton location. Um, I'd like to offer an amendment to uh the the Department of DRS. Um, after some conversations with the court

administrator and the director of domestic relations, uh, uh, and due to the efficiency of the new office in Kingston, we were able to, um, uh, eliminate, uh, three, uh, of the clerk typus two positions for a total savings of 800 82,356 in um, wages. And that doesn't include benefits or That is correct. Okay. But uh if if you're immenable to that. Yes, we discussed it. We're reminable to that. Perfect. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh the last services 4237. uh there's an increase in revenues 2.516 to 2.958 due to some increased collections and if I point out again uh the cooperation to uh come to us with some grant monies available uh and while we're talking about the grant monies available there is one position that we were looking to add in probation services a program specialist of $35,000. Uh that was to help with our juvenile court and our juvenile wellness program and our juvenile division. Correct. Direct director Perloo. Uh and funding is being made possible to support that position by human services. Uh salary increases in non-repped and represented. Some additional funding is needed for the increased cost of training and sending our probation officers uh to training 55015 moving from 20,000 to 24,000. Uh a slight increase in cost of services in 55017 from 130 to 150. a small increase in testing, blood testing uh for those on probation uh in 5616 from 25,000 to 30,000 and a more significant change associated with the cost for our treatment programs and the drug ne the drug testing

necessary in 56041 moving that from 130,000 to 200,000. Uh we'd also like to thank and I believe uh Mr. Thornton probably ran into our uh treatment coordinator on her way out today. We'd like to thank him for being at the last graduation. [snorts] Uh and uh the real reason for the increased cost in testing is quite frankly the number of new drugs that keep appearing. Uh, you know, unfortunately, it's a problem that we continue to fight. Uh, new drugs such as spice, uh, gas station heroin, fentanyl, uh, just to name a few, uh, that don't show up on some of our existing panels, thereby necessitating the, uh, the need for us to add additional segments to the panel, thereby increasing the cost. Uh so again reiterating some of the words that the county manager uh uh said at the beginning, we're kind of uh going back to budget and finance. We're all in this together. Uh so some of the changes that that we make in the courts and some of the expenses that we incur help other departments. So if we didn't have people in diversionary programs, uh they would be in Mr. Wilbur's facility at a more significant cost per day. Uh, and not possibly not, I don't want to say definitely not, but but not getting the benefits of the program in some of the help that they need. I know there's programs within the the correction facility. Uh, but again, working together, uh, changes in one department often impact, you know, some things going on in

another. So, it's I think it's uh uh important to keep that in mind, especially as you continue in your uh you know uh your budget discussions moving forward. uh in some of these special funds, there was really only one significant change uh due in part because of, dare I say it, the budget impass in Harrisburg and us being not being able to to truly update a lot of our numbers uh and our probation funds. So, if I can cut to the chase and direct your attention to fund 495, title 4D, uh, adopted revenue of 2.426 million, proposed revenue of 2.636734, expenses uh, going up to 2.636374. Uh revenues are going up with a state funding increase corresponding with anticipated expenditures. Uh interest income increase based on the average monthly cash balance. Uh some of the increased expenses are from moving uh the domestic relations facility to the new location on Market Street, which we hope to be in quickly in in January of 2026. Those expenses include uh the additional rent increase as well as services for the new location. We really have no uh numbers to work by uh from the previous tenant. So we estimated those expenses to be approximately $150,000 which would include utilities, trash, uh am I

missing anything, Miss Par? signage and and uh wiring for the PAC system. Sure. Yes, Mr. I I just wanted to honestly in public reach out and and applaud all the court employees that are here tonight and and you, Mr. Himar, uh I truly mean it. Uh that ceremony I attended last week, I think it was early in the week, uh or was it late the week before the drug treatment court graduation ceremony?

Yes. Um it it is such an uplifting ceremony and event to be at. Uh I've attended it in the past couple of years. Um if if you haven't seen it, put it on your calendar for next year because it it is quite remarkable. the uh graduates uh who have been through hell and back several times um who come through that program have such courage and strength to emerge uh drug-free and they all know it's going to be a battle every day of their life. But um there's always 12, 15 or 20 of them sitting there every year graduating and uh some of their stories uh two or three get up and tell their personal stories and uh they're so moving and touching um and I'm I'm amazed when I hear them and and just to see the ratunda beyond packed. There's 15 or 20 graduates and the whole retunda is filled with people. se si se seating sitting and and then outside the the pillars in the perimeter the outer areas of the rotunda there was people up on the balcony looking down and and our robed judges sit up front up on the elevated uh landing and um it it's just a fantastic and and and uplifting thing to see all these people uh getting clean and moving on with their lives. So, I want to applaud all of you because you do that every year and you work all year long with these people to try to get them back to productive citizens and uh it it's really uh impressive. So, thank you.

Well, it's great to have your support, the admin and we work with as well as the entire bench and the the people that work in that office every day making those things happen. All right, one more shout out to uh Councilman Hos. Had a young lady win in uh a Constitution Day contest. So, it was nice to see him here. Another council member for a happy occasion at the courthouse.

Uh no, that was spearheaded by Judge Rogers. And I should give a shout out to Judge Saraskki who's who's put together the diversionary care program and made it such such a success that we've had to start incorporating other judges to handle the uh the number of courts uh Judge Gelb uh Judge Rogers uh you know it's just really grown and it's nice to see some initiatives like that take off. To have all the judges together for that event was really spectacular. Really a yman's task to get that to work but Judge Roger should be in the classroom. She did a great job. Did a great job. She must be in the theater. She The classroom is the theater. Very. [laughter]

So, I appreciate your time this evening. If anybody has any questions, I'm available. Feel free to reach out via phone or email. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Thank you, Mr. H Marshall. All right. All right. I think we have our final division of the night, administrative services. Well, good evening. I guess I'm standing between us staying here and going home. Spare us, Jim. Spare us. Shall I speak at length?

If you do, you're buying me dinner.

Okay, that's fair enough. I'll just start out with an overview. Um, [clears throat] our position count has not changed at all and I don't anticipate that it will be changing anytime soon. We continue to have um I'm sorry, our petition count has not increased at all and I don't anticipate that it will bere increasing anytime soon. our you can see that our budget seems to have changed a great deal this year versus last year and part of that is because of uh GIS mapping has moved from our division to operational services division. So you will see um quite a few changes in our budget, our division's budget as a result of that. Overall to take a look at the uh the uh changes, the major changes in our departments, if we start with human resources and our human resource director, Jessica Bichine is sitting happily back there. I don't know if any of you if all of you know her, but thank you. So, our HR has undergone some changes. We've lost some personnel um that have been transferred to human services and um we're looking at um changes in a decrease in wages and the um taxes that go with them. Um we're looking at a change a a decrease in expense reimbursement again because of of um positions that are now in in the um human services division. Um when we look at some of the the other changes we

have a u our biggest change probably in HR is if you look at 560.64 64 and that's the meeting conference training fees. We're looking to increase that from $1,800 to $4,000. I am I share in the HR budget and we found that this year we didn't have quite enough money for um the HR folks and for me to be able to participate in trainings and and in um some other things. So, we're looking for that's primarily the major increase that we're looking for in HR. Any questions about HR? Moving right along to purchasing and Maryannne Amesberry is here right there. Maryanne is our purchasing director. You all saw her. Did you wave?

Okay, good. and that the department, the purchasing department is a very small budget and we're not looking for any great changes. But one of the things we saw this year that we're anticipating for next year is we saw a huge increase in advertising costs. Um, and we don't anticipate that those are going to decrease anytime soon. So, we're asking to go from a budget of $200 to $550. In the scheme of things, that's not a large amount, but that is more than double what we have been paying in other years. Anything any questions on purchasing. Okay. Next is IT and our IT director is Andrew Miseras and he is hiding as best he can back there in the corner. Um Andrew's department is looking at a few changes. Um they have reduced their office supply amount because they're trying to align it with the trends from the last few years, five years I believe. Um they're requesting additional funds to implement some new cyber security awareness training and a cyber security awareness training platform. Correct. Thank you. Um, and we believe that that will be very helpful to teach us all how we can be more secure and how we can be more careful. So, we're looking at um we're looking at a a cost increase of $49,000 there. And then the other increase in it is uh it is requesting an additional $22,693 to fund partially the um the licensing

for the new AI program that Rilda has brought to the county with Veto Duca and the um increases that are associated with that for our IT help desk. [clears throat] Any questions on that? Next, I'll just move to two departments that don't receive funding from our general fund. We have the Luzernne County Conventions Visitors Bureau, and that's called Visit Luzern County, and Allan Stout. You must all know Alan Stout. Alan Stout is our director there. And unless you have any questions, I'm kind of going to skip over that because that isn't general fund. Okay. Also present and accounted for is Kathy Hilshshire and she is our director of community and um

community community development. I lost the word. And um that is another one of our departments that's not funded through the general fund. That is all through the um feds and the state, right? Pass through. Yes. So if you have any questions about that. Okay. Yes, sir. How has the federal budget impass affected the community development office? Are we still able to draw our funds down? So, we're good. Unless it goes, you know, into next year. Thank you.

Any other questions? Thank you, Kathy. I actually, Mr. Rose, I I have a question. If we can go back to visit Luzer County. Yes. I just have a question about the hotel room tax. Is that a tax, and forgive my ignorance on this, is that a tax that we set the rate on or is it something that's related to the state? Who does set that rate, Alan? That was the county after the arena. Okay.

Arena was contingent upon the hotel. The arena receives 80% of the hotel receives 20 treasures because they handle all of the collection and distribution. And so it's been that way for coming up on 30 years. And what what is the hotel tax? Is it on on each overnight stay? Okay. [snorts] Okay. All right. Thank you. Excuse me. Did you say 80% 20% and 2%?

Explain that. [clears throat] [laughter] Go go go ahead, Miss Roselle. I I gotta go home tomorrow. Okay. Okay. I I just thought that that was the new math. The new math in school. [snorts] Okay. Thank you. Okay. All right, new maps. Thank you.

Okay, moving on. Um, we have my department that I am also the manager of, and that's our little licensing department, and they do dog licensing, and they do, um, gun licensing, they do hunting licensing, they do small games of chance for any Bingo fans. Um, I think Mr. Thornton accused me of since I'm also a deacon that I had uh some interest difficulties with the bingo last year. Yeah, I just maybe a conflict there.

Maybe a conflict of Yes, I can't speak. Sorry, it's close to my bedtime. I'm old. Um, so our licensing department, we adjusted our um, our anticipated revenues, if you will, our anticipated sales, I guess is a better term, um, to coincide with the trends that we've been seeing over the course of the last five years. So many of those have decreased. our special raffle permit, our hunting license commission because we get a commission every hunting license we sell. We do receive a commission, fishing license commission and gun license commission. We are also um we were we contracted with a vendor to provide postcard reminders to renew dog licenses and we're no longer using that service. It's all done online now and it we have electronic reminders. So for any of you dog afficionados, that's what we're doing there. Um and in our licensing 400 440, I'm sorry, that was the licensing 100. Um again, we're looking at a um decrease in our fishing license commissions. Again, the trend has been that fewer and fewer people are coming into us. they can get their fishing licenses at Walmart. They can get their fishing licenses at other places and they're choosing to do that rather than to come into our office.

I have a question, Mr. Is is is that something that we advertise to people very often? Because I don't know se several of the places where you can get those types of licenses, but for example, I know the gun license is probably the one that is most used in this uh in this county, right? But do we advertise anything outside of that where you can get those licenses? No, we we have in we we use an electronic advertisement um at the end of this at the end of the year to advertise for dog licenses, but that's it. Okay. All right.

And one final one [snorts] that is the Bureau of Elections and that's Emily Cook and she can't be here tonight because she's preparing for something next Tuesday. What's going on next Tuesday? I don't know. But she's preparing for the election, so she couldn't be here with us tonight. But um they have Emily has um made some uh changes. We have several h the Hava grant is no longer going to be coming to us and we um are looking at an increase of 12% in nonrepresented wages. We are looking at an increase in overtime um decrease in longevity health benefits. We're looking at those changes because we have revamped you may recall over the course of this past year. We made some changes to the um to the uh ro the uh roles that we have the positions that we have in elections and we have done that so that we could try to streamline the process of elections and also to increase accountability um to certainly increase our customer service. Um, and that seems to be working well. For once, I'm knocking on wood. Our Bureau of Elections is fully staffed. Now, that with that being said, we also have temporary people who come in and are paid through the election integrity grant to help us prepare right before the election and then to help us after the election. So, those have remained pretty stable. We anticipate that we will with with the new voting system, we anticipating that

we'll be lo using less overtime for existing employees of the county um in preparation for future elections. Okay. So, the management and consulting for the Bureau of Elections um which is eliminated that is for Dominion Services to help us to get ready for the elections because they have to do the programming of our ballots and the design of our ballots. With the new system, we will be designing the ballots inhouse, so we'll be saving that sum of money. I already mentioned the salary reimbursements. Okay, I believe that's all I have. I want to I want to note that um I had two we're requesting um salary increments for two of our directors who have been with us for a while and who are um vastly lower than other other folks with their same positions in other counties. So, we're looking for an increase for the director of elections and also for our visitors bureau um to bring them up to to be even equal, if you will, with other peers in the count in other counties.

Do you have that uh that those salaries will be? I can tell you that they're both $75,000 is what they will be. So, one is an increase from I can't remember. Alan, help me. So Allen's going from 70 or 68,000 to 75 and then Emily Cook is going from 61 to 75. Okay. Okay. Any other questions? I just have one, Mr. Ros. Yes, sir. I'm looking at the election office supplies. It's line item five. You probably don't have it there. Do you have it before you? I might.

It's U 4120, of course. 540.14. And so let me get there. 4120.

Okay. 540. What did you say? 540.14. It's under non-personnel costs, supplies, office supplies. I'm looking in 2024, the figure was 54,05 and then for 2025 it jumped up. The actuals were 151,07 and this year it's gone up about 70 almost 75,000. Now it it stands at 217,000. Any ideas about Yes. What caused that?

What caused that this year is our change to a different voting system. So we have to purchase all of the materials. um that we will be using in voting because you remember we're going to be switching to paper ballots. We're going to be using different devices and so the the increase is coming from that and we don't anticipate that we'll be looking at that kind of increase next year. We think it'll it'll come down pretty well. Okay. So, it's just it it's like hardware then it's not just paper we're looking at. Yes. Okay. A onetime cost.

Okay. Yeah. I I see um the department asked for something very s very specific so I imagine it's probably all taken care of there but appreciate it. My pleasure Mr. Chair. All right. Anything else council members? Thank you very much for this opportunity. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you as always, Miss Crocomo. Thank you. Thank you to our division heads, department heads, all of our employees that were here tonight uh for the budget presentations. We appreciate your time. All right. Is there if there's nothing else from members of council, we'll have public comment.

Can you leave? All right. Yeah, you got you have go up to the microphone, please. At least just

My name is David Thirstston. I'm from uh Wilsbury, Pennsylvania. Um I did not plan to be here tonight. Uh I've never even been to a a setting like this. Uh I do apologize that I'm not shaved in in a suit. Next time I come, I I'll make sure that, you know, um not necessary.

I'm I'm presented a little better than this. But um I disagree with um what's happening within the family courts. Uh biggest reason I disagree with it is my case could have been over in one day simply by a judge saying to the other party, this is you cannot do this. You cannot violate a protective order on an autistic child with a disability. But instead, my case is still ongoing. Today makes 593 days since my autistic daughter has been taken away from me and I'm spending $50 per hour to see her. And I tried to figure out like why is this happening? And I connected with people all over the nation. A big part of why it's happening is because of title 4 D. Now not only title 4 D, it's also billable hours cases being prolonged for years at a time. Um, so far my daughter's mother's attorney uh m has about $9,000 plus dollars from my my uh indirectly from my daughter's SSI. Uh the second part is title 4 D. Um there's two parts of Title 4 D. The first part is the incentives. Uh the federal government is reimbursing the states 66 cents for every dollar paid into support. So there's a big portion um on enforcement that the states are being rein um reimbursed. The second part is the incentive pool. The states across this nation compete over $700 million from the federal government. So the more people that are separated from their their children and they say it's a separate issue but um the appears that children are being separated from fit loving parents to trigger the title 4D incentives and the more parents that are separated from

their children the more the states will get out of that $700 million incentive pool. So I'm I will like to uh continue to come back here and and speak. I know I only have three minutes, but I do appreciate your time and um I'm also not a public speaker, so um thank you for listening and thank you. Thank you very much. Yeah.

Anybody else public comment in the audience? Mr. Mashevky, I know you had your uh you fill out a card. So just to touch before finishing my earlier presentation, the court system while it seems to be being applauded for its conduct and its actions and while certainly there are many judges who are phenomenal bastions of assuring the public are protected and kept from malicious prosecution. I was detained for simply trying to buy a coat. My dog has been taken from me. I found out she's been spayed. She's gone. I was poisoned. My toes went numb. My left big toe felt like it was being split open from the inside. Health I regained at the beginning of this year after five months out since July. Four months out. I still haven't re Correctional Facility is abysmal. And there is no way for people to be able to clean out contaminations. Some of the food had pellets as if from gunshot from shotguns. And I just wanted to make that clear. We do desperately need to increase the quality of food inmates receive as well as give them clean potable water, not fluoridated water from taps that feed directly into toilets. With that said, I'm going to continue finishing my earlier presentation and speaking briefly on a personal matter that has recently come to light that reinforces my earlier presentation. I finish with, I ask that the county please assist local communities in implementing remote viewing services as well as in creating a dedicated central message board with all the meetings, services, and events happening throughout it. Doing this will great will greatly increase the ability

of our citizens to engage and assist the government in its operations. Increasing access to transportation and attendance by doing all of the above will improve our community and raise the standard of living for all of us. Thank you for your attention and interest in these matters. With that said, I would like to reinforce further what Mr. Keith said earlier. I know a few people who I lived with in my youth in facilities and group homes because my mother was unable to care for a boy who have helped me. Specifically, the book bag I used to convey myself and my schoolwork to the community college came from a man who is addicted to shooting drugs. I check on him regularly. I send him and his wife clothing and I do my best to help out how I can because of their limited mobility and the struggles they face. I myself, while not having experienced addiction to hard drugs, experienced 5 years street homeless in New York. And only after 3 years inheriting my father's estate did I recover my health enough to begin to feel comfortable reintegrating with a government and a community that continuously oppressed and denied me the help I needed. With that said, I'm going to really drive this home with one final thing.

Thank you, Mr. Mashevki. I really do need to say this. Thank you, Mr. Mashevki. Thank you. So, thank you. Five people I grew up with are dead before the age of 18. I only found out about this because of this. Your time is expired. Please sit down. And when we have community that does not communicate, you you'll be able to talk again next meeting. You'll get nine more minutes. Mr. Mashevki then I will time is expired. Thank you. Thank you. We do need to increase communication. Thank you,

Mr. Griffith. Okay, briefly, um, I sent council uh an email about the service electric concerns that I have regarding the contract for service electric. Uh, you guys could look at it at your leisure. Hopefully at your next meeting, if you're going to vote on that, that you do not approve service electric. Um, back in the day when we had them, it was because we had no ability to televise our systems. Since then, we've evolved into the place where we have the beautiful TV and sound systems and all of those things that the administration has put in this room that we don't really need service electric except for the YouTube option that was discussed earlier, which is probably a a good option. However, we do have the ability to televise it as well as listen to the audio part of it. And I'm sure that's not something that we can't do with YouTube through our IT department. We see that on uh Facebook all the time. YouTube videos are not difficult. So, we should be doing that in-house. I'm concerned about the third party liabilities as well as the uh as well as the ability for him to have the equipment here and all that. So, consider my email if you would. Um, the other comment I wanted to make is about magistrate audits. We did a magistrate audits of all 16 since I've been in office and kudos to the court administration. They have making great strides in trying to collect the revenue. they put another person in the staff specifically to that point to the 16 magistrates's offices to try and get better revenue collections from the magistrate. So kudos to the court administration for doing that as a result of our audits. Um the campaign finance software to Mr. Rose made a comment about election. I saw that was in the paper. Thank you to board of elections and bureau of elections to do that. I know it's going to be a big $23,000 cost to the county at the moment to get that implemented, but it's something that's really needed. The staff doesn't have time to put those online, and that software will help them

a great deal, and I appreciate them taking the recommendation of the controllers's office to do that. Um, and the other point that I wanted to make is the uh 15% pay raise for the Bureau of Elections, I think is a little bit exorbitant. I I I mean, everybody else is getting 2 and a half%. And I I understand they work hard. So does everybody else in the county. Uh maybe we should take that back a little bit. Uh 2 and a half% is what everybody else is getting. Maybe we could be a little bit more conservative with the raise for those two folks as well. Even though I I don't deny they don't that they deserve it. I do think that we have to go with within budget constraint. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Appreciate it.

Thank you, Mr. Griffith. Anybody else in the audience? Public comment. Go ahead, sir. Before I sit down, real quick, I'm going to do a hotel tax audit to uh Mr. U our our vacation visitor bureau. I'm going to do that next year as well. So, thank you.

Sorry about coming up here again, guys. I just wanted to emphasize on the fact that both of those gentlemen said that they weren't public speakers, but there's other people out there that can't speak or can't even come in here and do this, you know. So I do hear a lot of the things that we talked about in here and I actually had the discipline to sit here throughout the whole thing and I just think the the interest of the court like for the court to be doing a good job and the police to be doing good police work and everything that's at the expense of what people being set back people not being able to move forward. I mean the court system and stuff like that that stuff is the leading cause of suicide, addiction, homelessness, all that stuff. I mean, I've worked with people to build their lives back and then, you know, they get a trespassing or um just more fines. You know, there's people that have so many fines that they can't even get their life in track. So, I'm not going to take up any more of your time, but I do just want to say that even though it might be uncomfortable or it might just feel like it's just these are important issues and if you want the city to be amazing, that's what we have to do is we have to raise up those eyes. This is a college town, you know. So, even advocating for the homeless, I do understand that people pay thousands of dollars to send their kids here, to go to Kings, to go to Wilks, and um nobody wants to bring their kid and drop them off when there's homeless people on the square, you know, but that's all. We can go home now.

Thank you very much, sir. Anybody else in the audience? Public comment. All right, we have one hand up on the Zoom, Miss Beniti. Yes. Thank you. Can you hear me? Yep, we can hear you.

Thank you. Um I just wanted to add really quickly, I appreciate u Councilman Sabatino's work on um the Alterara resolution. Um I am a little curious why this is being discussed now. Um since they have indicated uh that they they won't be at that location. It seems a little bit delayed. I know it's been a busy summer. Um I do really appreciate the work that he and the committee have put on it. Um but I'd like to encourage again council members to um be a bit more proactive about including community uh stakeholders in this. Um you know we don't these two things shouldn't exist in a vacuum. Uh you know there there needs to be uh coordination with the public. U these are very important issues and the fact that most of you forgot about it or weren't up to date on what's going on with it. I understand you have a million other things going on, but this is a very important matter to the lower uh Lucern area. Um, and I'd just like to challenge you um what will a long-term plan be for preventing similar industries um from from coming to to the same type of area. Um that that should be a kind of bigger concern. you know, maybe we're it's a little bit of whack-a-ole right now in our part of the county with a lot of u major um development going on. And you know, I I challenge you to to think about some of the the broader the broader things going on. You know, we live in a state right now where there are lawmakers in Pennsylvania Senate and House. They're advancing legislation to entice uh things like AI data center developers with tax breaks. Um and we have situations where some of these are even creating situations where they would substitute developer uh submitted AI assisted engineering asurances in asurances in place of like multi-year D reviews. So, when we're talking about D involvement and and where they stand on

it, you know, I really I want to put some of the responsibility back on you folks, too, because they do look to the regional um councils and elected officials uh to help guiding their decision. Um and so, it's just best when we can all work together on this. And I just encourage and and and petition council again to continue working with the people and not making these uh backseat issues. uh they're going to continue to come up and they're going to come up quite a bit more with what we see going on this year. Thank you all for your service. I know it's been a long night and I I hope that you all uh have a good rest of your evening. Thank you. Thank you, Ashley Bart.

All right. Good evening. Thank you for uh the detail and thoroughess in this meeting tonight. It was actually very informative and fascinating. um in some ways and one thing that I just well there's a couple notes that I want to make but um you know there were a couple of discussions or comments about the LERA the LERA program and one thing I would be interested in is like a modeling of if there could be a financial projection a financial modeling of what the tax revenue would look like if the lures were not awarded and, you know, projected on the the development projects that are kind of on the plans right now or even historical, you know, you could do like a hypothetical historical um projection for some of the more recent LERA recipients. But it would be interesting to see what revenue we're actually missing out on by awarding those lures. And I understand that, you know, there it might alert incentive might remove some development, but I would argue that, you know, why do we why do we even want to be in relationship or partner with industries that don't want to be here paying the full cost anyway? Because if they're unwilling to pay upfront, how willing are they going to be to continue to pay once the letter expire? And you know, some of these really large industries that are looking at coming in here now, they don't need the tax break. Um, it would be so much more beneficial to not have the 2% tax increase on the residents or even be able to offer a tax decrease to the residents and let some of these big industries pay their fair share.

Another thing I want to comment on is um, Dr. Lewis. I do not know him, but I really enjoyed that conversation. I have experience with addiction. I have experience with holistic um services, alternative treatments, and you know, while I understand the hesitation around it, what I heard was that the budget for the opioid program was 12 million and what he was asking for was something like 130,000, I think. So, that's 1% of that budget. Um, I don't think that that's going to really change lives for the for the homeless group. I think they probably need more resources than that. And, um, I think it's worth like maybe maybe it's not the full amount. maybe, you know, it's expanded to other services and types of things. But I really believe that looking at alternative treatments rather than just what we have available now is always going to be beneficial because not every treatment is going to work for every single person. So people heal in different ways. There are different reasons for people's um ailments and addictions and that sort of thing. So I would just ask that yeah you keep an open mind and explore the options.

All right. Thank you very much for your comment. Okay. Is there a motion to adjurnn? All in favor? I opposed. Meetings adjourned. Thank you very much. Yeah, you know.