[0:23] That's a little theme music to start the meeting. I like it. I'd

[0:28] » like to call to order the Dolphin County Board of Commissioners meeting for

[0:30] September 9th, 2026. We'll begin with a moment of silence followed by the Pledge

[0:34] of Allegiance.

[0:44] Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

[0:49] republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[0:54] justice for all.

[1:00] » Chief clerk's report. Mr. Hagerty. >> Good morning, commissioners. An

[1:04] executive session was held on Tuesday, September 8th, to obtain the advice of

[1:08] legal counsel on issues relating to public safety, county finances,

[1:12] personnel matters, the purchase or lease of real property, and active or pending

[1:17] litigation. Today, we are joined by representatives from the Central

[1:21] Pennsylvania Food Bank in recognition of hunger action month. In addition to the

[1:25] August 12th and August 19th, 2026 board of commissioners meeting minutes, the

[1:30] August 12th, 2026 board of commiss salary report meeting minutes, excuse

[1:34] me, salary board packet, personnel packet, and the purchase order packet.

[1:38] There are 13 items for board consideration. Today we have four

[1:42] adoption assistance agreements, six human services agreements, two

[1:46] satisfaction pieces, and the training packet.

[1:50] Um, like to remind department heads and directors that the Office of Budget and

[1:54] Finance recently sent out detailed instructions explaining how each

[1:58] department must enter budget revisions if necessary before the end of this

[2:02] week. Effective Monday, September 14th, we will be flipping the switch that will

[2:07] automatically reject payments if there isn't sufficient budgetary authority.

[2:12] Uh, please contact Chris Davis immediately if you have any questions or

[2:15] concerns about this process. And then when you're done submitting your budget

[2:19] revisions, you can celebrate our budgetary controls finally working again

[2:23] by joining me at the Jazz and Wine Festival at Fort Hunter this weekend

[2:26] hosted by our wonderful Department of Parks and Recreation. That concludes my

[2:31] report. Happy to answer any questions you may have.

[2:33] » Thank you, Mr. Hagerty. Any questions for Mr. Hagerty? Hearing none, we'll

[2:37] move to the solicitor's report. Mr. Owens,

[2:39] » good morning. Uh, all matters requiring uh board action today have been reviewed

[2:43] and approved by my office. >> Thank you. Any questions for Mr. Owens?

[2:49] Hearing none, we'll move to public participation related to agenda items

[2:52] only. So, if you have a public comment on agenda items only, you'll need to

[2:57] state the agenda item. You'll have three minutes. Uh, and you'll need to state

[3:00] your name prior to speaking. And we are live streaming. Is there anyone for

[3:03] public participation related to agenda items only? There is a time for general

[3:07] public participation at the end of the meeting.

[3:11] Seeing none, we'll move to review and approval of the minutes. We have minutes

[3:15] from August 12th and August 19th. Do I have a motion to approve both? Moved by

[3:20] Commissioner Hartwick, seconded by Commissioner Priest. Any discussion?

[3:23] Hearing none. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries.

[3:28] Now, we would like to welcome uh Katie Kerr and Skyler Carpenter Tobin from the

[3:33] Central Pennsylvania Food Bank as we celebrate Hunger Action Month and the

[3:38] work that they're doing and we look forward to hearing from them.

[3:42] » Good morning.

[3:51] Thank you commissioners for having us this morning. Um it's good to see you

[3:55] all again. As you u may remember, I'm Katie Kerr. I'm uh with Central

[3:59] Pennsylvania Food Bank. Um and this is Skyler Carpenter Tobin from our agency

[4:03] services team. Um and we are here today just to share a little bit of

[4:07] information um with you about hunger action month. Um and again, thank you

[4:11] for your time um for recognizing such an important cause for our network. Um you

[4:17] know, Hunger Action Month is really a time for us to reflect upon the work

[4:20] that our network has done over the previous year um and allows us time to

[4:25] kind of reflect upon um what is coming next and the needs of our network. Uh we

[4:30] continue to see an increase in um visits to our the charitable food network.

[4:34] Hunger is still a very pervasive issue. It is not getting uh any better. we are

[4:38] just seeing more and more people need uh the services that that the charitable

[4:43] food network provides. Um so we're really grateful to have two of our

[4:46] wonderful partner agencies here with us today uh to share a little bit about

[4:50] their experiences um you know recently. Um but a couple statistics I'd like to

[4:57] share with you all. Um the most recent um data from Feeding America's mapped

[5:02] meal gap research shows that nearly 40,000 people in Dolphin County

[5:06] experience food insecurity. Um this includes um more than 13,500 children.

[5:13] Um we also know that children are much more likely than adults to experience

[5:17] food insecurity. About 21 uh.1% of children live in households that face

[5:22] insecurity or food insecurity compared to 13.6% 6% of the overall population.

[5:28] Um, additionally, we've also seen a pretty stark uh decrease in SNAP

[5:32] participation in the county. Um, since January 2025, SNAP participation has

[5:37] decreased about 10.7%. Uh, which compares um somewhat closely

[5:42] to the 14.2% we've seen uh statewide in drop of SNAP benefits. So, that is

[5:48] coming back to our network. Um, because people are still experiencing food

[5:52] insecurity. um just because they've lost their benefits doesn't necessarily mean

[5:56] that they have become food secure. Uh it just means that they have lost that

[5:59] vital support. Um so just again really grateful to be here today and and share

[6:04] that our work continues with you all. Um and we're just very grateful for your

[6:09] continued support network. So thank you. >> Thank you.

[6:14] » Did you did you have any did your partners have anything to share?

[6:17] » Yes. Uh Dra and Sandra have a couple things they'd like to share.

[6:27] So Sandra and uh Dedra, right? >> Great. Great.

[6:31] » Hi, I'm Dedra Lanker from the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry. Um we are uh a food

[6:37] pantry serving Monday through Friday. Um one of the few in the area. We serve

[6:43] primarily Dolphin County, but others if if needed. Um it's about 98%

[6:50] Dolphin County residents. In the fiscal year uh that just completed um we

[6:58] served, let me check my numbers. Uh we served

[7:03] 16,185 households. Um so that was the number of

[7:09] requests we had over over the course of the year. This is a 13% increase over

[7:15] the previous year. So the need is continuing and continues to grow. One of

[7:21] the things we realize though that it the need varies. You know, we're not seeing

[7:26] necessarily the same uh several hundred people a month. We're seeing um

[7:34] different people, new people come in. People come when they need us. It's not

[7:38] a constant. So, it just is a testament to the es and flows of food insecurity,

[7:45] financial insecurity that is experienced by our neighbors in in Harrisburg. Um,

[7:51] we um are grateful for uh the community support that we have. Um the Harrisburg

[7:58] area food pantry, while it has a relatively new name, has been ex in

[8:02] existence for over 54 years. um previously under the name Ecumenical

[8:07] Food Pantry. We're located up at the her at the um Camp Curtain branch of the

[8:12] YMCA on Sixth Street.

[8:17] » Good morning, Sarah. >> My name is Sandra Brooks. I'm the

[8:20] director of the Nature Packs program in the Central Buffin School District. Uh

[8:23] first, I would like to thank you for your continued commitment and support

[8:27] for the organizations um that tirelessly help uh to fight hunger in our own

[8:33] communities. Um although food insecurity is harmful to any individual, it can be

[8:38] particularly devastating to children due to increased vulnerability and their

[8:42] physical and mental development. Malnutrition can have long-lasting

[8:46] effects on a young bodies, young child's body and their ability to learn and

[8:51] their school performance. This is the driver of Neutri Packs um to give

[8:55] children in our school district the opportunity to be wellfed enabling them

[9:00] to fully engage in the classroom curricular and activities with homework.

[9:04] Um we're getting ready to start our distribution in October. So we're

[9:08] ramping up um preparation for that. Last year we distributed over 22,000 bags of

[9:14] uh food and milk. Um we saw a definite increase last year and it stayed steady.

[9:19] So we are seeing differences. um not even just a a leveling out but that um

[9:26] continued increase in in need. Um through the work that we do, we do see

[9:31] that firsthand um the important role that our program does play within our

[9:36] community um and the health and well-being of our students. Our top

[9:41] priorities continue to remain access to funding to help maintain those levels of

[9:46] services. So being able to pro provide that level of food to our students as we

[9:50] see um foods costs rise and then that family need rise, increased access to

[9:57] healthy culturally relevant food such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and then

[10:02] supportive policies that assist food banks to purchase and distribute food at

[10:06] costs that agency partners such as ours can actually afford to purchase. Um

[10:10] again we really thank you for your recognition uh today for hunger action

[10:15] month and throughout the entire so thank you

[10:19] » thank you for the work you're doing commissioner

[10:23] » first off thank you for doing God's work um the idea of I think it's Winston

[10:27] Churchill that said you make a living by what you get you make a life by what you

[10:31] give and I know that I've been at both of your locations um and I know kind of

[10:36] work volunteers and people that serve those organizations

[10:40] uh who step up and make it their mission to ensure other people don't go without.

[10:44] Uh and the ability for community members to do that uh saves lives and allows for

[10:51] the level of you know uh survival that need that it really needs

[10:58] to occur during these difficult economic times. Uh and when folks have no place

[11:02] to turn, uh we still have volunteers and individuals who have that mission

[11:06] stepping up and showing up for this community. Um you know, again, I think

[11:11] it happens better when it comes from the community and people, you know,

[11:15] » step forward in a way that uh shows uh how we can solve these problems and and

[11:20] you lead the way. So, I I want to thank you both for for the work that you do. I

[11:23] want to also thank the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank for being one of

[11:26] the best um organized and regional food distribution networks uh anywhere in the

[11:34] nation. I know there are people that are envious when we travel places to the

[11:38] coordination and the efforts of our central Pennsylvania food bank and we

[11:42] certainly are proud to have both leadership in the organization and

[11:46] dedicated staff who take this mission personally and that you can tell by the

[11:50] level of relationships they form and the level of passion and and people in which

[11:54] they serve. So I want to thank you for for your efforts and I guess my first

[11:59] question would be uh how bad are things h getting? I mean, I

[12:04] I heard some of the challenges related to SNAP benefits being taken away, how

[12:08] they're appearing at local uh food banks and what that direct impact is. Um sort

[12:13] of, you know, this is the beginning of that. Um te tell me uh sort of where

[12:17] you're at, where your projected budgets are at and where you foresee this thing

[12:21] heading and and what you're going to need in order to have the level of

[12:24] support from both us and other partners. >> Well, food costs obviously continue to

[12:31] rise for all of us. So, it's true of of food banks and and food pantries as

[12:37] well. So, um being able to source food at a reasonable cost. You know, we um

[12:42] are obviously very grateful for the work the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and

[12:47] regional retailers. Um you know, I don't think most of most of us realize most of

[12:53] the people realize how many donations we get from local retailers and farmers and

[12:58] so forth. And that is critical to um making ends meet. Um when it comes to

[13:04] budgets, um our our food budget continues to to increase even with all

[13:10] the the donations and lowcost options that are made available from the food

[13:14] bank. So, it's going to continue to be a challenge. The the budget number keeps

[13:19] going up. Um thankfully we've got a lot of good partners, foundations,

[13:25] community organizations and so forth that that help support us, but it it

[13:30] takes the whole village to do it. It it it is a challenge and and it's a

[13:35] challenge to um serve the number of people that we're serving. We're putting

[13:39] a lot of um work on a a set of volunteers um who are who are serving. I

[13:47] think yesterday we served um seven 79 households in a three-hour period.

[13:53] That's a lot of people moving in and out and a lot of food being moved in and

[13:57] around our pantry. So, um you know, it it it it's challenging, but we have a

[14:03] lot of people with big hearts and

[14:06] » and make no mistake about this is a shift. It's a a shift from federal

[14:10] benefits to local costs that are being borne by volunteers and local

[14:15] governments that are not leaving the community behind despite the federal

[14:20] government's insistence on passing these costs on and sort of ignoring the basic

[14:24] needs of of some of our most vulnerable individuals. So, I think it's really

[14:28] important that we have people here that continue to step up to the challenge. I

[14:32] know um I'm I'm I hear you. Uh I would love to be able to help coordinate a day

[14:37] that we can assist in uh working with you. I think uh in the past our board

[14:41] has um you know come out help pack and um you know want to maybe even make a

[14:46] day for county employees uh to be a participant um in in ways that we can be

[14:51] a part of the solution um and not just point it out and and I know last year uh

[14:56] with the gaming allocations we're hoping you're getting your requests in. uh we

[14:59] want to make sure that uh understanding the need continues to grow that food and

[15:03] security remains a priority and partnership as uh the need for your

[15:07] services continue to grow. But I I really want to say thank you to the food

[15:10] bank and thank you to both of you and the many volunteers who make this their

[15:14] life's work. It does make a significant difference in our community and we're

[15:17] grateful. >> Thank you.

[15:18] » Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you for your time.

[15:22] » You know, the need is real. The need is great and the need is right here in

[15:27] Dolphin County. And uh I've had the privilege in the past of attending the

[15:32] Cocoa Packs event with Commissioner Hartwick several years back. I've

[15:36] attended neutral packs on several occasions with a former commissioner and

[15:40] other staff and uh we see the great work that you're doing on behalf of the

[15:45] residents and their time of need. Some of the numbers you've thrown out over

[15:48] 16,000 households are impacted. That's a huge number here in Dolphin County and

[15:54] the work you do is appreciated and um can't thank you enough for what you're

[15:59] doing on behalf of those residents who are in need. A lot of people don't think

[16:03] about the kids not just during week that are impacted

[16:08] but on the weekends if it wasn't for you and your organizations

[16:13] most of them would go hungry for the weekend and the majority of the

[16:17] population doesn't even think about that. But a rising a rising uh

[16:22] percentage of our population is impacted on a weekly and weekend basis. And we've

[16:27] heard stories of kids going home and and having a McDonald's hamburger to last

[16:31] them the entire weekend now thanks to your generosity, the work that you

[16:35] organizations are doing. Uh they have food for the entire weekend and I can't

[16:39] even imagine what that would be like. And then clearly going to school on an

[16:43] empty stomach. uh you've seen the studies out there that feeding kids in

[16:47] the morning enables them to have the nutrients and and they learn a lot more

[16:50] as well. So you're impacting uh hundreds of lives and by proxy thousands of lives

[16:56] by the great work you're doing. So thank you very much.

[16:59] » Thank you so much. C can we just share for the public a little bit about so

[17:03] Harrisburg Area Food Pantry. Can you just share where you're located and what

[17:06] your hours are again? You said you're open Monday through Friday, correct?

[17:09] Yeah, we're at the uh Camp Curtain branch of the Y at 2135 North 6th Street

[17:14] and we're open Monday through Friday 9:30 to 12:30 and the third Saturday of

[17:19] the month 9:30 to 12:30. >> Thank you for being open that

[17:23] frequently. That's that's got to be quite the task for volunteers and staff

[17:27] and thank you for that. And for Neutri Packs, for those who don't understand,

[17:30] this is a program in the school to to ensure that kids have food over the

[17:35] weekend. Correct. And so maybe speak a little bit just I just want to make sure

[17:38] the public's aware of the great work you're doing and like it's obviously as

[17:43] we've talked about the need but I want to kind of talk about how this is I

[17:46] think a creative way to to manage the need in the sense that you're sending

[17:50] kids over the weekend with a bag of food that that's something that they can you

[17:55] know manage and make themselves or that they're with their families. So maybe

[17:58] just share a little bit about why you chose to address it that way and how and

[18:02] impacts of of that. Um, our program actually started with a school counselor

[18:06] who recognized that there were students in need coming to school on Monday and

[18:10] having difficulty focused. So, it started out small and it has just grown

[18:14] over the year and Neutropex now serves students in all schools in the Central

[18:19] Dolphin School District. So any student who attends a K through 12 um school in

[18:26] central Duffin school district um can enroll in neutropacks program and with

[18:30] that they receive weekly from October through May you said a pack of food

[18:34] that's intended to provide to breakfast two lunch two dinners and some snacks um

[18:40] for that weekend when they're not getting those breakfast and lunches at

[18:44] at school um which a lot of those families and students depend on. So, um

[18:49] on online on our website cdsdutepacks.org

[18:53] um they can go find information not just about enrollment but about volunteering

[18:57] and donations >> to our our program. Um and we start

[19:02] distribution in October. >> That's great. Great. And then I just had

[19:05] one question for Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Can you you're you're you

[19:09] distribute to so many food banks in the area. Do you have a number for how many

[19:13] food pantries you support in not even just Dolphin County like your regional

[19:17] through multiple counties? Um do you have a number?

[19:20] » Yeah, across our 27 uh county service territory about 11 partners.

[19:25] » So So just for those who can't hear because the mic 27 counties you serve

[19:29] and 1100 partners, 1100 like food banks or groups that are distributing food.

[19:33] Wow. >> Dolphin County

[19:37] partners >> 130 partners in Dolphin County. Wow.

[19:40] That's amazing work. Well, we're incredibly proud of the work y'all are

[19:44] doing and I know there's many others throughout the county. We have a small

[19:48] representation of the many that are giving their time, energy, and effort to

[19:51] this and uh very grateful for you. We have a proclamation uh to read in honor

[19:56] of Hunger Action Month. So, I'll read that now and then maybe we'll get a

[19:59] picture. All right. We, the Dolphin County Board of Commissioners, are

[20:02] united in acknowledging and addressing the tragic reality that 13.5% of

[20:06] Pennians experience food insecurity. And one in every five children do not know

[20:11] where their next meal will come from. Whereas food insecurity, the condition

[20:15] of limited or uncertain access to adequate food, is associated with

[20:19] numerous adverse social and health outcomes, and is a critical public

[20:24] health issue. Adequate nutritious food has become more expensive and out of

[20:28] reach for many neighbors with cost with food costs rising more than 33% between

[20:33] 2019 and 2026 leading to record demand for charitable food. Whereas Dolphin

[20:39] County is committed to working with the central Pennsylvania food bank to

[20:43] educate people about the role and importance of food banks in addressing

[20:47] hunger and raising awareness of the need to devote more resources and attention

[20:51] to hunger issues and food insecurity. Whereas, the Central Pennsylvania Food

[20:56] Bank distributed over 63.1 million pounds of food in fiscal year 2026 to

[21:03] Pennians experiencing food insecurity. In Dolphin County alone, more than 8.2

[21:08] million pounds of food were distributed with over 1.47 million pounds of this

[21:14] being produce. Whereas Dolphin County is committed to taking steps to combat

[21:18] hunger in every corner of our commonwealth and to providing additional

[21:23] resources to those in need. Public and private entities, including policy

[21:28] makers, business leaders, community activists, farmers, concerned citizens,

[21:32] and hunger relief organizations must collectively work to address food

[21:35] insecurity within the Commonwealth. Therefore, we join the 293,000 residents

[21:40] of Dolphin County in encouraging everyone with the heart and the

[21:44] resources to take effective and immediate steps to combat hunger and

[21:48] support their local food banks as we do hereby proclaim September as hunger

[21:53] action month in Dolphin County.

[22:04] Here

[22:12] you go.

[22:39] One more.

[23:19] Well, Now head into salary board which consists of the commissioners and

[23:22] controller. Uh we have minutes to approve from August 12th. Do I have a

[23:25] motion? >> So moved.

[23:27] » Moved by controller Baitman. Do I have a second?

[23:30] » Second. >> Seconded by Commissioner Priest. Any

[23:32] discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? I

[23:36] opposed. Motion carries. We have a salary board packet before us for

[23:40] approval today. >> Do I have a motion?

[23:42] » So move. >> Moved by controller Baitman. Seconded by

[23:45] Commissioner Hartwick. Any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? I

[23:49] opposed. Motion carries. Human resources. Fay Fischer.

[23:55] » Morning, Fay. >> Good morning.

[23:56] » Morning. >> Are there any questions on today's

[24:00] personnel packet? >> None for me.

[24:04] » Make a motion we accept the personnel packet as presented.

[24:07] » Motion made by Commissioner Hartwick. Do we have a second? I will second. Any

[24:12] discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I

[24:17] opposed. Motion carries. >> Thank you.

[24:22] » Budget and finance. Mr. Davis.

[24:28] » Morning. Commissioners. >> Morning.

[24:31] » I have no changes to the investment report that was distributed yesterday.

[24:35] There's also no changes to the purchase order packet that's ready for your vote

[24:38] and approval. >> Do we have a motion for the purchase

[24:41] order packet? >> So moved.

[24:43] » Moved by Commissioner Priest. Seconded by Commissioner Hartwick. Any

[24:46] discussion? >> Everything's within the budgeted 2026

[24:49] numbers. >> Correct.

[24:50] » Thank you. >> All those in favor? I

[24:54] » opposed. Motion carries. >> Thank you.

[24:57] » Thank you. >> We have 13 matters requiring board

[25:01] action before us today. Does anything need to be pulled out for a separate

[25:05] vote? >> Motion to approve 1 through 13.

[25:09] » Motion made for items 1 through 13 by Commissioner Priest. Second of a second.

[25:13] Seconded by Commissioner Hartwick. Any discussion?

[25:17] Hearing none, all those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. We have no

[25:21] former business. Any new business? Hearing no new business, we'll move to

[25:25] commissioner remarks. Commissioner Hartwood, I'd first like to thank uh

[25:28] Danny Albert, Kristen Barner, uh our human services staff, and all those who

[25:33] participated in recovery night at the ball field on the Harrisburg Senators

[25:36] this weekend. Uh hearing from the senators, it's probably one of the

[25:40] largest attended events all year for the senators. I know a lot of time, effort,

[25:44] work went into it. Uh, thank you to to Senator Kim for coming to throw out the

[25:47] first pitch and for all that were involved in celebrating recovery and

[25:51] that successful event. Uh, secondly, I join my colleagues at the Labor Day

[25:55] breakfast. Um, I want to congratulate uh, new CLC President Delane Simpson. I

[26:00] thought he gave an incredible sense of energy, uh, new spirit and, uh,

[26:05] certainly it was a well-run uh, Labor Day breakfast. very well attended by a

[26:09] bipartisan group of uh elected officials and um certainly leaders throughout the

[26:16] county as well as throughout labor. Uh and it was an honor to be able to be

[26:20] there with a labor legend Dave Gash uh a mentor and friend uh who was great to

[26:25] see. Um and um uh it it was certainly a great day. And last but not least, um I

[26:31] want to give my personal condolences to the Dler family. um both Kim Dler who

[26:38] works here as a um a leader um one of the co-directors of children and youth

[26:43] uh Jamie Corey um and coach Rob Dabler who's passed they they lost their father

[26:50] big Jim Dler last night. I just um wanted to make an acknowledgement that I

[26:55] don't think there were very few people that were that instrumental uh in the

[26:59] shaping of my life and career and um sort of my childhood. Uh, Coach Dive was

[27:05] my principal. He was my coach and one of those leaders who helped shape

[27:08] generations of young people in the Steel and Heispire community. His impact went

[27:12] far beyond the school or the field. He helped build the pride, discipline,

[27:16] toughness, and tradition that make our community so special. Today, I pray he's

[27:21] reunited with his beloved Leslie who passed away last year and with his son

[27:25] number 13, Coach Rob Dler. What a homecoming that must be.

[27:31] Thank you, Mr. to dive for the lessons, the leadership, and the legacy. Once a

[27:35] roller, always a roller. West rest well, coach.

[27:41] » Yes. I have a couple updates here. Uh first of all, I want to share that our

[27:45] Dolphin County Drug and Alcohol Department had their yearly monitoring

[27:48] from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and the department

[27:52] scored a 100% compliance, which is pretty remarkable. So, shout out to

[27:58] Kristen Barner and her great staff at Drug and Alcohol. Uh, also we learned on

[28:03] Saturday, September 7th, that Judge Scott Arthur Evans is now the longest

[28:09] serving judge in Dolphin County history. So, whenever folks see him, make sure

[28:14] you congratulate him on that milestone accomplishment. And I also want to

[28:17] follow up on what Chief of Staff Hagerty said earlier. This weekend, Saturday and

[28:22] Sunday, is the annual Dolphin County Jazz and Wine Festival at Fort Hunter

[28:26] Park. And they have a great lineup of musicians set up this year. Thank you.

[28:31] » Thank you, Commissioner Priest. Uh this weekend I had the opportunity to attend

[28:34] the Noir celebration in Dolphin County. Uh and uh people coming from all over,

[28:39] from Ohio, from New York. Uh this is a a Nepali people from from all over uh came

[28:45] together to celebrate culture and it was uh great to be part of that. Uh also

[28:49] from there went to Capona. It was amazing to see so many people out on

[28:52] Front Street. Uh that that is a it's just a gem here in Dolphin County that I

[28:57] don't think many of us are aware of. is, you know, I've lived in many different

[29:00] places. Like to have that space, to have festivals like that, it's a really cool

[29:05] uh to be out and to see uh just people coming together. Uh as Commissioner

[29:09] Hartwick stated, I attended the Labor Day breakfast with the Central Labor

[29:12] Council and it was a great gathering. Uh I also attended the final dress

[29:17] rehearsal for uh Theater Harrisburg's Come From Away. Uh I am not a theater

[29:22] person. I'm just going to say that right out the gate. But it was a really

[29:24] amazing performance. Um, and shared a real story that I didn't know about. Um,

[29:30] in Gander, uh, this small little town in Canada, uh, on 911, uh, many of the

[29:36] planes were diverted to that small town. Um, a town basically more than doubled

[29:41] in size overnight with 7,000 flight or 7,000 people from multiple international

[29:47] flights coming in representing many different cultures. And it was a story

[29:51] of radical hospitality in a time of like fear and uncertainty. And I just think

[29:54] it's um really amazing that this is running through the 25th anniversary of

[30:00] 9/11 and an opportunity for us to to reflect on the terror of that day that

[30:05] many of us might have experienced. Um to hear the stories of people who showed

[30:10] radical hospitality in the midst of that fear. So, um, just as we head into

[30:14] Friday, uh, and we honor those who lost their lives, we honor those who ran

[30:20] toward danger, uh, in the midst of uncertainty, we even reflect maybe on

[30:25] our own public servants here who serve in EMS and fire and police, um, and who

[30:29] are doing work that often runs toward danger to provide for others. Um, it's a

[30:34] great opportunity Friday for us to reflect on all those impacted by 911,

[30:37] including ourselves. Um, but to also just take some time to to consider what

[30:43] it looks like to be hos hospitable in the midst of of fear. And so, uh, if you

[30:47] get a chance to go to Come From Away, Peter Harrisburg, uh, really encourage

[30:51] you, uh, to get out to that show that's taking place right here. Local actors

[30:55] did an amazing job. Uh, just just a great performance. Uh, we have no

[31:00] correspondents and we'll move to general public participation. I believe I have a

[31:04] signup sheet. After the signup sheet, I will then open it to the floor. Just a

[31:08] reminder, you'll have a three minute time limit. You'll have a clock in front

[31:11] of you showing that we are being live streamed and you'll need to state your

[31:14] name prior to uh prior to speaking. We'll begin with James Carter.

[31:22] » Mr. Carter, how are you? >> I'm doing fine.

[31:24] » Morning, Mr. Carter. >> Morning. I think I know everyone.

[31:28] Hey. Um, my name is James Carter. I live at 2097

[31:34] Raleigh Road in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania,

[31:37] uh Derry Township. I am currently the um the committeeman for Derry 15, the

[31:47] Democratic committee man, but when I sit here today, I sit here as a committee

[31:51] for Daring 15, including all of the people or all of the residents that we

[31:57] have there right now. Um, we received notice yesterday that our polling place

[32:05] is going to be moved. Uh, we have never voted in Derry 15, but there's no

[32:11] facility there that could handle this. We were previously at the fieldhouse in

[32:18] Lower Dolphin. I received word yesterday that we're being moved to St. Jon of

[32:25] Arcs in in uh in Hershey. Um that is quite a distance from our

[32:33] precinct. Um I talked to a few people with the air

[32:38] of today's political scene. The first thing they came that came out of their

[32:43] mouths. One of them was my pipe. She know she knows a lot about she said can

[32:48] this be seen as voter suppression? I told her that I talked to Mr. Specman. I

[32:53] guarantee that he had stated the fact that it wasn't. It's just the fact that

[32:58] we don't have enough places to go. But the one thing that I did speak to Mr.

[33:03] Specman about was the fact that perception

[33:07] is going to be the biggest picture here, especially in light of everything that's

[33:12] going on politically in this country. And I told him point blank, I said,

[33:19] "This is going to be put out broadly. I'm going to put it out broadly because

[33:23] I don't want the people to feel that their vot is being, you know, uh,

[33:29] basically interfered with. However, that is going to be the outcome just

[33:34] from the few people that I've seen. There was an indication over a year ago

[33:41] that this may happen. And we sent

[33:46] 50 days before the election telling the people that you're going to

[33:51] have to go down. Derry 15 is a voting precinct. I know

[33:57] you all have seen the numbers. It is a voting precinct. It's the largest

[34:01] precinct in Derry Township. Derry one votes with us. Derry one is

[34:07] the second largest precinct. Between the two of us, we carry over 13%

[34:14] of the vote in Derry Township. I'm asking that consideration of

[34:21] inclusion be brought. We're going to have to look for places to make this

[34:27] vote viable for all of the people. And basically what we're looking for is

[34:34] inclusion. I would like to be involved in it as the only sitting committee

[34:38] member in Derry 15. So any discussion is going to go on I would like to be a part

[34:44] of that discussion to ensure that the total populace of Derry 15 gets proper

[34:51] recognition. Thank you for that. >> Thank you Mr. Carter.

[34:56] » Anyone else for public participation?

[35:08] Good morning. >> Good morning,

[35:13] » Chelsea True, Lower Paxton Township. >> Every week I listen to those that come

[35:19] to these meetings with complaints and concerns. And while it is an integral

[35:23] part of the government to have free dialogue with those they serve, I am

[35:27] disheartened by the lack of plausible and functional solutions offered up by

[35:31] that same community. There are problems in Dolphin County. I can't speak to many

[35:36] of them as I lack the knowledge or expertise, but I can talk at length

[35:40] about the failings of the county in regards to its employees. I know I only

[35:44] have a few moments, so I know it must be brief. But as I watch more and more

[35:47] hardworking employees and good people leave the county, I feel compelled to

[35:51] offer up concerns and a possible solution. Start taking care of your

[35:55] people and acknowledge them to all the hard workers who work tirelessly every

[36:00] day for Dolphin County. Thank you to all that to all those that are willing to

[36:05] come in every day and do the of unseen and underappreciated jobs. Thank you.

[36:10] Those that despite this county taking more of their wellness incentives and

[36:14] benefits away, despite this county denying raises for those that might

[36:18] deserve it, come in every single day and do the work without complaint that keeps

[36:22] Dolphin County running. For those same workers who also live in Dolphin County

[36:26] and suffer the same tax increase but lost more benefits and income every day

[36:30] working here, a sincere and genuine thank you from someone who has witnessed

[36:34] firsthand your hard and diligent work. To all the workers who listen every week

[36:39] at these meetings about their potential failings but can never speak for

[36:43] themselves for fear of retaliation or censure. I see

[36:47] for those employees who pour 20 years or more of their blood, sweat, and tears

[36:51] into this county and witness the lack of acknowledgement or appreciation for

[36:55] those sacrifices. I'm sorry. Your years of service and commitment should never

[37:00] have gone unnoticed or unrewarded. Your legacy continues in your

[37:05] departments by the impact you had on all those who worked with you and the

[37:08] longlasting good you provided to all the residents of Dolphin County. You can

[37:13] tell a lot about a leader by how they treat those in positions underneath

[37:16] them. Leaders who acknowledge the merit of their workers and work alongside

[37:20] them, not just on an election year, but consistently and diligently. Leaders who

[37:26] hold themselves and fellow leaders accountable, always striving for better.

[37:30] I hope moving forward the leaders here can do better so that the future of

[37:34] Dolphin County is one of progress and plenty for all Dolphin County workers

[37:38] and its residents. Thank you. >> Thank you.

[37:43] » Anyone else for public comment?

[38:00] Good morning, commissioners. >> Good morning,

[38:02] » Pamela Parson, City of Harrisburg. Um, I just want to thank you for recognizing

[38:08] Hunger Action Month and for having Central Pennsylvania Food Bank here. I

[38:14] worked for them for uh about a decade in the 1990s. I'm really grateful for the

[38:21] work of Dedra Lanker and all the many people who came before her in the 54

[38:27] years of the ecumenical food pantry. Um the Fisers, the Meyers, Reverend

[38:34] Jefferson Wright and the folks at Second Baptist who also partnered to create

[38:42] that food bank u that food pantry, excuse me. Uh it's also really important

[38:48] to note that the building that ecumenical food bank began in Messiah

[38:54] Lutheran Church and the bu and the church next door second baptist um also

[39:00] more than 50 years ago ran a school breakfast program in partnership with uh

[39:07] many people who were involved in the Black Panthers in Harrisburg to feed the

[39:12] children who lived in Jackson Lake apartments and in the neighborhood um

[39:18] surrounding Messiah and Second Baptist. So they were feeding breakfast to

[39:23] children and providing uh food pantry services well before uh school breakfast

[39:31] became a federal program. Thank you. >> Thank you, Pam. Anyone else for public

[39:36] comment? Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion for

[39:40] adjournment. Moved by Commissioner Hartwick.

[39:42] » Second by Commissioner Priest. All in favor? I we're turn.

Dauphin County Commissioners' meeting 9/9/2026

Transcript