[0:00] I aliance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the stands one
[0:07] nation
indivisible
[0:10] and justice for all.
[0:15] » Good morning and welcome
[laughter]
[0:20] be a very short meeting. So any
unfinished business?
[0:25] » No.
Looking for a motion to approve the
[0:29] minutes of the meeting dated August
25th, 2026 as presented.
[0:35] So move to second.
>> All in favor signify by saying I. I
[0:47] looking for a motion to approve the
actual invoices in the amount of
[0:51] $881,532
[0:55] 18 for the period August 22nd through
September 3rd, 2026.
[1:02] » I'd like to make that motion,
[clears throat]
[1:06] please.
>> Mr. Humes,
[1:08] » yes.
>> Mr. North.
[1:09] » Yes.
>> Mr.
[1:11] » [clears throat]
>> Looking for a motion to approve the
[1:15] actual payable in the amount of
315,547.71
[1:22] for the period of August 9th through
August 22nd, 2026.
[1:29] » Second,
[1:34] » Mr. Hughes.
>> Yes.
[1:35] » Mr. North. Yes.
>> Mr. Perent.
[1:38] Yes.
[1:42] That's our agenda. That was quite
um
[1:47] honor special guest. Representative
Smith, Senator Nut. Um thank you for
[1:53] coming. I'm going to turn it over to
just Siri.
[1:58] You do you want me to go up up there?
Okay. All right. So, our service center
[2:05] road project is is wrapping up.
Um, as as many of you may have heard
[2:12] from previous meetings, um, the county
received just under $260,000
[2:18] in the DCED multimotal transportation
fund grant and we very much thank
[2:23] Senator Dush and Representative Smith
for bringing that money home to
[2:27] Jefferson County. It's hugely impactful
for this project. Our total project cost
[2:31] was um, just over 330,000. Um the
remaining balance of the project we were
[2:38] able to pay um through the county liquid
fuel fuels fund. Um the scope of the
[2:45] project we were able to do some road
foundation work surfacing shoulders and
[2:50] drainage.
>> And with all of the rain that we have
[2:53] had this summer that drainage work
quickly became apparent that it was very
[2:58] much needed. We were very grateful
during these last couple storms that
[3:01] that drainage was in. Um, as everyone
knows that road services many important
[3:07] functions, including our jail, our 911
center, the Cresco uh plant. So, there's
[3:13] about 420 people that are employed on
that road. So, that road while very
[3:18] small and maybe um doesn't seem that
important, hugely important to the to
[3:23] the um vitality of Jefferson County. Um
I think we have some some pictures if
[3:29] » we can get some cooperation. Yep.
[3:34] Do you [clears throat] need my help?
>> I always need your help. I'm going to
[3:38] make one more effort.
[3:42] » Mouse doesn't. Okay, I'm going to give
this to you before I break it.
[3:45] » All right.
>> Beyond repair.
[3:49] [clears throat]
[3:57] [laughter]
[4:00] » There you are. Let's go into
[4:11] » announcement.
>> There we go. It's like
[4:15] » show from the beginning. Okay, that is
much of what I just said. So, this is a
[4:22] picture of the road that was taken in
2021. Um, it only continued to
[4:25] deteriorate before um our work started
this year. So you can see very much in
[4:30] need of some paving attention.
Um evidence of of of water running down
[4:38] the the street with the debris.
[4:43] Very poor drainage system.
So this is this is them putting in our
[4:50] the new system
[4:53] and it looks great. Beautiful, beautiful
drains. Nice paved surface. There's a
[4:59] better look at the main drainage system.
[5:07] And we also fixed a um an issue right by
by Ishman there at the beginning of
[5:11] service center road. It was very uneven.
Some water uh was ponding. Um so it made
[5:17] that turn onto Service Center Road much
safer for everyone.
[5:21] Are there any questions? Again,
thank you to to Senator Dash and
[5:27] Representative Smith. Very impactful
project and very happy to tick tick off
[5:32] a very long to-do list.
>> Jess, is there still a pond on that
[5:36] property? Back back when Chris was
younger. There used to be a county farm
[5:39] out there.
>> There's a pond.
[5:41] » No, no, no. There's a there's a retain
there's a small retained pond, but not a
[5:45] pond in the sense that I think that
you're describing.
[5:49] can also remember the blueberries and
the strawberries and the vegetables that
[5:53] they sold out of that place.
[laughter]
[6:01] » You
[laughter]
[6:05] any questions for Jessica before she
leaves? I know she's busy today. So,
[6:11] » thanks [clears throat] for coordinating
it.
[6:12] » Oh, thank you.
>> We'll coordinate all the dollars you
[6:15] guys bring home. Appreciate it. Do you
know how many prop how many roads you
[6:20] had to fix?
>> What do you mean?
[6:23] » Like how many roads were in need of
repair?
[6:27] » We just
>> just the one.
[6:28] » Just the one. Okay.
>> Yeah. We the county this is the county's
[6:31] only owned road. So this is the only
road that we have responsibility to
[6:36] maintain. So now that it is secure, we
we don't have to worry about our roads
[6:42] for a while.
Just a tag on that. County owns it 14
[6:48] bridges.
>> No, 34.
[6:51] » 34. Are you looking for bridge money
then?
[6:54] » Always.
[7:00] » You guys have no problem. [laughter]
We're aware.
[7:04] » How many how many bridges?
>> 34.
[7:07] » But how many have you defined how many
need repair or are they all
[7:12] » uh No. the so we have a a relationship
with an engineer who who regularly
[7:16] inspects those bridges and comes up with
a report. Um I'm not it's actually my my
[7:22] colleague Elise that handles the the
bridges. I'm not sure how many were
[7:25] deemed to go to the top of the list, but
they're ranked and scored. Um and those
[7:30] that need the most immediate attention
will be on her radar to go after funds.
[7:33] » Okay. So
>> we've been pretty aggressive with having
[7:37] them as needed. Um, so I don't think
there's any with poor rating right now.
[7:45] » I don't have [clears throat] any
townships asking you for that.
[7:48] » So you guys are doing a good job.
>> Scott brings up a a good point. Kramer
[7:54] Road, that bridge is being replaced and
it's all funded by the state. They had
[7:59] extra money last year or two years ago
and [snorts] we qualified to get it
[8:05] replaced.
[8:12] Yeah. Has to be at least.
[8:24] » Yeah. Right on. Right on the line.
Hender Sanders.
[8:32] » Anything else to add?
>> I would if your chairman has no
[8:36] objection. I I would just like to um add
appreciation and acknowledgement Senator
[8:44] Dush, Representative Smith, uh for
bringing these resources back from
[8:49] Harrisburg. Uh Jefferson County has
benefited from this, continues to, you
[8:55] know, we we highlight and acknowledge
the service center road project today.
[8:59] Um, as Jess said, it services the jail
and it services the 911 center, but it
[9:06] also enables 420 people to get to and
come home from work every day. So, it's
[9:11] very impactful. We add the resources
that you brought back from Harrisburg to
[9:16] to the resources that we get and and we
try to stretch those dollars out as much
[9:21] as we can. uh that's not happening
without the you know effectiveness and
[9:25] efficiency and diligence and attention
that our legislators uh bring because
[9:31] every dollar we get back from Harrisburg
is a real estate tax dollar we don't
[9:36] need and people can keep in their
pockets so it wins on both sides getting
[9:41] our tax money back here and also
offsetting what we need and this board
[9:48] of commissioners is uh taking the
approach that we want to solve
[9:52] tomorrow's problems today uh at lower
cost.
[9:57] » Yeah.
>> Um and this is just one example and I'll
[10:01] just remind everyone though we we
brought this to everyone's attention a
[10:05] couple months ago but it bears repeating
that um our legislators brought home an
[10:10] LSA grant for us 162,000
for uh jail improvements. Yes. Yes. Said
[10:18] that number.
>> That's that's Yes.
[10:20] » Um so, you know, in aggregate millions
of dollars coming back uh that take the
[10:27] burden off property taxpayers. So,
gentlemen, you know, thank you.
[10:32] Appreciate your your attention and your
help and support and assistance and your
[10:36] efficiency and uh you look forward to
continuing on.
[10:41] » Thank you. We also appreciate Dr. Bor.
Um when Chris and I go to and we forced
[10:47] to get this money back here um we know
when it's coming back here the job's
[10:52] getting done and that's very important
to us too. They notice when when we get
[10:57] money to bring back the project needs to
flow and get done and that helps us
[11:02] bring more back in the future. So thank
you very much for [clears throat] know
[11:05] we go to that communications power very
done
[11:11] others. So thank you.
>> Thank you. I'll just add uh Brian and I
[11:16] have a good working relationship and so
does Joe Pitman. Uh when
[11:22] Joe and I have a different approach from
the uh several other state senators in
[11:28] that we work with our reps and work as a
team for the uh the counties and
[11:35] municipalities that we serve. So, uh,
it's it's a great partnership with all
[11:41] seven of the reps that I have and the,
uh, but Brian, my he's got my old seat.
[11:48] I got to take care of him.
[11:52] [laughter]
>> And we we all are,
[11:56] we can't give you the right tools unless
it's articulated, put together in an
[12:00] intelligent way to to give you the the
means to fight for us. And that goes
[12:04] back to Jessica Syria and her excellent
quality work. If if she can't turn the
[12:12] need into something that's presentable
that you can that you can good map for
[12:18] um
the the chain breaks. So Jess, thank you
[12:23] for your excellent work.
>> My pleasure.
[12:28] By the way, we're having a lot more
communication from the townships here
[12:33] and the municipalities, the burrows. Uh
the LSA grant applications have just
[12:40] gone through the roof. But uh and
[clears throat] they're all that they're
[12:44] doing a great job of articulating them.
The some of these folks are really
[12:48] stepping up and I'm I'm very grateful to
have that
[12:53] kind of information coming to us. helps
us sell it when we're trying to sell it
[12:58] down in Harrisburg.
[13:01] » Good. Thank you.
Move on to public comments.
[13:09] Anybody have anything
[13:14] to press?
>> Yes.
[13:19] I I read that there's again involved
with the 911 commemoration on Friday
[13:26] kind of explain that
[13:31] » anything that I'm aware of is
working with the church to ring the
[13:35] bells
other than that I'm not aware of it
[13:40] » I they asked us to participate we agree
>> okay and then I believe 911 is
[13:46] broadcasting
[14:01] Is there is there anything else going on
in the county?
[14:12] » Chris, you aware of anything in
Harrisburg or any? Well, I'll be
[14:15] speaking out at uh Penn State. There's
going to be uh the students out there.
[14:21] It's kind of cool. The uh uh college
Republicans and the college Democrats
[14:26] work together every year since 911 and
host a uh a memorial service out on the
[14:34] lawn of the
uh Old Maine. I'll be I've been invited
[14:40] to speak out there. So, that's where
I'll be.
[14:46] Yes,
>> I know there are some uh present. It's
[14:49] going to be some pretty big uh
presentations down at uh
[14:58] the crash site.
>> Shanksville. Yeah.
[15:04] » And I believe that's where the
president's going to be. He's going to
[15:07] be he's I think he's going to be at
Shanksville and then the Pentagon.
[15:20] Destiny, you have any questions?
>> Have questions about like roads. Is each
[15:26] like township and burrow responsible for
fixing their roads? Because I know in
[15:31] Big Run, like the road I live on wasn't
able to be paid because one of the
[15:37] neighbors said no. It all went by like a
survey.
[15:42] that was distributed to everyone in Big
Brown about whether their roads could be
[15:47] fixed.
Is that
[15:51] » Yeah, that would be a municipal burrow
issue unless it's a state, right?
[15:58] » Okay. I was wondering if like each
burrow was in charge of fixing their own
[16:02] roads.
>> They are.
[16:04] » It's kind of a mixed destiny because
you've got like Main Street out here.
[16:08] That's route 322 is a state
responsibility. But the streets crossing
[16:13] that are the first responsibility. It's
amazing.
[16:17] » Okay.
>> You said we get screwed.
[16:21] » Yeah. It was like one neighbor that said
no. So our road is terrible where I
[16:25] live. So
>> no matter you know you get so much
[16:30] liquid fuels money from the state and
that's but as far as the paving go. So
[16:35] » it's always like 10 projects you don't
get.
[16:38] said the chairman of the street
committee.
[16:44] » Anything else?
>> That's one thing I have right now.
[16:47] » Okay, Maddie.
[16:51] » Have anything on the front side? Randy,
[16:58] [laughter]
[17:00] » you guys are all worn out.
[17:06] Okay. So, announcements. The next
commission's meeting September 22nd
[17:10] 10:30 year deal board the same day at
11. Um, we're going to be working five
[17:18] days a week now. We don't have any more
days off. Anyway, thank you for coming.
[17:23] If there's nothing else, open for a
motion to
[17:28] make that motion.
All
[17:31] » favor.
Five full days.
[17:39] » [laughter]