[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]

Jefferson County of PA Commissioners' Meeting 9-8-2026

Transcript