Commissioners discuss grant, COVID-19 funding
BROOKVILLE — The Jefferson County commissioners discussed a grant agreement with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the ongoing distribution of CARES funding to county entities at a Tuesday morning meeting.
The grant agreement that the commissioners entered into was in the amount of $77,000 for the 2020 Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund Programs. The commissioners’ motion also authorizes the chairman of the Board of County Commissioners to execute all grant contract documents with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
The funding for the program comes the Marcellus Shale impact fee and will be utilized for the Jefferson County Emergency Housing Repair program.
Some of the services that the program can provide range from roof replacement to water heater replacement and foundational repairs, to name a few.
The county expects to be able to use this funding to provide these services to approximately 10 owneroccupied housing units. Thirty-four homeowners are also on the waiting list. Commissioners’ chairperson Jack Matson said that projects are typically approved as the funding comes in.
Later in the meeting, commissioner Jeff Pisarcik noted that they have begun sending out funding to local entities from the federal CARES Act. The county had
decided to distribute approximately $3 million in funds to county governments and organizations. Pisarcik said that thus far, the county has distributed approximately $2 million of the funding, with more being sent out each week as funds become available. The funding can be used to cover expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other business:
• The commissioners passed a motion to inform the governing body of the county’s expected obligation for 2021 with the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System in the amount of $624,405.
• The commissioners reminded residents that Nov. 3 is Election Day and that all county offices will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
• The commissioners approved invoices in the amount of $2,257,664.45 for the period of Oct. 14 to Oct. 27 and the pending invoices in the amount of $805,686.50.
• Actual gross payroll in the amount of $240,062.73 for the period of Sept. 27 to Oct. 10 and tentative gross payroll in the amount of $241,120 were approved for the period of Oct. 11 to Oct. 24.
The next meeting of the Jefferson County commissioners will be held on Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Jefferson Place.