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Home My WebLink AboutCOMM - Meeting Minutes - 38 - 9-23-1976 - COMMISSIONER288 MINUTE BOOK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Dav MALCOLM L. MORGGAN, &'Ap'FE@@ DWARD M. PALUSO, COMMISSIONERS Minute No. 38 Office of County Commissioners Washington, Pa., Sept. 23, 1976 The Board of County Commissioners met in regular session with the following members being present: Commissioners Gilmore, Paluso and Morgan. Also being present: Chief Clerk Brady; Solicitor Diamond; Budget Director Gillespie; John Drake, Senior Citizens; Mrs. Miller, League of Women Voters; Earl Bugaile, WKEG; Bob Robertson, Observer -Reporter and Rich Nardine, Daily Notes. Chairman noted for the record that the three Commissioners, the Chief Clerk, County Solicitor and Budget Director were in attendance. Chairman asked if there were any corrections, additions or omissions to Minute No. 37, each member having received a copy. Moved by Mr. Gilmore, seconded by Mr. Morgan, that Minute No. 37, be approved as read. Roll call vote taken: Mr. Gilmore - Yes; Mr. Paluso - Yes; Mr. Morgan - Yes. Motion carried unanimously. Special Order of Business: Mr. Charles A. Gillsepie, Budget Director made the following presentation to the Board for their consideration: Mr. Gillespie: I have a foster home placement program for juveniles who have not been judged delinquents, to be placed in foster homes in Washington County. The reason for this is that the state has not had enough for reimbursement purposes from 100% to 50% when we use state institutions. If we open foster homes in our own County, we are reimbursed the same as Child Welfare, somewhere between 75% and 90%. Mr. Stapulis and Mr. Harrison of Juvenile Probation have worked up a program and contract. The cost of maintaining these children in the homes in Washington County would be the same as Child Welfare - $141.00 a month which includes payment to the parents and allowance for clothing and incidentals. The contract has been prepared and reviewed by Mr. Diamond, and he has approved it. Now we are asking for approval from the County Commissioners to institute the program and start placement of these children. Remarks: Mr. Morgan: Is this the first time we have ever had a foster program for deprived children? Mr. Gillespie: Yes. Mr. Morgan How many participants do Mr. Stapulis and Mr. Harrision have at the present time that have agreed.to participate in this program? Mr. Gillespie: I don't have that figure. I know they have several applicants, but it is not projected to be any more than 20 to 30 in the course of a year. This will depend upon the Juvenile Courts actually making the placements. F_ 1 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA ae� Gilmore MALCOLM L. MORGAN, EDWARD M. PALUSO, COMMISSIONERS E Mr. Paluso: I would like to know who would conduct some sort of check or investigation into these homes prior to placing these children. Mr. Gillespie: That investigation will be conducted by Mr. Harrison's office. Mr. Stapulis is the supervisor in charge of the program and it will be conducted under the state regulations Title 4300, Foster Family Care and Social Services. Mr. Gilmore: The Department of Public Welfare will also have to approve each home. Mr. Paluso: It just seems that deprived children are the same as those presently being serviced by Child Welfare. Mr. Gillespie: The determination is made by the Judge, where the Child Welfare cases, or neglected child is somewhat different. Mrs Gilmore: It is a combination of age and circumstances bringing in our Child Welfare Agency.or bur.,Juveni.le Court. The initial contact in these situations is probably going to be the Juvenile Court, but the situatimn-is something less than a delinquent child. We have a definition of what a delinquent child is. He must be someone who has broken the law the same as an adult breaking the law, but there is an area in between where the child needs some kind of instructive environment, needs to be away from the home they are in, and when there is only a matter of time until there is a delinquency situation. This is a problem that we have never been able to deal with, although some state institutions were geared toward this category of young persons, but the state is moving away from any of this. What is happening is, the courts are getting stuck very often with choosing a placement that is very very expensive for us because they have nothing else they can do. I think the wise thing for us is to try and develop this system which in terms of dollars and cents is much much cheaper because the places that are now approved for which we can get some reimbursement are running $700 to $800 a month. Through this program we are talking about -substantially less money and we would be accomplishing the same results. Mr. Paluso: Is this on some sort of trial period? Mr. Gilmore: We can withdraw at any time. There is no obligation here. I think each placement is on a per child basis. If we decide, or if in fact, even the court doesn't place them there then the program terminates. We do have forms or agreements that when the child is placed, then the foster parents know of the money and liability involved, so that if sometime we feel that it is not working, and too expensive or not accomplishing the objectives that it was designed to do, we just inform the court that we are no longer going to operate this program. It is certainly better than putting them in an institution and having no control when they come out. Moved by Mr. Gilmore, seconded by Mr. Paluso, adopting the new Foster Home Program for deprived children and to proceed with the placements of these children. Roll call vote taken: Mr. Gilmore - Yes; Mr. Paluso - Yes; Mr. Morgan - Yes. Motion carried unanimously. Correspondence: checks: Chief Clerk informed the Board of the receipt of the following 1. Pittsburgh National Bank - ck. #854924 dated 9/16/76 14-day investment at 4 3/4% interest - General Fund Principle $1,350,000.00 Interest $ 2,493.75 TOTAL $1,352,493.75 2. City of Washington, Pa. - ck. #394 dated 9/8/76 for reimbursement for Sweeney Case - Manpower Planning Account - $1,003.58 3. united States Treasury - ck. #82,991,319 dated 9/14/76 for Manpower Program - Manpower Planning Account $115,000.00 4. Pittsburgh National Bank - ck. #854958 dated 9/20/76 C.D. #1490 - 31-day investment - 1974 Bond Issue Acct. Principle $650,000.00 Interest $ 2,868.58 TOTAL $652,868.58 290 MINUTE BOOK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA MALCOLM L. MORGAN, 1 F [ X bWARD M. PALUSO. COMMISSIONERS 5. Commonwealth of Pa. - Ck. #526887 - dated 9/14/76 Personnel and Administrative expenses for period of April 1 - June 30, 1976 - Washington County second quarter - (Federal 4th quarter) - Account 6-A-1 $2,877.21 Chief Clerk presented the following bills to the Board for their consideration and approval: 1. Department of Labor & Industry - $3.00 2. Washington Center for Design Ltd. - $6,371.00 Remarks: Mr. Morgan spggested that the bill from Washington Center for Design be reviewed in conjunction with the other bills that have been paid and compare it to the contract that the Board signed to design the roads,in order to see where the County now stands as far as the amount of money that was originally contracted for. Moved by Mr. Gilmore, seconded by Mr. Paluso, that the foregoing bills be approved for payment. Roll call vote taken: Mr. Gilmore - Yes; Mr. Paluso - Yes; Mr. Morgan - Yes. Motion carried unanimously. Chief Clerk informed the Board of a letter dated September 15, 1976 from Samuel S. Pangburn, Esq., regarding Marianna Flood Control Project and -'.giving notification of a meeting to be held on October 1, 1976, at 7:00 p.m. in the Marianna Fire Hall to discuss the present status of the Project, and noting that one specific point of discussion will be the cost to be assumed by the local government. Mr. Morgan recommended that a representative attend this meeting and asked Mr. Brady to arrange the attendance. Chief Clerk read a letter dated September 13, 1976 from the Fredricktown Cub Scouts, Pack 1391, requesting permission to bury a time capsule in Ten Mile Park for 100 years. Said letter also listed the material to be placed in the capsule, and asked the Board if they have any material which they would like to add. Remarks: Mr. Gilmore stated that this had been referred to Michael George, Director of Parks and Recreation, and who could see no problems in doing this. It was suggested that a copy of a presidential ballot and of the Home Rule Charter be added to the material to be buried. Chief Clerk presented a Proclamation to the Board &or their approval. proclaiming Monday, October 11, 1976, as Columbus Day and urging all citizens of Washington County to join their fellow Americans of Italian Descent in saluting Christopher Columbus, the Discovertr=bf-Auterica. Moved by Mr. Paluso, seconded by Mr. Gilmore, approving the Proclamation as per above. Roll call vote taken: Mr. Gilmore - Yes; Mr. Paluso - Yes,j Mr. Morgan - Yes. Motion carried unanimously. MINUTE BOOK �l BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA llavi �r�' �Q j�� MALCOLM L. MORGANI��JF[�61. EDWARD M. PALUSO, COMMISSIONERS Chief Clerk informed the Board of a billing from the Washington - Greene County MH/MR Program for the quarter of April 1, 1976 through June 30, 1976 in the amount of $33,358.34. Mr. Brady added that this was a budgeted item. Meeting adjourned. THE FOREGOING MINUTES READ AND APPROVED: 4eptember 23JfJ/�l , 1976 F / ATTEST: CHIEF CLERK 1