County insurance committee to consider contract for next fiscal year

​YORK – The county’s insurance committee will be considering the county insurance contract when they start meeting once again.
During their most recent meeting, York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier told the other board members the committee would be meeting in early October.
“We received an early number (regarding cost) and it came with a 20% increase which was just an early number,” Obermier said.
He also said now that the budget work is done for the year, the handbook committee would start meeting once again to formulate changes and updates.
Also during the county board’s most recent meeting:

• York County Highway Superintendent Harvey Keim said Road 22 is completely open to traffic as the bridge work there is completed. He also said work has started on getting snowplows ready for the winter.
• Obermier asked if Keim was working toward bringing forward a list of paving projects they could schedule before the calendar year, so they can be financed through ARPA (federal COVID relief dollars). Keim said the process is underway.
• Tristan Perry with the county’s juvenile diversion program received permission from the county commissioners to apply for another grant, for funds from the crime commission. If this money is received and is not continued in the future, Commissioner Daniel Grotz asked Perry how he intended to keep the additional employee he intends to hire with the initial grant. Perry said he’d then have to ask for general fund money to keep that person.

“But if this board doesn’t approve that, the position would go away in order to not put it on the taxpayers,” Grotz said.
“Correct and I’d communicate that with the person,” Perry responded.
“Your department continues to grow and there is an obvious juvenile problem in York County,” Grotz said. “A few months ago you said you could take on Polk County duties so can you explain why now you need more help?”
“This would make the program more efficient,” Perry said. “With our program growing, it’s getting to be similar to what we see in other counties.”
“Where do you see this office in the future?” Obermier asked. “A four-person office?”
Perry said probably three full-time staff members “in a picture perfect world, to serve all the youth.”
“When we see truancy, do the schools bear any load in shared cost?” Obermier asked. “We are helping the schools with their truancy problems.”
“What they give is access to mental health sessions and each school gives us office space when we are there, plus a laptop from York Public Schools,” Perry said.

• John Prusia, Henderson police chief, was appointed to be a member of the county’s aging services board.

Lori Byers, director of the county’s aging services, said, “We have board membership from around the county. I’ve been going to various village board meetings, to get our vacancies filled. We are excited to have a member from Henderson.

• The board signed an appraisal contract with Vanguard Appraisals Inc. This is an annual agreement for the company to assist the assessor’s office with commercial appraisals. The money is budgeted in the reappraisal sinking fund.
• A special designated liquor license for the Boo On The Farm event at Wessels Living History Farm.