The Carbon County Commissioners approved the following items last week:

• Reappointed Carbon Engineering Inc. of Summit Hill as the county engineer. The fee schedule ranges from $46 to $189 per hour depending on what service is required.

• Extended Community Development Block Grant projects completion dates from April 30, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024. The projects for fiscal year 2019 for municipalities Mahoning Township and Weissport.

• Extended block grant projects completion dates from April 16, 2024 to April 16, 2025. The projects for fiscal year 2020 are from Lehighton, Franklin Township, Mahoning Township, Jim Thorpe and Lansford.

• A grant application to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Grant program totaling $45,000 to update the Carbon County Mitigation plan.

• An agreement with Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC of Harrisburg for financial consulting services for 2024 at a cost not to exceed $96,250.

• An agreement with Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission to provide 15 hours per week of treatment court coordinator services to the Carbon County Treatment Courts for 2024. The cost is $2,753 per month.

• Accepted a proposal from Pamela Snerr of Jim Thorpe to lease the Mauch Chunk Lake Park beach food and refreshment concession stand from Jan. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2024 with automatic renewal options for two successive terms. The cost is $4,200 per year.

• A resolution honoring Jim Thorpe Mayor Michael Sofranko “for his unyielding dedication to the citizens of Jim Thorpe and the great impact he has had and continues to have on Jim Thorpe and the surrounding areas.” Sofranko will be sworn in as a Carbon County Commissioner on Jan. 2.

• Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein reported that he toured a homeless camp near the Lehigh River last week, noting that there were about two dozen tents set up.

He said he hopes that the county can revitalize the homelessness task force that was started in 2019, but leadership moved and the program fell to the wayside.

He added that the task force could work on helping the people in trouble and clean up the litter that surrounds the site.

Personnel

• Resignation: Jessica M. Pruitte of Jim Thorpe, public defender office manager, effective Jan. 2.

• Prison board appointment: Patrick A. Shepulski of Bethlehem, corrections officer, effective Dec. 26.

• Change of status: Rhianna L. Delich of Palmerton, from county caseworker II to county casework supervisor I, Children and Youth Services, effective Jan. 2.

• Court appointment: Bruce T. Koch of Palmerton, tipstaff, effective Jan. 2.

• Clerk of courts resignation: Zachary A. Kemmerer of Lehighton, second deputy, effective Dec. 29.

• Sheriff resignation: Luis A. Valdez of Jim Thorpe, deputy sheriff, effective Dec. 22.