Votes at a glance: Jefferson County approves appointments, contracts and personnel actions
December 29, 2025 | Jefferson County, Pennsylvania
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The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved a slate of routine motions including personnel appointments, contracts and policy updates.
The board accepted the resignation of Tom Newell from the Jefferson County Housing Authority and appointed Jessica Waltman to a five-year term on that authority. The board also appointed Dr. Joseph Kurnich and Karen Rapone (also referenced as Karen Lapone in the transcript) to the Jefferson County Hospital Authority; terms for those appointments were listed through Dec. 31, 2026.
The commissioners approved two legal services contracts to provide assistant public defender services: Scott C. Allen, Esquire, at a yearly rate of $25,500, and an agreement with Cisionelli (Cisionelli/Cordonato LLC in transcript) at $30,000 per year. Commissioners publicly thanked the attorneys for making themselves available.
Other approved motions included routine payroll ($343,827.50 for the Nov. 30–Dec. 14 pay period), invoice payments totaling $2,440,859.15, updates to the county vehicle and personnel policies effective Jan. 1, 2026, and ratification of a collective bargaining agreement covering court-appointed employees (pending final legal review as noted in the record).
Actions taken at the meeting were moved and seconded and carried by voice vote; commissioners offered brief remarks of appreciation to staff and volunteers. Where vote tallies were not recorded in full in the transcript, the minutes show motions carried by voice affirmation.
The board accepted the resignation of Tom Newell from the Jefferson County Housing Authority and appointed Jessica Waltman to a five-year term on that authority. The board also appointed Dr. Joseph Kurnich and Karen Rapone (also referenced as Karen Lapone in the transcript) to the Jefferson County Hospital Authority; terms for those appointments were listed through Dec. 31, 2026.
The commissioners approved two legal services contracts to provide assistant public defender services: Scott C. Allen, Esquire, at a yearly rate of $25,500, and an agreement with Cisionelli (Cisionelli/Cordonato LLC in transcript) at $30,000 per year. Commissioners publicly thanked the attorneys for making themselves available.
Other approved motions included routine payroll ($343,827.50 for the Nov. 30–Dec. 14 pay period), invoice payments totaling $2,440,859.15, updates to the county vehicle and personnel policies effective Jan. 1, 2026, and ratification of a collective bargaining agreement covering court-appointed employees (pending final legal review as noted in the record).
Actions taken at the meeting were moved and seconded and carried by voice vote; commissioners offered brief remarks of appreciation to staff and volunteers. Where vote tallies were not recorded in full in the transcript, the minutes show motions carried by voice affirmation.
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