Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Meeting - January 22, 2026
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Meeting - January 22, 2026
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners held its regular public meeting on January 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the boardroom. The meeting included recognitions, updates on major capital projects, approval of contracts and grants, and public comment on a range of county business items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of the January 8, 2026, Board of Commissioners meeting (motion carried unanimously).
- Approved authorization of planning assistant contracts for Abington Township, Southward Township, Collegeville Borough, Hatboro Borough, North Wales Borough, and a new contract for Plymouth Township (motion carried unanimously). Commissioner DeBello noted the need to revisit the 50% cost share model.
- Committed $1,092,438 in county funds for the Farmland Preservation Program, which leverages approximately $3 million in state funds (motion carried unanimously).
- Authorized three subgrantee agreements between the Redevelopment Authority and Montgomery County for statewide local share account grants totaling $2.5 million, with a 1% RDA fee ($25,000) paid from grant funds (motion carried unanimously).
- Authorized submission of a brownfields cleanup grant application to the EPA for up to $4 million for cleanup at the Erie Street Prison site (motion carried unanimously).
- Approved the revision of the county seal, modernizing the design while preserving historical elements (motion carried unanimously).
- Approved reappointments to the Montgomery County Planning Commission, Montgomery County Transportation Authority, and Drug and Alcohol Planning Council (all motions carried unanimously).
- Approved the January 22, 2026, personnel list (motion carried unanimously).
- Approved advertisement of bids and RFPs as per Exhibit A (motion carried unanimously).
- Approved all Exhibit B contract awards except item 11 (motion carried unanimously). Item 11 (contract for electronic poll books) was voted on separately: Commissioner Weiner and Commissioner McKeeja voted aye, Commissioner DeBello voted no (2-1).
- Approved Exhibit C contract awards for the Southeast PA Regional Task Force (motion carried unanimously).
Public Comments & Testimony
- David Morgan (Ambler): Commented on the Justice Center cost increase from $415M to $480M, asked about lease costs, Microsoft enterprise agreement, and requested a bipartisan chair for the board. He also noted a typo in the agenda referencing "Delaware County" and praised a Penn Medicine program for new mothers.
- Joe Rooney (Abington): Praised voter services staff (Leanne Sierra) for professionalism. Criticized the green roof for potential maintenance issues (ants, rodents). Questioned contract awards for cell phone software licenses ($30,870 for straw gun investigations), a youth leadership program from Lewes, Delaware ($300,000), a gravel trail increase, and a sheriff's vehicle purchase from Easton, PA instead of a local vendor. Expressed strong support for law enforcement.
- Carmina Taylor (Norristown): Apologized for blurting out during earlier comment. Emphasized the importance of civility and attentiveness by commissioners. Announced a statewide initiative led by Black mayors and encouraged Montgomery County participation.
- Christine (Chrissy Jamowski, Roseford): Raised concerns about multiple data center proposals near her home, including a proposed land swap of State Game Lands 234 that could lead to a hyperscale data center. Asked for county support to municipalities, impact studies on health, water, and electric bills, and a public forum. Commissioner McKeeja noted the county's chief sustainability officer is working on a forum for municipal officials.
Discussion Items
- Commissioner Remarks: Commissioner Winder opened by announcing an executive session on January 13, 2026, for legal consultation. He highlighted MLK Day service events, the America 250 kickoff at Valley Forge, the Pennsylvania Farm Show (with butter sculpture by artists from Conshohocken), and the upcoming Share Food Program warehouse opening in Lansdale on January 29 (county invested $4 million in ARPA funds). He recognized Marsha Eichelberger, Executive Director of Family Promise of Montgomery County, with a commendation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and a citation from Congresswoman Madeleine Dean. He also recognized Rick Preet, Roman Catholic High School football head coach and Montgomery County resident, for winning the PA 5A state championship and being named Coach of the Year. He proclaimed January 25-31, 2026 as Medical Legal Death Investigation Professionals Week and presented a certificate to the coroner's office.
- Commissioner Jametta: Reported on the first-ever municipal elected officials orientation forum with 200 attendees, highlighted the Share Food warehouse investment ($7 million total from CARES and ARPA), introduced the new labor liaison Ross Dispenza, and presented "Way to Go" awards to Sean Lee, Jordan Charrega, Sean T. Smith, and others.
- Commissioner DeBello: Recognized January as School Board Appreciation Month, noting Montgomery County has 22 school districts and 198 school board directors. He also acknowledged the hard work of law enforcement.
- Meals on Wheels Presentation (Phoebe Camsianick, Family Services of Montgomery County): Described the Meals on Wheels and Project Hearth programs for seniors, highlighting volunteer needs and the annual "March for Meals" event. Commissioner McKeeja recounted volunteering with a 54-year volunteer.
- Justice Center Update (Jesse King, Chief Operating Officer): Provided a detailed update on phase two construction, including a green roof (first in county facilities), two building entrances, cafe vendor selection, and lighting. Timeline: substantial completion in Q3 2026, operational in Q4 2026. Phase two contract awards total $233M with $5.8M in approved change orders (2.5%). For phase three (historic courthouse renovation), design principles emphasize timelessness and sustainability. Estimated total project cost: $472M to $480M (depending on contingency spend). Remaining contingency: ~$2M for phase two, ~$5M for phase three. Commissioners discussed cost pressures (scope changes, escalation) and requested quarterly updates. Commissioner Weiner highlighted the need for a review of capital project processes.
- Erie Street Prison Update (Scott France, Patty Guttenplan): Reported on progress of the RFEI for redevelopment of the prison site. Targeted uses include residential with inclusionary element, retail, public plaza, structured parking, prison preservation, and county elements (40,000 sq ft). The county is applying for a $4 million EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant (no match required). A public hearing on cleanup options was held that evening at 5 PM. The RFEI process continues with interviews complete; a supplement will be issued to development teams.
- County Seal Revision (Megan Holt): Presented the revised seal, updated for clarity and modern use while retaining original elements (steam engine, farmer, manufacturing, etc.). The new brand colors are Pol Vault, Marigold, and Frost.
Key Outcomes
- All consent calendar items and most contracts were approved unanimously, except for item 11 (electronic poll books) which passed 2-1.
- The Justice Center project timeline remains on track for Q3 2026 substantial completion and Q4 2026 operational start for phase two; phase three completion expected Q4 2028. Total project cost range $472M–$480M.
- The county will submit the EPA brownfield cleanup grant application for the Erie Street Prison by January 28, 2026.
- The county seal revision was adopted; updated seal will be used for official business.
- The board committed $1,092,438 in county funds for farmland preservation, leveraging state funds.
- The board authorized new planning assistant contracts for six municipalities, with a directive to review the cost-share model.
- A motion to separate and approve item 11 (poll books) was passed 2-1. Commissioner DeBello voted no.
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 12:15 PM, followed by a Salary Board meeting.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call to order the January 20 uh January 20. It's been a long moment. What's sitting state? January 20. I can't say it. This is this is not good for the whole meeting. You get my point. So we'll call call it order the meeting. And I'd like uh Ricky Crete to lead us in the put, not to put you on the spot. Okay, there we go. Pledge allegiance to the United States of America. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Great. Thank you. All right. Just a quick uh legal update before we begin. On January 13th of 2026, the Board of Commissioners held an executive session for the purpose of consulting with our county solicitor regarding a potential lawsuit concerning a contract dispute and potential affirmative litigation uh initiated initiated on behalf of the county. So just wanted uh to say that publicly. Uh this past Monday, uh, we all know it was Martin Luther King Day. I hope you all took the opportunity to give back to your communities. Uh my family and I visited Christ Lutheran Church in Orlean for their kids do service events. You'll see my little guy Max there. We made cards for kids in the hospital, and he helped wall up socks with snacks uh inside for the unhoused. Uh and I was very grateful to hear that he is learning about MLK in school, although he got the story mixed up. Um he said that MLK separated black and white people. So we're we're we're working on we're working on that for next next year. Um but no, he's only five years years old. Um and then a little later we stopped by Salem Baptist Church in Abington. Uh uh Alpha Kappa Alpha Serratari hosted their annual day of service there. Uh I had the opportunity to speak with so many uh community members who were gathered to reflect on Dr. King's legacy by helping our friends and neighbors. So we compiled food donation bags for families, feminine hygiene bags for women in need. Um so I hope everyone uh did their part and had a day of service on Monday. Uh last week, Commissioner De Bello and I uh recently we kicked off uh the celebrations for America 250 right here in Monco. The state's America 250 PA committee is organizing kickoff events in all 67 counties. Monka hosted our event last Friday at Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge Park, and this is just the first of many events happening this year. Our very own America 250 Commission led by former Commissioner Ken Lawrence has been working uh hard to coordinate A250 celebrations all throughout Mongo. And we want to invite anyone who has ever has a planned event for this year uh to let us know. Uh you can visit Montgomery County PA.gov forward slash America 250 and submit your planned events. Uh last week I also had the pleasure uh of attending the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg uh for the first time. Uh has anybody been to the farm show by show of hands? Okay. All right. So this is always an amazing show, SOI here, and I found out last week when I went. But the cool thing is that this year's centerpiece uh was a butter sculpture created by two artists from Conchahaken, Jim Victor and Marie Pelton. It's called a toast of our nation's 250th anniversary, inspired by founders grown by farmers. So that's that's Max and my bonus daughter Miley uh in front of the the bone uh the the butter butter sculpture. I think this picture sums up uh the show quite well. I think my favorite part of the show was uh sitting in, I don't know for those that have been to the show. There's a area with about 80 baby goats.
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