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Nearly 100 professionals from across human services, education, behavioral health, health care, and Susquehanna County government convened for the region's first-ever Youth Services Resource Hub on November 21, 2025. This full-day summit concluded with a unified call to strengthen systems of care for children and families by shifting focus from reactive Child & Youth Services (CYS) investigations to upstream, community-based prevention.

County officials emphasized the event's collaborative nature, which was designed to rebuild connections between children and family service providers, lost over the past several years.

"We are committed to get the services we need in this county," said Commissioner Alan Hall in his welcoming remarks. "This initial Resource Hub meeting is a great first step and we are dedicated to making this work."

Chief Clerk Rebekah Hubbard noted that the large turnout "shows the level of commitment to the children and families in Susquehanna County."

Deputy Secretary Lavel Miller-Wilson of the PA Office of Children, Youth and Families described a growing "mission drift" in county welfare systems. He explained that many reports coming into CYS deal with well-being and economic support – issues outside of the system's core function of eliminating fatalities and near-fatalities.

"The county welfare systems are struggling. We are asking them to do too much," Miller-Wilson stated. He stressed the need for communities to tighten their web of available services to provide more proactive support and reduce the burden on CYS.

Human services consultant Beverly Mackereth, of Mackereth Consulting, LLC, reinforced this view with county-specific data. Mackereth reviewed the county's Child Protective Service (CPS) and General Protective Service (GPS) reports. While 125 CPS reports were deemed necessary, she determined that CYS should have received only one-quarter to one-half of the 698 GPS reports.

"Most of the GPS reports involve unmet needs and are not abuse," Mackereth said. "Poverty is not a reason for a call to CYS." She emphasized that when community services work, people stay out of the system, stating, "This is a community problem, not just a child welfare problem."

She added that early, community-based prevention can provide voluntary support, helping to keep children safe with their families and avoid unnecessary trauma, stigma, and system involvement. Brinda Penyak, Special Advisor to the PA Secretary of Human Services, echoed the call for more "upstream" work.

Mackereth strongly advocated for the establishment of a Family Resource Center to provide voluntary support to families. "Research shows if you can keep children safe they are better off with their families," she said. "It costs less to help families succeed than it does on the back end."

Among challenges facing the county are access to childcare, family resources, and transportation. Mackereth stressed that businesses, not just government agencies, need to step up because "When families thrive, communities thrive."

The next steps in community prevention include establishing work groups focused on key community priorities, such as: increased child care usage; transportation solutions; parenting supports; establishment of a Family Resource Center; recovery and wellness.

The Resource Hub event included breakout discussions spotlighting Early Intervention, Crisis Services, Drug & Alcohol Prevention, and truancy services, with participation from partners like Lackawanna-Susquehanna BHIDEI, Scranton Counseling Center, and local school districts.

Hubbard confirmed that this successful summit is the first in a series of ongoing Resource Hub events planned to actively address issues facing Susquehanna County residents.

For more information, contact: Rebekah Hubbard, Chief Clerk – chiefclerk@susqco.com; 570-278-4600.

Last year, for the first time in more than 10 years, the New Milford Borough Council decided to impose a property tax. At its November meeting on the 20th, Council agreed on a budget for 2026 and an accompanying ordinance that keeps that property tax at a total of 5.3 mills: 3.3 mills for the Borough and an extra 2 mills for the fire company.

Overall, expenses are projected to decrease by well over half a million dollars compared to the 2025 budget. Most of that, however, is somewhat ephemeral, falling in the areas of major repairs – particularly bridges – which are expected to be covered by grants. Otherwise, the budget shows increases in employee wages, and in insurance. The budget does expect a carryover from 2025 of more than $33,000, almost double the amount for 2025, with a payment into the capital reserve fund slightly higher at just over $41,300.

Selling the 10-year-old Ford F550 truck will help. Nine bids were opened at the meeting. The winner was Jack Downton of Starrucca, at $41,100.

Council entertained requests for donations as follows:

• $250 to support a food pantry sponsored by the Blue Ridge Leo Club
  
  
• $150 for the 28-year-old Toys-n-Tots Christmas program
  
  
• $100 for a Christmas program sponsored by Interfaith
  

The final phases of the Johnston Street bridge project are underway. Engineers have said that the bridge is now capable of supporting up to 24 tons. All that remains is for the authorities to agree.

Funds remaining from the Johnston Street project will be applied to the next bridge project, on Maple Street. The Housing Authority, which is shepherding the Maple Street project through the grant process, is awaiting bid specifications.

Council approved a resolution allowing application for another grant of some $710,000 for major repairs to the pool in Blue Ridge Park.

Council agreed to advertise a new ordinance covering pay for its own members. Except for certain specified excused absences, Council members will be paid only for meetings they actually attend. There's not a huge amount of money involved. Each member is eligible for $1,875 per year. There are 7 members; Council tries to meet monthly – 12 times per year. Do the math. The budget allows for a total of only $12,000 for the year. The New Milford Borough Council periodically has trouble coming up with a quorum (4 members).

Assuming they get a quorum, the next meeting will be on Thursday, December 17, 2025 beginning at 6:30pm at the Borough building on Main Street.

In recent years, Harford Township has had not one but four budgets: One for general township expenses, funded largely by property and earned-income taxes; one mostly for larger infrastructure projects, funded from Act 13 "impact fee" distributions; one primarily for road maintenance, funded by state "liquid fuels" subsidy; and one for the sewer (and now also village water) systems, funded mostly by user fees. At their November meeting on the 18th, the Township Supervisors voted to offer budgets for 2026 that together project spending a bit more than $1.7 million, more than $200,000 lower than for 2025 overall.

The general fund budget for next year is only marginally higher than for 2025, with the largest increases in pay and benefits, and insurance. The "impact fee" budget is almost $300,000 lower for 2026; the Supervisors keep close track of this part of the budget because natural gas activity is falling, and because what the legislature has given, it can easily take away. The so-called "state budget" is only slightly lower for next year, with small cuts in most line items. The water/sewer budget likewise is somewhat smaller, probably due in large part to the change in operation management from JHA to Farnham & Associates.

At the request of Dustin Walker, the Supervisors also agreed to add a line item for bridge repair/replacement that, for this year and next, will accumulate any budget surpluses. A report indicating that the bridge on Lower Podunk Road would need significant work came in too late to fit into the 2026 budget, but because of its importance, Mr. Walker wanted to ensure that at least some funding would become available for a project that could cost upwards of $1 million, and take several years to accomplish. So far the project is only in the preliminary planning stages, but will require serious engineering, permitting, bidding and contracting. The Township is thought to have at least 5 bridges or large culverts that are in need of repair.

The Supervisors adopted a resolution modifying the current, 2025 budget to shift funds between accounts. They do this periodically to satisfy the Township's auditors, who require that expenditures be recorded against budget line items; and when they don't match, the Supervisors adopt a resolution to make sure they do.

The long-running dispute over sewer operations with the Harford Fair continues between the organizations' lawyers. The Township is claiming a total of almost $20,000 in extra expenses in 2024 when discharges from the Fair that year upset operations at the sewage plant. The Township and the Fair are trying to reach a detailed written agreement on the responsibilities of each side with respect to sewage handling. According to Dan Farnham, operator of the sewer plant, who monitored the system during Fair week, there were no issues this year.

The Township's solicitor has also been asked to develop some kind of ordinance covering solar farms. It seems that some jurisdictions have been saddled with the expense of cleaning up when solar farms with acres of panels are abandoned for whatever reason. Such an ordinance would presumably apply only to commercial operations, not to solar installations serving individual properties.

Brad Millard, Chair of the Harford Township Municipal Authority, provided a summary of work done and yet to be done on the major project to rejuvenate the ballfield off School Street as a municipal park. The bill list showed payments of over $370,000 for the park; the Treasurer's report showed deposits of over $240,000 for the park, in grant receipts and donations. About 90% of the approved grant allocation has been received so far. Most of the major work for this phase has been completed, with some that will have to wait for spring.

A lot of dead trees remain on the park property that need to be removed. Mr. Walker asked for approval to solicit bids for such work that he thought would be best done in the winter when the ground is hard.

The Township and its Municipal Authority are looking toward a grand opening of the park on "9 Partners Day," May 22, 2026. Such a festival has been talked about for a few years, ever since the 9 Partners monument was moved to the center of the village and mention of "9 Partners Day" came to light in some old documents that surfaced at that time. In the meantime, residents are welcome to inspect progress at the park themselves, taking care that the property is still a construction site.

The next public meeting of the Harford Township Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 2025 beginning at 7:00pm at the Township office on Route 547. The 2026 budget will be given formal approval at that time.