The Monroe County Commissioners awarded several bids during their meeting on Nov. 20. A couple of the bids drew comment from a resident.

Resident Anna Lanke questioned the cost of uniforms for the Sheriff’s Department. She said there are about 25 deputies and 10 bailiffs, and the county plans to spend nearly $100,000 for uniforms for them.

She wanted to know their uniforms cost so much more than the officers at the Monroe County Correctional Facility.

“The jail has about 120 officers, and I believe the past four or five years, they’ve spent an average of $96,000 for 120 employees. How do you justify spending $100,000 for 35 people for uniforms?” she asked.

Robert Gress, the chief clerk for the commissioners, said the county requests for bids for whatever the warden and sheriff request.

“The sheriff knows of the new hirers that are coming on and also replacing some of the uniforms with individuals,” Gress said. “Estimated usage, that’s what we use.”

The commissioners accepted the bids from Starr Uniform and Moritz Embroidery for deputy sheriff uniforms and correctional officer uniforms. The bid for correctional officer uniforms was awarded to Starr Uniform for $96,855.45 and to Moritz Embroidery for $3,925. Deputy sheriff uniforms will also be provided by Starr Uniforms at a cost of $92,694.30 and Moritz Embroidery at $1,280. The inmate uniforms and supplies will be furnished by Bob Barker Co., which was the only bidder, for $108,023.44.

Other bids for goods and services needed by Monroe County for 2025 were also approved.

Administrative Center janitorial supplies will be provided by Pennsylvania Paper for $35,429.80; W.B. Mason at $40,992.22; Central Poly Bag Corp. for $10,050; and Pyramid School Products for $2,387.25. Correctional Facility janitorial supplies also will provided by the same companies: Pennsylvania Paper, $38,642.72; W.B. Mason, $53,421.26; Central Poly Bag Corp., $3,840; and Pyramid School Products, $8,598.96. Office supplies will be provided by W.B. Mason, who was the only bidder, for $127,787.75, and toner at $105,320.84.

For utilities, the award for fuel oil was Liberty Discount Fuel with a fluctuating price at .55 cents over per gallon for the Old Jail, Monroe County Correctional Facility, Magisterial District Justice Colleen Mancuso’s office and the Courthouse, and .20 cents over per gallon for Ramsey School.

A three-year contract was for refuse hauling was awarded to Waste Management with a total of $98,580.04. A two-year contract for sewage sludge hauling was awarded to Environmental Services Corp. at .1055 gallon for 2025, and .1085 per gallon for 2026. The total bid was $149,800.

In the capital outlay purchases report for Nov. 14, the total spent was $73,649.05.

Commissioner John Christy, the chairman of the commissioners, said that of this amount, $67,697.25 is for portable radios that will be used by the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, Corrections, Emergency Management and the coroner. The other $5,931.80 is for cabinets and installation in the sheriff’s civil area.

The commissioners approved a Payment and Technology Services Agreement for the Monroe County Domestic Relations office with Kestral Government Payment Solutions. Christy said the agreement if for a three-year period for client payments.

“This will allow Domestic Relations to take credit cards, to pay overdue fees that they might have, and the percentage the credit card company pays is paid by the person making the payment,” Christy said.

The commissioners also approved payment of matching grant funds in the amount $37,000 or 10% agreement and $5,200 or 5% agreement from the Hotel Tax Fund to the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport Authority.

“This is an expansion at the airport,” Christy said. It involves the construction of T-hangers for storage of airplanes.

The grant is through the Federal Aviation Administration through the Community Project Funding, Christy said.

The commissioners also gave a proclamation to President Judge Margherita Worthington. She retired from the county after 25 years of service.

“Wishing her the best on her retirement,” Christy said.

Commissioner Sharon Laverdure said, “It was very nice day. We had some time over in Courtroom One, which is the old antique courtroom; honored her. It was very nicely done.”