The Reader Beat: County Council Notes from April 21, 2026

Following our notes taken during the County Council meeting on April 21.

I attended the County Council meeting on April 21 at 6 p.m. Councilman Jim Wertz presented a citation to the Gannon Golden Knights Basketball coaches, honoring the team for winning the D2 National Championship. During public comments, some constituents discussed transparency in county government and brought up concerns about Erie County Re-entry Services and Support Alliance (ECRSSA) being disbanded and reinstated under the Adult Probation Department, including the appropriation of $175,484 and five new positions. The ordinance for this action passed unanimously without a first reading on Feb. 26. The personnel meeting on Feb. 19 that discussed this ordinance was not recorded, though personnel meetings have been recorded and posted online since 2024. Constituents like Michelle Dovishaw called into question the reason for dissolving a program that ran successfully since 2016, explaining that having it run under the jurisdiction of the county's probation department would be counterproductive. "Probation decides if you're acting accordingly or not, and then sends you back to prison or jail. This is a problem and a conflict of interest," Michelle Dovishaw said. "You also have the fear in this city of parolees and probationers resulting from July 2 when Marchello Woodard was killed by his state parole officer." 

"You all voted to make a $371,219 budget for a brand new program that has not been created yet, that is still not manned," Cyndi Treiber said. "This was presented to you as an alliance, a project that was not receiving funding." However, Treiber goes on to explain that ECRSSA was receiving funding, in part by the District Attorney's office, PCCD, the Erie Community Foundation, and the YMCA. Councilman Copeland explained his vote on the ordinance back in February, saying: "That program had been funded by a hodgepodge of several different grants that ran that program. One thing that it never had was a local contribution. The DA's money, the PCCD's money, is passed through the state and I think it's really important that the county actually contribute and make a meaningful effort to assist in re-entry efforts." 

The following ordinances were addressed: 

• An ordinance approving a waiver of bid requirements under the purchasing code and of a sole vendor contract between Eaton Corporation and the Erie County Public Safety Department passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance appropriating $38,344 from the Second 2026 Public Health Fund Budget and creating new line items for Great Lakes Restorative Initiative Funding had its first reading and was not voted on.
• An ordinance appropriating $105,692 from the Third 2026 Public Health Fund Budget and creating new line items for the Pennsylvania Department of Health Funding for Wastewater Surveillance had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance approving a waiver of bid requirements under the purchasing code to contract with Highway Safety Network Inc. had its first reading and was not voted on.
• The possible sale of a parcel from the Repository for Unsold Property passed 6-1 with Copeland voting no. 
• The possible appointment of Jenna Bickford to the Erie County Redevelopment Authority passed unanimously. 
• The possible reappointment of Adam Groves to the Erie County Library Advisory Board passed unanimously.