Grants, both accepted and applied for, were the primary business of the day for the Wayne County Commissioners as they met on June 27.

Of these, the one likely to impact the most residents involved county human services. Human services director Andrea Whyte spoke on behalf of a $168,400 PennDOT capital equipment grant application, which in part would replace county transportation rolling stock including three buses and one van.

In addition, Whyte said the county will also enter into a partnership with PennDOT to install a system that will show the map location and identity of any of some 23 to 25 county transportation vehicles in service on any given day.

Whyte said the system would eliminate the current need to make random radio calls to locate the nearest drivers when a transportation request is made to any human services provider’s office.

Equally important, Whyte explained that PennDOT reimbursement of funding for transportation is based on mileage. The new system will automate certification of the mileage of county vehicles, eliminating the use of driver written logs.

In keeping with civil service salary scales, the commissioners also approved a measure providing a 2.5% salary increase for county human services employees for the new 2013-14 fiscal year.

Federal funding for Wayne County job search and employment training is provided through the Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Area (WIA), which is a four-county cooperative also serving Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties. The commissioners approved a new financial agreement providing a 15% share of the federal funding to the WIA area.

The commissioners also endorsed an $18,000 state grant application from county detective Peter Hower, to fund computer hardware and software for a proposed central booking site for police in Wayne County’s three municipal departments: Hawley, Honesdale and Waymart.

The new facility, to be sited on county property yet to be determined, would be available 24/7, employ the state’s computer photo image network (CPIN), Commissioner Jonathan Fritz said.

In other business

At the request of county emergency services, the commissioners approved a letter to the state emergency management agency, endorsing a preliminary assessment of the 911 and Internet Protocol (IP) network, for proposed inclusion in the regional communications oversight group. That group, NEcore, now includes Carbon, Pike, Lehigh, Monroe and Schuylkill counties and the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem.

Commissioner Wendell Kay said that any actions recommended in the assessment would need to come back to the commissioners for further approvals.

The commissioners awarded a $17,709 contract, for collection of trash at county facilities through June of 2015, to the low bidder, Waste Management.

The annual Independence Day parade and celebration at Pleasant Mount will begin with the parade at 10 a.m., followed by ceremonies in the park with an appearance by Pennsylvania Senator Lisa Baker, a church barbeque, music and lots of other activities.