HONESDALE, PA — At a meeting on August 4, the Wayne County Commissioners received and completed a number of funding authorizations and approvals.

Chief among these was word from the state that Wayne’s $5,407,435 child welfare budget for 2016-16 is now finalized and accepted.

The county’s share of that figure this year was said to be approximately 20%.

In a related action, the commissioners approved a continuation of the Child Welfare Information System, which provides coordination and oversight to prevent the “county hopping” of clients in the system.

Human Services was also the topic of a memorandum of understanding regarding the PA Department of Aging’s regional coordination of services for contracting services to local area agencies on aging offices. The county approval would maintain local oversight. “It’s important to maintain services at a local level for our consumers. Our staff knows best… Not everything can be done from Harrisburg,” Commissioner Wendell Kay said.

The commissioners signed off on the fiscal year 2016 Homeland Security Grant covering the eight-county Northeast Regional Task Force. It provides $1,039,348 and provides for training, supplies and information for technical upgrades. It covers areas including law enforcement training and a statewide “Knowledge Center,” which allows information and situation sharing among emergency management coordinators statewide.

In other business, the commissioners renewed the memorandum of agreement providing Northampton County Community College space for its job training and employment offices at the Park Street Complex, and renewed a $650 monthly rental agreement at 1798 North Main St. for the Housing Assistance Program.

In other communications, Wayne received notice from PennDOT’s contractor of a project to correct a slide area on an unstable slope adjacent to state Route 370 and Shehawken Creek in Buckingham Township. The notice was required by state law involving water encroachments.