Numerous vacant board seats to be filled by Luzerne County Council

A Luzerne County Council committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday to publicly interview citizens interested in open seats on boards, authorities and commissions.

More than 30 applicants are expected to be interviewed, said Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo, chair of council’s Authorities, Boards and Commissions Committee.

Numerous seats are open, including some held by members in terms that expired by the end of 2022. Applicants must be publicly interviewed to be eligible for consideration, including those seeking reappointment.

Council intends to fill most or all of the vacancies at its next voting meeting on Jan. 24, Lombardo said.

Tuesday’s interview session starts at 5 p.m. at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance posted under council’s online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.

More information on applying for seats is available on council’s authorities/boards/commissions link at luzernecounty.org.

Courthouse closed

Non-emergency county government offices are closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Election Board

The county’s five-citizen election board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse.

Instructions to attend remotely will be posted on council’s authorities/boards/commissions online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.

Executive sessions

County Councilman Brian Thornton called for more detailed public disclosure after council meets in closed-door executive session, such as identifying specific litigation that was discussed.

Thornton raised the issue at the start of last week’s council meeting. He has said council should be citing which litigation matters come before them so the public has more awareness of claims that have been filed against the county.

He identified both legal matters discussed last week, saying one had to do with an airport hanger and the other had been filed by Judicial Watch Inc.

Council unanimously approved a settlement of the Judicial Watch litigation last week that won’t require a monetary payment by the county.

A conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, Judicial Watch had filed a complaint against Luzerne and other counties asserting inactive voter purging requirements were not met. The $15,000 settlement will be paid by the state on behalf of all county defendants, the agenda said. County officials have said purges are now up to date.

Infrastructure projects

When presenting the monthly division head report last week, county Acting Manager Brian Swetz emphasized it contains a detailed update on road and bridge projects available to interested residents.

The most recent report describes 22 projects in progress, he noted.

“A lot of work is getting done, even though it’s not talked about at every meeting,” Swetz said.

The report is posted in council’s Jan. 10 work session agenda at luzernecounty.org.

Elevators

A project to replace the two heavily used elevators at the county prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre is set to begin this spring, according to the latest division report.

Council had authorized $300,000 in federal American Rescue funding toward the elevator project last January to supplement $350,000 in county capital funds already earmarked, making $650,000 available. An additional $235,000 American Rescue allocation was approved for the project in July based on the lone bid from Otis Elevator.

The prison’s two elevators date back to the 1980s. Some repairs were completed after a fifth-floor elevator door swung open at the base in 2016, resulting in the deaths of a correctional officer and an inmate, but officials say the motor system and controls must be updated, largely because replacement components are now difficult to find.

Another elevator project also is pending at the county’s Bernard C. Brominski Building near the courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, the report said.

While a contractor has repaired the operation of the building’s elevator, replacement of the outdated control system is slated to occur this month, it said. Council had earmarked funds for that project in last year’s capital plan.