Luzerne County Council set to vote on opioid committee restructuring

Luzerne County Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on introducing an ordinance altering the structure of the commission that makes recommendations on opioid settlement awards.

Created by council in 2023, the Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement has seven members: a council-appointed citizen (Mary Butera), a County Council member (John Lombardo), the county district attorney, and four administrators — the manager, drug and alcohol director, and human services and correctional services division heads.

County Council has the final say on which awards are granted.

Councilwoman Denise Williams’ proposed ordinance would add two more council members.

Williams said she strongly believes three council members should be on the commission instead of one.

“There’s a lot of administration on the commission right now, so I thought it might balance that out a little bit,” Williams said during a recent work session discussion about the matter.

Two would be selected by council majority vote, her proposal says. The third council seat would be held by the council chair or his/her designee.

The two non-chair council commission seats would be vacated and filled with new or reappointed members when council reorganizes every two years, it said. Council also selects a chair at reorganization, which could prompt the third council commission seat to change if someone new is placed in that leadership post.

If the ordinance takes effect, the seat currently held by Lombardo would be vacated and subject to reappointment, it said.

The ordinance also requires all commission meetings to be held in public and to comply with the state Sunshine Act.

The commission had taken the position that its meetings were not public based on court case law because it is advisory and not a decision-making body. However, it agreed to meet publicly, starting with its April 1 meeting, after several council members expressed disagreement with that interpretation.

At least four of the 11 council members must introduce the proposed ordinance to keep it on the table, with a public hearing and final majority passage required for changes to take effect.

Council has authorized approximately $8 million in earmarks since 2023. The county is projected to receive approximately $30 million over 18 years from the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

Six outstanding opioid earmark requests have been forwarded to council for its review and consideration:

• $60,000 to the Children’s Service Center of Wyoming Valley to help with patient insurance copay and deductibles required for them to continue substance use disorder treatment

• $268,600 to help renovate and support the Clem-Mar House-Meridian Recovery House in Wilkes-Barre that will serve up to 30 women in recovery

• $2 million to True North of NEPA for its new substance use disorder treatment center on Courtright Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, which is near the county prison and emergency management properties on Water Street, and is expected to open in May

• $2.2 million for 2027 and 2028 costs of injectable medications and other expenses related to the county prison system’s medication-assisted treatment program

• $172,000 for the county’s adult treatment court to partially cover the salaries of two case managers, a probation officer, and the treatment court coordinator

• $282,551 for The Wright Center for Community Health’s ongoing recovery “Healthy MOMS” program to continue providing medication-assisted treatment for pregnant and postpartum women and expand treatment for babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome

Council’s Tuesday meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted in council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.