Luzerne County Courthouse

Luzerne County Courthouse

Four evening Luzerne County government meetings will be held this week, starting with a Monday night interview session conducted by council’s Authorities, Boards and Commissions Committee.

This committee must publicly interview citizen applicants for outside, council-appointed boards.

Council Vice Chairman Chris Perry, who chairs the committee, said more than 40 terms expire before the end of the year.

In addition to new applicants, current members of any county boards, authorities and commissions must complete another interview if they want to be placed back on the eligibility list for reappointment after their terms expire, Perry said.

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The online-only committee interview session starts at 6 p.m. A link to attend will be posted on council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Tuesday

Council will hold a 2022 budget work session followed by a special voting meeting starting at 5 p.m. at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance posted on council’s online meeting link.

The budget work session will focus on the administrative services division, which covers the election bureau and human resources, mapping/GIS, purchasing, information technology, licensing, tourism and community development departments.

Voting agenda

First on the voting agenda are a series of budget amendments proposed by Council members Harry Haas and Walter Griffith.

A vacancy on the county’s seven-citizen county manager search committee also will be declared due to Ray Wendolowski’s recent resignation. Council members have not yet publicly discussed how they plan to address the vacancy.

Also on the voting agenda is a motion to set the “topmost” salary for the next manager. The volunteer search committee had asked council to vote on the matter so a realistic maximum is stated in the upcoming manager job advertisement.

The committee recommended stating the position pays up to $185,000, which is around this year’s maximum compensation under the county’s home rule charter based on the current district attorney salary. Prior county manager C. David Pedri was receiving $137,333 when he left in July. As acting manager, Romilda Crocamo is receiving $102,116, which is the charter minimum, or 55% of the DA salary.

Council also is set to vote Tuesday on whether to commit a match of up to $750,000 to the county Transportation Authority for its construction of a new $60 million, state-of-the-art transportation center at the 12-acre former Murray complex site on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre.

Authority Executive Director Robert Fiume had told council he is seeking other funding options to reduce the county’s payment, but the state is requiring a county funding commitment to proceed with the Jan. 5 award of bids. If that deadline is not met, the project must be rebid, which would increase the cost and county match, Fiume said.

Wednesday

The county’s five-citizen Election Board will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse.

A link for remote meeting access will be posted under council’s authorities/boards/commissions online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.

Thursday

The Manager Search Committee is set to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, also at the courthouse. A remote access link will be posted under council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

While council must ultimately hire the manager with at least seven of 11 votes required, the charter requires the outside committee to “recommend the candidates it believes are the most qualified.”

The committee is expected to discuss an updated timeline for advertising the position and screening applicants.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.