Fred Rosencrans named Luzerne County’s interim operational services division head

Luzerne County 911 Executive Director Fred Rosencrans will serve as the county’s interim operational services division head when Edmund O’Neill leaves that position Jan. 14, County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo announced Monday.

Crocamo also reappointed two other interim division heads to provide temporary oversight for another 90 days — Human Resources Director Angela Gavlick as interim administrative services division head and Assistant Solicitor Shannon Crake Lapsansky as interim chief solicitor.

The county’s home rule charter limits interim division heads to 90-day appointments per calendar year. Crocamo said the change to a new year allows her to keep both temporary appointees as acting division heads another 90 days.

Prior administrative services division head David Parsnik had abruptly resigned in late September, declining comment on the reason.

An acting chief solicitor was needed because Crocamo temporarily stepped away from that law division head position when she was made interim manager in July.

Crocamo has said she won’t be recommending anyone to fill vacant division head positions because she believes those choices should be up to the permanent manager.

The county’s manager search committee started advertising the top manager position Dec. 27 and plans to provide a list of qualified applicants to council for its consideration in April. Council must then conduct its own interviews before making a selection.

Council confirmation is required for manager-nominated division head appointments.

O’Neill has been operational services division head since July 2016 and is leaving for a position outside county government.

The operational services head oversees engineering, roads and bridges, planning and zoning, 911, emergency management, buildings and grounds, the boiler plant and solid waste management.

Rosencrans has been overseeing the county’s 911 department since May 2014. He previously worked as a 911 technical support/data manager.

“Please join me in wishing them success in their positions,” Crocamo said in her Monday afternoon announcement.