Luzerne County Council to hold first regular meeting of 2022 on Tuesday

Luzerne County Council will hold its first regular voting meeting and work session of 2022 on Tuesday, with a full agenda planned.

First up is a revised lease associated with the settlement of 2018 litigation Richard and Kimberly Hazzouri had filed arguing West Pittston did not sufficiently advertise a flood buyout program funded by disaster recovery assistance channeled through the county following record 2011 Susquehanna River flooding, the agenda said.

County council had voted in September to pay $585,000 toward the $650,000 purchase of the Hazzouri’s residential property on Susquehanna Avenue in West Pittston.

However, council had unanimously voted in December to deny a settlement lease allowing the Hazzouris to remain in the property for up to two years for $200-per-month while they secure a new residence.

The new proposed agreement on Tuesday’s agenda would allow the Hazzouris to lease the property for one year at $1,700 per month and provide an additional four-month lease option at $2,000 per month, the agenda said.

Home rule

Council also is set to vote on introduction of an ordinance that would place a question on the May 17 primary election ballot asking county voters if they want to amend the home rule charter and allow council to obtain its own outside legal counsel instead of relying on the county’s law office.

This proposal has come up in the past. Charter drafters argued the creation of a unified law division to represent all county officials and departments would end litigation between county departments and allow the lawyers to represent the county as a whole instead individual branches.

Ordinances require at least four votes for introduction and majority approval at a subsequent meeting for final passage.

Council vacancy

The council seat that had been held by Walter Griffith also will be declared vacant Tuesday — a formality necessary to begin seeking a Republican replacement to serve through 2023. Griffith became the elected county controller Jan. 3.

Under the charter, a council majority must pick someone within 60 days after the vacancy is declared. In past vacancies, council requested applicants and publicly interviewed them before making a selection.

Meeting link

Tuesday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the council meeting room at the courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Instructions to attend the meeting remotely will be posted in council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Court hirings

Several hirings in county court branches were recently announced through court orders.

Those appointed, along with their positions and annual compensation: Daniel Zeleniak, judicial assistant for President Judge Michael T. Vough, $38,000; Brittany Quinn, judicial law clerk for Judge Stefanie Salavantis, $71,812; Megan Stone, executive secretary for Salavantis, $51,495; Joseph J. Musto, judicial law clerk for Judge Tarah Toohil, $71,812; Christopher Pavlick, executive secretary for Toohil, $51,495; Molly B. Murphy, probation services court collections supervisor, $52,000; Claudia Fisher, adult probation services deputy chief, $76,000; Carmen Lopresto, chief of adult probation services, $78,000; and Ann Marie Braskey, probation services director, $82,000.

Election positions

The county has advertised a new elections operator position at $40,000 that council had agreed to fund in the 2022 budget.

This employee will perform a “broad range of administrative, technical and specialized duties” to assist in elections, the posting says.

Resumes are due Jan. 20, with job description details posted under the human resources department “career opportunities” section at luzernecounty.org.

IT director

The county administration is in the process of interviewing several applicants for the county’s vacant information technology director position, which had been advertised at a compensation of $80,000 to $86,000, said County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo.

Prior director Mauro DiMauro left the position Dec. 16.