In advance of his first required annual public forum Thursday night, Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri released a lengthy report listing the administration’s accomplishments during his nearly one-year tenure.
Previously chief county solicitor, Pedri was appointed to the top management post in May but had been serving as interim manager since January following Robert Lawton’s resignation. The forum is required by the county’s home rule charter.
The report opens by stating Pedri’s four pillars of county government — employee engagement, customer service, processes and financial stability.
Among the 2016 developments he highlighted in the eight county divisions under his direct supervision:
• Administrative Services: implementation of the first summer internship program; creation of uniform employee disciplinary procedures; near completion converting to a voice-over phone system and virtual servers; negotiation of six collective bargaining contracts; development of first new employee orientation program; and completion of a contract to save money on printing and copy machine maintenance.
• Budget/Finance: completion of first on-time county audit; early submission of the proposed 2017 budget; collection of around $166,000 from property owners who incorrectly received homestead tax breaks on more than one residence; and a $1 million reduction in the amount that must be borrowed in the county’s annual tax revenue anticipation loan.
• Judicial Services and Records: purchase of new building in Hanover Township to consolidate and properly preserve all documents that must be kept; clearing of clerk of courts record processing backlog and employee cross-training; resuming of bail forfeiture hearings; sheriff office supervision takeover of security workers; termination of more than 2,000 inactive civil court cases; and coroner’s office handling of a record number of drug overdose deaths.
• Operational Services: established flood response protocol committee; resurfacing of the rear courthouse parking lot in Wilkes-Barre; completion of a countywide emergency management response plan; repair of numerous roads and bridges, including the repaving of New Commerce Boulevard in Hanover Township; new sidewalks, retaining wall and other courthouse south side improvements; and roof replacements at the Bernard C. Brominski Building in Wilkes-Barre and 911 Center in Hanover Township.
• Human Services: held drive to collect around 1,000 pairs of pajamas for children removed from their homes due to suspected abuse or neglect and an art supply collection for the mental health department; completion of 4-year aging department plan; lighting of courthouse in blue for autism awareness month; Spanish language training for employees; and focus on solutions to the heroin/opioid epidemic epidemic, including increased training on administering the antidote Naloxone.
• Public Defender’s: auto-dial pilot program alerting defendants of court hearings to reduce prison overcrowding; expanding of office hours; expungement of more than 100 juvenile records; and implementation of initiatives to improve the delivery of indigent defense.
• Law Office: streamlining of contract process; review of human resource protocols and practices; review of record retention requirements in preparation of the move to a new storage facility; and assignment of solicitor to every department and county board/commission to improve accessibility and expertise.
• Correctional Services: installation of new security cameras and acquisition of additional radios for correctional officers; implementation of victim resource program for female inmates and an electronic medical record system; career workshop held for former inmates; pepper spray made accessible to officers in each control booth; restored random drug testing of employees; and revival of program in which inmates discuss the dangers of drug addiction with middle school students.
