Luzerne County Council unanimously approved earmarks for two projects last week from a portion of the county’s remaining $96.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding.
The first is $1.86 million to repair and resurface a deteriorated stretch of county-owned Sweet Valley Road in Ross and Union townships.
Council members have said they want to continue chipping away at infrastructure needs as funds become available.
Most of the American Rescue funding cannot be used for road rehabilitation, with the exception of a category known as “lost revenue” that is more discretionary and based on the dollar amount of receipts the county lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the Sweet Valley Road allocation, approximately $4 million of $8.9 million was still available in the lost revenue category for council to allocate, officials have said.
The second American Rescue earmark would provide an additional $235,000 to replace two elevators at the county prison.
Council had authorized $300,000 in American Rescue funding toward the elevator project in January to supplement $350,000 in county capital funds already earmarked, making $650,000 available. However, the agenda said Otis Elevator was the only company to submit a bid, and another $235,000 is required.
Seminar
The county Office of Law set up a seminar at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the Right to Know Act and Sunshine Act.
Attorney Terry Mutchler, of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, will present the information.
The public is invited to attend the session, which will be held at the Burke Auditorium at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. Parking is available in lots A and B.
An online attendance option also is available, with instructions posted on the main page of the county website at luzernecounty.org.
Capital fund
Council discussed a possible plan last week to transfer $2 million of the county’s $4.8 million 2021 budget surplus into the dwindling capital projects fund.
The surplus was identified in the newly released audit.
Councilman Tim McGinley proposed bolstering the capital fund because only $276,206 in unencumbered funds are remaining.
Approximately $11 million had been in the fund in 2016. Dozens of projects, small and large, have been completed since then, including computer upgrades, building and parking lot repairs, elevator updates, roof replacements, courthouse restoration and security enhancements at the aging county prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Juvenile detention
A presentation was made last week on a proposal to reduce the sale price for the county’s former juvenile detention center from $50,000 to $30,000 due to additional work that will be required to separate the center’s sewer line from one shared with the nearby county prison.
A council majority had voted in November 2020 to sell the property to Roy Castillo, of Castillo Real Estate LLC. The Wilkes-Barre businessman plans to renovate the structure for offices and loft apartments.
Unused for 18 years, the three-story brick center is located off North River Street overlooking the prison.
Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott, who chairs council’s Real Estate Committee, told her colleagues Castillo’s project will require extensive work because she toured the center in 2020 and had to don protective clothing. The sale will help transform the property and return it to the tax rolls, she said.
New position
Council has advertised a new part-time position — assistant to the council clerk — at $18 to $21 per hour, according to an online posting.
Applications are due July 20.
Council had argued additional help is needed based on the workload of the full-time council clerk.
Information is posted in the human resources department career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org.