Tuesday’s 6 p.m. Luzerne County Council voting meeting may start late due to a preceding public hearing on a proposed mail ballot drop box ordinance.
The hearing starts at 5:45 p.m., and many citizens have commented for and against the ordinance at prior meetings.
The ordinance would prohibit the use of county staff and funding to transport the drop boxes to locations approved by the county’s citizen election board.
Councilman Stephen J. Urban, who wrote the ordinance, said it does not stop the county-owned boxes from being set up and used because the election board members could personally move the boxes to sites or hire people to deliver them. The proposed ordinance also has no wording barring county sheriff deputies or other workers from continuing to collect ballots voters place inside the boxes.
The county law office has warned litigation is likely if the ordinance is approved. If there is a suit between the election board and council, each entity would have to obtain separate outside legal counsel at the expense of county taxpayers because the county law office would have a conflict representing both.
Council is meeting at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance posted on council’s online public meetings link at luzernecounty.org.
Other public hearings
Council also will hold a public hearing at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday on the proposed annual capital plan.
A 5:30 p.m. public hearing will focus on a proposed ordinance providing laptops for county election board members.
Council is set to vote on all three matters — the capital plan and two ordinances — at the voting meeting.
Voting meeting
Also on the voting agenda is a resolution to transfer ownership of county-owned Mountain Drive to Sugarloaf Township now that it has been repaired. County officials have been pushing for municipal takeover to reduce the inventory of infrastructure that must be maintained by the county.
A $6,500 settlement also is on the agenda to close out litigation Michael Rivera filed against the county. According to the agenda, Rivera was temporarily incarcerated at the county prison in fall 2017 and again in early 2018 pending resolution of a criminal matter in which he was named a defendant. Rivera filed a complaint in county court in March 2018 that was later amended alleging, in part, that his constitutional rights were violated for being treated differently than other administrative custody prisoners, the agenda said.
Prison repairs
Work session discussion topics include a request for an additional $835,000 in county American Rescue Plan funds for roof repairs at the county prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Council had authorized a $700,000 allocation from the federal American Rescue funding to repair the prison parapet walls and roof.
C&D Water Proofing Corp. was the only company to submit a bid, and it came in $835,000 above the allocation amount, the agenda said.
Advertising the work again would likely cause the project cost to rise higher and delay the work until the spring, it said.
Mental Health
Council also is set to discuss a resolution urging the region’s state legislators to increase funding for county mental health-related services.
The state has not increased its funding for mental health services provided to county residents in 11 years, even though the county’s expenses have increased by an estimated 30% in the last seven years, the proposed resolution says.
The impending closures of First Hospital in Kingston and Berwick Hospital will “put a further strain on Luzerne County’s resources and ability to provide adequate mental health services to its citizens,” it says.
Suggested state funding sources include a $2.8 billion “rainy day fund” surplus in the state budget and an estimated $2.2 billion in American Rescue funds not yet earmarked for specific projects or services.
Division head increases
Councilman Tim McGinley has proposed a budget amendment moving funds to different categories so all division heads would be receiving at least $94,500.
McGinley said he is proposing compensation increases for three current division heads because he does not believe they should be paid less than newly hired Administrative Services Division Head Jennifer Pecora, who will receive $94,500 annually.
The compensation increases, including related taxes: correctional services division head, $2,280; judicial services division head, $3,067; and human services division head, $96.
Because this is an ordinance, it would require introduction at a future meeting and a public hearing and vote at a subsequent meeting.