The authority that oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee held its first monthly meeting in new headquarters Tuesday.
“This will be our forever home,” said Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority Chairman Dominic Yannuzzi.
Formerly a state police training facility, the property on Wyoming Avenue in Forty Fort was purchased by the authority for $565,000 last December. After factoring in mortgage payments, the authority will save thousands of dollars per month compared to the prior expense of renting space on Laird Street in Plains Township, board members said.
The new 7,100-square-foot facility is adjacent to the county-owned Wyoming Valley Airport and the authority’s levee maintenance shed, officials said.
Approximately 2,000 square feet in the Forty Fort property will not be needed by the authority and could be rented out to increase savings, officials have said.
County council had voted in February to allocate up to $8 million of the county’s federal American Rescue Plan funding to the flood authority to fund a range of projects, and the list included financial assistance for the new authority headquarters in Forty Fort.
The authority won’t be permitted to draw down American Rescue funds until the county verifies expenses meet federal eligibility requirements.
Authority Executive Director Christopher Belleman told the board Tuesday he is working on the eligibility approval process with Columbia, Maryland-based Booth Management Consulting. County council retained the consultant to ensure complicated regulations are followed so awards withstand future federal auditing.
Authority representatives said they will be holding a formal opening of the new headquarters in October.