As anticipated, Luzerne County Council discussed the American Rescue Plan awards in Tuesday’s work session instead of making a decision at the voting meeting.
Council had agreed to allocate $60 million to outside entities, and the list of 75 top-scoring applicants totaling that amount was released last week. Before the list was compiled, council members individually scored all 139 applicants through an online portal created by the county’s consultant after agreeing not to collaborate with each other.
A main focus of the work session was council’s discovery that five applicants were not scored by anyone, including one from Dress for Success Luzerne County, which provides clothing, job interview support and workforce guidance to economically challenged women.
Council concluded it must have stemmed from an issue with the consultant’s online portal used for scoring because three council members — Chris Perry, LeeAnn McDermott and John Lombardo — said they took detailed notes of all the entities they scored and did not have those five projects on their list. McDermott said she definitely would have remembered scoring Dress for Success and did not receive that option.
Robin Booth, of Columbia, Maryland-based Booth Management Consulting, said her company’s work went through multiple levels of quality control, but she agreed to immediately provide council access to those five applications so they can be scored by council members.
Booth noted three of the five entities already have projects in the top-scoring list of 75, which means they would not be eligible for a second one. However, some council members say the projects not evaluated may end up with higher scores and be recommended for award instead.
Council Chairwoman Kendra Radle said council members will see how the scoring of the five impacts the list of recommended awards.
Council members can discuss the matter in the next work session in two weeks to decide how to proceed, said Radle, encouraging her colleagues to share their suggestions with the county law office.
Councilman Tim McGinley discussed the possibility of a new distribution plan that would keep the top 75 recipients but reduce the dollar amount they receive to free up money for additional recipients.
While lowered allocations may be a problem for some recipients and possibly impact their project completion, others have voluntarily offered to scale back requests to free up more funds for other projects.
McGinley said he received input from some applicants in the top 75 that would be willing to accept less, including one that would make a significant amount of funds available.
Radle cautioned both the county law office and Booth have warned council to be careful about altering allocations. County Acting Manager Brian Swetz also said project alterations to reduce the allocations may impact eligibility.
Council also wants a revised list omitting a $735,000 allocation to the Dallas Area Municipal Authority due to a criminal complaint recently filed against the entity over allegations of untreated sewage dumping into Toby Creek.
Applicant feedback
Diane Cowman urged council to proceed with awards based on the evaluation process it had approved. She was speaking on behalf of Second Family Memory Care LLC, which made the top-75 list for a $203,551.62 allocation to open a 20-bed residential dementia “village” in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Cowman said the scores should dictate and said council will “make a mockery of the process” if alterations are made to the awards.
Amy Bezek, the owner of Amy Bezek Photography LLC, also addressed council Tuesday, saying she felt compelled to say something because the proposed $300,000 award to her business was criticized by some.
Bezek told council she was unable to operate her business and receive income for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions. She said she is eligible for the award and exhaustively worked to complete the application.
“I’m not arguing that mine is better than another,” said Bezek, who would use the funding for inflation-related infrastructure costs.
Nonrecipients
Some of the entities that did not make the top-75 list provided comments to council. The county has not released a list of unsuccessful applicants.
Greater Pittston Chamber President Michelle Mikitish spoke on behalf of her organization and the Greater Hazleton and Wyoming Valley chambers, urging council to consider their joint effort to provide small business assistance if additional funding is identified.
The 6,790 small businesses operating in the county employ more than 50,000 residents, the chambers said. Businesses employing less than 50 workers make up 93% of county employers.
Many lost revenue and incurred additional costs due to the pandemic, and they now face significant increases in the cost of goods, fuel, utilities and labor, Mikitish said.
In a written communication, Wright Township secretary/treasurer Pamela Heard said township supervisors are asking council to reach out to applicants to see if funding requests can be modified so more applicants can be considered. The township requested reconsideration of its request.
“Wright Township feels we have submitted a very competitive application for stormwater improvements that are much needed for our community as well as commuters and will benefit the Commonwealth of PA by eliminating a stormwater issue on Route 309,” the communication said.
Wilkes-Barre Attorney Al Flora sent council a communication saying he had helped a local nonprofit apply for American Rescue funding that would have provided summer recreational activities for approximately 300 children in seven municipalities in the southwestern part of the county.
He said he had hoped the grant process would be fair and meet community needs.
“When money is awarded to private business entities and other groups such as photography studios, vending companies, restaurants, medical doctors, labor unions and religious ministries, I must voice my concern,” Flora wrote. “One must question whether such entities experienced significant pandemic impacts above those entities which provide a direct community need.”
Flora urged council to reject all applications and establish a new review process in which council collaborates and reviews each application in an open and transparent forum. Each application also should be open to public review to “avoid even the appearance of impropriety arising from potential conflicts of interest or behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts.”
Board appointments
Council appointed the following citizens to outside boards:
• Convention Center Authority, which oversees the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township — Donna Cupinski, Dino Galella and Pat Patte
• Flood Protection Authority, which oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee system — James Delaney
• Housing Authority — Rose Yarmel and Robert Wanyo
• Transportation Authority — Michael Cefalo
• Luzerne Conservation District — Leonard Burger and John Wilkes
• Arts Advisory Board —Donald Armstrong and Colleen Logan
• Children and Youth Advisory Board — Robert Childs and Amy Lowell-Hart
• Community College Board of Trustees — George Brown
• Convention Center & Visitors Bureau Board — Robert Borwick, Brian Fischer, Carla Thaller and Michael Ward
• Farmland Preservation Board — Blakslee Master and Bryan McManus
• Forty Fort Airport Advisory Board — Michael Berish and David Sieminski
• Planning Commission — Karen Fleisher, Gary Swartz, William Kane and Salvatore Marsico
• Zoning Hearing Board — Dave Williams
• Workforce Investment Board — Michelle Mikitish and William Schabener
• Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board —Mildred Passeri, Deborah Walsh and Joseph Yozviak
• Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission (student seat) — Tyler Myers
• Mental Health/Developmental Services Program Advisory Board — Raelene Daring and Melisa Littleton
In other business, a council majority also voted Tuesday to approve a new 4-year union contract with assistant district attorneys/public defenders. The contract will provide 3% raises annually and also step increases for newer workers, officials said.