Luzerne County is seeking applicants for the deputy election director position vacated when Beth Gilbert resigned in late June.
Election Operations Manager Emily Cook has been serving as acting deputy director since Gilbert’s departure. Eryn Harvey oversees the election bureau as director.
The position is advertised at $50,000 annually, and applications are due Aug. 18, according to the posting under the human resources career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org.
Unclaimed bodies
County Coroner Jillian Matthews is scheduled to brief council during Tuesday’s work session on measures to address rising costs associated with unclaimed bodies, the agenda said.
Under state law, counties are responsible for removing bodies when there is no next of kin or when the next of kin refuses to claim the body or accept responsibility for the deceased person’s final disposition, her submission said.
Recently, the coroner’s office has received more calls from nursing homes and medical facilities requesting the removal of a deceased person, maintaining they were unable to reach a family member, no funeral home was designated upon admission to the facility, the funeral home refused the call because it had no prior notification concerning the deceased or no funds were set up for burial, it said.
The coroner’s office has instituted a policy that it will only assume responsibility for unclaimed bodies after these facilities have shown evidence they completed due diligence, such as requiring those admitted to fill out intake forms detailing their next of kin designation with notification information and designating a funeral home, it said.
Fee increases also will be discussed with council, the agenda said.
“The Coroner’s Office is a taxpayer funded entity not responsible for devising and implementing postmortem care plans of the residents of long-term care facilities,” the agenda submission said.
Tuesday’s work session follows a 6 p.m. voting meeting at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for remote attendance are posted under council’s online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.
County finances
The county Budget/Finance division is scheduled to present a mid-year financial report during the work session.
Hardship assistance
During the voting meeting, council plans to decide how it will allocate $5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for a public relief program.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo is recommending council provide $2.5 million each to programs administered by the Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO).
The first is the Whole-Home Repairs Program, which provides funds to income-eligible homeowners to complete repairs or projects that improve health, safety and habitability, energy or water efficiency or access for those with disabilities.
An estimated 112 homes will receive funds of up to $24,999 with the $3.24 million state funding already earmarked for the program. Based on prior estimates, approximately 90 more homeowners could receive funding with an additional $2.5 million county allocation.
The second is a Heating and Utility Assistance Program that provides $290 in assistance to eligible homeowners and renters. More than 7,000 households could receive assistance with an additional $2.5 million allocation, according to past projections.
Litigation
Council plans to vote Tuesday on a $7,000 settlement to prevent threatened litigation against the county by Zarinah Muhammad.
According to the agenda:
Muhammad was a visitor at the county’s Bernard C. Brominski Building in Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 12, 2021, and “on multiple occasions, directed profanity at Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department and Security personnel, among other things.” The sheriff’s department cited her for disorderly conduct, and she was found guilty in magisterial district court and at a summary appeal hearing before the county Court of Common Pleas. She appealed her conviction to the state Superior Court, and the conviction was ultimately overturned in January.
Muhammad has subsequently threatened to pursue litigation against the county alleging civil rights violations.
In another matter, council will vote on a recommendation to initiate litigation against Shelton Washington and Heba A. Elsherbiny, the agenda said. This litigation is related to vehicle damage to a Cross Valley Expressway light pole, the administration said.