Luzerne County Council is set to adopt an ordinance Tuesday finalizing the last portion of a total $415,000 budget transfer to fund courtroom repairs and restoration and the addition of new courtrooms, the agenda said.
According to an estimated breakdown, here is how the money will be spent: motorized window shades, courtrooms 1 to 4, $20,600; light fixture upgrades, courtrooms 1 to 4 and 7, $21,075; electrical work, courtrooms 1 to 4, $34,680; flooring, courtroom 9/back office, $10,846; conservation/restoration of benches, courtrooms 1 to 4, $105,000; carpet replacement, courtroom 7, $20,299; and bench construction, courtrooms 8 and 9, $202,500.
Tuesday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance posted under council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Insurance
Also on the voting agenda is the county’s administration’s request to extend the county’s insurance broker contract with USI Insurance Services for one more year instead of seeking proposals at this time.
The county’s last solicitation in 2021 sought proposals for a two-year contract covering 2022 and 2023 and the option for a one-year renewal in 2024.
USI would receive $60,000 for the additional year, which is the same as its payments in 2022 and 2023.
The broker must shop around for the best prices and administer all county insurance policies, including liability, cyber security, auto and property coverage, according to the administration. It emphasized all screening committee members had ranked USI as their first choice in 2021 and that USI is among the largest brokers in the country.
Litigation
A $10,000 settlement is included in Tuesday’s agenda to close out litigation filed by Daniella De’Angelo, it said.
De’Angelo worked as a county prison correctional officer until her employment was terminated in January, it said.
She filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination based on disability, gender and other factors, the agenda said.
Opioid committee
Council also is set to introduce an ordinance creating a committee that will make recommendations to council on the spending of money received from the state’s litigation settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.
The county is due to receive approximately $25 million over 18 years. Receipts through the end of this year will total approximately $4.8 million, officials have said.
County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and other administrators had suggested an Opioid Advisory Committee consisting of a county council member, the county manager, the county drug and alcohol administrator, the human services division head, a private-sector provider/consumer representative, the court administrator and the district attorney.
Council’s proposed ordinance said the following would serve: the county DA, drug/alcohol director, human services division head, correctional services division head, county manager, one council member and a county citizen.
Boards
Council plans to accept the resignation of Forty-Fort Airport Advisory Board member Alice Frantz Tuesday due to an employment conflict.
Vacant seats are expected to be filled on that advisory board along with the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board and Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Drug & Alcohol Executive Commission, the agenda said.