The Luzerne County administration’s request to allocate an additional $442,000 in federal American Rescue Plan funding for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning replacement project was unanimously approved by county council.
A past granted request for $1.5 million was “grossly underestimated,” while equipment costs have increased, the administration said.
Without additional funding, projects could not proceed at the courthouse and county-owned Penn Place building in downtown Wilkes-Barre as specified in the original American Rescue application, it said.
The courthouse chiller unit is old and oversized for cooling needs since the courthouse windows were replaced as part of an energy efficiency project, officials have said.
To date, the county has locked in contracts for new Trane HVAC units at two county-owned properties as part of the American Rescue project — the courthouse annex on River Street in Wilkes-Barre and the record storage building/coroner’s office in Hanover Township.
A council majority had tabled a decision on the additional earmark last month hoping to secure a price reduction, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Council wanted to decide Tuesday to ensure the units can be procured in time to meet American Rescue project completion deadlines.
New vehicles
Council also is considering a county road and bridge department request to earmark up to $350,000 in American Rescue interest earnings to purchase five work vehicles for the department — a proposal discussed during Tuesday’s work session.
County Road/Bridge Manager Vince Zerblas told council five department vehicles were taken out of service because they could no longer meet state inspection requirements, citing examples of “rotted frames” and other damage.
Zerblas said another department vehicle — a 2006 Chevrolet — recently broke down when he was on his way back from inspecting a bridge.
Replacing the five would help the department “get a lot more work done,” he said.
Because the wait is two years for a new truck ordered through a dealership, he said he contacted four area dealerships that participate in the state’s COSTARS cooperative purchasing program to determine if any suitable vehicles were available on their lots and obtain pricing.
The department chose the five cheapest pickups, he said.
Retired vehicles eventually will be sold at a public auction as in the past, officials said.
The county has accrued $908,381 in interest on unspent American Rescue funds through March this year and $5.38 million in total since 2020, according to budget/finance.
Council may vote on the request at its next meeting May 28.
Children and Youth
Council also discussed the agency’s request to change its name from Luzerne County Children and Youth Services to Luzerne County Children, Youth and Families, with a vote possible on May 28.
This new name “is a more appropriate reflection of the agency’s mission, vision and values that it strives to obtain,” the proposed resolution says.
Katrina Gownley, who has been overseeing the agency since February 2023, has said the proposed change stemmed largely from the selection of the county to participate in the state’s “Family Engagement Initiative” through the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
This program increases collaboration between the agency, judiciary and families to reduce the number of children placed with strangers in foster care, Gownley said.
Children and Youth Deputy Director Jillian Thomas told council Tuesday the agency recently updated its mission and vision statements to add the family engagement mission.
If the change is approved, this county would be one of only nine in the state with families in its name, Thomas said.
As part of this mission, the agency held a community event, created a public food bank and set up donation items for families needing cleaning supplies, clothing and personal hygiene items, she said.
“We’re just trying to change our image in the community to show that we are able to help and assist and not just be involved when there is abuse and neglect,” Thomas said.