Luzerne County Council’s legislative committee scheduled a Monday night meeting to discuss a proposed “responsible contractor” ordinance.
The ordinance, which has not yet been formally introduced, would require prospective contractors to participate in apprenticeship training programs and meet other conditions to perform county construction projects over a set dollar amount.
Citizens and business owners for and against the proposal have aired their opinions during two recent council work sessions. Due to continued questions from council, it was agreed the ordinance will be further reviewed by council’s legislative committee before it is brought back to the full council.
The legislative committee is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for the remote attendance option posted on council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Four council members serve on this committee: Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. (chair); Joanna Bryn Smith, (vice chair); Jimmy Sabatino and John Lombardo.
Council meeting
County council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on two new collective bargaining agreements with detectives and county prison workers.
Council had tabled a vote to approve the detective contract in January.
Council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton sought the tabling, saying he supports detectives for their difficult work and professionalism but could not approve the proposal as it stood due to compensation “escalations.”
Thornton had said he does not want to provide details about his concerns because negotiations were still technically underway until a contract is finalized. He had suggested going back to the bargaining unit to “discuss alternate numbers.”
Detectives are represented by the Luzerne County Detectives Association and have the option to proceed to binding arbitration if negotiations reach an impasse.
County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce has said compensation must be addressed in the new contract to help with retention and recruitment. Detectives are expected to handle major investigations countywide, and the average salary for new municipal police officers in the county now exceeds $70,000, the DA has said.
The prison contract did not previously come before council for a vote. Prison workers are represented by LIUNA Public Service Employees’ Union, Local 1300.
Both union contracts expired the end of 2023, the agenda said.
Tuesday’s meeting is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse. Instructions to attend remotely are on council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Tax break
A requested tax break is up for discussion during council’s Tuesday work session, which follows the voting meeting, the agenda said. A council majority would have to approve the proposal at a future meeting for it to take effect.
NorthPoint Development is seeking the break for a 15-building data center on a 1,280-acre site in Hazle Township near the Humboldt Industrial Park’s north zone off state Route 924 close to Interstate 81.
Data centers are increasingly in demand to house computing and networking equipment that stores and churns out information for businesses.
The break would be under the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program for blighted properties, which means the property owner pays real estate taxes on the land throughout the break and receives a discount on taxes for the new development.
Kansas City, Missouri-based NorthPoint is seeking a percentage schedule of reductions over a decade and also offered to provide an estimated $1.18 million payments in lieu of taxes.
County council members had praised a payment in lieu of taxes included in a tax break package they approved in August for Hillwood Properties’ project along Route 309, also in Hazle Township.
Originally NorthPoint sought full county real estate tax forgiveness the first seven years, 90% in the eighth year, 80% in the ninth and 70% in the tenth. Following discussion before council’s Infrastructure Committee, NorthPoint revised its tax forgiveness request to 90% the first seven years, followed by 80%, 70% and then 60% the final three years.
NorthPoint kept the payment in lieu of taxes in the revised proposal. It would provide the county with $2,500 for each acre housing a structure — half to be paid when each building permit is issued and the remainder when the temporary certificate of occupancy is issued.