Proposed Luzerne County capital plan seeks millions for projects

Luzerne County’s administration has identified $6.3 million in future projects in its new proposed annual capital plan, with the understanding council would have to come up with funding to complete all of them.

The proposal says $1.8 million is left in the fund, but at least some of that money already is pledged for projects that had been approved in prior years. For example, $814,000 was earmarked toward an elevator modernization project still underway at the county prison.

A proposed capital plan must be submitted to council by June 1 under the county’s home rule charter, and county Manager Romilda Crocamo is submitting this one to council at its Tuesday meeting.

Council will have until Sept. 1 to make changes or adopt the plan as-is.

The $6.3 million in requests include a previously approved allocation of $1.1 million to address windows at the county’s Penn Place Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, it said. In addition to replacing windows and sills, the project would repair the brick ledges, lintels and interior patching.

The remaining new requests, according to the proposal and some supplemental information from county Operational Services Division Head Jennifer Pecora:

• $1 million for sewer repairs at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Pecora said some of the piping in the courthouse sub-basement is corroded and must be replaced.

• $1.5 million to add two more courtrooms on the second floor of the Bernard C. Brominski Building near the courthouse.

• $1 million to reconfigure the courthouse employee entrance so security checks can be added for all workers.

• $1 million for enhanced security and other upgrades in the lobby of the county prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre, including bulletproof glass.

• $250,000 for brick-and-mortar work and the addition of a budget/finance suite at the Penn Place building.

• $164,000 to finish courtroom repairs at the courthouse.

• $150,000 to equip county buildings with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use in medical emergencies.

• $60,000 for a generator and locks at the county’s Hanover Township records storage building, which also houses the coroner’s office and morgue.

• $30,000 for labor to repair the Penn Place elevator. Parts have already been funded.

• $19,500 to cover additional work that had been completed to stop water from infiltrating the courthouse sub-basement. This expense was beyond the $205,000 council had earmarked.

• $10,700 to complete electrical work and install new lighting in the pedestrian tunnel that links the courthouse and Water Street parking garage.

Some past proposed capital plans limited requests to the amount of funding on hand, but Crocamo said she wants to be open with council and the public about building needs.

The home rule charter required annual plans to encourage county officials to look ahead.

Crocamo said the administration will publicly present more details about all project requests at council’s June 11 work session.