Luzerne County manager voices support for Wilkes-Barre infrastructure repair loan

Wilkes-Barre does plenty for Luzerne County government, county Manager Romilda Crocamo told county council in an email Tuesday.

Her email aimed to address criticism of a $500,000 loan county council has been asked to provide to the city to help fund emergency infrastructure repairs.

Council is set to vote on the loan Tuesday night, and some critics have asserted the city does not help the county.

Most county council members have expressed support for the loan, with several saying the county has a responsibility to assist the city, which is the county seat. The community development funds involved in the loan cannot be used for internal county infrastructure projects, officials have said.

In her Tuesday email, Crocamo told council the county must recognize the “essential and unparalleled” services the city provides to the county, citing these examples:

• Since June 2024, the city has “bagged,” or reserved, up to 20 parking meters for the county around the county’s Penn Place Building on Pennsylvania Avenue every other Friday due to the county human resources department’s new employee orientation program. The estimated revenue loss to the city is $9,600, it said.

• At the start of this month, the city permanently removed five parking meters on North Pennsylvania Avenue at the county’s request to allow unimpeded views for workers exiting the Penn Place parking lot, which equates to an estimated $15,000 in lost city revenue annually.

• During every election, the city blocks off 10 to 12 meters around Penn Place for two days at no cost to the county, which results in an estimated $400 to $480 in lost city revenue per election.

• In October 2024, the county initially asked the city to bag 42 meters in the area of the Penn Place building due to an influx of voters visiting the county building to drop off Nov. 5 general election ballots. The county did not proceed with the meter-bagging request because the cost would have been $14,280, but the city was “lenient patrolling” this metered zone during the election process, it said.

• The city provided 210 man hours monitoring the city hall parking lot and directing the public on where to park for the Nov. 5 general election ballot drop off at Penn Place.

• City fire and police responded to more than 300 county 911 calls at county properties in 2024 and this year to date.

Regarding the loan, the county administration had agreed to seek council approval to loan the city $500,000 in community development funds without charging interest and require the city to repay the county $8,333 per month over five years.

City officials are trying to round up an estimated $1.2 million to address two antiquated systems that have collapsed at times: a metal culvert running under Scott Street to Conyngham Avenue that channels stormwater from Wilkes-Barre Township and a large and deep terra cotta combined sewer and stormwater line on Horton Street that services about half of the city.

“We stand at a critical juncture where the health and safety of our community in Luzerne County depends on our collective action to support our county seat, Wilkes-Barre,” Crocamo told council. “The allocation of funds to address the urgent situation concerning the cracked sewer pipes is not just a financial decision; it is a commitment to preserving the well-being and quality of life for countless residents.”

The city provides essential services and is also a “center for commerce, education, and culture,” she said.

“The services offered here, including public safety, healthcare, and community programs, are vital to our residents and contribute significantly to the overall prosperity of our county,” Crocamo wrote.

Failure to address the infrastructure could “lead to widespread disruption, affecting homes and businesses near the damaged pipes,” she said.

“By supporting Wilkes-Barre and investing in the necessary repairs, we are taking a proactive stance to prevent a debilitating situation that could impact our entire community. This investment not only protects our infrastructure but also reinforces the importance of collaboration and unity among all municipalities within Luzerne County,” she wrote.

The terms of the loan are comparable to those provided to West Hazleton, “reflecting a consistent approach to supporting our municipalities,” she said.

Council voted at the end of 2023 to provide a $425,000 loan to West Hazleton — using interest earned on county community development funds — so the borough could finish rehabilitating the Jaycee Drive Bridge to end detours through a residential neighborhood and concerns about delayed emergency response to 50 businesses.