In a split vote, a Luzerne County Council majority voted Tuesday to appoint Wilkes-Barre Township Mayor Carl Kuren to the county Convention Center Authority, which oversees the Mohegan Arena in the township.
Seven citizens were on the eligibility list for the open seat on the 11-member authority. The seat expires the end of this year and opened due to the death of Tom Woods in May.
Two citizens were nominated by council members — Kuren and Vincent Argenio.
Six council members supported Kuren: Patty Krushnowski, LeeAnn McDermott, Chris Perry, Greg Wolovich, Harry Haas and Chairman John Lombardo.
The remaining five council members selected Argenio: Kevin Lescavage, Jimmy Sabatino, Joanna Bryn Smith, Brittany Stephenson and Vice Chairman Brian Thornton.
In the final ratification vote, council unanimously approved the appointment of Kuren.
The other appointments and reappointments made Tuesday:
Farmland Preservation Board, Matthew Schuler; Board of Tax Assessment Appeals, Anne Bradbury; Children, Youth and Families Advisory Board, Kathleen Balakier and Amy Weber; Planning Commission, Frank Sindaco; Recreational Facilities Advisory Board, Charles Jones; Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board, Anthony Guariglia and Stephanie Shupp; Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Drug & Alcohol Executive Commission, John McCarthy; Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Mental Health and Developmental Services Program Advisory Board, Scott Crispell and Dr. Alvaro Reymunde; Industrial Development Authority, Jonathan Barnhart and Jennifer Pena; and Transportation Authority, Joseph Zeller.
Litigation
A council majority approved a proposed $42,500 litigation settlement with past county 911 worker Michelle Castner.
Castner had sued the county in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania alleging 10 counts of discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation, the agenda said.
Council discussed the settlement in a closed-door executive session before the meeting, the agenda said.
Four council members voted against the settlement — Bryn Smith, Thornton, Haas and Lescavage.
Union update
Two AFSCME District Council 87 union contract memorandums were approved on Tuesday to update compensation for some positions.
The first will increase wages by $6,000 for three current GIS/Mapping Department analysts after a fourth vacant GIS analyst position is eliminated to cover the cost. The GIS analysts and their new base salaries: Lewis Abram, $60,845; Christina Polomchak, $58,478; and Christopher Zim, $61,296.
The second memorandum changes the starting salary of the election bureau voting system specialist position to $48,000 in the union contract’s job classification section.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
