Luzerne County seeking a media content strategist/planning and transportation coordinator

Luzerne County has advertised a “media content strategist/planning and transportation coordinator” position that will include public communication responsibilities.

The administration established the position by changing the title of a vacant transportation planner job and expanding the duties, according to a required notice it sent to the county council Sept. 19. The position’s compensation increased from $56,375 to $62,000 and will be covered by funds available in the county manager’s office salary budget, the notice said.

Applications are due Wednesday, according to the job posting on the county human resources department career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org.

Under the administrative direction of the county manager and the GIS/Planning and Zoning director, the chosen applicant will coordinate all efforts with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Lackawanna-Luzerne Transportation Study, in addition to developing and implementing communication strategies, as stated in the job posting.

The “position plays a pivotal role in shaping public perception of Luzerne County government, primarily county offices, by ensuring government transparency, and fostering effective communication with the public, media, state and federal lawmakers and other stakeholders,” it said.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said she wants someone to coordinate council participation in public events and clearly convey to the public the positive happenings that are essential to attracting economic development to the area.

“There are a lot of good things happening in Luzerne County, and people don’t know about it because the manager and division heads don’t have time to do promotional work,” Crocamo said.

Past county managers Robert Lawton and C. David Pedri had both identified the need for a public communication position, but council majorities did not support those proposals.

Prior commissioners overseeing the county before home rule had introduced the concept of a communication coordinator in 2004, with the hiring of Kathy Bozinski as public information officer. That position was eliminated at the end of 2008 with the furloughing of Bozinski’s successor, Jason Jarecki.

County rail

Communications continue in the ongoing exchange over the future of the county rail line.

The county Redevelopment Authority owns the rail line, but it owes the county $3.28 million from a 2001 loan tied to the line. The county council also appoints the five authority board members.

Reading & Northern Railroad Chairman and CEO Andy M. Muller Jr. made an unsolicited offer to pay $10 million to buy the line, saying he will increase freight service and add passenger train excursions from Wilkes-Barre to Pittston. These are not commuter routes, but they would connect Wilkes-Barre to popular tourism train rides, such as existing excursions from Pittston to historic Jim Thorpe.

Plans are in the works for the authority to publicly seek requests for proposals (RFPs) from all entities interested in buying or leasing the line.

The authority board posted a notice on its website announcing it will be holding a closed-door executive session on Tuesday to discuss litigation and real estate matters, indicating the public is excluded from attending.

Attorney John Dean, of Elliott Greenleaf & Dean, which filed a county council-authorized suit over the outstanding loan, sent redevelopment authority Solicitor Peter P. O’Donnell a letter Friday saying the county is “pleased and excited to learn of the proposal to purchase the rail line for $10 million.”

The letter referenced reports about authority plans to publicly issue RFPs, and Dean said a sale “should now have a minimum price of $10 million” in light of Reading & Northern’s offer.

Dean cited the authority’s Tuesday executive session and said the county is “ready and willing to meet” with O’Donnell on Monday to discuss “the next steps in getting this process going and coordinate it moving forward.”

The authority board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is on Oct. 21.

Council candidate forum

All 10 county council candidates on the Nov. 4 general election ballot participated in last week’s forum sponsored by the Wilkes-Barre Area League of Women Voters at the Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke.

For interested voters, a full recording of the two-hour forum is available on the Luzerne County Community YouTube channel.

County voters will select five of the 10 council contenders on Nov. 4 to serve four-year terms starting in January.

The contenders are:

• Democrats: Chris Belles, Steven M. Coslett, Tony Perzia, Dawn Simmons, and Denise Williams.

• Republicans: John Lombardo, Jackie Scarcella, Brian Thornton, Stephen J. Urban, and Greg Wolovich.