Michele Sparich nominated for Luzerne County operational services division head position

Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo nominated county grants writer Michele Sparich to oversee the county’s operational services division, according to the County Council agenda posted Friday.

Council confirmation of the manager’s nominees is required for the eight division head positions. Council is set to vote on the nomination on Monday.

Crocamo is recommending a salary of $98,800 annually, the agenda said.

The operational services division head oversees engineering, roads and bridges, planning and zoning, 911, emergency management, buildings and grounds, the boiler plant, and solid waste management.

The position is open because Jennifer Pecora left at the start of the year to accept employment outside county government.

Sparich had served as acting operational division head and also previously acted as temporary overseer of the human services division and administrative services division during periods when those positions were vacant.

According to prior reporting, Sparich has worked for the county since 2004.

As a grant writer, she works with multiple county departments and outside entities to develop applications seeking funding and provide program-related administration. She also has served as interim purchasing director, manages the county’s insurance, and is part of the county administrative team responsible for overseeing the county’s federal American Rescue Plan Act program.

In addition to her county work, Sparich has local government experience from previous employment as a grant administrator in Northampton County’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

A resident of neighboring Carbon County, Sparich was previously ineligible for a division head position due to a residency requirement a past council majority had implemented in a 6-5 vote in 2016.

The 11-member council unanimously voted in August to eliminate that residency requirement.

The county manager, eight division heads, prison deputy warden, sheriff, and heads of emergency management and 911 were subject to the policy, which required those hired to establish residency within six months of their employment.

Reiterating a past concern, the current county administration said the residency requirement has “hindered the recruitment, selection and retention of candidates” for these positions.

The administration proposed waiving the residency requirement for existing employees promoted to these positions if they already had at least five years of continued county employment.

Councilman Harry Haas successfully proposed an amendment to eliminate the restriction entirely to widen the applicant pool for these positions.

Three applicants from the original January job posting had advanced to interviews. Crocamo publicly re-advertised the position in September.

Council’s Monday meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted on council’s public meetings section at luzernecounty.org.