Luzerne County Council unanimously approves security worker bonuses

Luzerne County Council unanimously voted last week to provide one-time bonuses for five union security officers.

The administration said the security officers were unintentionally omitted from a December 2024 incentive provided to 32 union sheriff deputies, corporals, and sergeants who had provided payments ranging up to $10,000 for those with five to 31 years of service.

All five security officers met length-of-service requirements to receive the $10,000 incentive, which means it will cost $50,000, the agenda said.

More decisions

Council also unanimously approved:

• A lease agreement with Edwardsville to move Magisterial District 11-1-05 back into a borough-owned structure at 57 Russell St. that has been renovated following fire damage last May. The office had temporarily relocated to the county’s West Side Annex in Forty Fort after the fire. The county will pay the borough $25,200 annually for the first four years and $38,400 in the fifth year.

• Project completion extensions until March 31 for two county federal American Rescue Plan Act funding recipients — Shickshinny, which received $358,000 for a roadway and drainage improvement project, and Ashley, which was awarded $2 million for the Solomon Creek Interceptor rehabilitation project.

• Renewal of the Center City Cafe’s lease to operate an eatery in the courthouse basement cafeteria at a monthly rental of $550 per month through the end of 2030.

• Three awards from the county’s opioid litigation settlement fund —$73,150 to the Guardian Angel Recovery House to provide recovery housing for women working to overcome substance use disorder, and earmarks of $61,218 and $58,171 to Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services to expand its prevention program and provide treatment services to those unable to pay.

Board appointments

Council appointed the following citizens to vacant county board seats: Transportation Authority, Gerald Alshefski; Farmland Preservation Board, Bruce Trumbower; Forty Fort Airport Advisory Board, Joseph Jeffrey; and Industrial Development Authority, Matthew Schuler.

November personnel actions

Seven new employees were hired last month, according to the latest Human Resources Department personnel report.

These workers, their positions and hourly compensation: Robert Besancon, road and bridge equipment operator, $19.23; Peter Butera, part-time assistant solicitor, $23.90; Eileen Link, Agency on Aging clerk typist 2, $15.01; Mark Monahan, 911 data entry clerk 1, $18.27; Michael Nelson and Christina Yantorn, building and grounds custodial workers, $13.52; and Mailyn Perdoma Paredes, Children, Youth and Families caseworker 1, $20.91.

Past employee Marilyn King was also rehired as a prothonotary clerk 3 at $16.12 per hour, it said.

Two workers changed positions through the internal merit hiring process: Mary Pavlik, prothonotary administrative assistant, $17.90; and Tracy Polumbo, human resources generalist, $21.54.

Departures

Five workers resigned in November, the report said: Ryan Flanagan, prison corrections officer; David Morris, Veteran Affairs deputy director; Anne Marie Slymock, coroner executive administrative assistant; Kayla Davis, district judge clerk 5; and Julianna DeAngelo, 911 telecommunicator.

The report listed one termination of probation services program aide, Joanna Almonte.

The death of Deputy Sheriff Donald Kreseski was also acknowledged in the report.