Luzerne County Council to consider additional airport allocation

Two proposed Luzerne County-owned bridge projects must be further assessed because they are in the vicinity of bat populations, which means the work funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act likely can’t be finished by the end of this year as mandated, County Council’s Tuesday voting meeting agenda says.

Instead, the county administration is asking the council to reprogram the total $850,000 bridge earmark to American Rescue-funded work already underway at the county-owned Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort and Wyoming, the agenda said.

Council had voted at the end of 2024 to allocate $350,000 for the Patla Road Bridge in Ross Township and $500,000 for the Kisenwether Bridge in Sugarloaf Township. The county’s engineering firm notified the county that the most recent Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) environmental review search identified both projects within the range of the three bat species, triggering a requirement for additional assessments.

County staff will work on identifying other funds for the bridge projects, the agenda said.

Council had collectively earmarked $7.45 million for capital improvements at the 110-acre airport, including new hangars and an aviation fuel facility, according to prior reporting.

Tuesday’s voting meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option have been posted in the council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Opioid earmarks

Council is also set to vote Tuesday on four opioid litigation settlement fund awards.

The proposed earmarks:

• $570,000 to the county Drug and Alcohol to sustain and expand medication-assisted treatment and recovery support services

• $363,693 to the county District Attorney’s Office to purchase portable evidence kits for law enforcement and first responders to more safely detect opioids, synthetic opioids, and other emerging opioid-based drugs

• $200,000 to the county’s Adult Treatment Court, largely to help cover the cost of random drug testing

• $250,000 for the Luzerne County Community College AllOne Recovery Educational Institute expansion project, which serves students in recovery from substance use disorder

Board appointments

Council is also scheduled to fill citizen seats on five county boards on Tuesday.

Some appointments were delayed last month because the council meeting ran too long. Additional vacancies will be filled at the council’s next meeting on Feb. 24, said council Chairman Jimmy Sabatino.

The seats appearing on Tuesday’s agenda, along with citizens on the eligibility list for possible appointment or reappointment:

• Planning Commission (one seat) — Geoffrey Baumes, Joshua Makarewicz, and David Wychock

• Redevelopment Authority (one seat) — Joseph Jones, Kelly Mulhern, James O’Brien, Mark O’Connor, Adiel Tyson, Wychock, and Rabbi Yosef Zylberberg

• Transportation Authority (two seats) — Amy Carroza, Jones, Scott Letcher, Gary Polakoski, and Joseph Zeller

• Zoning Hearing Board (one seat) — Letcher, Dave Williams, and Wychock

• Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission (one seat) — Christine Wysocky

The county invites applicants to cite multiple boards of interest, but they can only be appointed to one.

Town hall

County Manager Romilda Crocamo has scheduled a public town hall at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Exeter Borough Building.

Crocamo has been holding periodic sessions at various locations to inform residents about county projects and future plans, and to seek citizen input on needs and suggestions.

The municipal building is at 1101 Wyoming Ave.