Luzerne County Council approves new economic development division

Luzerne County will create a new Community Planning and Economic Development Division, a County Council majority decided Tuesday.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo has said the division would work with council to “recruit the right development for Luzerne County.” It is the first new division added since the January 2012 implementation of the county’s home rule structure, which created eight divisions.

Council agreed on the new division name on Tuesday instead of the originally proposed “Infrastructure, Community, and Economic Development Division,” largely because some citizens started using the acronym ICE even though the division has nothing to do with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Crocamo said the only staffing addition will be a division head — a position that had been advertised last month at an annual salary range of $90,000 to $98,000. The division head will oversee three existing departments with a combined 24 workers — Community Development, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and GIS/Mapping, Planning and Zoning.

The vote was 9-2 to create the new division. Those in support: Chairman Jimmy Sabatino, Vice Chairwoman Brittany Stephenson, Chris Belles, Steve Coslett, Dawn Simmons, Denise Williams, John Lombardo, Joanna Bryn Smith, and Patty Krushnowski.

Voting no were Council members Harry Haas and LeeAnn McDermott.

Lombardo said he believes a dedicated focus on economic development is a “fantastic idea for the county” and “really forward thinking.”

Belles said the county could achieve a class A economy if it changes the way it does business. He said the county has not been “completely stagnant,” but he observes attractive employment opportunities and higher median incomes in other areas.

“If we want to have nice things and have money in our pockets, then we should be making big moves,” Belles said.

Haas said he does not believe the people want a new division and had other complaints.

In reply, Crocamo said, “We have to move Luzerne County forward. We’re at a crossroads here, and we need to really focus on economic development — not just for the county, but for our communities and municipalities.”

Five citizens weighed in during a required public hearing preceding the meeting. County Redevelopment Authority Board Chairman Scott Linde said the authority would support the work of the new division.

Four others spoke against the division. Kingston Township resident Edgar Stark and Sugarloaf Township resident Ann Vinatieri questioned the cost and other issues in email comments posted with the agenda at luzernecounty.org.

Former county controller Walter Griffith and Hazleton resident Mark Rabo vehemently argued a division cannot be created without a ballot referendum and voter approval.

The county’s law division has disagreed with that interpretation. Crocamo, an attorney, said the case law Rabo cited involved a “fundamentally different” situation related to Lackawanna County’s attempt to eliminate elected row offices without convening a study commission.

Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge

Council also unanimously approved a formal agreement with Modjeski and Masters Inc. to perform design and engineering for the county-owned Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge over the Susquehanna River.

Crocamo closed the bridge in March 2025 after engineers performing an inspection found further deterioration and section loss of primary, load-carrying components. The alternate route is the Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway crossing, officially called the John S. Fine Bridge.

Totaling 2,072 feet, the bridge connects Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township. The crossing was constructed in 1914 and last rehabilitated in 1987.

In addition to $10 million in federal funding allocated through the state for this project, the county has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure. Because federal funding is involved, the engineer must first develop three options for the bridge, officials said.

The contract with Modjeski and Masters would be capped at $1 million and cites the following work schedule to be completed within two years: four months for a purpose and need assessment, a year for historic bridge rehabilitation analysis, and eight months to analyze alternatives.

More decisions

In other business Tuesday, council:

• Unanimously amended the county purchasing manual to follow state thresholds for obtaining price quotes and bids

• Changed the policy for emailed public comments. Instead of reading them during meetings, council will publicly announce their receipt and post them on the county website. The change was prompted by an influx of emailed comments — some similar templates recommended by advocacy groups online. Citizens will still have an opportunity to voice public comments in person and through the remote platform during meetings.

• Appointed the following citizens to county boards: Ethics Commission (Democrat seat), Adiel Tyson; Recreational Facilities Advisory Board, Geoffrey Baumes; Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board, Deborah Walsh and Joseph Yozviak; Mental Health and Developmental Services Program Advisory Board, Raelene Daring, Chris Fragassi, and Melissa Littleton; and Northeastern Pennsylvania Health and Higher Education Authority, Nancy Romanyshyn.