A Luzerne County Council majority confirmed Ted Ritsick’s nomination Tuesday as the new Community Planning and Economic Development Division head, but it did not vote on a real estate tax break extension for a Wilkes-Barre Township warehouse project as planned.
Council members said they were removing the tax break request from the agenda at the request of the developer, Bluecup Ventures LLC.
No further public explanation was provided, but internal feedback indicated the delay stemmed from Bluecup’s ongoing discussions with area union labor representatives regarding the project construction.
Bluecup sought the extension to the end of 2027, saying it was powerless to meet the three-year construction deadline in its 2022 county agreement due to zoning-related court appeals. The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board and township council already approved extensions.
Regarding the division head, 10 of 11 council members supported county Manager Romilda Crocamo’s nomination of Ritsick: Chairman Jimmy Sabatino, Vice Chairwoman Brittany Stephenson, Chris Belles, Steve Coslett, Dawn Simmons, Denise Williams, John Lombardo, Joanna Bryn Smith, Patty Krushnowski, and LeeAnn McDermott.
Councilman Harry Haas provided the lone no vote, saying he had no personal issue with Ritsick but was against the creation of the new division that a council majority had approved in February.
Ritsick, of Forty Fort, will receive $98,000 annually in the new position.
He has worked as a professional planner at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and is currently employed as a consultant at Scranton-based Hailstone Economic. Ritsick also had served as an elected member of the county’s Government Study Commission, a member of the county’s Wyoming Valley Airport Advisory Board, and on Forty Fort Borough Council.
Ritsick has a master’s degree in community and economic development from Penn State University.
Crocamo has said the division would work with council to “recruit the right development for Luzerne County.” Ritsick will oversee three existing departments with a combined 24 workers — Community Development, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and GIS/Mapping, Planning and Zoning.
Ritsick said after the meeting he looks forward to his new role and expects to start work at the end of May.
Three county residents, including Todd Eachus and Fern Leard, urged council during public comment to table a decision and further research Ritsick’s work as a consultant. They expressed concerns that he may not prioritize consideration of the negative aspects of data centers and other development.
Ritsick said he will wholeheartedly work on behalf of the county and its citizens. County Council dictates policy, Ritsick said, adding he will execute council’s directives as an employee of the executive branch.
After the confirmation, Crocamo released a statement saying Ritsick has more than a decade of municipal planning experience across the state and a “proven track record of strengthening communities, fostering intergovernmental collaboration, and securing resources that deliver real results for residents.”
Ritsick’s work has included zoning ordinance updates, grant acquisition, and the coordination of multi-partner projects across Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Columbia counties, she said.
The new division will serve as a “central hub” to advance economic development, land use, infrastructure, and quality of life goals, she said.
“His deep roots in regional planning, his hands-on experience navigating complex multi-partner projects, and his commitment to the communities of Northeastern Pennsylvania make him exactly the right leader for this new division,” Crocamo said of Ritsick. “We look forward to the innovative work ahead.”
In other decisions on Tuesday, council:
• Introduced an anti-discrimination ordinance proposed by Bryn Smith that will be discussed at a future work session and would require a subsequent public hearing and majority council passage to be implemented.
• Amended the county’s American Rescue Plan Act consultant contract with Columbia, Maryland-based Booth Management Consulting to retain the company through March 2027 at an additional cost of $918,180, which will be paid from American Rescue fund interest earnings.
• Awarded opioid settlement fund earmarks for two projects that had been tabled at its last meeting: $75,000 for Lotus Manor, a Kingston recovery house for women with Opioid Use Disorder; and $149,490 to Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania for its “Give Hope” mobile outreach program, which was established in 2019 to connect with and support the homeless.
• Adopted a safety action plan that examined all roadways passing through the county — state, county, and municipal — and details solutions aimed at reducing crashes.
• Authorized an online suicide prevention and intervention training initiative through LivingWorks Education USA that will be available at no cost to all county employees and, eventually, residents and providers to complete at their own pace and schedule.
• Approved a $5,000 settlement to close out 2020 litigation Richard Musko filed against the county and county-owned Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort and Wyoming over a demand to remove his storage hangar and personal property from the complex.